“What Is Truth?”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen. During Lent this year, for both our special evening and Sunday morning
services, we are considering “Questions at the Cross,” questions asked by Jesus
and others during the first Holy Week. The entire sermon series is listed
on the back of this evening’s bulletin. Tonight’s “Question at the Cross” is probably the most famous question
of all time; the question Pontius Pilate poses to Jesus in this evening’s Gospel
Reading: “What Is Truth?” The television and radio personality Larry King was once asked if he
could interview any person from all of history, and if he could ask that person
only one question, who would it be, and what would he ask? Mr. King
responded that he would choose to interview Jesus Christ and find out from him
whether or not he really was born of a Virgin, because every other important
question in the world, Mr. King said, would be settled by the answer to that one
question. Although Larry King is not a Christian believer, he recognizes the
pivotal role of Jesus Christ in human history, he understands what it means for
the world if Jesus of Nazareth really is who he claims to be. Two thousand
years ago there was a man who had the opportunity to interview Jesus Christ.
He was not a journalist or celebrity interviewer, but a government bureaucrat
with a big problem. His name was Pontius Pilate. In his less-than-successful career as a Roman civil servant, Pontius
Pilate had managed to mess up rather royally at several outposts of the Roman
Empire. He was “rewarded” for this with the Roman governorship of
Palestine, considered the Siberia of the Roman world. From a Roman
governor’s point of view, the people of Palestine were alligators who chewed up
and spit out one ruined governor after another. Pontius Pilate was
determined to redeem himself in the eyes of Rome, to prove himself by
successfully governing this unruly province. But, already there had been two serious incidents, riots which really
were not Pontius Pilate’s fault, but he got the blame anyway. The local
leaders had sent letters of complaint to Rome, and just before the Passover of
33 A.D. Pilate had gotten back Rome’s humiliating reply: three strikes, you’re
out. We’re not moving you again; Palestine is your last chance. If
we get just one more compliant about trouble in Palestine, you’re fired. The greatest threat to Pilate’s governorship would be Passover week,
when Jerusalem swelled with pilgrims to five times its normal population, from
50,000 to 250,000. The yoke of pagan Roman occupation was particularly
hard for the Jewish people to bear that holy week, and the crowds would riot at
the slightest provocation. Pilate was supposed to keep control of all this
with just a few thousand soldiers, barely enough to protect him if a riot broke
out. More than one Roman governor of Palestine had been booted out of
office after problems during Passover. So, as far as Pilate was concerned, the timing couldn’t be worse when
during Passover week the local leaders bring him a prisoner whom they demand be
crucified. “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man
subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be
Christ, a king.’” That was the most serious charge you could bring against
anyone in the Roman Empire: treason, claiming to be a king in opposition to
Caesar. On the one hand, Pilate couldn’t overlook such a serious charge.
But, on the other hand, what if he did crucify this popular rabbi from Galilee,
who just a few days ago adoring crowds had welcomed to Jerusalem with a big
parade as he rode into town on a donkey? Maybe crucifying him would be the
big mistake that would start another riot and end Pilate’s career as a Roman
governor. “Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him,
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Is that your own idea,’ Jesus asked, ‘or
did others talk to you about me?’ ‘Am I a Jew?’ Pilate replied. It was your
people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have
done?’ Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants
would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another
place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in
saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came
into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens
to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked.” Unlike Larry King, Pontius Pilate
does not recognize the pivotal role of Jesus Christ in human history. He
does not understand what it means for the world if Jesus of Nazareth really is
who he claims to be. Jesus gently tries to break through to Pilate with the Good News about
a spiritual kingdom, not of this world. But, Pontius Pilate is too
preoccupied with his own little earthly kingdom. Isn’t that how it often
is with us? So preoccupied with our lives and the things of this world
that we forget about God? Like Judas Iscariot, who betrayed his Lord for
30 pieces of silver? Standing right there in front of Pilate is THE King of Kings and Lord
of Lords, but what is Pilate worried about? What a mere earthly king in Rome
will think. Isn’t that how it often is with us? We are attuned more
to what the world thinks and wants of us, rather than whether or not we are
pleasing and serving our Lord. Like Peter, who when questioned about his
faith denied his Lord three times. Just think how ironic it is: THE one person that even Larry King says
has THE ANSWERS to all the important questions in the world, “The Way, the Truth
and the Life,” he is right there in front of Pontius Pilate, and yet Pilate
scornfully says, “What is truth?” Isn’t that how it often is with us, when
we have questions and problems in our lives? Like Palate, we do not turn
to “The Way, the Truth, and the Life.” We do not seek answers and guidance
for our lives in his Word, or take our questions and problems to him in prayer. “What is truth?” Pontius Pilate KNEW the HISTORICAL truth that
Jesus was innocent of the charge of treason against Caesar. Three times
Pilate declares Jesus not guilty: “I find no basis for a charge against this
man.” But, Matthew reports: “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere,
but that instead a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in
front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. . . Then
he . . . handed him over to be crucified.” “What is truth?” The SAD truth is, Pontius Pilate sacrificed the life
of Jesus simply to hold on to his own position and prestige as a Roman governor. “What is truth?” The HARD truth is, although Pontius Pilate
issued the order, none of us is innocent of Jesus’ blood. As Peter says,
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.” “What is truth?” The WONDERFUL truth is, your sins are all
forgiven, on account of Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice for you. As Paul
says in 2nd Corinthians: “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself,
not counting men’s sins against them.” “What is truth?” Paul beautifully summarizes in Romans the
GREATEST truth of all, the Christian Gospel: “If you confess with your mouth,
‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” Return to Top | Return to Sermons | Home | Email Church Office
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