Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants (would) be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is,my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in him."
For some reason,these verses from The Gospel of John,Chapter 18,verses 36-38,have really been sticking into my crawl.In a sense,this is a most modern of verses.Pontius Pilate was a crooked politician up to his his neck in politicking,subjecting the truth to whatever terms he could twist it to make it meet his current political situation.To Pilate,the truth could mean almost anything;therefore the closest thing he could say about the truth probably were his words to Jesus:"What is truth?"
Paradoxically,this meeting between Christ and Pilate rings inherently true to me.I find it very conceivable that Pilate could have said these very exact words.But why would these verses even be recorded into the Bible?After all,Christ had just announced that,"Everyone that belongs to the truth hears my voice." Why complicate this message with the words of Pontius Pilate?After all,he did not only question what is truth,but also through implication,imply that there could be many interpretations of truth,or at the very least,that the truth could be whatever you chose it to be?
It is all very confusing.Christ maybe the truth...but ...what is the truth?
Pilate's rebuttal gives us some possible clues into this puzzle.By having Pilate say that he found no guilt in Jesus,the scared author could be simply trying to send us the of message that there is no guilt in Jesus....and that this message is the absolute truth.
Pilate,an early spin doctor,found that he could not spin Jesus.Or,perhaps,better put,found no spin in Jesus.Earlier,in a previous chapter of John,Jesus tells Peter that he(Peter)will deny him.Certainly,then,by proclaiming to Pilate that he(Jesus)was born to testify to the truth Jesus had to know of Pontius' response.This is very telling.Pilate,by his very actions was lost to the truth...even though ,I believe,he truly recognized it.
This is what I believe.But,my thoughts on this are still jumbled somewhat.What do you think?
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