What Is Truth?

What Is Truth?

Pastor Roth

John 18:33–38a (ESV)

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?”

Jesus tells Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world or from this world. The servants of a worldly king are charged with protecting him from being accosted by enemies; Jesus’ servants do not take up arms, and Jesus willingly enters captivity. Jesus admits that He is a king, but He says He has come for the sole purpose of bearing witness to the truth, in contrast with the worldly Jewish leaders who were willing to bear false witness against Him in order to preserve their worldly power.

Jesus says that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to Him, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Pilate’s skeptical question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), reflects the worldview of one who was interested in using words to achieve political objectives rather than to speak the truth. So today, worldly-minded politicians are often not interested in the truth but in power. 

By contrast, Jesus’ kingdom is all about the truth of the Gospel, the way of the cross, salvation hidden beneath weakness. King Jesus came “not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for the many” (Mark 10:45), and who reigns by grace and mercy, granting pardon and salvation to His subjects, even though we are sinful rebels. That is the truth, straight from the mouth of Jesus, who is Truth!

Prayer: Almighty God, grant that in the midst of our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of Your only-begotten Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.