Truth - Pilate wondered, too.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” - John 18:38a

Well how about that? What a verse! The Bible is so big! I’m constantly running into verses and themes I’ve never noticed before. I was looking over next week’s gospel text (John 18:33-37) and I noticed it doesn’t include verse 38.

I really like 38! Look at Pilate’s question! It totally matches the question that people have been asking a lot lately (and throughout all of history). Apparently the definition of “truth” was a bit blurry even 2000 years ago. And even for powerful governors and Roman rulers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending Pilate. Obviously he isn’t portrayed in the gospels as a ‘good guy.’ Though he does say over and over, “I can find no case against him.” And then it does say in 19:12 that Pilate “tried to release him.” Eventually though, Pilate does hand Jesus over to be killed.

I find it quite curious that Pilate asks Jesus, “What is truth?” and even more curious that it ends up permanently recorded in the Bible. It’s like he genuinely wanted to know what on earth Jesus was talking about when Jesus said, “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Interestingly, Pilate’s question doesn’t get answered. And when it was all said and done, I wonder what Pilate thought. I wonder if Pilate died wondering. I wonder if he ever felt at peace. I wonder if he ever found a definition for truth.