“What is Truth?”

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?” (John 18:37-38 ESV)

As Christ stood before Pilate, He essentially offered imself to be sacrificed. In the preceding verse, Pilate asks Jesus if He is a king. As this dialogue progresses, Jesus states, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (v.36) To which, at the beginning of today’s verse, Pilate states, “So you are a king.” Jesus responds with the most marvelous reply, “You say that I am a king.” (v.37). Jesus’s kingdom and His missions are founded in truth. Pilate, one whose truth is established in the immediate and skepticism, unwittingly speaks the truth for once.

We know Pilate is unaware of the truth due to His response to Christ, who then spoke today's verse. Truth was Christ’s purpose. He came to reveal the truth to those the Father would draw to Him. (John 6:24). It is these, God’s elect, who would hear the truth of the gospel.

This is no different than today. Some are blinded to the truth due to their pride, ambition, immediacy of everything, and the lust for power. These are much like the Pharisees. Their only reason for wanting Christ dead was that Jesus upset the status quo. His gospel would erase the power of the Pharisees.

We also see this with martyrs during the Reformation. The Roman Catholic church persecuted, killed, and imprisoned many who risked upsetting the balance of power. A great example is William Tyndale, who was jailed because he translated the Bible from Latin to English. The Roman Catholic church did not want to make the scriptures available to everyone because it would take away its power and control over the people. Despite this effort, the truth would be revealed just as Christ had revealed it in the first century.

Jesus came with the purpose of saving Adam’s race—the plan of salvation God had designed before time. Jesus did not come to start a new religion. We can see this in His encounter with the Canaanite woman whose daughter had an evil spirit. Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”  She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Yet we can also see the movement to include the Gentiles. I have always found it so telling that the indicator that Jesus’s hour had come was the Greeks who came to speak to Jesus during the festival. (John 12:20-23) ^“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some  Greeks. So, these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.  And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” 

Israel broke the Old Covenant, which was subsequently invalidated because they had again strayed from God. Jesus still came to save the Israelites. Only this time, this plan would include all the lost, including the Gentiles. The sacrificial system was a way to cover the sins of the Israelites, but Jesus came to pay for all sin once and for all for all those who believe in Him.” The New Covenant, the Covenant of the Blood of the Lamb, would not only cover the sins of humans but also forgive them completely.

Scripture reveals to us that we are sinners, we have a nature of sin. Each time we commit a sin, we should feel grieved about what we have done. The mercy of God is great, as is His love and His patience. But at some point, the hand of redemption will be withdrawn.

Are you snow white, cleansed with the Blood of the Lamb? Have you been made righteous before God? Do you see your sins and repent them? Seek Christ, ask for forgiveness, and believe in Him. He is the only way to achieve eternal life. Do it, do it now, there may be no tomorrow.

Grace and Peace