What Is Truth? Jesus Christ, Truth Incarnate and Truth in Logos
November 17, 2008
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) These three words where spoken dismissively to Jesus at his interrogation by Pontius Pilate. Words like these, spoken at such a somber time in history have a way of echoing, even today. What did Pilate want to know or was he really asking a question at all?
We all want to have the truth of a given matter. To be deceived is such a frustrating and even humiliating position to be in. We are limited by our perceptions of what truth really is. How often do we feel that truth resides within our own mental boundaries and not a step beyond?
Pilate confronted Jesus with the question, “What is truth?” but he was not really seeking a truth statement from Jesus. I do not see Pilate sitting in his seat in the Praetorium, listening attentively to Jesus make an apologetic statement about what truth was. In my opinion, Pilate was actually revealing a mindset; a way of thinking that said the truth could be found outside of the person of Jesus Christ. There standing in front of him was “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) and he was unable to recognize who Jesus was because of the blindness of his own sin and lost condition.
There is also a real indifference in Pilate’s tone, he comes across the same way post-moderns thinkers do today. Post-modern thinkers view truth as “a matter of perspective or context rather than being something universal.” (Paul Copan, 4Truth.net) He seems to be saying, “you have your truth, I have my truth and the Pharisees have their truth” way of thinking. In the end, it is likely all Pilate wanted was for the whole situation to simply go away.
In Jesus’ statement from John 14:6, “I am the truth,” He sets the benchmark for all of humanity. If you desire truth in your life, I am here. Pilate seemingly was unable or unwilling to see Jesus for who He really was. Jesus draws a line in the sand for Pilate by saying, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” (John 18:36)
Truth is defined as “sincerity in action, character, and utterance; the body of real things, events, and facts.”(Merriam-Webster, 2003) Truth is unchanging, truth is. If truth could be changed then it would not be the truth. This is Jesus, the embodiment of the real. He is unchanging, He is the One who has the answer to our question.
This flesh, this Word is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; He is the great “I AM!” Truth is not an adjective describing a character trait of Jesus. It isn't that Jesus tells the truth or always says and does the right thing. He is the standard bearer by which all of life and humanity is measured against. Jesus did come to just save us from our sin; He came so that sin (and its penalty, death) would be defeated. Sin stops at the feet of Jesus and goes no further.
Pilate, in asking, “what is truth?” missed the One who was the total embodiment of truth. May we not miss Him either.
Grace be with you, TommyWhat Is Truth? video
Video is from: http://www.thetruthproject.org/
3|Monday, July 27, 2009, at 9:52am
David Percival says:
Truth is a concept which operates on at least two levels - the higher is "The Truth" = God; the lower is "my truth" = all that I believe, at this point in my development. My truth is different from The Truth because it has been filtered through my intellect, emotions and memories and interpretations of life experiences. This is what is meant by "seeing as through a glass, darkly."2|Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at 1:55pm