What Is Truth? – The Trial Before Pilate

[bdavidc]

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. ~ John 18:37-38

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, He was not standing as a helpless victim but as the sovereign Son of God fulfilling the very reason He came into the world. In John 18:37–38, we read a powerful exchange: “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?”

That one cynical question, “What is truth?” captures the tragic heart of spiritual blindness. Pilate, faced with the very embodiment of truth standing before him, could not recognize it. He wasn’t sincerely searching. His words dripped with frustration and unbelief, showing that he had no interest in the truth Jesus offered. This is what separates those who belong to God from those who are lost: “Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” If someone rejects the voice of Jesus, they are not of the truth, no matter how religious or powerful they seem (John 10:26–27).

Right after this exchange, Pilate did something remarkable: he went back to the Jews and declared, “I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:38). This confirms the innocence of Christ, not only in the eyes of God but even before the corrupt judgment of Rome. Jesus had committed no sin, no crime, no offense. Yet both the Jewish leaders and the Roman authorities pushed forward with His execution. The perfect, sinless Son of God was condemned by guilty men, fulfilling the Scriptures that said He would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12) though He had “done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9).

This trial scene is not just a moment of injustice. It is a divine spotlight on the world’s rejection of truth. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth, the truth about God, about man’s sin, about judgment, and about salvation. And when the world looked that truth in the face, they crucified it. But for those who belong to God, His voice still calls out, and His truth still shines.

God did not leave truth open to human opinion. He gave us His Word in the Bible. Jesus said in prayer to the Father, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Every word of Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16), and those who reject the Bible are rejecting the very truth of the God who gave it. If someone says they believe in God but denies the truth of His Word, they do not believe in the one true God at all. They have created a false god of their own making. God’s truth is not negotiable, and it is not hidden. It is written clearly in the pages of Scripture, and only those who humble themselves before it will ever know Him.

The question is not whether truth exists. It does. The question is whether we will receive it. “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth” (John 17:17). If we reject that, we reject Him. If we hear Him, we prove we are of the truth. There is no middle ground.

 

[Origen]

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”

Pilate wanted to know whether Jesus was a king. In his ironic pagan skepticism he wanted to have a little laugh at that royalty that rides a donkey, that has bare-footed children, smiling women and common men as courtiers, at that royalty that for three years has preached that it has no interest in riches and power and that speaks of no conquests but those of the spirit and the soul. What is the soul for a heathen? Not even his gods have souls. And can man have it? Also now this king with no crown, with no palace, with no court, with no soldiers, repeats to him that His kingdom is not of this world. So much so that no minister and no army rises to defend their king and free Him from His enemies.

Pilate, sitting on his seat, scrutinises Jesus, because He is an enigma to him. If he cleared his soul of human cares, of the pride of his office, of the error of heathenism, he would understand at once Who He is. But how can light enter where too many things obstruct the openings preventing light from entering? It is always like that. Even now. How can God and His light enter where there is no more room for them, and doors and windows are closed and defended by pride, by humanity, by vice, by usury, by so many guards at the service of Satan against God? Pilate cannot understand what His Kingdom is. And what is more painful, he does not ask Him to explain it to him. To His invitation to know the Truth, he, the untameable heathen, replies: "What is the truth?" and with a shrug of his shoulders he lets the matter drop.

To the Pilates of the present times, you, like Pontius Pilate, let the most vital matters drop with a shrug of your shoulders. You consider them useless old-fashioned things. What is the Truth? Money? No. Women? No. Power? No. Physical health? No. Human glory? No. Then forget about it. It is not worth running after a chimera. Money, women, power, good health, comforts, honours are the real useful things that one must love and attain at all costs. That is how you reason. And, worse than Esau, you barter eternal goods for coarse food that is harmful both to your physical health and to your eternal salvation. Why do you not persist in asking: "What is the Truth "? It, the Truth, asks for nothing but to be known in order to teach what it is. It is before you as it was for Pilate, and looks at you with eyes full of suppliant love, imploring you: "Question me. I will teach you." As Jesus looked at PIlate, He looks at all of you in the same way. And if He looks with serene love at those who love Him and ask for His words, He casts glances of sorrowful love at those who do not love Him, do not seek Him, do not listen to Him. But it is always love, because Love is His nature.

