PARK PLACE OF ST. JOHN Life Style
Chaplain’s Corner Revolutionary Truth. What is truth?
On the surface, Jesus’ response to Pilate’s question about his kingship tilting toward truth might seem irrational. However, upon deeper reflection, both the trial before the Jewish leaders and the trial before the Roman governor were based on falsehoods. Jesus’ reply pulled back the curtain on deception to reveal that his kingship—and his Kingdom—was all about what is true and real. In a world filled with lies, Jesus not only spoke the truth; he embodied Truth. In John 14:6 (NLT), Jesus made a remarkable statement: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Notice that Jesus didn’t say he was a truth, some truth, or his own truth. He said he was the truth. The apostle Paul would later write, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4 NLT). It sure seems like the “time is coming” has arrived. But history is filled with cultures that have rejected the true Jesus of Scripture and sought out “teachers” who told them what they wanted to hear instead. Jesus was a revolutionary who both taught and embodied Truth. It’s revolutionary because it has always gone against the grain of history, as all cultures continually seek to reshape truth in their own image. Regardless, you, I, and everyone else (like Pontus Pilate) have the opportunity to face Jesus Christ as He said He is. For those who sincerely commit their entire lives to Him as Lord and Savior and King, a revolution begins…in their souls…and in time, they are never the same again.
Especially these days. It’s getting harder to find, isn’t it? Between our leaders in business, finance, politics,
sports, the media, the entertainment industry, the health industry, well, you name it, “fact checking” is a must. But hey, we live in a post-truth world. Now everything is relative. Relative means that what’s true for you is not necessarily true for others. Truth is personal, and thus changeable. Facts? Who cares. I want to believe what I want to believe! Uh, even if it’s false. Yes, sadly, people now want to believe what is false, even though it’s untrue! It fits their ideology or opinion. We might think our present era in Western societies is truth relative. But alas, it would do us well to rewind to Jesus of Nazareth’s trial before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. The only way that Jesus could be put to death was for treason. Put simply, he had to claim to be a king. Rome would not permit any real kingship other than the Roman Caesar and anyone he had officially put in that position. If Pilate could get Jesus to admit he was a king, particularly King of the Jews, Pilate would find a legitimate reason to have Jesus executed. At one point, Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” Pilate cynically replied, “What is truth?” (John 18:37–38 NLT), revealing that truth was relative at the time.
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