Learning to Lovewell: W4 - WED
What is Truth?
John 18:33-38, NLT 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.
Every time I read through the story of Jesus with Pilate, I always have compassion for Pilate. He was so intrigued by Jesus, and I believe his heart was even stirred, but he conceded to the crowd over the work of the Spirit.
And I don’t know about you, but I’ve asked Pilate’s same question, “What is truth?” more this year than in my entire life. The monumental and rapidly advancing technology of AI (artificial intelligence), has caused me to question more and more what is truth, what is even real? Though we’re still early in the use of AI and you can still spot tells to help reveal what is or isn’t real, the technology will only get better and the lines will be blurred more and more.
So what do we do? Yesterday’s Scripture helps. We have to remember that Jesus, himself, IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let’s unpack this a bit more today, though, especially as it relates to truth?
One, it means that truth is a person, and that person is always on the move. He is not static, but progressive. We see this in his conversations with the disciples on the night before his crucifixion. He is teaching them more plainly than he has in the past, so much so that the disciples exclaim, “Then his disciples said, ‘At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.’” (John 16:29-30, NLT)
But Jesus didn’t reveal everything to them that night. He had said, “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.” (John 16:12, NLT) Jesus is so compassionate and continues to meet us where we are, in hopes to bring us nearer to him AS we are able and when we are ready. He doesn’t overwhelm or force, “…he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9b, NLT)
Thankfully, Jesus also didn’t leave us to our own devices as we seek to continually understand his truths. He sent us a helper. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:13-14, NLT)
In our faith tradition, we refer to this idea as Present Truth. It’s honestly one of the reasons I am still an Adventist. This concept is a constant reminder that I don’t know everything, and we will never have all the answers. Knowing this should keep us humble, on our knees, continually seeking. You see, our job is to continuously lean on Jesus and be open to his Spirit as she continues to reveal to us spiritual truths as we’re ready to receive them. The moment we think we have all the answers, is the moment when we’re in trouble. Thinking we have all the answers is like saying to the Holy Spirit, “Thanks for leading us this far, but we can take it from here.”
I believe this posture of humility is what is needed for us to be “relevant in living out the ways of Jesus,” because likely those ways, and our approaches to reaching people for him, will change at times. What works today to communicate his truths and his love, may not work as well tomorrow. We must stay in his shadow, following wherever he leads if we are going to continue to learn, grow, and impact lives.
John 18:33-38, NLT 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.
Every time I read through the story of Jesus with Pilate, I always have compassion for Pilate. He was so intrigued by Jesus, and I believe his heart was even stirred, but he conceded to the crowd over the work of the Spirit.
And I don’t know about you, but I’ve asked Pilate’s same question, “What is truth?” more this year than in my entire life. The monumental and rapidly advancing technology of AI (artificial intelligence), has caused me to question more and more what is truth, what is even real? Though we’re still early in the use of AI and you can still spot tells to help reveal what is or isn’t real, the technology will only get better and the lines will be blurred more and more.
So what do we do? Yesterday’s Scripture helps. We have to remember that Jesus, himself, IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let’s unpack this a bit more today, though, especially as it relates to truth?
One, it means that truth is a person, and that person is always on the move. He is not static, but progressive. We see this in his conversations with the disciples on the night before his crucifixion. He is teaching them more plainly than he has in the past, so much so that the disciples exclaim, “Then his disciples said, ‘At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.’” (John 16:29-30, NLT)
But Jesus didn’t reveal everything to them that night. He had said, “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.” (John 16:12, NLT) Jesus is so compassionate and continues to meet us where we are, in hopes to bring us nearer to him AS we are able and when we are ready. He doesn’t overwhelm or force, “…he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9b, NLT)
Thankfully, Jesus also didn’t leave us to our own devices as we seek to continually understand his truths. He sent us a helper. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:13-14, NLT)
In our faith tradition, we refer to this idea as Present Truth. It’s honestly one of the reasons I am still an Adventist. This concept is a constant reminder that I don’t know everything, and we will never have all the answers. Knowing this should keep us humble, on our knees, continually seeking. You see, our job is to continuously lean on Jesus and be open to his Spirit as she continues to reveal to us spiritual truths as we’re ready to receive them. The moment we think we have all the answers, is the moment when we’re in trouble. Thinking we have all the answers is like saying to the Holy Spirit, “Thanks for leading us this far, but we can take it from here.”
I believe this posture of humility is what is needed for us to be “relevant in living out the ways of Jesus,” because likely those ways, and our approaches to reaching people for him, will change at times. What works today to communicate his truths and his love, may not work as well tomorrow. We must stay in his shadow, following wherever he leads if we are going to continue to learn, grow, and impact lives.
- Can you think of something you used to believe about Jesus, but now you believe something else, or you see things somewhat differently?
- What are some ways that you and I can stay humble, open to learn whatever the Spirit has to teach us when she, or we, are ready?
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