I'm studying philosophy of religion and I was just wondering if anyone could tell me why, in the fourth sign in John's gospel especially (feeding of the five thousand), he constantly says, "Very truly I tell you" in the discourse? For instance, John 6:26 (ESV):
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
It's as if he's trying to convince us that it's true, which makes him sound all the more guilty of lying. Why else he would say it so often?