Then, Pilate leaves Jesus where He is, without asking more questions, and he goes towards the wicked people who speak in coarser voices and impose themselves through their violence. And he, a real wretch, listens to them, whilst he did not listen to Jesus and shrugging his shoulders he declined His invitation to become acquainted with the Truth. He listens to Falsehood. Idolatry, whatever its form may be, is always inclined to venerate and accept Falsehood, whatever it may be. And Falsehood, when accepted by the weak, leads the weak to crime. And yet Pilate, on the threshold of crime, still wants to save Jesus and he tries twice. It is at this point that he sends Jesus to Herod. He knows very well that the shrewd king, who keeps in with both Rome and his people, will act in such a way as not to damage Rome and not irritate the Jewish people. But, like all weak people, he puts off for a little while the decision that he does not feel like taking, hoping that the plebeian rising will abate.

Jesus said: "When you speak say 'Yes ' if you mean yes, 'No ' if you mean no. " But he did not hear that, and if somebody repeated it to him, he shrugged his shoulders as usual. In order to succeed in the world, to have honours and profits, it is necessary to be able to make a no of a yes and a yes of a no, according to what common sense (read: human sense) advises. How many Pilates there are in the twentieth century! Where are the Christian heroes who said yes, constantly yes, to the Truth and for the sake of the Truth, and no, constantly no, to Falsehood? Where are the heroes who are able to face danger and events with brave strength and tranquil quickness and do not postpone, because Good is to be accomplished at once and evil shunned at once, without "buts " and "ifs"? (PV5)

 

[bdavidc]

Pilate wanted to know whether Jesus was a king. In his ironic pagan skepticism he wanted to have a little laugh at that royalty that rides a donkey, that has bare-footed children, smiling women and common men as courtiers, at that royalty that for three years has preached that it has no interest in riches and power and that speaks of no conquests but those of the spirit and the soul. What is the soul for a heathen? Not even his gods have souls. And can man have it? Also now this king with no crown, with no palace, with no court, with no soldiers, repeats to him that His kingdom is not of this world. So much so that no minister and no army rises to defend their king and free Him from His enemies.

Pilate, sitting on his seat, scrutinises Jesus, because He is an enigma to him. If he cleared his soul of human cares, of the pride of his office, of the error of heathenism, he would understand at once Who He is. But how can light enter where too many things obstruct the openings preventing light from entering? It is always like that. Even now. How can God and His light enter where there is no more room for them, and doors and windows are closed and defended by pride, by humanity, by vice, by usury, by so many guards at the service of Satan against God? Pilate cannot understand what His Kingdom is. And what is more painful, he does not ask Him to explain it to him. To His invitation to know the Truth, he, the untameable heathen, replies: "What is the truth?" and with a shrug of his shoulders he lets the matter drop.

To the Pilates of the present times, you, like Pontius Pilate, let the most vital matters drop with a shrug of your shoulders. You consider them useless old-fashioned things. What is the Truth? Money? No. Women? No. Power? No. Physical health? No. Human glory? No. Then forget about it. It is not worth running after a chimera. Money, women, power, good health, comforts, honours are the real useful things that one must love and attain at all costs. That is how you reason. And, worse than Esau, you barter eternal goods for coarse food that is harmful both to your physical health and to your eternal salvation. Why do you not persist in asking: "What is the Truth "? It, the Truth, asks for nothing but to be known in order to teach what it is. It is before you as it was for Pilate, and looks at you with eyes full of suppliant love, imploring you: "Question me. I will teach you." As Jesus looked at PIlate, He looks at all of you in the same way. And if He looks with serene love at those who love Him and ask for His words, He casts glances of sorrowful love at those who do not love Him, do not seek Him, do not listen to Him. But it is always love, because Love is His nature.

