We are starving for one honest person to tell us the truth. We long to trust those who seem to be “in the know” and who tell us when they don’t know. We are not looking for perfection—just honesty! We hope that we are hearing the truth about the future service of a needed appliance we are about to invest our hard-earned dollars in but it seems that is hard to find. We must do the work to seek the truth. In this world we must understand that the salesman has been trained to sell not necessarily tell the truth.
The truth might lead us against buying the top dollar commission maker and lead us to what really works best for our needs at half the cost. The repair industry offers free evaluations of your home’s roofing, heating, and air systems, etc., only to find what they can repair. Car dealers will offer free oil changes but with the intent of finding costly trouble spots in the engine to bolster their budget. The truth is, companies are looking for something to repair so their business stays busy and profitable.
Why is truth so hard to find? It appears that self and self-interest trump truth-telling in any conversation about anything of importance. The prince of liars easily leads many of us down this path to the dark side of self-seeking power and importance by convincing us we deserve better. Loving and serving others is not on the agenda of darkness. Laying down your own interests for the interest of others is not agendas of the arrogant.
Jesus is Truth. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6
Jesus was sent to earth by God to be, show and tell Truth. Jesus provided the Way back to Truth—reconciling people with God! Believing Truth, reconciling to God through Jesus, comes with the gift from God of eternal Life! It sounds too good to be true, but it is! Why did God do this? He loved us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Jesus delivered Truth first to God’s Chosen—the Jews. But even though the leaders had read about him, debated about when Messiah would come and what He would do; Truth fell on deaf ears and closed minds. They chose to manipulate a way to kill Truth because they felt that would be in their best interests!
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11
But God was still in control. His Plan was still in motion. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Even the unbelieving Roman’s couldn’t find enough evidence to convict Jesus!
John 18, The Message
The King of the Jews
28-29 They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn’t enter the palace because they didn’t want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and spoke. “What charge do you bring against this man?”
30 They said, “If he hadn’t been doing something evil, do you think we’d be here bothering you?”
31-32 Pilate said, “You take him. Judge him by your law.”
The Jews said, “We’re not allowed to kill anyone.” (This would confirm Jesus’ word indicating the way he would die.)
33 Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?”
35 Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?”
36 “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”
37 Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”
Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”
38-39 Pilate said, “What is truth?”
Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, “I find nothing wrong in this man. It’s your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the ‘King of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “Not this one, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a Jewish freedom fighter.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Jewish leaders hoped to crucify Jesus but did not have the authority to do this, so they brought him to the Roman governor, Pilate. Shrewd Pilate knew that the Jewish leaders wanted him to act as their executioner. He pronounced Jesus innocent and tried to save him, but finally consented to the crucifixion because of public pressure. When what leaders are saying doesn’t seem right it is imperative that we examine the evidence with a mind bent on seeking Truth. We must not be so complacent in our faith that we, too are easily led to “follow the crowd” who were led by the Liar against Truth. We face this daily.
God gave believers extreme Help! “I will send you the Helper from the Father. The Helper is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me.” –Jesus, John 15:26 We cannot do Life without the Voice of Truth to guide us through the maze of lies. So Jesus sent us a Counselor from God who will lead us to Truth. Pay attention to that “gut feeling” that something might be untrue for that might be the Voice of God warning us. Listen to His Voice above all the other voices clamoring for our attention, and follow Truth!
Ask God for wisdom to know Truth. “Lean not on your own understanding but trust God” says the voice of God’s Holy Spirit who lives within us. God is always with us to guide us to Truth.
When in doubt, pause to pray for Truth to be known. God answers this prayer!
Pilate knows what the Jews are trying to do, but he turns to the crowd for the final decision to be made. How cowardly—but a politician at heart! Truth is not on his agenda. Pilate wants to let Jesus go. Just give me a reason, he thinks, then I’ll set you free. His thoughts are interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. A messenger leans and whispers. Strange. Pilate’s wife has sent word not to get involved in the case. Something about a dream she had. Pilate walks back to his chair, sits, and stares at Jesus. “Even the gods are on your side?” he states with no explanation. How many wide eyes have stared at him, pleading for mercy, begging for acquittal by real criminals? But the eyes of this Jesus are calm and now He is silent. He’s not angry with me. He’s not afraid. He seems to understand. “What should I do with Jesus, the one called the Christ?”
“What is Truth?”Pilate exclaims, exasperated at the situation. What do you do with a man who claims to be God, yet hates religion? What do you do with a man who knows the place and time of his death, yet goes there anyway?
You can reject him.
Or you can accept him. You can journey with Jesus. You can listen for the Voice of His Holy Spirit rise above the hundreds of voices in the world and choose to follow Him.
Lord,
I have decided to follow you. You are Truth. You speak Truth in Love always and forever. You guide me to Truth when all I can see around me is false. Truth gives me Hope and certainty of a future with you forever. You teach me to speak the language of Truth! Thank you, thank you, thank you! To you be the glory!
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 