One Minute Wednesday takes a look at a second conversation Jesus has in the last hours, this one with Pontius Pilate.
Pilate said to him (Jesus), “What is truth?” – John 18:38
The question we are so familiar with from Pilate was his final comment to Jesus in this passage, and came at the end of their brief interchange. Pilate asks if Jesus is king of the Jews. Jesus responds rather ambiguously, and draws Pilate in to the reality that Jesus indeed has a kingdom, which is not of this world. Reigning in this kingdom is why Jesus was born, and he came to tell the truth.
Now listen closely to this from Jesus: “everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” He lays it out in no uncertain terms for Pilate. You either are on one side or the other. If you are listening with the intent to follow him as king, then you are of the truth. Pilate’s questioning response is either dismissive mocking, or it’s a rhetorical attempt to evade the point by claiming you can never know – contradicting Jesus’ prior statement.
Pilate’s question is still relevant 2000 years later. Each person has the opportunity to investigate and decide their ultimate response to Jesus. Will we mock as if it’s just stupid to even consider, or just avoid the issue altogether as if it’s impossible to ever know? Those two responses will leave us on the opposite side of truth. Or we align ourselves with the truth by listening to him and his claim over us as king.
This is issue #1 for all of us. It’s what Easter puts in front of us to decide. The truth is not just a set of facts. The truth is a person. It’s Jesus.