JESUS CAME TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH 

John 18:28-40 / Keywords 18:37

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

 

Jesus Before Pilate

18:28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

1. The Jewish leaders took Jesus to Pilate to execute him. The dialogue between Pilate and the Jewish leaders shows their strained relationship. The Jewish leaders seemed to hold the upper hand over Pilate, demanding him to do whatever they asked. When Pilate told them to judge him according to the Jewish law, they refused because the Jews didn’t have the right to execute him. They didn’t want a trial, just for Jesus to be put to death. This took place to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy about his death. People may plan and plot evil schemes, but the sovereign God is in control and his purpose will always be fulfilled.

 

2. Pilate questioned Jesus if he was the king of the Jews. Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world, but from another place. He came to the world to testify to the truth of his kingdom. Jesus told him that one who is on the side of truth listens to him. Jesus personally invited Pilate to his eternal kingdom, but Pilate didn’t stand on the side of truth. Consequently, he bowed down to compromise, man pleasing, and evil. When we don’t commit ourselves to truth, we are vulnerable to fall into sin and temptation.

 

Prayer Lord, without you, I am vulnerable. I hold on to you by listening to you.

One Word Truth sets us free