Jesus Questioned by Pilate

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.  So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”  Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.  Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 
John 18:28-38

I could spend all week on this scripture.  But I'm going to have to focus on one thing for today - it strikes me that this passage of scripture has a central theme:  clean versus unclean.  It starts with Jews who wanted to "avoid ceremonial uncleanness."  It apparently didn't occur to them that plotting a murder against an innocent man was unclean.  No, they were worried about "ceremonial" uncleanness.

Dictionary.com has this definition for ceremonial:  the observance of formality.  In other words, the priests didn't want to appear unclean.  They weren't concerned about whether or not they really were unclean, as long as they didn't appear to be so.   

It was more important than ever to appear clean at this time of year - this was the Passover.  If they entered a Gentile place, they would not be able to participate in the Passover.

And that just wouldn't do.

What would the neighbors say? 

What would everyone think?

How ironic - these men did not want to appear unclean, while they were offering up for sacrifice the One who could cleanse them eternally.

Pilate's not so clean here, either.  He argues with the Jews, not wanting to take any responsibility for this man, while at the same time, not wanting to tell the Jews where to stick it, either.  (Excuse the language.  I don't know how else to say it!) 

And then, in verse 38, he asks the iconic question:  "What is truth?" 

My first reaction to that is, what a moron.  (I know, I know.  I must be in a mood.)  But then I look around me, and there's no more knowledge of truth now than there was then.  Everything, from politics to education to religion, is relative. The world - and sometimes, even the church! - teaches us that there is no right way, no truth.  There's just your way, your truth.

Shame.

Notice that Jesus doesn't answer Pilate.  And why should He?  Pilate really didn't want to know.  In fact, Jesus had just told him the truth, and all Pilate can do is respond with sarcasm!

I'm in a wonderful book club with ladies I just met, who are so inspirational and motivational to me.  I've only known them for about two months, and I already don't know what I would do without them.  We're reading the book called, "Lies Women Believe."  Each chapter is filled with this reminder:  you can say you don't believe the lie, but if you are not living the truth, you are living the lie.

Pilate lived the lies.  Annas and Caiaphas and the Jewish religious leaders lived the lie. 

I wonder about you and I.  What will it take for us to acknowledge the lies we believe, and make a choice to live the truth? 

Tomorrow's installment - Jesus is beaten.  This will be a tough one.  I'm praying that we will live this Easter season as if it's the last, and tackle the truth.  We'll see more and more of the truth revealed to us through the weeks.  I hope you'll hang in there with me.  It's gonna get worse before it gets better.  But it gets much, much better!