WHAT IS TRUTH? Part 1
Flaming torches lit the road as guards
carrying swords and clubs surrounded Him. Throughout the night, they tortured,
tried, and convicted Him, even though four days earlier, citizens hailed Him as
Messiah the Prince.[1]
A nearby rooster crowed while a sliver of white light crested the horizon, and a cloaked figure ran from the courtyard weeping. Morning brightened the streets but not the hateful temperaments. Torches doused until night returned, and the evil parade marched on to the Praetorium.
| https://christianevidences.org/the-praetorium-antonia-fortress-jerusalem/ |
Outside this notorious citadel, self-righteous
Pharisees who had named themselves His judge and jury summoned Pontius Pilate.
Normally, a criminal would be escorted inside to the Bema—the judgment seat—but
it was Passover. Entering a Gentile dwelling caused defilement making the Jew
unable to partake. What a contradiction—what a joke—since they had the TRUE
Passover Lamb in their custody.
Pilate appeared, and accusations spewed as he
addressed this condemned One. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he said.
Jesus answered, “Are you speaking because you
know this about Me, or has someone told you?
“Am I a Jew that I would know? Your own people
are asking for your death. What have You done?”
“Yes, I am delivered to you, but My kingdom is
not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight.
“Are You a king then?”
“Rightly, you say I am a king,” Jesus said.
“For this cause, I was born. And, I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Those who are of the truth hear My voice.”
Pilate shook his head and rose from his seat,
positive this Man had done nothing deserving of death—crazy maybe for not
defending Himself—but certainly not a criminal. And as he strolled by Jesus,
their eyes locked. “What is truth?” he
said.[2]
I wonder how Pilate would have reacted if
Jesus had answered, “I am the truth?”[3] Or
quoted His earlier prayer, “Father…Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”[4] The
Creator of the universe, the Name above all names, the Living and Powerful Word
of God that became flesh,[5]
conversed with this heathen and still allowed him to live. So, let me ask you.
What is truth?
It’s easy enough to find the world’s
definition, “the actual state of a matter; a verified or indisputable fact,
etc.”[6]
Jesus is the actual, verified, and
indisputable fact! And as He said to the Samaritan woman, “…the hour is
coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth…God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”[7]
This statement, I believe, was more than
knowing and understanding God. His words were also a warning.
God had breathed into Adam a life-giving
spirit, making all humans spiritual beings. However, when sin entered, our
ability to communicate with the Almighty in spirit became corrupted. Fallen
angels—demons—polluted the spiritual realm and preyed on our fleshly, sin
nature.
They, like their leader, have one job—take
humans to hell—and do it by whatever means necessary. Spiritual deception then
is key.
Since our spirit causes a desire for
fellowship with God, we strive to make that connection. But consider for a
moment all the religions and “gods” this world accommodates and the many
methods of worship. Are they all the same God and equally valid? No! But how
did this happen?
Demonic hordes capitalized on spiritual desires—provided a lying wonder—a thrilling experience the people thought was God.
So, how can we be sure we are communicating with Almighty God and not
demons impersonating Him?
God’s TRUTH—found only in His Word, our Bible—is our limitation and constraint for spiritual communication and worship. It’s how we worship God, Who is Spirit, in spirit. And if truth is absent or diminished, it’s possible we are not communicating with the One True and Living God but with the ruler of this world—the prince of the power of the air, who comes as an angel of light.[8]
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