The truth is important. We all want to be told the truth in every area. That is one of the first things a parent tries to teach their children, “Always tell the truth.” If they don’t, there will be consequences. Juries try to determine the truth in a legal case. We hope that we are given the truth when in school, and from the news media, though that isn’t always the case. Without the truth, we can become distrustful. In our Scripture from the Gospel of John, we see that Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Israel, wanted to know the truth about some matters.
As our Scripture begins today, Jesus has already been arrested by the Jewish religious leaders, and they have now brought Him before the Roman Governor Pilate. They wanted to put Jesus to death, but being a country under Roman jurisdiction, any executions needed the approval and consent of the Roman officials. These religious leaders knew that Rome couldn’t have cared less about their religious squabbles, and charges of blasphemy. However, they would care if someone was trying to become a king in opposition to the Emperor, so that was the charge they accused Jesus of when they brought Him to Pilate.
This was a lie, and not the truth. Jesus never sought to become king during His ministry. When some of the crowds had talked about making Jesus a king, He had walked away, refusing to have any part of that (John 6:15). Now He stood accused of that in front of Pontius Pilate. Pilate proceeded to ask Jesus of these accusations, not because he accused Him, but because the religious leaders had (vs 33-35).
Jesus was not going to lie to the Governor, even if it meant He might be set free. Jesus did not deny being a king, but proceeded to tell him that His kingdom was not of this world (vs. 36). He was not going to take over a kingdom from Emperor Tiberius. Jesus’s kingdom is not connected to earthly political and national entities. Nor does His kingdom have its origin in the evil world system that is in rebellion against God.
If Jesus was what His enemies claimed Him to be, a usurper over Rome, His followers would have long since been incited to use force to bring Him to power. This had never happened, as Jesus was not an earthly king. One day, though, Jesus will return to earth to rule all nations (Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). Until then, His kingdom focuses on redeeming the hearts of the lost.
As Jesus continued to talk with Pontius Pilate, He told him that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth (vs. 37). Everyone who is of the truth will hear His words. Society today is challenged by the idea of truth. We constantly hear people question and challenge moral right and wrong. They say that what is true for me might not be true for them, and that truth varies from circumstance to circumstance. To many people, truth is relative. It is whatever the majority of people agree with, or whatever helps advance their own personal agenda and goals. Many even question the existence of objective truth. Objective truth is something that is true in all times and in every place. When there is no basis for truth, there is no basis for moral right and wrong.
The Bible clearly shows us that this is not correct. In Jesus and His Word we have the standard for truth and for our moral behavior. Jesus shows us that truth exists, and if we want to know what it is, we should look to Him, His actions, and His teachings.
When Jesus mentioned about truth, Pontius Pilate responded rhetorically, with cynicism, convinced that no answers existed to his question (vs. 38). As our Scripture passage closes we read that Pilate sent Jesus back to the religious leaders. He was not guilty of any sin or crime. Jesus was sent back to those leaders by Pilate, telling them he found no fault in Him. yet they were so intent that He be executed, they managed to twist Pilate’s arm. Pilate was weak-willed and fearful, and he gave in.
As we close this Scripture we need to look and see if we are committed to the truth in every area of our life, with the Bible being our standard. Also, are we prepared to welcome the Lord Jesus as King when He returns? If not, you need to give your heart to the Lord Jesus, accepting Him as your Savior today.
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