LAUGH 'N LEARN

An Encouragement Ministry of Verde Valley Christian Church
Of Cottonwood Arizona
http://www.vvchristianchurch.net/

Issue # 275,    February 3,  2008

LAUGH

"Stolen Turkey"

Ducking into confession with a turkey in his arms, Brian said, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I stole this turkey to feed my family. Would you take it and settle my guilt?"

"Certainly not," said the Priest. "As penance, you must return it to the one from whom you stole it."

"I tried," Brian sobbed, "but he refused. Oh, Father, what should I do?"

"If what you say is true, then it is all right for you to keep it for your family."

Thanking the Priest, Brian hurried off.

When confession was over, the Priest returned to his residence. When he walked into the kitchen, he found that someone had stolen his turkey.

Jim’s Manuscript

February 3, 2008

“Truth on Trial”

The Gospel of John Series

Text:  John 18:28-40

Intro question:  For or against truth?

How many of you are all for truth, as opposed to against it?  Isn’t everyone for truth?  Actually, no.  Many are trying to suppress truth.  Many believe truth is relative.

Something that is “truth” for you is not “truth” for me, etc.  When it comes to matters of faith, they view all that as subjective.  As long as one is sincere in believing their “truth” then their “truth” will work for them. 

Who thought up that ridiculous idea?  So, does that mean those who flew their planes into the twin towers killing thousands, or those who were suicide bombers killing others are somehow right because they sincerely believe Allah will reward them for killing infidels?  NO!  A thousand times no.  They are wrong! 

Today we run across the cynical words of Pontius Pilate to Jesus, “What is truth?”   Pilate sounds just like some of the teachers at NAU.  His skepticism regarding truth sounds exactly like modern philosophies in public higher education today.  “What is truth?”  People who reject God do not believe in any transcendent or absolute truth.  Truth is whatever is true for you. 

I disagree.  This is a big subject that will require much more than just one session to deal adequately with the many ideas.  For more sessions about truth, let me commend to you “The Truth Project”.  Nevertheless, we have much to learn today, so let’s begin.

Focus:  Truth is reality whether we believe it or not, and Truth doesn’t go away just because we crucify Him.

I.  Truth Makes Everyone Choose Sides (18:37)

Jesus didn’t allow anyone middle ground.  Soon after encountering the real Jesus you must figure out if you are on his side or against him.  

Pilate is Puzzled

³⁷ "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Imagine being Pilate for a moment.  Try to figure out what Jesus just said.  It is a strange way to talk. 

“In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

We don’t usually speak about the reason we were born, and we don’t usually refer to birth as a willful “coming.”  The implication is that Jesus was aware of his pre-existence, before birth.  There is a note of authority that goes with his claim. 

“Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

So, if you were Pilate, what do you make of this?  Is he some kind of nut!?  He doesn’t act nutty.  Is he a rebel?  He doesn’t play that part.  Who is this guy?  Where did he come from?  Doesn’t he know what danger he is in?  Yet, he puts me on edge like I’m supposed to listen to HIM.  Who does he think he is anyway?  And why am I so uncomfortable?

And how does Pilate respond next?  He dismisses the subject altogether.  He gives his conclusion that Jesus has no guilt worthy of a Roman criminal charge, and he dodges the issue about truth so as to feel no need to respond to the authority of Jesus OR truth. 

If it is TRUE that Jesus is innocent, as Pilate contends, then Jesus should be released.  But Pilate is dismissing truth, so even his own truth cannot hold him.  He is lost to the pressures of the lie.  He is swept away by the powerful current of a lie.  He gives in to the lying lynch mob.  WHY DOES HE DO THIS?

PILATE’S HISTORY WITH THE JEWS

William Barclay writes,

Throughout the trial his [Pilate’s] conduct is well-nigh incomprehensible. It is abundantly clear, it could not be clearer, that Pilate knew that the charges of the Jews were a series of lies, that he knew that Jesus was completely innocent, that he was deeply impressed with him, and that he did not wish to condemn him to death--and yet he did. First, he tried to refuse to deal with the case; then he tried to release Jesus on the grounds that at the Passover a criminal was always released; then he tried to compromise by scourging Jesus; then he made a last appeal. But he refused all through to put his foot down and tell the Jews that he would have nothing to do with their evil machinations. We will never even begin to understand Pilate unless we understand his history, which is set out for us partly in the writings of Josephus and partly in the writings of Philo.

