What Is Truth?
John 18:28-40
Our text picks up after the arrest of Jesus in the Garden and after Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin.
In order to understand the setting you must remember that Jesus was not observing the Feast of Passover when He instituted the Lord's Supper.
Rather, Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night before Passover Day which fell on Wednesday of that year.
After His arrest He was tried and harrassed under the darkness of night by the Sanhedrin and the High priests.
As soon as the sun broke on Passover Day, the priests and the Pharisees drug Jesus to the hall of Judgement to be tried by the Roman authorities.
The reason for this was they were intent on Jesus being crucified and shamed as only
Their limited authority would not allow them to crucify a criminal, so they brought Jesus to Pilate.
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The Priests' and Pharisees' aversion to enter the Gentile court sets the stage for this personal dialogue between Jesus and Pilate.
Normally the accusers would stand in the same hall and hurl their accusations.
The formalities of the normal proceedings would have certainly squelched any desire that Pilate may have had to know more about the accused.
However, with the events of Passover looming, the accusers insisted on staying out of the gentile court lest they be defiled and not be able to observe the Passover meal that night.
So Pilate is alone with the prisoner and takes the opportunity to question him more fully.
During this questioning we see Pilate trying to maintain an emotional distance from Jesus.
He has some pride and, as a Roman authority figure, doesn't want to appear too interested in this Jew.
On the other hand we see Jesus drawing him into the conversation, controlling the flow of the dialogue.
It struck me for the first time, having read the events of this chapter many hundreds of times, that Jesus is reaching out to Pilate!
He is seeking to reveal Himself to the one who, He knew, would condemn Him to death.
The most striking part of the conversation is when Jesus makes the claim about His relationship to the truth, and Pilate jerks his head up.
He's never felt this before, a burning feeling of conviction in his own heart!
He thought he was just enjoying another of many philosophical conversations about religious beliefs, when suddenly Jesus brought him to the point of deciding whether he would embrace truth if it stood before him.
The feeling was uncomfortable and Pilate reacted the way many do when faced with such a choice... He ran.
He closed the conversation with the first smart-alec comment that came to his mind and exited the judgment hall.
I wonder if, over the next couple of days Pilate concerned himself with how that conversation ended.
He most likely went over it repeatedly, like you and I do when we are involved in a debate or argument.
Should he have waited for an answer to his question?
Did he want an answer?
Was he more comfortable seeking for truth as an elusive and unattainable goal, or was he really seeking for truth?
Jesus brought Pilate to a decisive moment and, in that moment, Pilate failed.
Through the preserved pages of Scripture, Jesus is bringing you and me to the same decisive moment.
Every Person Must Embrace The Truth
1. Because some mean to distract you from the truth. (V33 the question was not Pilate's question)
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Today the doctrine of tolerance pervades our society as the highest attainable goal in philosophical pursuit.
It is a red herring.
Truth is attainable.
Settle for nothing less.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
2.) Because there is a penalty for failing to embrace the truth.
Romans
19 ¶ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
(Illustration:
3.) Because Truth Exists.
Relativism is self-contradictory, for if all beliefs have merit, and I believe relativism to be utterly false, then either my belief has merit, and relativism is false, or my belief has no merit and relativism is false.
“The Truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”
(Illustration: The earth rotates on its axis as it revolves around the sun.)
HOW THEN CAN WE EMBRACE THE TRUTH?
1.) By Hearing Jesus Christ's Testimony: V33-35
Pilate changed his question to the one he would have asked if he had not been under the influence of the mob outside: "what hast thou done?"
We must be willing to listen to the testimony of Christ if we are to make a decision about truth.
Jesus was always pointing out the unwillingness of people to hear him:
John
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
He takes a singularly intolerant position here, but truth does not change for sake of comfort - it is truth, and must be heard.
The testimony of Christ is simple:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
This brings us to our second practical step towards embracing the truth:
2.) By Believing Jesus Christ's Identity: V36-37
Jesus claimed here to be a King, but not just any king.
He claimed to be a King of a spiritual kingdom.
It was his purpose to set up a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of men.
This is a kingdom that is above all other kingdoms.
As a King in the heart of a man - He has the first say.
He is a King of Kings.
I Timothy 6:13 ¶ I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Believing Jesus Christ's Identity means to be wholly submitted to His Kingship above all other influences or authorities.
Lastly, we come to the unanswered question of Pilate, the key phrase in this dialogue:
Pilate asked the question that came to his mind, because he had been bested in the dialogue with the Son of God.
It was a question that, even as it reach his mouth, scared him to speak it, so he laced it with sarcasm and then left lest Jesus answer it.
What is truth?
I want to challenge you to ask the same question, but do not leave the room before you get an answer.
3.) By Surrendering to Jesus Christ's Answer: V38
The truth is simple in that it is limited to that which Christ affirms, and yet it is complex as it applies to every facet of our lives.
So often we enter the presence of God with a quest for guidance, then, as we suspect what that guidance may be, we hurry away.
In doing so we are no better than Pontius Pilate, who would not surrender to the answer of Christ.
I challenge you to set aside your preconceived ideas and open the Word of God with a surrendered heart.
I am not asking you simply to believe me, but to believe God.
If you have come here today, with a question in your heart about how you might have a relationship with God, let me challenge you to stay around for the answer.
God has said, "there is none righteous, no not one."
God has said, "the wages of sin is death."
We need salvation!
God has said, Acts
Won't you embrace the truth this morning?
Child of God, I know how difficult it is to surrender to the answer of Christ, but there is great comfort in knowing that you have embraced the truth.
When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly.
Now we are family.
We meet together, pray together, weep together, rejoice together and we stand beside each other in the spiritual warfare of this life.
We would be pleased of you would join us.
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