John 18:37-38: What is Truth?

Scripture Reading

John 1:14, 16-18 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Intro

What is Truth?

Now that might sound like a question that is just… esoteric philosophy.

A question like ,“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?”

But in many ways it is the question.

The question that our culture is constantly asking and the whole world is searching for.

What is true?

What is the true meaning of life and the ultimate reality that gives shape to the world around us?

Truth, as a concept, might seem like something somewhere out there… but whoever defines truth defines everything.

Is there a God?… if so then Who is He and how does He want us to live?

Or is there no God and is there nothing?… where ultimately nothing really matters and we can define our own truth and live however we see fit.

Whoever gets to define truth gets to define everything.

What is True and Beautiful and Good and what is the meaning and purpose of life and what is life ultimately worth living for?

And that’s why you have all these different and competing truth claims out there in the world.

Different philosophies and ways of seeing the world all vying for supremacy and trying to shape the world around us.

All searching for truth and all ultimately trying to define what is true.

But what is truth?

And more specifically what is… True Truth?

What is actual reality… a sure foundation and not a house built on sinking sand.

The world has all kinds of ideas of truth.

The world says truth is relative…

Or truth is unknowable…

Or truth is whatever I feel to be true.

All kinds of vain philosophies and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

And all ultimately built on a lie that only leads to death and the cultural suicide we are seeing all around us today… a world completely detached from reality.

What’s a man? What’s a woman?

When does life begin?

What is marriage anyway?

All these are just the outworking of different truth claims.

But there is only One True Truth.

And Believers say that Truth is a person and His Name is Jesus Christ.

How you define truth defines everything.

It is the foundation of your worldview and how you see and understand the world.

And ultimately defines how you live and what you ultimately live for.

So what is Truth and what are the cultural Lies trying to take us captive and conform us to the image of the world following the Spirit of this Age? (Colossians 2:8, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:1-3 ).

In John 18:37-40 Pilate asks that all essential question with the very incarnation of Truth standing right there.

Jesus is the Truth and the True and Beautiful and Good is living all of our lives for Him.

In Laymen’s terms Living for ourselves is a lie and true life is only found in Jesus Christ.

Let’s start with point number 1 where we try to answer that question What is Truth? by asking another question…

I. What is the Lie Underneath All the Other Lies?

John 18:37–38 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?”

Jesus and Pilate are in the middle of a conversation.

The Jews had brought Jesus to Pilate and accused Him of insurrection.

Of making Himself a King and trying to overthrow Rome.

And so Pilate asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

To which Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36).

Kingdom

We looked last week how Jesus’ Kingdom is a Heavenly, Spiritual, and Redemptive Kingdom.

His Kingdom is over this world, inside-out growing through regenerate hearts, and a Kingdom of Light, Life, and Salvation, not military conquest.

A really clear, simple definition of the Kingdom of God is Jesus’ Sovereign and Redemptive reign over all things to save His Elect and make all things new in fulfillment of all God’s Promises.

The Jews had basically accused Jesus of making Himself a rival to Caesar and so Jesus basically told Pilate, “I am a King, but I’m a different King all together.”

That’s why Pilate asks, “So you are a King?”

And Jesus answered, “You say that I am a King.”

Its important here to remember that Jesus is not here being elusive.

He’s not looking for some way to get out of the cross.

Earlier He said, “For this purpose I have come to this hour” and Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has Given Me? (John 12:27; 18:11).

Jesus did not shrink back or flinch at the cross… I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

The sense of Jesus’ words are “You say correctly that I am a King.”

He does not lie or obfuscate… He makes the good confession before Pontius Pilate (1 Timothy 6:13).

But then He immediately clarifies and reiterates what He had just said… My Kingdom is not of this world.

Yes, I am a King but my Kingdom is one of Truth.

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 (John 18:37).

We’ll talk about truth here a little later, but for now what you need to see is that what Jesus is saying is that I am a King and I came came to bear witness to the truth.

I didn’t come to raise up an army. I came to point people to the truth of God and His Salvation.

Incarnation

And notice Jesus’ intentional language.

For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world.

One or the other might say that Jesus was born just like any other man.

But both together speak to the Eternity and incarnation of the Son.

He was born like any other man.

But He came into the World as the Eternal Word of God incarnate in human flesh (John 1:14).

Jesus did not come into existence… He eternally existed.

He is… not created.

John said In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).

Meaning Jesus is not one of those made things.

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man… two natures, one person without any confusion or mixture of the two.

Truly God and truly man, yet one Christ, [and] the only Mediator between God and man (1689 8:2).

Pilate misses all of this…

He is not of the truth as Jesus said, and so Pilate dismisses Jesus and everything He said by saying What is truth?

