David Bahn – Reflections

John 18:37-38

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 says, “The truth shall set you free.” Indeed it does. Whenever we finally and fully face the facts about life, the reality of a hard situation, a disappointment, an illness, or addiction we are set free from the tyranny of denial. Too often we would rather deny the truth  about our addictions, ignore the warning signs of our poor health, and pretend that we don’t need to change. Part of the reason for this is that truth not only sets us free, but truth also calls us to action.

On this occasion Pilate encounters the truth about Jesus, and in the process also likely sees the untruth of the Jewish leaders’ duplicity in trying to get rid of Jesus. When he asks, “What is truth?” he is likely wondering what the thoughts and motives of those who wanted to get rid of Jesus really were. He was confronted with truth in the flesh and could not escape the reality of his presence.

But to act on that truth would move him to do things that would get him in trouble with the people, the Jewish leaders, and possibly Rome. To let Jesus go would be the truthful thing to do. But it would start an avalanche of repercussions and trouble the end of which he could not see. The truth for him was a sword. It was a burning cauldron, caustic potion, too bitter to swallow.

The problem with truth, however, is that it just doesn’t go away. Jesus is the King of kings. He is God in the flesh. We may rid ourselves of him for a time, but there will come a time when we will deal with him. We will see him face to face. We will give an account. If our account is that the truth was too hard to bear we are in trouble. But if our account is a deep-felt thank-you to him for not only being truth incarnate, but also grace incarnate, bearing the truth for all: our sin and failure to face the truth, then we have a great hope.

What truth do you know that you need to act upon today? Where does the harsher edge of truth rub up against your sin, sickness, denial, or failure? That rough edge is the edge of the cross on which Jesus died. He bore our sins, carried our iniquities, took our diseases upon himself when he died on the cross. That rough edge will set you free indeed.

John 18:28-40

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 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.” 37 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.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.