|
What is Truth?
The Purpose of Jesus’ “Testimony”
Scriptures
John 18:33-38; 19:6-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Theme
The Resurrection of our Lord
Sermon Summary
Jesus’ testimony to the truth was confirmed by his resurrection. As a result, we can have –by
grace, through faith– the life that he enjoyed and enjoys.
Introduction
In preparing for Easter, my attention has repeatedly been drawn to Jesus’ trial before the
Roman Procurator, Pilate, as recorded in The Gospel of John:
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. With this he went out again to the Jews
and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him" (John 18:33-38).
I find it extremely interesting that Jesus links his birth, and his execution, to the cause of
Truth. Pilate’s sarcastic retort was, as it is even in our own day, “What is truth?”
But, according to Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection all have to do with Truth. But why?
and what difference does truth make? The difference must be so significant that Jesus was
willing to sacrifice his own life for it?
Why Was Jesus Born?
1. From John 18:37, we learn that Jesus was born to testify to the truth
“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” (John 18:37).
a) Jesus’ testimony identifies him as a king (:37a)
i) A statement linked to the truth to which he is testifying, that he is a king, but not a
king of this world (:36) –not just a king, but the King!
b) But, earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus claims, “I am [...] the truth”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me" (John 14:6).
i) Not just a truth, but the Truth
2. The Truth is the foundation for all other truths
a) A foundation without which truth has no basis or meaning (i.e. “truth is relative”)
i) For example, without the existence of a creator-God we can never know how the
universe works, we can only ever guess and propose more theories to explain the
chaos! Acknowledging the existence of a creator-God reveals the universal purpose
and order, an order which we strive to understand better
b) How can we know anything about anything without a foundational truth?
i) For example, colour does not necessarily exist in the real world: we receive light
bouncing off external objects into our eyes and our brains interpret that sensory
data as “colour”
ii) René Descartes attempted to establish the self as the only truly certain knowledge
(e.g. “I think, therefore I am”)
iii) Immanuel Kant attempted to apply these principles to Moral Philosophy by
distinguishing between the knowledge that we know, through reason, before
experience and the knowledge that we gain from experience (e.g. “colour” is
experience and “causality” is knowledge –thus leaving truth within our own
determination)
c) Without an eternal and external (i.e. objective) reference point (i.e. revelation), we
ultimately rely on ourselves to determine reality –and we all know the chaos that causes
and has caused!
Therefore, Jesus was born to testify to the Truth. What is this truth? That God exists, and
that he is He!
Why Did Jesus Die, Even Though Pilate Could Find No Fault in Him?
1. The Jewish religious and political leadership reacted to Jesus’ claims to be God (i.e. “God”
and “king”/”messiah”, in this case, were basically the same to the ancient Israelites)
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a
charge against him.” The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he
must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this, he was
even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he
asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate
said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus
answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.
Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on,
Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are
no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar” (John 19:6-12).
2. They could not “hear” the truth in Jesus’ words and presence
“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” (John 18:37).
3. Jesus, in an earlier dispute recorded in John 8:12-59, identified them as those who reject
truth
“Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of
sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?” (John 8:44-46).
Jesus’ version of the truth was so anathema to them that they had to kill him. These religious
and political leaders had somehow lost their sense of truth, and were now unable to recognise it
when they saw or heard it.
What Does Jesus' Resurrection Mean?
1. The final and ultimate proof that God exists and dwelt among us
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him
Immanuel” —which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
2. Why bother proving it? God did so because he loves us and wants to be reconciled to us, he
wants to be our friend
“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).
3. From all the gospels, we realise that Jesus was born to fulfil the ancient prophecies, such as
that found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, indicating that God would provide a Redeemer for our sin
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed
(Isaiah 53:5).
4. We can experience more of what is good, and be more of what we have been created to be,
through grace, by faith
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
Jesus was not born just to talk about the Truth, nor to die for the cause of the Truth, but to
prove that the Truth really exists. That fact that the Truth exists makes all the difference for
the way that we look at the world and the way that we look at ourselves. The Truth is a good
thing, and we approach “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6) through faith.
Conclusion
1. Jesus repeatedly held up the faith of children as the example that we should follow with
regards to faith.
"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child
will never enter it” (Mark 10:15).
2. The faith of a child accepts the truth, love, and security of a parent who has demonstrated
her love, wisdom, and protection, as opposed to the “faith that does not question or ask for
proof”
3. Faith trusts and obeys, and does so with certainty and hope
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews
11:1).
Antagonists make the mistake that religion is about faith and not about fact; therefore, faith can
only be directed towards concepts and objects that cannot be real. In contrast to this position
is the faith that Christians are encouraged to have in God: Belief, based on the fact of God’s
existence, proved by Jesus’ resurrection, results in a life of trust and obedience to his will, a life
that is far richer, deeper, meaningful, and purposeful than anything that the world has to offer.
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. If only for this
life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:17,
19).
The fact is that every person operates on faith: We act based on what we know. A person may
claim that truth is relative, but then act as if there are absolute truths (e.g. no person steps off a
cliff because he knows that he will fall to his death; he doesn’t have to have fallen before to
know that gravity is real in all places and at all times).
sermon delivered by Ian Forest-Jones
at Hurstville Church of Christ
on Sunday, 16 April 2006
[email]
< back |
