The Trial

The Trial

(John 18:19-24, 28-40)

Yearly Theme:  “Love Is…”

Series Title:  Truth and Justice

April 14^th, 2019

Something to think about:

A person can either love the truth, or their version of the truth; and unless their version of the truth aligns with the actual truth, both cannot coexist. 

We come upon the scene today, after Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, that points to this relativistic idea of truth.  Jesus, having been brought to stand trial before Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas), and Caiaphas the High Priest of the Jewish people, is questioned relentlessly only to be unjustly brutalized and humiliated.  After the charade in a mock trial before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish supreme court/council), Jesus is then sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, to be tried by the in a Roman court of law because only the Romans could execute a criminal under Roman law.

Let’s take a look…

John 18:19-24, 28-40 (NLT)

¹⁹  Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. ²⁰  Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. ²¹  Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”

²²  Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.

²³  Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”

²⁴  Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest…

^18:28  Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. ²⁹  So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

³⁰  “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

³¹  “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. ³²  (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

³³  Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

³⁴  Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

³⁵  “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

³⁶  Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

³⁷  Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

³⁸  “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. ³⁹  But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰  But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Truth is not relative as many have come to believe; truth is foundational to the core fabric of the universe.  It is truly what holds everything together.  Without truth, everything unravels and falls apart completely!

Key Point:  “All who love the truth recognize it when they see and hear it.”

To know the truth is to live in it.  And in order to know the truth one must remember what Jesus said about it:

John 14:6-7 (NLT), ⁶  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. ⁷  If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

There are two distinct contrasts to the truth in this passage:

• The truth contrasted with Annas and Caiaphas.

John 18:23 (NLT), Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”

• The truth contrasted with Pontius Pilate.

John 18:37b (NLT), Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

Something to take home:

Dave Weinbaum writes, “Being truthful when you know it will cost you, is the true test of honesty.”

So, what is truth?

Well, Jesus is Truth.

How can we know the truth?

We have to know Jesus.

How can we truly know Jesus?

We must each surrender our lives fully and completely to Him believing that He is Lord and Savior and the Son of God.  We must believe that He died and rose from the grave and sits at the right hand of the Father advocating for us.  We must continue to seek Him and follow Him and deny ourselves daily.  We must allow Him to transform us by renewing our minds and changing the way we think by allowing His Word and His Truth to penetrate every part of our hearts, minds, and lives.  But, truth always costs something, and it’s worth every bit of sacrifice to have it!

Key Point:  “All who love the truth recognize it when they see and hear it.”