     To understand the part that Pilate played in this drama we must go back a long way. To begin with, what was a Roman governor doing in Judaea at all?

     In 4 B.C. Herod the Great died. He had been king of the whole of Palestine. For all his faults he was in many ways a good king, and he had been very friendly with the Romans. In his will he divided up his kingdom between three of his sons. Antipas received Galilee and Peraea; Philip received Batanea, Auranitis and Trachonitis, the wild unpopulated regions of the north-east; and Archelaus, who at the time was only eighteen years old, received Idumaea, Judaea and Samaria. The Romans approved this distribution of the kingdom, and ratified it.

     Antipas and Philip governed quietly and well; but Archelaus governed with such extortion and tyranny that the Jews themselves requested the Romans to remove him, and to appoint a governor. The likelihood is that they expected to be incorporated into the large province of Syria; and had that been so, the province was so large that they would very probably have been left pretty much to carry on the way they were. All Roman provinces were divided into two classes. Those which required troops stationed in them were in the direct control of the Emperor and were imperial provinces; those which did not require troops but were peaceful and trouble-free, were in the direct control of the senate and were senatorial provinces.

     Palestine was obviously a troubled land; it needed troops and therefore it was in the control of the Emperor. Really great provinces were governed either by a proconsul or a legate; Syria was like that. Smaller provinces of the second class, were governed by a procurator. He was in full control of the military and judicial administration of the province. He visited every part of the province at least once a year and heard cases and complaints. He superintended the ingathering of taxes but had no authority to increase them. He was paid a salary from the treasury and was strictly forbidden to accept either presents or bribes; and, if he exceeded his duties, the people of his province had power to report him to the Emperor.

     It was a procurator that Augustus appointed to control the affairs of Palestine, and the first one took over in A.D. 6. Pilate took over in A.D. 26 and remained in office until A.D. 35. Palestine was a province bristling with problems, one which required a firm and a strong and a wise hand. We do not know Pilate's previous history, but we do know that he must have had the reputation of being a good administrator or he would never have been given the responsible position of governing Palestine. It had to be kept in order, for, as a glance at the map will show, it was the bridge between Egypt and Syria.

     But as governor Pilate was a failure. He seemed to begin with a complete contempt and a complete lack of sympathy for the Jews. Three famous, or infamous, incidents marked his career.

     The first occurred on his first visit to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not the capital of the province; its headquarters were at Caesarea. But the procurator paid many visits to Jerusalem, and, when he did, he stayed in the old palace of the Herods in the west part of the city. When he came to Jerusalem, he always came with a detachment of soldiers. The soldiers had their standards; and on the top of the standard there was a little bust in metal of the reigning Emperor. The Emperor was regarded as a god, and to the Jew that little bust on the standards was a graven image.

     All previous Roman governors, in deference to the religious scruples of the Jews, had removed that image before they entered the city. Pilate refused to do so. The Jews besought him to do so. Pilate was adamant; he would not pander to the superstitions of the Jews. He went back to Caesarea. The Jews followed him. They dogged his footsteps for five days. They were humble, but determined in their requests. Finally he told them to meet him in the amphitheatre. He surrounded them with armed soldiers, and informed them that if they did not stop their requests they would be killed there and then. The Jews bared their necks and bade the soldiers strike. Not even Pilate could massacre defenseless men like that. He was beaten and compelled to agree that the images should thereafter be removed from the standards. That was how Pilate began, and it was a bad beginning.

     The second incident was this. The Jerusalem water supply was inadequate. Pilate determined to build a new aqueduct. Where was the money to come from? He raided the Temple treasury which contained millions. It is very unlikely that Pilate took money that was deposited for the sacrifices and the Temple service. Much more likely, he took money which was entitled Korban, and which came from sources which made it impossible to use for sacred purposes. His aqueduct was much needed; it was a worthy and a great undertaking; the water supply would even be of great benefit to the Temple which needed much cleansing with its continual sacrifices. But the people resented it; they rioted and surged through the streets. Pilate mingled his soldiers with them in plain clothes, with concealed weapons. At a given signal they attacked the mob and many a Jew was clubbed or stabbed to death. Once again Pilate was unpopular--and he was rendered liable to be reported to the Emperor.

