What is Truth?

Before carrying his cross to the top of the hill at Calvary, Jesus was brought before the Roman governor, Pontious Pilate. In John’s gospel record, an exchange takes place between the men who brought Jesus and the governor, John 18:28-40. Throughout the course of the brief conversation Pilate asks six fascinating questions of Him, 3 of which I want to explore. And all of which are fully relevant for us to consider at Easter (and every other day of the year), despite it being over 2000 years later. 

V. 29 - What charges are you bringing against this man?

The response to Pilate from Jesus’ accusers

V. 30 - “If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you”. 

What weight does this statement actually hold? Their response was basically, “he’s here isn’t he?”. The glorious irony is the fragment of the weight Jesus soon after bore on the cross for those men. Men without any actual accusation to place against him. 

V. 33 - Are you the king of the Jews?

The main charge against Jesus was that of (rightfully) labeling himself King of the Jews, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus responds by asking; V. 34 - “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” In this statement Jesus notes that he is not a rival, as in political rival, to Pilate. As he will declare sentences later, his kingdom is not of this world. He has no competition with rulers of the earth. 

What is truth? 

This is the question that really sticks out to me. The response even more so. This is the question that people love to ask, or better said, express, in today’s society. This is the question that has led to exponential brokenness in the lives of human beings. 

Have you ever considered summarizing why Jesus had to come to this earth in the first place? Thankfully for us Jesus himself let us know, recorded in John 18:37, certainly one of the most influential and important statements in the entire library of scripture; “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.” 

So what is truth? This is Pilate’s inquiry, shortly before sentencing a man he believes to be innocent, Jesus, to death, and releasing a man he knows to be a criminal, Barabbas. Pilate’s question was truly more of a statement. A fitting statement on the relativity of truth, even 2000 plus years ago by a man in charge of executing justice. 

The sign prepared to identify Jesus on the cross read something to the effect of “King of the Jews”. The chief priests who had brought Jesus to Pilate protested that this looked as though it were a statement of his position. Rather than his heresy, for which he was being crucified. Pilate responded; “What I have written, I have written”. He knew perfectly well what he viewed as the truth, even as far as to here defend his label over Jesus’ head as he died. Yet, to Pilate, truth was whatever happened to keep his political position intact and his physical body out of harm’s way. 

But what does Jesus say is the actual truth? Everything he testified to. In his own words, it is what he was born for. That we may know the truth. The Truth. The Truth that is often not held in nearly high enough regard. Any statement made by God incarnate corresponds to reality. So why make any attempt to create our own realities? The God of the universe spoke this world out of nothingness, created us from dust and breathed breath into our lungs. What means do we have to create reality, when our only resources are brokenness? By knowing this and seeking God’s Truth, we greatly increase the likelihood of a life marked by joy. In doing anything contrary, we put our mental health, relationships, lives, and truth be told, eternities at risk. 

As the earth revolves around to another Easter celebration we are reminded of Jesus’ ultimate, undeserved sacrifice on our behalf.

May today be a jolt to reawaken our hearts to the presence of the Spirit of God within us.

Let us see His sacrifice in the depth of what it truly is. My sin, my shame, my lust, my pride, my deception, my brokenness. Paid in full, wiped from memory by the King of Kings. The one and only Lord of all, who humbly stumbled, blood-soaked, to die in painful suffocation upon a cross. All the while tormented by the enormity of an eternity of sin. Including my own. 

Only to arise days later, claiming dominion over fear and death. In the words of the preacher Derrel Johnson, “Jesus Christ has stolen the chief weapon that evil uses to enforce its rule. Jesus has stolen the weapon of fear”. I cannot be afraid to give up everything that I think I can achieve on my own, for the narrow path to a full life and easy yoke that Jesus offers. All that remains is to recognize my brokenness, call it out, and seek day by day to relinquish more of my life to Jesus, to become more like Him.

Despite my life being shattered by sin, when I stand before God all that is left is a perfect reflection of Jesus. What is left for me to do but bow in reverence with every aspect of my life, that others may see that reflection of the Truth, and know they can’t live without it.  

Tim McGraw sang the perfect lyrics in his song “I’ve got friends that do”;

 “I may not know what it’s like, to hang there on the cross to prove that love is real, but I’ve got friends that do”. 

Praise Jesus for the truth. Happy Easter. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning it shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

-Hebrews 12 1-3