Why is Jesus called the Truth?

Question

Multiple times in the Bible Jesus declares that He is the Truth, or that He is on the side of Truth.

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 18:37

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

What is Jesus referring to with this word, Truth? Pilate then asks Jesus this same question. But I don't think that Pilate was actually looking for an answer, this is more of a sarcastic rhetorical question to in my opinion.

John 18:38

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Can you answer that for me?

Answer 1

A partial answer is that I understand that the Greek word for truth is also the same as reality. So Jesus is making a profound statement similar to Paul's:

Acts 17:28

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

Paul is referring to God. When Jesus (earlier) referred to Himself as Truth / Reality, it was probably to His listeners a claim to divinity.

So, He claimed to be The Way, The Truth and The Life. In other words, He said, "I'm the Path to God, I'm God and I'm what you experience when you're with God."

Footnote: He is certainly not claiming to be just a moral teacher...

Answer 2

Looking at Blue Letter Bible didn't really help, so I think that Jesus is speaking in such a way as to capture the purest essence of the word, like in John 1:1. There, "Word" is not being used in a typical way, but in a fuller sense, so to speak. Similarly, I think Jesus is making the point that He is entirely True when He says "I am...the Truth". Kind of a counter-point to Satan being the Father of Lies, if you will.

Answer 3

The concept of the Logos or the Word is one that harkens back to Ancient Greek thought. As an emanation of Truth, the Word is the ideal perfection of thought, and hence is "Truth" perfected.