     The third incident turned out even worse for Pilate. As we have seen, when he was in Jerusalem, he stayed in the ancient palace of the Herods. He had certain shields made; and on them he had inscribed the name of Tiberius the Emperor. These shields were what is known as votive shields; they were devoted to the honour and the memory of the Emperor. Now the Emperor was regarded as a god; so here was the name of a strange god inscribed and displayed for reverence in the holy city. The people were enraged; the greatest men, even his closest supporters, besought Pilate to remove them. He refused. The Jews reported the matter to Tiberius the Emperor, and he ordered Pilate to remove them.

     It is relevant to note how Pilate ended up. This last incident happened after Jesus had been crucified, in the year A.D. 35. There was a revolt in Samaria. It was not very serious but Pilate crushed it with sadistic ferocity and a plethora of executions. The Samaritans had always been regarded as loyal citizens of Rome and the legate of Syria intervened. Tiberius ordered Pilate back to Rome. When he was on the way, Tiberius died; so far as we know, Pilate never came to judgment; and from that moment he vanishes from history.

     It is clear why Pilate acted as he did. The Jews blackmailed him into crucifying Jesus. They said: "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend." This was, in effect: "Your record is not too good; you were reported once before; if you do not give us our way, we will report you again to the Emperor, and you will be dismissed." On that day in Jerusalem, Pilate's past rose up and haunted him. He was blackmailed into assenting to the death of Christ, because his previous mistakes had made it impossible for him both to defy the Jews and to keep his post. Somehow one cannot help being sorry for Pilate. He wanted to do the right thing; but he had not the courage to defy the Jews and do it. He crucified Jesus in order to keep his job.

—Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)

By refusing to choose sides, he chooses sides.  By refusing to listen to Jesus, he finds himself not on the side of truth, but on the side of the father of lies!

By refusing to choose sides, he chooses sides. 

THE SIDES:  FATHER OF LIES   or  Embodiment of Truth

Long before this encounter with Pilate, the Jewish religious leaders chose to believe a lie to keep their prestigious jobs.

John 8:42-47 (NIV) ⁴² Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.  ⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.  ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!  ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?  ⁴⁷ He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

THEY CHOSE NOT TO BE ON THE SAME SIDE AS JESUS

WHAT ABOUT US?  Are we as confused about the truth as Pilate was?

We have a bit of an advantage in that we have the whole story of what happens after Jesus was crucified.  He was resurrected.  Perhaps we will listen to Jesus a bit more closely.  John has given us as readers some amazing information about Jesus and “Truth”. 

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17 (NIV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 8:32 (NIV) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus preached that truth sets you free.  He also claimed to embody the truth that sets you free.  These are amazing claims, but do they describe reality?

If Jesus’ claims are true, and I am convinced they are, then how ironic that Pilate says to Jesus “What is truth?”  Jesus himself IS the truth!  Pilate has never been closer to the truth than he is at that moment, and at the same time he is so far from truth.  He is a decision away from eternity with God, or eternity separated from God.

If there is anything we learn today it is this:

YOU MUST DECIDE.

Someone else cannot decide for you.  Pilate wanted someone else to decide about the truth of Jesus for him.  He tried to put the responsibility on the Jews, on Herod.  He believed Jesus to be innocent, but would not make a decision. 

³⁸ "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

Pilate’s Roman way of thinking is very much like our American way of thinking.  Truth was what the majority agreed upon.  Truth was what worked for you.  Pilate is used to seeing the political spin on truth.  He’s the cynic.  He has been caught by the political definitions.  He is playing both sides and trying to survive.  It doesn’t work.  He must choose sides.  Jesus is asking him to choose sides.  Pilate refuses, and by refusing to choose, he has made his choice.

He’s not as bad as those who hated Jesus, but he doesn’t cross over to Jesus’ side either. So which side is he on?  He ends up siding with those who are opposed to Jesus.  Though he will not admit it, and though he says he washes his hands of the matter, he is guilty of crucifying Jesus.  

Let’s compare Pilate with the others.  Jesus did. 

