April 3, 2019 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: John 18:33-40 WHAT IS TRUTH?

MIDWEEK LENTEN 5

April 3, 2019

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 18:33-40

WHAT IS TRUTH?

1.     The truth is Jesus is not who people want Him to be.

2.     The truth is Jesus is who people need Him to be.

John 18:33-40 (EHV)  ^“Pilate went back into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus. He asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” ³⁵Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷“You are a king then?” Pilate asked. Jesus answered, “I am, as you say, a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸“What is truth?” Pilate said to him. After he said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?” ⁴⁰Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a rebel.)”



          Our three words of truth meditation today ironically is about truth. It’s the three words Pilate spoke as he cross examined Jesus. “What is truth?” Pilate asked. How do you think he asked that question? When you are reading dialogue in any work you have to try to figure out how a person said something because how they say it is oftentimes just as important as what they say. Was it an innocent “What is truth?” A cynical “What is truth?” A don’t bother to answer “What is truth?” It’s hard to say. These days we struggle with figuring out the truth. News reporting which used to have some standard of objectivity does not seem to any more. We are used to fake news, slanted news, getting only parts of the story reported and the all time favorite, “It must be true. I read it on the internet!” What is truth indeed! Maybe Pilate was in a situation just like us.

          And yet there is truth. Absolute truth. It’s found in the Bible. The first truth we need to get through our thick skulls is that Jesus is not who people want Him to be. If you think about it, the arrest and trial of Jesus before the Jewish religious leaders and Pilate was not so much about what Jesus did but about who Jesus was. If you recall the High Priest had tried using false witnesses to accuse Jesus of something worthy of death but it didn’t work. They couldn’t agree. Finally in frustration the High Priest spit out, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” To which Jesus replied with the truth. “Yes, it is as you say.” Now that was all the religious leaders needed to hear. Since they didn’t believe Jesus, they accused him of blasphemy, worthy of death.

          But that would not cut it with the Roman governor, Pilate. They changed the accusation to something that would catch his attention. Jesus is claiming to be a king. By Roman law that was worthy of death. But Pilate has a problem. Jesus doesn’t look like a king. He doesn’t act like someone leading a rebellion. He is bruised, battered and bound, yet quiet, peaceful and respectful. “You are a king, then?” asked Pilate. Really?

          Now Pilate and Jesus’ accusers had this in common: Jesus wasn’t who they expected Him to be and Jesus wasn’t who they wanted him to be. It would have been an easy call for Pilate if Jesus really was trying to be an earthly king. Sentence him to death and be done with it. Pilate had likely done that before. If only Jesus really were an earthly king. And that’s what the Jewish people wanted Jesus to be too. Do you remember how they reacted when he fed the 5000? They tried to make him king. Free food for all. While Jesus did many miracles to prove He is the Son of God when prompted to he refused. He wasn’t sent to be a miracle worker. Jesus was not who people wanted Him to be.

          And we need to hear that truth too. Sometimes we want Jesus to be what He is not. Pastors want a Jesus who will make all the members come worship every weekend and give generously. Teachers want a Jesus who will make students obedient and faithful at their work and all parents understanding. Parents want a Jesus who will make their kids stop fighting and complaining and be kind, compliant and grateful instead. People want Jesus to be their financial planner, dietician, a social activist who makes sure only good laws get passed. People want Jesus to be someone who in love never calls any lifestyle wrong or sinful and so none of you should either. What is truth? First, Jesus is not who people want Him to be.

          For while Jesus has the power to melt away belly fat and change our financial fortunes in a blink of an eye, while Jesus has the power to heal every disease and give us back our dead that’s not what we need. What we and all people need is a Savior from sin. And that is exactly who Jesus is. “Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷“You are a king then?” Pilate asked. Jesus answered, “I am, as you say, a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

          Jesus told the truth. He is a king, but not of a puny earthly kingdom. He came to testify to the truths that people needed to hear.  What truth? That the wages of sin is death and since all have sinned all deserve to be separated from God and His goodness forever in Hell. That God is holy and just and sin must be paid for in full. That for this reason Jesus came into the world so that as the one and only God man He is the substitute for the world. That His perfect life is credited to all who believe. That His death did in fact pay the penalty price for all sinners. The truth is Jesus did not come to make people behave better or stop them from sinning. He warned Judas. He warned Peter. He didn’t stop either of them. But He did give His life for them He did pay for their sins He warned them not to do. He did that for you and me too. The truth is Jesus is exactly who people need Him to be—who we need Him to be, the Savior from sin.

          This part of God’s word ends sadly. Jesus spoke the truth that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to Him. And then this. “After he said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?” ⁴⁰Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” These people rejected Jesus and chose a criminal because Jesus was not who they wanted him to be. They didn’t belong to the truth. But you do. Don’t get tricked into wanting any other Jesus than the one you need. The Savior from sin. Amen.