Belonging to the Truth -- FPC sermon excerpt
What is truth?
That’s the question that Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, before sentencing him to death. Jesus has been brought to Pilate, the Roman governor, because only the Roman Empire can perform an execution. The Jewish priests want Jesus to die, but they don’t have the authority to kill him.
So they drag him to Pilate. The governor asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). This is the only thing that Pilate cares about, because a Jewish king would be a threat to Roman authority. If Jesus says “yes,” then he’ll be convicted of treason against the Roman emperor, and given an instant death sentence.
But Jesus is way too smart to respond with a simple yeah or nay. Like an experienced trial lawyer, Jesus says, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” (v. 34). He wants to know if Pilate has personal knowledge of his kingship, or if he is relying on the hearsay evidence of the Jewish priests. His response serves to undermine the validity of Pilate’s question.
The governor replies with an edge in his voice: “I am not a Jew, am I?” Pilate wants to distance himself from this whole messy affair, and stand above the squabbles of the bothersome Jewish inhabitants of the land. This is a Jewish problem, he seems to be saying — nothing that he wants get involved in. And yet he has a job as governor, one that requires him to administer justice. “What have you done?” he asks Jesus (v. 35).
Once again, Jesus refuses to give a straight answer. “My kingdom is not from this world,” he explains. “If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (v. 36). Jesus hints that he may be a king, since he speaks of his kingdom, but he does not describe a kingdom that would fit any Roman understanding. There are no soldiers, armies, or lawyers fighting for his freedom, which would certainly be the case if he were the head of an earthly kingdom. In the Roman world, kingdoms were defined by armies and laws, and justice was enforced by the exercise of power.
Pilate hears part of what Jesus is saying, the part about his kingdom. “So you are a king?” he asks him.
But Jesus dodges again. “You say that I am a king,” he says. “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (v. 37). Although most kings would describe their mission as leading armies, collecting taxes, punishing criminals, and expanding the economy, Jesus says that he has come to “testify to the truth.” And while most kings expect their subjects to obey their commands, Jesus describes his followers as who people who belong to the truth and listen to his voice.
Jesus has not come to take the world by force. Instead, he has come to invite people to enter into a relationship with him, by listening to his voice and belonging to the truth.
All of which leads to the obvious question from Pilate, “What is truth?” (v. 38).
I think it is an honest question. Sure, Pilate is getting fed up with Jesus, but he is enough of a Roman philosopher to wonder about the nature of truth. He really wants to know, “What is truth? Tell me, Jesus.”
And what does Jesus say? Nothing. He just stands there. And I think his silence is his answer to the question. He is saying to Pilate, “Look at me. I am truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Follow me, and I’ll show you the path to abundant life.”
But Pilate doesn’t get it. Sadly, he turns away, and goes in another direction. The wheels of Roman justice continue to turn, and Jesus is flogged, mocked, and put to death on a cross.
What we are left with is the question, “What is truth?” This passage teaches us that truth is not a statement, a proposition, a concept, or a school of thought — that’s the kind of truth that a Roman philosopher would understand. Instead, truth is a person — a person named Jesus — and we are all invited to enter into a relationship with this Jesus who is the truth. For Jesus, truth is never merely something that is thought; instead it is felt, acted out, and embraced in all of life. This is the kind of truth that you don’t just think about, you belong to it. It is a way of life. That’s why Jesus says, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
That’s the question that Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, before sentencing him to death. Jesus has been brought to Pilate, the Roman governor, because only the Roman Empire can perform an execution. The Jewish priests want Jesus to die, but they don’t have the authority to kill him.
So they drag him to Pilate. The governor asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33). This is the only thing that Pilate cares about, because a Jewish king would be a threat to Roman authority. If Jesus says “yes,” then he’ll be convicted of treason against the Roman emperor, and given an instant death sentence.
But Jesus is way too smart to respond with a simple yeah or nay. Like an experienced trial lawyer, Jesus says, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” (v. 34). He wants to know if Pilate has personal knowledge of his kingship, or if he is relying on the hearsay evidence of the Jewish priests. His response serves to undermine the validity of Pilate’s question.
The governor replies with an edge in his voice: “I am not a Jew, am I?” Pilate wants to distance himself from this whole messy affair, and stand above the squabbles of the bothersome Jewish inhabitants of the land. This is a Jewish problem, he seems to be saying — nothing that he wants get involved in. And yet he has a job as governor, one that requires him to administer justice. “What have you done?” he asks Jesus (v. 35).
Once again, Jesus refuses to give a straight answer. “My kingdom is not from this world,” he explains. “If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (v. 36). Jesus hints that he may be a king, since he speaks of his kingdom, but he does not describe a kingdom that would fit any Roman understanding. There are no soldiers, armies, or lawyers fighting for his freedom, which would certainly be the case if he were the head of an earthly kingdom. In the Roman world, kingdoms were defined by armies and laws, and justice was enforced by the exercise of power.
Pilate hears part of what Jesus is saying, the part about his kingdom. “So you are a king?” he asks him.
But Jesus dodges again. “You say that I am a king,” he says. “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (v. 37). Although most kings would describe their mission as leading armies, collecting taxes, punishing criminals, and expanding the economy, Jesus says that he has come to “testify to the truth.” And while most kings expect their subjects to obey their commands, Jesus describes his followers as who people who belong to the truth and listen to his voice.
Jesus has not come to take the world by force. Instead, he has come to invite people to enter into a relationship with him, by listening to his voice and belonging to the truth.
All of which leads to the obvious question from Pilate, “What is truth?” (v. 38).
I think it is an honest question. Sure, Pilate is getting fed up with Jesus, but he is enough of a Roman philosopher to wonder about the nature of truth. He really wants to know, “What is truth? Tell me, Jesus.”
And what does Jesus say? Nothing. He just stands there. And I think his silence is his answer to the question. He is saying to Pilate, “Look at me. I am truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Follow me, and I’ll show you the path to abundant life.”
But Pilate doesn’t get it. Sadly, he turns away, and goes in another direction. The wheels of Roman justice continue to turn, and Jesus is flogged, mocked, and put to death on a cross.
What we are left with is the question, “What is truth?” This passage teaches us that truth is not a statement, a proposition, a concept, or a school of thought — that’s the kind of truth that a Roman philosopher would understand. Instead, truth is a person — a person named Jesus — and we are all invited to enter into a relationship with this Jesus who is the truth. For Jesus, truth is never merely something that is thought; instead it is felt, acted out, and embraced in all of life. This is the kind of truth that you don’t just think about, you belong to it. It is a way of life. That’s why Jesus says, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
posted by Henry Brinton | 2:40 PM
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