John 18:19-40 is today's text. I got started on this morning's blog, and then got pulled away.
According to John, when Jesus was taken into custody, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was first take to the house of Annas. Now, strangely, Annas was the father-in-law of the current high priest (Caiaphas). Annas questioned him briefly, then sent him to Caiaphas, who either lived in the same house or certainly nearby. (There is no record in John's account of Caiaphas questioning Jesus.) It was early morning by the time He left Caiaphas's house and was sent to the residence of the Roman governor, Pilate. Luke 23:6-12 records that there were actually 2 audiences with Pilate. Between the two, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the tetrarch over the region of Galilee. Herod, a Jewish puppet of the Roman Empire, along with the Jewish accusers, questioned Jesus extensively in his palace. But, Jesus replied not a word. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
In the conversation with Pilate, Jesus speaks of The Truth, saying that if Pilate knew the truth he would recognize Jesus for who He was. Pilate, like many even today who follow false gods replied, "What is truth?"
Jesus was on trial for two things, both having to do with kingship.
The Jews wanted Him dead because He claimed (rightly) to be a spiritual king, God. In their eyes, His claims were blasphemous.
The Jews claimed they wanted Him dead because He was inciting a political rebellion against Rome, which was not true, but which legitimized their charges against Him, in the eyes of the Roman government.
The Jews did not want the reproach of the Jewish people to fall upon them for putting such a popular figure to death. Therefore, they engaged the Roman government to condemn Him to death on their behalf. This is why they apprehended Jesus at night and did most of the mock "trial" of Him in the wee hours of the morning, while most of those who would have advocated for Him - - - those he cured and fed and taught - - - were in bed.
His claims of kingship are still on trial today. People are still searching for the truth, but many reject the kingship of Jesus, His truth, in their lives. Jesus told Pilate in verse 36:
36 “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”
Of course any kind of kingship other than an earthly kingship made no sense whatsoever to Pilate, who told the Jews he found no fault in Jesus. Indeed.
One of the more ridiculous aspects of this whole circus was that the Jewish religious leaders accusing Jesus would not enter into Pilate's house (vs. 28). The Jews were still in the midst of their multi-day Passover celebration, and they did not want to "defile" themselves by entering the home of a Gentile. To touch a Gentile would have disqualified them from eating the Passover meal. They were so concerned with ritual cleanliness, while all the while condemning the ultimate Passover Lamb of God to death. How incongruous! How blind! How hypocritical!
Jesus is not, nor has He ever been, the world's kind of king. There will come a time, the Scriptures promise, when He will return to rule and reign over the whole earth. For now, He is King of King and Lord of Lords over my heart and the hearts of many others. But, not the majority.
Here in America, once a hotbed of Christianity, it is becoming exponentially evident that Jesus is not King. Most Americans have made gods of lesser things: self-centeredness, materialism, greed, pride, and the behaviors we see nationwide bear this out. This is not just true in America, but in most of the rest of the world as well.
Surrounded by error and deception, it is easy for us Christians to get distracted by the lures of this world, so that we are pulled away from our main mission, serving our King. We must not. When those around us ask, "What is truth?", we must not be so preoccupied that we fail to hear the question.
We must be ready with the Lord's answer. Those who serve "the Way, the Truth and the Life" are this broken world's only hope.
Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes on You, to disregard those lesser things that threaten to throw us off-track, to mire us down in sin and despair. Our time is such a precious gift! Impress upon us, by your Holy Spirit, how You would have us share the Truth with others. In Jesus' name, amen.
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