Pilate didn’t really want an answer.

He heard everything he needed to hear.

Jesus was no threat to the State… He was some kind of Philosopher King who had no business being here.

But Pilate’s response shows us the darkness and plight of humanity.

Lies and Christ

We are ignorant of the Truth… and we are even so hard hearted we want nothing to do with it.

Ephesians 4:18–19 say They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God…

Why?

…because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Greedy as in we can’t get enough.

This is Fallen Man in the Total Depravity of their sin.

Lost… Blind… Dead in sin and ignorant of the Truth.

And we see that ignorance and all its sinful effects in our own day playing itself out in our culture.

Remember the Truth gives us purpose and meaning.

What is the world… our life… everything ultimately about?

And so to find purpose and meaning of life sinful man tries to find truth and determine truth for themselves.

And these false truths are the lies that shape our world.

The World tries to find meaning and purpose anyway it can outside of Christ.

Why?

Because if Christ is the truth that changes things.

He made all things and in Him all things hold together (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17).

In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).

The truth of Christ lays a claim on our life that we are not our own.

We are not sovereign, little, individual gods over our own life… He is.

And if He’s God that means all of our lives belong to Him.

And so Fallen Man comes up with lies and lives by lies so that they will never have to give glory to Christ.

What are the Lies?

Well, what are those lies?

What are the lies and truth claims that shape our world?

That raise themselves against knowledge of God in Christ? (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

How we define Truth is how we give purpose and meaning to the world.

And we might not put the truth claims of the world in these philosophical terms… but they’re in the water.

Its in the Kool-aid, so to speak.

You know it when you see it.

And Paul said See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8).

And Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:2).

What is Truth?

Postmodernism

The world says Truth is Relative.

This is what we call Postmodernism.

There is no absolute, objective standard of Truth.

There is no truth that transcends all times and all cultures.

And therefore there is no Objective Moral Standard that applies to all people.

Pluralism

This leads to another truth claim that all truths are equal.

This is what we might call Pluralism.

The idea that there are many ways to God…

Many ways to heaven….

Several different and equally valid ideas of truth.

This is where you get that Coexist bumper sticker that says all religions are essentially the same.

A philosophical truth claim on a bumper sticker… but that is how these ideas shape our world.

They get into the water and become how we just intrinsically see the world.

Pragmatism

You have Pragmatism which is the Truth is whatever works.

Whatever makes me happy or the ends justify the means.

So this is where you hear whatever works works for them.

They want to get divorced?

Well whatever makes them happy.

I wouldn’t do it but who am I to judge?

Can you hear the language of empty words and human philosophies?

Standpoint Epistemology

There’s Standpoint Epistemology or the idea that my experiences define truth.

No one can judge me or tell me otherwise.

That its impossible to know or have an opinion on something unless you’ve walked in their shoes.

This is how DEI and Critical Race Theory gained so many inroads so fast in our culture.

The “Oppressed” have special knowledge and everyone else just needs to just sit down and listen.

This is also a favorite of the Feminists who say if you don’t have a uterus you don’t have an opinion.

How can you know what women go through or say that a woman’s right to choose… a woman’s right to murder her own unborn child… is wrong.

Again, you might not have ever heard of Standpoint Epistemology but these ideas have shaped your world.

We can keep going.

Emotionalism

There’s Emotionalism or Individual Relativism that says Whatever I feel is true. or that I’m my own standard of truth.

In other words, the truth bends to my emotions and how I feel and not the other way around.

To truly be happy… to truly realize your full potential you need to live out your truth.

So this where people are their own moral standard or we get the transgender madness.

I have a right to be happy and no one can tell me how I feel.

Democracy

You have Democracy or whatever the Majority says is true.

I’m not necessarily talking about voting, I’m talking about the idea something is right or wrong depending on whether or not a majority of the people support it.

Whether its Feminism, Abortion, or Homosexuality… this is where you hear how you are on the wrong side of history.

And this is by definition being pushed and conformed to the pattern of this world or going into the Spirit of the age.

You go along to get along.

Naturalism/Science

Science is the Truth!

This is called called Naturalism and its the idea that the material world is all that there is.

And whatever is true can be observed and understood.

This is obviously dominate in our day.

Its where you get “Trust the experts” or “Trust the science.”

And it says Religion is foolish.

There’s faith and there’s reason and we are on the side of reason.

But what’s ironic is that you have to eventually give up reason because to be a consistent at some point you have to say that life comes from not-life and stuff comes from non-stuff.

The Atheist puts himself in the difficult position of having to have more faith than a believer.

Love

Finally… Love is truth.

Because there is no objective truth and all truths are relative and equal truth is total affirmation and tolerance.

Its the highest virtue you can have.

