December 11, 2023 — Does the Bible Say…?

“Does the Bible say even Pontius Pilate was unsure of “The Truth?”

 “Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” John 18

“What is Truth?” Many have tried to understand Pilate’s comment. Was he  jesting or serious? Was he afraid or just tired? We will never know what he was thinking, but the pressure must have been immense. Who was Pontius Pilate?  He was the Roman prefect or governor of Judea from 26–36 CE under the Emperor Tiberius. Pilate famously presides at the trial of Jesus and gives the order for his crucifixion. But before his verdict, Pilate and Jesus have a small discussion about “kingship”. The conversation ends with Pilate’s famous line “What is truth?”

Pilate does not wait for an answer it appears, as the text tells us he immediately went out to the Jews again to tell them that he finds no reason or case against Jesus. Pliny the Elder stated this when considering this text: “that there is only one thing certain, viz. that there is nothing certain…”

Pilate was man of immense responsibility and action. Perhaps the question that remains unanswered is the equivalent to: What has truth to do with kingship? What ever Pilate was feeling inside, he went outside and delivered his verdict.

In a world where we are still trying to determine what is or is not true, this is, in my opinion, the most haunting question in the Bible?

Pastor Dave