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John 18:33-40
My Kingdom Is Not of This World So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. 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?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. |
What is truth?
“All that matters is stories feel true, they resonate...the point is not to determine the truth by a process of rational evaluation, assessment and conclusion. You choose your own reality, as if from a buffet.” (Matthew d'Ancona - Post-Truth: The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back).
The debate about truth is nothing new…
‘Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.’ Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor 161-180)
Pilate and Jesus. Two different perspectives on truth. Pilate seems to recognise the Pharisees’ claims are false. He listens to Jesus but then retorts ‘what is truth?’ Pilate doesn’t wait for an answer, it is of no interest to him.
People today apparently have little interest in the same question. In a culture of ‘alternative facts’ or ‘fake news’, truth could be defined as a personal preference or interpretation, relative to our circumstances.
Can we really know what truth is? Your truth or my truth? Christians can be certain God is truth.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
Jesus said…
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8: 32-33).
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)
Are you willing to seek out truth in your life and follow Jesus or, like Pilate, walk away with no interest?
Andrew & Christine F