Facts and Truth

You would think at a time where we have uncovered so many ‘secrets’ of the world and know so many facts, that we would be better off than the world has been in the past. And don’t get me wrong we do have a lot of going for us thanks to science and the facts that it uncovers. For example we have a lot of good information out there on nutrition and what are things we can eat to help keep our bodies healthy. Whether or not we choose to follow those facts is another thing. At the same time there are so many different science backed eating plans out there it’s hard to know what fact to listen to and follow. For example, I was just reading a National Geographic article that was talking about how eggs are fine to eat because of the type of cholesterol that is actually in them. That the real culprit is the saturated fats that come from cooking your eggs or other breakfast foods in things like butter.

There is even a comedic video on Youtube about a scientist who travels back in time to a home in 1979 where he shows up multiple times because scientists keep changing their minds about whether or not eggs are healthy and should we only eat the egg whites. I’m not here to talk about your consumption of eggs, but this egg debate just goes to show that even in our scientific world today, there is debate about facts and what is true and what is opinion. And even though I chose to talk about eggs I think we can all agree that this idea of facts and truth can get very complicated and has gotten very complicated in our society today.

The conversation about facts and what is true and accurate is also what has caused so many people to question the Bible and even leave their faith behind because of it. One conversation I have with people of all ages, and especially our confirmation age kids, is the conversation about facts. It is so important for people of any age to understand that even though at times it may be presented as a history book, the Bible is not a history book. It is the story of people’s faith as they experience and encounter God throughout history. It’s important, I tell them, to understand that since the Bible is a book of faith it is less interested in fact, and more interested in truth. Facts are objective verifiable and measurable data points, where truth is taking the meaning of what you have before you and understanding it through contexts and beliefs and coming to a conclusion based on that.

Today Pilate wants to know a fact…are you the king of the Jews? Why does he want to know this fact? Because if Jesus is the physical king then that means that Jesus is a direct threat to Pilate and the other rulers over the parts of Israel which then is a direct threat to Rome. Jesus denies the physical kingdom and reassures Pilate that if he were a king the fact would be made apparent by his followers fighting for him. Pilate, using his logic, looks at the data points and concludes that Jesus is not in fact a king. Another part of Jesu’s assertion is that not only is he not a king of this world, but that he is here to testify to the truth. Jesus isn’t interested in kingship or earthly kingdoms, he’s interested in truth.

Pilate seems happy that there is no evidence to back up this king of the Jews claim, and almost seems to relax and become intrigued by this conversation about truth. While we don’t get the conversation about truth between the two of them, I imagine that being from Rome, Pilate is hoping to have a philosophical discussion, while Jesus wants to talk about the truth of God’s desire for this world. I think a lot of people get confused that of all the things Jesus could have said to Pilate he chose the word truth. However, as we look back at the Gospel of John, Jesus is very interested in talking about truth.

The word truth or true is said over 20 times in John’s gospel. In the opening of his gospel he says the Word became flesh and lived among us and that he was full of grace and truth and that the Law was given to Moses and grace and truth came into being in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells people that if they are his disciples they will know the truth and the truth will set them free. One of Jesus’ I AM statements says he is the way, the truth, and the life. To Nicodemus he says that whoever does the truth comes to the light and all will see that it was done in God. He says the Spirit of Truth will come and guide us in all truth and that the Spirit of Truth will testify about him. John concludes his gospel by saying that the one who testified concerning these things in this book are true.

So while Jesus talking to Pilate so close to his death about truth may seem odd, when we look back throughout the gospel we can see that Jesus is almost obsessed with the word truth. And I 100% don’t mean that in a bad way. Jesus feels so passionately about sharing the truth. Why is Jesus so passionate about truth? Even though I made fun of facts earlier, they are, well facts. They are what they are. Gravity, laws, weights, how tall someone is, and how healthy eggs are for you. They are data points. Truth, according to Jesus is very different. Truth is connected with grace and is the very embodiment of Jesus. Facts might inform, truth will set you free. Knowing the fact that the speed limit is 45 will keep you safe on the road, knowing that God loves you and cares for you will transform your life. Knowing the truth, that God loves you, that God sent God’s son to live on this world can completely shape our lives now and forever. The truth is that Jesus lived, taught, died, and rose from the dead for you. Truth will teach you that you are not alone. Truth will teach you that sin and death are not the rulers of this world. Truth will teach you that the facts of this world do not define you, not the real you. What is truth, Pilate asks? Truth is life, freedom, hope, grace, love, acceptance, and an everlasting relationship with the God who created you and all that is in this world. That is why at the end of his life Jesus wants to talk about truth. Jesus is truth…the truth that leads to a transformative life, and a truth that is the only truth that will transform our world. This truth is greater than any fact that has ever been discovered and one that will never change for falter. Amen.