John 18:33-40

John 18:33-40 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. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

What is truth? Using the Large Hadron Collider, researchers at the CERN nuclear research center in Switzerland recently discovered a sub-atomic particle that travels faster than light. Some say this "truth" negates many of our ideas about the physical world, placing in question Einstein's theory of relativity and well-established ideas about quantum physics and reality itself. Of course all of this is out of our league, yet it does remind us "truth" provides a slippery topic when it comes to human standards of interpretation. Even the finest minds with the keenest understanding of the substance of what we think of as the essence of all living things cannot agree upon this subject. Jesus says, I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Faced with one so honest and true, Pilate asks, What is truth? Then he rightly tells the Jews, based on the truth before me, I find no basis for a charge against him. The Christ who stands before Pilate definitely speaks of the "truth" of existence itself. Jesus knows his teaching, his miracles, his presence alone in the midst of people manifested his divine nature, his supernatural calling, and God's anointing upon his life to everyone He met, to everyone He touched and to all who touched him. This same Jesus who is now a captive was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (John 1:10-11)

Jesus explains to Pilate how his kingdom differs from the nature of the world Pilate sees around him. In Christ's kingdom, THE KING OF KINGS reigns: the giver of all life dwells forever. The Bible says, In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:4-5) This Truth never dies, never passes away. Yes, Jesus is life, He is existence: his kingdom lasts forever. He alone stands in purity. Here is the One spoken of in the Psalms and again in the New Testament: Jesus, the One who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (Psalm 32:2, 1 Peter 2:22) Christ alone will wear the royal robe of God's holy righteousness. Jesus Christ, sent from the Father in his likeness with the light and life of his nature in human form, brought salvation into being as God planned since the beginning of creation. Standing before mere men who dare to judge him, Jesus knows just as He created all things, He will create new life in every new child of God who accepts God's salvation plan. He not only controls the three dimensions of our earthly reality, He controls all the dimensions of every reality. He who spoke the sub-atomic particles into existence will speak life eternal into every person who answers his call. Jesus reveals perfect truth to Pilate: "All who listen to me will align themselves on the side of truth, on the side of absolute reality, on the side of incontrovertible facts that none can deny. They will know I AM LIGHT AND LIFE and without me nothing exists; for everything is my handiwork. Because I live, they will live also." Recognizing he is in the presence of someone far greater than himself, Pilate simply says, Do you want me to release "the king of the Jews"? Blind and deaf, the people cry, No, not him! Give us Barabbas!

Jesus exposes Pilate to the Truth. 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. Christ's kingdom remains in another place. The scientists of our world perform experiments to find another dimension where perhaps unheard of insights into human existence will unfold before the eyes of mankind. Maybe these scientists will come close to knocking on the door of heaven with their explorations into the inner workings of sub-atomic forces. What we do know for certain is Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Matthew 17:20-21) Therefore, we who are IN CHRIST have his kingdom within us. We sit in the heavenly realm as new creatures in Christ Jesus awaiting the fullness of our inheritance. How all this works out in the world of physics and dimensions, we do not know; but we know the blood of Christ frees us from bondage to sin and faith sustains us now with real joy, carrying us victoriously to where God exists to live with him for all eternity. We know who we are as believers IN CHRIST, adopted into the family of God, hidden with Christ in God, kept strong and made holy through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, we have confidence God hears our prayers, sees our tears, and knows exactly how to meet our needs. We know Jesus never leaves us or forsake us because He is faithful and true to remain with us every moment of our lives. When He sent his apostles to make disciples of all nations, He promised, surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (See Matthew 28:19-20) Surely, we rejoice with great joy even when we face trials, troubles, sorrows or sicknesses because this world is not our final destination. Our loving heavenly Father has not and will not abandon his beloved Son and his joint-heirs: the church. Daily the Spirit reminds us, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10) As his prized workmanship, we work for him until he calls us home, knowing God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. . .by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-4 & 6 NKJV) So whether we are weary or full of energy, confused or sure of our next steps, we have confidence in Christ our Lord today--his Word is true! The same Jesus who stood confident in the Truth before Pilate stands before YOU today. We want each of you to know, as surely as a sub-atomic particle goes faster than light, your position IN CHRIST and in eternity is more real than that earthy reality, for Jesus is the light, the life! He is THE KING, YOUR KING: King of kings and Lord of lords, forever and ever. Amen! Bow down before him; arise and shine for his light is the Light of the World!