Rev. Steven S. Billings
Lent 1 Mid-week
Sermon
2-13-2008
St. John 18:33-38
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You 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 fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ took place more than 2000 years ago. That's a long time. A lot can change over a span of time like that. Even if we go back a mere century we find that we don't wear the same kind of clothes. We don't communicate by telegraph anymore, or travel by stage coach or horse-drawn carriage. A lot has changed, hasn't it.
But there are some things that haven't changed - the question posed by Pilate in our text, for example. In the midst of the confusion and conspiracy of the Passion, Pilate asks Jesus about Truth. People are still searching for Truth. Oh, the manner in which the question is asked might be different, but Pilate fits right in with our post-modern society. He proves that he is way ahead of his time.
But Pilate is not engaging Jesus in some kind of philosophical exercise. He's been around. He knows the schemes of those who try to commit state-sanctioned murder. Remember the setting of this little conversation. Pilate is adjudicating a capital offense. And he knows that the religious leaders have brought Jesus here under false pretenses. He believes this to be nothing more than an internal squabble for control. The charges against the accused are based on jealously and lies. Jesus isn't the only one taking a beating here; the truth is getting bludgeoned as well. But to Pilate Truth is only a concept, a quaint notion that harkens back to an older, more pristine era.
Sound familiar? Is there anything more archaic in our day than a claim of truth? Truth today is nothing but an antiquated concept - as timely as the bouffant hairdo and tail-fins on a Thunderbird. If we declare the Bible to be absolute Truth - God's own Word - people laugh like we're wearing bell-bottoms and a butterfly collar. When we stand in a pulpit or in a Bible Class or - even worse - somewhere out there in society and make a Truth claim, we're like a doctor who still uses leaches.
Our world today asks Pilate's question with as much derision as he did. But they up the ante; they answer their own question: Everything is true! And so nothing is true. Any claims of exclusivity - especially where religion is concerned - are seen as almost terroristic in nature.
We do have to agree, however, that the world is right about one thing: truth for truth's sake doesn't mean much. I mean, "1 plus 1 equals 2" doesn't have any meaning unless you know what a 2 is. Here we see the other edge of the question. Truth is not governed by the times in which we live. If it were, that would mean that truth can change. But for truth to be truth, it has to be timeless.
You see, truth is not just a concept. Truth is a person. Pilate was as close to the Truth as he was to the Accused that stood before him. For Truth, ultimately, is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and Son of Man. He made this claim about Himself when He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
But Jesus didn't just make a truth claim; He gave the evidence to prove that His claim was true. His wearing of human flesh was not a mere fashion statement. He took human nature into Himself for a purpose: to rescue humanity from its sin. You. Me. The Pharisees that sought His death. Even Pilate. In sacrificing Himself, Jesus made the truth of God's promise come to life.
As He stood before this powerful governor, Jesus also stood on the precipice of fulfilling all the promises of God, beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden and continuing through His servants down through the ages. The Eternal Father proves Himself true. The promise made and fulfilled in time bears witness to the timeless Truth that is our gracious King - a King who is definitely not of this world. No earthly king would be so selfless. No earthly king would be willing to sacrifice so much for a sorry lot like us. No earthly king would choose cross over crown, scourge over scepter, death over dominion.
Such truth is almost irresistible. Even the pagan Governor seems to be swayed. He knows there is no guilt in Jesus. But that doesn't change the fact that Jesus will die. Pilate will eventually give in to the pressure of falsehood and sentence Him to the cross. But remember, the cross is the truth that Jesus is all about - a timeless truth, a truth that has meaning time and time again. It is a truth that is yours the moment you're baptized. It is a truth that is yours whenever you partake of the Lord's body and blood. It is a truth that is yours every time you receive the Holy Absolution. These are all timeless truths. We know them well. But more than that, such truth will still be timeless should you contract a terminal illness. It will be timeless even when we stand, as Jesus does in this text, in the face of death.
What is truth? That is a timeless question. But that question proves to have a timeless answer. The answer is Jesus. He is truth personified. He is truth before Pilate. He is truth on the Cross. He is truth on the altar. He is truth in us, among us and for us, now and forever. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
