Very Truly

I want to share something that caught my attention. Over and over in the Gospels, Jesus uses the phrase, “Very truly I tell you.” Some translations say it as “Truly, truly I say to you,” or “Verily, verily.” And every time He does, something important follows. He’s about to reveal something to us or emphasize something we already know. This is when our ears should perk up and our mind should pay close attention.

These verses don’t mean you’ll never experience physical death, but they point to a greater truth, your spirit will live on with Jesus, who is life. These verses provide a promise and assurance directly from the mouth of Jesus.

"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." John 3:3

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life." John 5:24

"Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life." John 6:47

"Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death." John 8:51

Do you want to know who Jesus is? In these verses, Jesus isn’t just giving a title, He is making a declaration. When He says "I am," He is connecting Himself to the name God used when speaking to Moses at the burning bush. He is saying He is eternal, divine, and present. When He says He is the gate, He is telling us He is the only way in. He is our access, our safety, and our covering. He reveals Himself clearly in the following scriptures:

"Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" John 8:58

"Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep." John 10:7

"Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. John 10:1

Jesus acknowledges our Heavenly Father. In many of the scriptures where He says "Very truly I tell you," He reveals something about His Father, our God.

Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19

Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. John 6:32

Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16

Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. John 13:20

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 16:23

He reveals things that will happen that may be hard to hear:

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24

"Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me." John 13:21

He even gives us hope for the hard days:

"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these." John 14:12

"Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." John 16:20

This phrase is used over twenty times in the Gospel of John. Every single time it’s Jesus getting ready to tell us something, He is getting ready to give us a dose of truth. Open the Word, revisit what Jesus said. And when you see "Very truly I tell you," stop, listen, and reflect on what He wants to teach you. And let it change the way you live. Because if Jesus says it’s very true, then it’s very much worth our attention.

Here is a list of the "very truly" verses found in John:

John 1:51, John 3:3, John 3:5, John 3:11, John 5:19, John 5:24, John 5:25, John 6:26, John 6:32, John 6:47, John 6:53, John 8:34, John 8:51, John 8:58, John 10:1, John 10:7, John 12:24, John 13:16, John 13:20, John 13:21, John 13:38, John 14:12, John 16:20, John 16:23, John 21:18

Very truly I tell you, I might have missed a few verses, so if you know of a "very truly" verse that I didn’t include, feel free to submit it in the comments.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, as I read Your Word please help me to focus on what you truly want to speak into my spirit. Allow me to read, share, and live Your words in my daily life. May you grant me the understanding of how to apply your message to my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Author: Travis White | 08-03-2025