John 19:11 (NIV) Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

Though Pilate comes out better in such a comparison, it doesn’t help him much in the end. 

Let this be a lesson to us; if we are non-committal and trying to stay neutral with regard to Jesus, we will find ourselves on the other side of truth and thus in league with the father of lies. 

The Jewish Leaders are TWISTED BY HATE

When you are twisted by hate, you are completely blind to your inconsistencies!

John 18:28 (NIV) Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

They kept the ceremonial requirements of their religion while harboring murder and treachery in their hearts.

—Life Application Bible Commentary

Their Hate Is Fueled by Passover Passion

Passover was a very important feast to the Jews as they remembered their freedom from bondage in Egypt. Such thoughts could bring their desire for freedom from Roman occupation to a fever pitch. Indeed, rebellions were occurring all over the country—Barabbas, the man who would be released in place of Jesus, had been imprisoned because of his part in a rebellion.

So to go to Pilate, these Jewish leaders must have been really desperate to get rid of Jesus. Normally, the Jews would never turn one of their own people over to the hated Romans. Pilate must have known about their charges against Jesus, for he had to give permission to the Roman soldiers to participate in Jesus' arrest (18:3). If Jesus was going to start a riot or a coup, then it was best that he be brought into custody.

But Pilate realized that something wasn't normal about this case. . . . Therefore, Pilate demanded that they provide a bona fide legal charge against Jesus. The Jewish leaders answered as vaguely as possible: "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you."^NRSV It was as if they were saying, "You already know the charges—your soldiers helped us arrest him. Now let's get on with this!"

—Life Application Bible Commentary

Why didn’t the Jewish Leaders just stone Him?  Why work with Rome?

They don’t want the sympathies of the crowd to go with Jesus.  They want to show the crowd that Jesus was NOT God’s man, but one who is publicly condemned, and worse, one who hung under the curse of God.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NIV) ²² If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, ²³ you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Galatians 3:13 (NIV) ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

The Jews wanted him crucified under God’s curse to prove to the masses that Jesus was a fraud, and to pin the unpopular judgment on the Romans and not themselves.

·        If we put Truth on Trial, Who’s Really on Trial? We are.

Jesus is king of kings.  And his kingdom is a kingdom of truth.  That’s why he said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  He also asserted his divine origin, when he called his birth a time when he “came into the world” to testify to the truth.  The one who Pilate thinks he is judging will be the one who judges him. 

Pilate thinks he has greater authority.  He has no idea who he is facing—the ultimate judge!

The Jews completely rejected the kingship of Jesus.

            Pilate affirmed (ironically) the kingship of Jesus, but kills him anyway.

            Pilate affirmed the innocence of Jesus, but crucifies him anyway citing that he is releasing who they wished to have released.

If I Judge Truth—“I’ll be the Judge of that”--I’m on Trial

When I encounter truth, and my attitude is that “I’ll be the judge of that”, then I am the one really on trial, not truth, because truth is truth, whether I recognize it or acknowledge it.  Truth isn’t going away even if I dismiss it. 

It is one thing to affirm the truth; it is another thing to act according to the truth. 

How many of you know how easy it is to affirm truth and yet live as if that truth wasn’t the truth?

o       We affirm the truth, for example, that exercise is good for you, but do we live like we really believe that truth?  Affirming a truth and living as if it is truth are two separate things.

o       We affirm the truth of the Bible, but do we really make it our manual for life?

o       We affirm the truth that too much ___[blank]___ is bad for you, but do we avoid too much ___[blank]___?

When we put truth on trial in order to dismiss it as false, really we are the one being tried, and we will be found guilty.

            Putting truth on trial is different than trying truth.  Putting truth on trial is the attitude of the skeptic looking for a reason to dismiss truth as having no bearing on our lives. 

When we do that we are unwittingly validating the truth of Jesus’ words.

John 3:19 (NIV) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Paul confirms that our wickedness wants to “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18).

Trying truth is different than that.  We become seekers looking for answers when we try truth.  Are you trying truth, or putting truth on trial?  Are you looking for excuses or looking for answers? 

If We Receive Truth--He’ll be the Judge of that—We Are Set Free

            Those who receive truth listen to Jesus.  Those who receive truth switch sides by crossing over to be with Jesus on his side.

