Tuesday, April 5

John 18:28-38

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Pilate had to be both irritated and intrigued by the man standing before him. The last thing he wanted to do was get in the middle of a Jewish religious squabble. But, on the other hand, the Jewish leadership was so frightened by this “Jesus” that they were willing to come to him – the hated Roman governor – basically asking for a favor! Pilate had to be shaking his head. He had executed more Hebrews than he could count – and had threatened to kill many more than that – and despite such brutality, these people didn’t even flinch. But this simple-looking man had them so unnerved that they were begging to have him executed. I think Pilate was curious as to what made this man so threatening. He would soon find out.

He asks Jesus directly if he is the “king of the Jews.” My guess is that there was a condescending and mocking tone in Pilate’s question. He could tell by one look that this man was no king – but he asks just to see what Jesus says. He expects Jesus to answer “yes” – therefore revealing that he is a delusional dreamer; or “no” revealing that he is fearful of the power that Pilate wields as the representative of the Roman Emperor. Jesus says neither. Instead, Jesus responds with a question of his own, “Is that your idea, or did others talk to you about me?”

Suddenly it is Pilate who is being interviewed – and he doesn’t like it. He cuts right to the chase, “Your own people have handed you over to me – what is it you have done?”

Jesus ignores his question and reveals his identity and purpose: “You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate’s response to this surprising turn in the conversation is, “What is truth?” While it is impossible to know exactly what Pilate meant by this question – it is tempting to guess that he was being somewhat sarcastic. He may have had some familiarity with the teachings of philosophers like Plato or Aristotle; he obviously had grown up in a Roman culture that acknowledged a whole pantheon of gods; and perhaps he had simply become skeptical about “truth” – because all that really mattered in this world was the truth of a sword. I think Pilate may have come to believe that whoever had the most swords, the most military power, had the right to establish their own version of truth – and therefore he responds to Jesus with a sarcastic, “What is truth?”

Many in our world today are also skeptical about truth. Many say, “There is no such thing as absolute truth.” They say, “What’s true for you may not be true for me.” I’ve always found it interesting that people do NOT think this way about things like money or gravity; everybody agrees that two dollars plus two dollars equals four dollars – and I’ve never heard anybody claim that the truth of gravity doesn’t apply to them! But when it comes to moral and spiritual truth – people seem to believe they can create their own truth – preferably a truth that fits the lifestyle they want to live!

Jesus tells Pilate that he has come to “testify to the truth.” Earlier, Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is saying that he, Jesus, is the truth about God – because he is God. He is also saying, in a way, that he is the truth about each one of us as well – because he is the way to God – to true righteousness and eternal life.

To say something is true is to say other things are not true. Two dollars plus two dollars cannot equal four dollars and five hundred dollars at the same time! Jesus cannot be true for some and not true for others – spiritual truth doesn’t work like that. He is either truth or he is not.

Pilate eventually made his decision. Have you?

Brian Coffey