Thursday, March 1, 2018
John 18:37-38 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
THE ANSWER PILATE DIDN'T WAIT TO HEAR
Jesus had been condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin and was led away to the Praetorium, the governor's palace near the Temple. The Sanhedrin didn't have the authority to impose capital punishment so they delivered Jesus into the hands of the Roman governor to carry out their verdict of death. The Jews wanted Pilate to condemn Jesus as a danger to the Roman government. But Pilate knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. Pilate asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?" A logical question to ask in order to determine if Jesus was a threat. Jesus must have surprised Pilate with His answer, "My kingdom is not of this world." Jesus had no political aspirations, He didn't want Caesar's job, much less Pilate's. Pilate should have ended this mockery of justice but he was a coward at heart and afraid of the people. Pilate didn't understand what our Savior was saying so he continued his line of questioning, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a King." The Jews probably thought to themselves, "We've got Him now!"
However, Jesus continued. He told Pilate the reason why He came into this world, "For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate was like many today, he was acquainted with the efforts of the Greek philosophers such as Socrates and Plato to know truth on the basis of human reason. Pilate thought it foolish for Jesus to claim that He alone had the knowledge of the truth. So he asks the mocking question, "What is truth?"
The truth, so obvious to us and all who have been blessed with faith, eluded Pilate and the Jewish leaders as it does many in our day. But we can answer Pilate's question in absolute certainty, "Truth is Christ and Him crucified for the sins of the world, forgiveness and life eternal through faith in Jesus!" Pilate wondered if there is any absolute truth. What is truth? The infallible, verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God that proclaims salvation by grace alone through Spirit-created faith in Jesus! What is truth? In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace!