Then, Pilate leaves Jesus where He is, without asking more questions, and he goes towards the wicked people who speak in coarser voices and impose themselves through their violence. And he, a real wretch, listens to them, whilst he did not listen to Jesus and shrugging his shoulders he declined His invitation to become acquainted with the Truth. He listens to Falsehood. Idolatry, whatever its form may be, is always inclined to venerate and accept Falsehood, whatever it may be. And Falsehood, when accepted by the weak, leads the weak to crime. And yet Pilate, on the threshold of crime, still wants to save Jesus and he tries twice. It is at this point that he sends Jesus to Herod. He knows very well that the shrewd king, who keeps in with both Rome and his people, will act in such a way as not to damage Rome and not irritate the Jewish people. But, like all weak people, he puts off for a little while the decision that he does not feel like taking, hoping that the plebeian rising will abate.

Jesus said: "When you speak say 'Yes ' if you mean yes, 'No ' if you mean no. " But he did not hear that, and if somebody repeated it to him, he shrugged his shoulders as usual. In order to succeed in the world, to have honours and profits, it is necessary to be able to make a no of a yes and a yes of a no, according to what common sense (read: human sense) advises. How many Pilates there are in the twentieth century! Where are the Christian heroes who said yes, constantly yes, to the Truth and for the sake of the Truth, and no, constantly no, to Falsehood? Where are the heroes who are able to face danger and events with brave strength and tranquil quickness and do not postpone, because Good is to be accomplished at once and evil shunned at once, without "buts " and "ifs"? (PV5)

I appreciate your interest in reflecting on the trial of Jesus before Pilate, but I need to be honest, much of what you’ve shared goes far beyond what the Bible actually says. It mixes truth with imagination, and that’s where we have to be careful. Scripture warns, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:6). When we start inserting fictional emotions, speculative motives, and poetic commentary into the biblical record, we risk presenting a false picture of Christ and His gospel.

Pilate wasn’t portrayed in Scripture as someone mocking Jesus with sarcasm or philosophical disdain. The Bible shows that he was confused, hesitant, and even convinced of Jesus’ innocence (John 18:38, Luke 23:4). He marveled greatly at Jesus’ silence (Matthew 27:14). That’s a far cry from the image painted here of a cynical pagan laughing at the Lord.

Also, portraying Jesus as someone “casting glances of sorrowful love” and silently begging people to ask Him about truth is not how the Bible presents Him. Jesus boldly declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and commanded, “Repent, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). He didn’t implore people with poetic emotion, He confronted them with truth and called them to decision.

We live in a time when people are already drowning in emotional, man-centered messages. What they need is not commentary, but the pure Word of God, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). I say this not to be critical, but to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Let’s stick to what is written. That’s where the real power and truth is.

 

[Origen]

I appreciate your interest in reflecting on the trial of Jesus before Pilate, but I need to be honest, much of what you’ve shared goes far beyond what the Bible actually says.

Let’s stick to what is written. That’s where the real power and truth is.

What I've shared is from Jesus's commentary on His interaction with Pilate, spoken on March 10th, 1944. I'll stick to what is spoken by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, wherever and in whatever form Their words are found, because They are where the real power and truth are.

Scripture warns, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:6)

Correct, but God doesn't prohibit Himself from filling in the omissions and gaps within Scripture, repeating, or revealing truths previously unknown, and so on.

 

[David Lamb]

What I've shared is from Jesus's commentary on His interaction with Pilate, spoken on March 10th, 1944. I'll stick to what is spoken by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, wherever and in whatever form Their words are found, because They are where the real power and truth are.



Correct, but God doesn't prohibit Himself from filling in the omissions and gaps within Scripture, repeating, or revealing truths previously unknown, and so on.

Sorry, what commentary by Jesus on His interaction with Pilate? I see from your link that it comes from "Poem of The Man-God" by Maria Valtorta. I think it is vital that we get back to the bible for the truth.

 

[Origen]

Sorry, what commentary by Jesus on His interaction with Pilate? I see from your link that it comes from "Poem of The Man-God" by Maria Valtorta. I think it is vital that we get back to the bible for the truth.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the truth, and Their words aren't only found in Scripture.