Because if there is no objective standard of good or ultimate truth, then the worst thing you could possibly to is pass judgment on someone else and their life because who are you to say what is ultimately good for them?

This is what’s driving our culture off a cliff right now because if anyone is ever offended for anything, then you’re the one that’s wrong and you just need to be more empathetic, understanding, and affirming.

Even if that empathy is not grounded in or rooted in any kind of truth.

Summary

No matter how you slice it… all these “truth” claims put the truth in us rather than God.

And its not like its one or the other.

All these mix together to shape our world today.

What I wanted to show you in going through all those is how untethered from the truth our world has become and how practical the truth is in our everyday lives.

You might not have come in here thinking philosophically What is Truth?

But a True knowledge of the Truth is absolutely fundamental for your life.

With anything else you’re building your life on sinking sand.

All the truth claims of our culture is jus the world trying to find anyway we can to not submit to Christ.

To not live for Him or give Him the glory He deserves.

And none of its new.

There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

All of these lies are just playing out the one Fundamental Lie.

The lie underneath all other lies of the world.

The Lie

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Now a lie in Greek is literally the lie so Paul has a specific lie here in mind, and that’s what I want to find out.

What is the lie underneath all other lies.

The lie leading to all sorts of sin and death?

The lie is contrasted with the truth about God.

Well what’s that?

That God is Creator!

Paul said earlier in Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

So the Lie is something that says God is not Creator… He’s not Almighty… He’s not holy and glorious and worthy of all our worship and its something that goes back even to Creation.

Turn to Genesis 3:4-5.

I think this is the Lie Paul had in mind.

Genesis 3:4–5 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

What was the lie that plunged humanity into sin?

You will not surely die… you will be like God knowing good and evil.

In other words, you can be your own God.

You don’t have to listen to Him or look to Him to determine what’s good and evil.

You can determine good and evil for yourself.

You can make your own calls.

You don’t have to worship Him or honor Him.

You can live for yourself.

This is the Lie.

We don’t have to listen to God. We don’t have to trust what He says.

Be our own God. Be our own authority.

Be our own standard of truth and determine for ourselves what is right and wrong.

That’s what all sin is.

Its refusing to give God glory and worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever! Amen.

Whether that creature is some idol, nature, or our own self and our own desires.

The lie is that we can live for ourselves.

We can make ourselves like God determining for ourselves good and evil instead of living for God as Creatures created to glorify God and enjoy our Creator.

All the lies of our culture say that we don’t want to worship God…

We don’t want to live according to His truth that He is Creator and we are Creatures created to live for and glorify Him.

And that’s the lie that is driving our nation off a cliff… and that’s the lie that will drive your own life off the cliff.

Why?

Because sin brings death (cf. Romans 6:23).

The lie… living for yourself… will never bring you life.

Every road that does not worship God or give Him glory only leads to death.

There is only one truth you can build your life on…

Only one truth that will lead to life and His Name is Jesus Christ.

And that’s point number 2…

II. Truth is Only Found in Jesus Christ

John 18:37 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.”

Remember how we said in our sin we are ignorant of God and darkened in our understanding (Ephesians 4:18-19).

We are lost, blind, and dead.

We have no light… not truth!… we spend all of our days groping in the dark (Deuteronomy 28:29, Job 5:14, 12:25, Isaiah 59:10, Acts 17:27).

And in its that context that Jesus says I AM the Light of the World and For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth! (John 8:12).

Jesus coming from Heaven is a huge theme in the Gospel of John not just in regards to His Divinity… as in proof that Jesus is the Eternal Son of God incarnate in Human flesh…

But also in regards to His work as our Mediator and One True Prophet who alone bears witness to the truth about God… Eternal Life… and Salvation.

Speaking to Nicodemus who himself was looking for truth, Jesus said…

John 3:11–13 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

In other words, no one has ever gone to heaven to bring back from God’s own mouth a sure a true word of salvation.

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended… the Son of Man.

The Word of God incarnate in human flesh… God’s own Word from God’s own mouth of how we might be saved.

No one else has this… No one else has this Truth… this Sure and True Word.

John says in John 3:31-34…

John 3:31–34 He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven … [That’s Jesus] is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God.

Jesus is the only one with a sure and true word of salvation.

He’s the only one that reveals True Truth.

He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way.

This is all other religions and false prophets.

Every other religion… every other philosophy… every other worldview or faith is at best man’s best guess at truth and life.

Maybe these good works…

Maybe these acts of worship or these religious sacrifice…

Or maybe this way of living or this level of being a “good person”…

Can eventually save us.

No.

Jesus alone is the Truth.

He alone is the Light.

He alone is God’s own Word from God’s own mouth of Life, Truth, and how we might be saved.

