JOHN 18:33-38
Jottings on John…The Reign of Christ / Christ the King…2018
I suggest we read to v. 38, where the 2nd of two punch-lines, both from Pilate, occurs - the 1st being in v. 37. Try saying Pilate’s, ‘You’re not really a king, are you?’ & ‘Truth? What is that?’with various emphases & intonations. Get your congregation started by doing the same.
In asking, “Truth? What is that?”, Pilate’s dismissive of both Jesus, &, Truth. Today’s political & other leaders who don’t know the difference between Truth & ‘alternative truth’ are also dismissive. Not only political leaders, but sports, business-people & other leaders. Where are we in all this? How observant are we of Jesus as the non-negotiable Truth in our lives - personal & public? Are we peddling ‘alternative truths’ rather than presenting Jesus as Truth with a capital T? Are we, even unconsciously, aligning our-selves with Pilate’s way of seeing things, rather than Jesus’; God’s Truth among us, still, by His Spirit.
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus wrestled out in the wilderness with the Truth of Who He is. What kind of Messiah He’s to be. Tempted to follow devilish ways of being Messiah. Instead, He discerns there’s no Truth in that direction, & commits to being God’s Truth. Living out God’s way of seeing & doing things. Come what may. We need to get this ‘Truth’ issue out of our Bibles & into the pages of our lives as we write new chapters.
When someone sums us up, whatever the circumstances, are we recognisably a Jesus-like person? A follower of the True King? Is the likeness unmistakable? When we try to discern the truth about others, do we consider their Jesus-like-ness? The way to help anyone, inside or outside church, puzzling over Jesus’ kind of kingship, is by our living out the Truth of His kingship. People need to see God’s Truth as Jesus lives God out in us to ‘get’ it! Get Him! Get God!
Later, when Pilate refuses to change the wording over Jesus’ cross, has he simply had enough of the Jewish leaders & their complaints? Or, is that, ‘Truth-about-Jesus’ question still in the air? Perhaps it should be a lot more in the air today?
Brian
Afterthought: Jesus, nailed as King to His cross, is the Essence of the non-negotiable Truth of God. Personally, I can’t settle for the tame, ‘It is finished’, or ‘It is over’, translation. Jesus says, & means, “I’ve done it!” “I’ve brought it off!” And that’s God’s Truth!
PS. Next Sunday we begin Advent, & with that, the ‘Year of Luke’. My blogspot for Luke is: laterallyluke.blogspot.com