John 8:31-32 (NIV) … Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

II.  The question “What is truth?” is answered

It looks like nobody answered Pilate’s question.  But that isn’t the case.  Pilate never gave Jesus a chance to answer, and Pilate didn’t want an answer, but Jesus did answer the question.  And John does record the answer to the question.  Do you know John’s recorded answer to Pilate’s question?  He answers by the telling of the crucifixion and resurrection!

The question, “What is Truth?”, is answered…

A.  In Person--He is the Truth (John 14:6)

B.  In Action--He is the Way (John 14:6)

The Way Was A Cross

Jesus knew all along that his death would be a Roman execution, for he had predicted that he would die on a cross. Capital punishment for the Jews was by stoning and for the Romans by crucifixion. Jesus had always foretold his death in terms of crucifixion, not stoning.  

Matthew 20:19 (NIV) and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

Psalm 22, written by David, prophesies a crucifixion long before the Romans invented crucifixions as an excruciating means of execution.

Jesus’ crucifixion came about through the collaboration of the Jews AND Gentiles against God’s anointed.  The guilt and responsibility is placed on the world.

He who knew no sin came under the divine curse in our place.

C.  In Reality--He is the resurrection and the life! (John 14:6; 11:25)

Because of the Cross, we can have what we do not deserve.

It is a tragedy when we fail to recognize the truth. It is a greater tragedy when we recognize the truth but fail to heed it.  Pilate recognized that there was no basis for charging Jesus, but he failed to heed his own truth.

Pilate’s declaration of Jesus’ innocence is important. He would die like a Passover lamb, a male in its prime without blemish (Exodus 12:5).

Even if I crucify Truth, Truth Is Not A Lie

RELATIVISM LEAVES US WITH NOTHING BUT A SHOUTING MATCH

Practically speaking, if people believe truth is relative, then competing truths are nothing but shouting matches where those who shout the loudest get their truths to be heard.  In the case of Jesus, “Crucify Him” won the battle, relatively speaking.

The answer to the question, “What is truth?” is answered In Person, In Action, In Reality….

Truth must also be received In Person, In Action, and In Reality

Let’s define the Phrase “In Reality” by adding one more word.  The truth that HE IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE is not yours until it is your EXPERIENCED REALITY.  You have to cross over to His side.  We must receive Him as Truth, In Person, In Action, and In EXPERIENCED Reality!

III.  Barabbas Or Jesus—Which Will It Be For You?

³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?" ⁴⁰ They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

The irony is that Barabbas has committed the very crime that they accuse Jesus of committing when handing him over to the Romans.  They say Jesus is a dangerous revolutionary and a threat to Rome.  Barabbas is just that, and a murderer, yet they want him released instead of Jesus.

They wanted a rebel threat to Rome, but they didn’t want Jesus; he was a threat to them.

Do you prefer to give life to the thief or to the Lord? 

We talk about the different phases of this trial as before Annas, then Caiaphas, then the Sanhedrin, then Pilate.  There is another trial, the trial before the crowd. 

You stand in a crowd this morning.  Pilate asks you the same question.  Which shall I release for you, Barabbas or Jesus?  Only, for us this morning, Barabbas represents more than just the guy who was set free instead of Jesus.  Do you see that Barabbas represents for us not just the fact that the innocent one died in place of the guilty party, but Barabbas also represents our sins that Jesus died for?    Let me explain.  We are in the crowd.  We are asked the question, what will it be for us.  Barabbas or Jesus?

Which will it be for you, will you release Barabbas and have sin live, or do you choose Christ for your life?  The reason many refuse Christ in their life is that they cannot give up their sin--their pet lusts, their pleasures, or their profits. 

In a sense, I stand before you like Pilate before the crowd saying, which will it be, Barabbas or Jesus?  Your sins or Jesus?  You cannot have them both!  If you prefer your filthy lusts, then see yourself in the crowd, shouting with snarling lips, “Crucify him! Crucify Him!”, because you are as guilty as they are and you will be held accountable for choosing Barabbas over Jesus.   

Do you prefer your sins to Christ?  This is the main stumbling point that keeps people from giving themselves over to the side of truth. 

John 3:19 (NIV) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.