There’s only One Way and One Truth… and His Name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus said For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.

And Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.

The Truth is only found in Jesus.

He’s the only One who came from heaven with a sure and true word of how we might be saved.

As Colossians 2:3 says [In Him] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

True wisdom, and true knowledge of God, salvation and eternal life.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… (Hebrews 1:1–2).

His last and true Word.

So what truth did Jesus come to reveal and what truth does everyone who is of the truth listen to?

That’s point number 3…

III. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the Truth Will Set You Free

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Salvation… True Knowledge… Reconciliation with God is only found in Jesus Christ.

True meaning and purpose is only found in Him.

In rejecting the Lie and living for Him instead of only living for ourselves.

Way

I am the Way means that Jesus is the only road or path to the Father.

There’s only one way to get from point A… Dead in our sins living a lie… and point B… Reconciled to God and Life in Him… Jesus!

And He doesn’t just lead the way… or show the way… or point to the way…

He Himself is the way by His perfect and sinless obedience and once for all perfect sacrifice for all our sins.

Truth

As Truth He is God’s sure and True Word… everything we’ve been talking about.

The only Truth and sure foundation strong enough to carry all our hope… all our faith… and all our life.

As Romans 10:11 says Everyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.

Life

And Jesus is the Life.

He is Eternal Life.

The full forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God (John 17:3).

He died that we might live.

He died in our place for our sins.

And He rose again victorious to give new Eternal Life to all who trust in Him.

Prophet, Priest, and King

He is our Priest who opened a new and living way through His death on the cross.

He is our Prophet who alone revealed the Truth of God and His salvation.

And He is our King who saved us from the Goliath of Sin, Satan, and Death and shared with us the spoils of eternal life.

He is the One True Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

The Way, the Truth, and the Life all through and centered on His death on the cross.

Its All a Lie

That is the Truth Christ came to reveal.

Life outside of God only brings death.

Living for yourself only brings death.

Being wise in your own eyes making yourself your own god… your own highest authority and standard of truth…

Its all a lie.

Life… Meaning… Truth and True Purpose is only found in Christ and living for Him.

Living for yourself is not freedom… its slavery to sin… slavery to condemnation… slavery to death.

In Romans 1 where we exchanged the Truth about God for the Lie… it says God gave them up.

God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity (Romans 1:24).

God gave them up to dishonorable Passions (Romans 1:26).

God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done (Romans 1:28).

Living for yourself is slavery to sin and death.

Promise

But what’s the promise?

The Truth is Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life… and the Promise is the Truth and Truth Incarnate will set you free!

Go back to John 8:23.

This is where Jesus said You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world (John 8:23).

So that idea of True Knowledge… True Wisdom… True Light from God Himself.

This is even the passage where Jesus says I Am the Light of the World (John 8:12).

Well what is that light?

Verse 24…

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24).

In other words… I Am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

And then verse 31…

John 8:31–32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and frees us from our slavery to sin… condemnation… death… ignorance and judgment.

He frees us from the Lie and all the consequences of the Lie our sins justly deserve and gives us eternal life.

The Son remains forever.

All our righteousness is in Him.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!

Conclusion

Jesus is the Truth and the True and Beautiful and Good is found in living all of our lives for Him.

True meaning… True purpose… True joy is found in Christ and Christ alone.

In living for Him and His glory and not for ourselves.

Thats the Lie… its not Truth and its not True Life… its way only leads to death.

This offends all Fallen Man’s thoughts and sensibilities.

We want to be like God and make ourselves of god of our own life.

But if Christ truly is the Truth… then we must all come and die.

Die to ourselves…

Die to the Lie…

Die to our old way of life living only for ourselves… and follow Him.

Why?

Because if Jesus truly is the Truth then from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).

Every step and every breath belongs to Him.

We are not our own God.

We cannot live for ourselves.

We are not sufficient to give ourselves life and breath.

All of our lives belong to Him.

In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).

And that Truth sets us free.

Free from Sin… and condemnation… and death.

Jesus as Truth

God

As Truth… Jesus is the One True God and the Only way to be saved from all our sins.

Trustworthy

He is wholly Trustworthy.

We can cast all our life on Him and put all of our faith… all our hope… all our trust in Him with the promise that we will never be put to shame.

As Truth incarnate Jesus is faithful to all His Promises.

Belong to Him

And as Truth all of our lives belong to Him and to live in light of the Truth means to live all our lives in accordance with who Christ is and what Christ has said, and turn away from the Lie of only living for ourselves.

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples (John 8:31).

Final Charge

Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world living out a lie living only for yourselves.

Live for Christ and all your life in accordance to Him.

There is no other Way…

No other Truth…

No other Life…

Its Christ and Christ alone.

Let’s Pray