If you turn with me once again to John's Gospel, we are continuing on in our study in John's Gospel, and this morning, we are going to be focusing our attention very specifically on the 37th verse of John 18. Last week the entire passage was read from halfway through chapter 18 through the first half of chapter 19. But this morning we want to focus our attention on this one particular verse. When you think about it as you are reading through and contemplating the events surrounding our Lord’s death on the cross, it really is, at some point, you stop and you think about it and you realize that this record is really relatively brief. You think of how many more details that could have been included. And even when you take all four gospel accounts together, there's a few additional observations that we are given. There's a few additional details as we put them together, but even in integrating them together, there's not a lot. There are many details that maybe we think we would like to have known or that we wish were included, but God has given to us the details that matter, be sure of that. Throughout the horrifying hours of our Lord's arrest, His trials or mock trials, if you will, the torment and finally His agonizing crucifixion, one of the things that we notice is that Jesus said very little through this time. So much so that His enemies were openly frustrated by it. Why don't you answer me, you don't say anything? All these accusations are flying, and the situation is extremely tense. a lot is at stake - his life is at stake. Yet he makes no answer. Jesus may not have spoken much during those awful moments, but He said a lot. In our Lord's initial statement to Annas, as you recall, when He is first brought before Annas, the high priest, earlier on in the 18th chapter - and the high priest, we’re told in verse 19 was questioning Him about His disciples and His teaching - and the Lord's response - He says:
I have spoken openly to the world. I've always taught in synagogues in the temple where all the Jews come together, and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them, behold these know what I said.
We are were told that when He had said this, one of the officers standing by gave him a blow saying:
Is that the way you answer the high priest?
And Jesus's answer is this:
If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong, but if rightly, why do you strike Me?
in this interaction with Annas, He exposed the brutal bias of the Jewish leaders. These men were not there to execute justice. They were not there to find the truth. They were not there to do what was right. And the Lord's response exposed what it was these men were actually doing.
Later on in our Lord's initial response or His initial rate interaction with Pilate there's two hear that we are made aware of. Three, I guess, if you separate out the first statement that Jesus makes in chapter 18. In this interaction with Pilate - It's a very interesting one - Jesus very clearly distinguishes His purpose or His mission, if you will, from the temporal objectives of merely mortal administrators. Jesus acknowledges that He is a king, you see pilot when he asks Him in verse 33:
Are you the king of the Jews?
Jesus answered,
Are you saying this on your own and own initiative or did others tell you about Me?
Pilate answered,
I'm not a Jew am I? Your own nation and the chief priest delivered you up to me. What have You done?
That's his question to Jesus.
Are you the king of the Jews? What is it that you've done?
Jesus answered:
My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. Pilate therefore said to Him, so you are a king. Jesus answered, you say correctly that I'm a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
Jesus acknowledges that he is a king but that His dominion encompasses an infinitely greater sphere than the political realm in relation to the Lord's kingdom and all other realms are subservient and immeasurably inferior. All Pilate can think about is, all he is dealing with, is the here and the now, the political context in which he has authority, in which he has to deal with this situation that has been brought before him. As you recall, the Jewish leaders deliver Jesus up to Pilate. This wasn't something Pilate went out and sought to do. As Jesus answers Pilate in regards to this question of who He is – this question of whether or not He is the king, Jesus identifies His mission in a unique way here, does He not?
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
Jesus identifies His mission as that of bringing the verifiable essence of reality to the sphere of human awareness - that is to bear witness to the truth. Our Lord's statements to Pilate here are worthy, it seems to me, of some careful attention. Jesus reveals a distinct and concise summary perspective of His coming into the world, and it may be when you think of what Jesus says, and I think of this quite often when I read this verse, I think of some of the Lord's earlier statements about His purpose for coming into the world. When Jesus says what He says in this verse, In his response to Pilate, He's in no way contradicting some of those earlier statements. You recall that Jesus had said that he had not come into the world to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. You recall in Mark's gospel, the very first chapter, The 38th verse, He said to his disciples,
Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby in order that I may preach there also for that is what I came out for.
In Luke's gospel, the 19th chapter, Jesus makes another similar kind of statement -Luke chapter 19 and the 10th verse He says,
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Earlier on in John's Gospel we have a record of the Lord, making this statement in John chapter 12 verse 47:
And if anyone hears my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
The Lord’s statement here as He answers Pilate is not obviously not a contradiction of these other earlier statements, and in fact it is a corroboration and even elaboration, if you will, on those earlier statements. These are all statements of the redemptive intention and plan of our merciful Creator. And as we look at the Lord’s statement in this 37th verse, ‘dI like to focus our attention on what the Lord says here - what is it that we can learn from the Lord's answer to Pilate in this passage?
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
The first thing that I want us to notice this morning regarding the Lord’s statement here, and that is the fact that this is an utterly unique witness. Jesus makes this statement in such a way as to draw attention to this uniqueness.
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
I think all of us understand - we recognize that the truth had been recorded and preserved and had been revealed to mankind, on numerous occasions and throughout the Old Testament. but Jesus makes this statement and as He makes this statement as it applies to Himself, He is speaking of something on a different level - a different plane, if you will. You will recall those times there in Matthew chapter 12 – maybe it would be good just to turn back and look at a couple of these verses - where Jesus draws a comparison – a very specific comparison. He says in Matthew chapter 12 verse 6:
But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
He says later on in verse 41:
The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Verse 42:
the Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold something greater than Solomon is here.
Jesus perceives himself to be on a different level of revelation, if you will, not a contradictory level, but superior level of revelation. John begins this gospel with statements to this very fact. Recall how this gospel begins. I think all of us are familiar with it, but we need to be reminded of it.
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 came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Verse 14:
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth.
Have men ever beheld anything like this?
This witness goes beyond anything else, anyone else that has ever come, or ever could come, beyond anything else that is ever been said, written or done. I remind you of the passage then in Hebrews chapter 1 again - a passage is very familiar to us:
God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways
this is God speaking in the Old Testament
in these last days has spoken to us in His son.
This is different. This is unique:
Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world and He is the radiance of his glory, the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
This is direct revelation from God in flesh - human form. I was reminded of this as well in the several of the statements in the Paul's epistle to the Colossians - tremendous statements, favorites of mine. We’re told of Christ:
He is before all things, in Him all things hold together.
Verse 19 of chapter 1 in Colossians four.
It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell.
All - this could not be said of anyone other than Christ. Verse nine of chapter 2:
for in him all the fullness of deity dwells – where - in bodily form.
This is staggering revelation from God. God, in flesh, dwelling tabernacle among sinners. This is indeed a unique witness and because of who this is, because of this fact that this is God become man, When Jesus speaks, there's something different about him. We are told several times during the Lord's earthly ministry that people were very much impressed, not just with what he was saying, but the authority with which he said It - verse 28 of the end of what we commonly refer to as the sermon on the Mount in Matthew seven:
The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one having authority.
and then this is added:
and not as their scribes.
Their scribes had authority. They had a lot of authority. They had a huge impact on the way the average Jew lived his life - on the very function of the average Jew's life. They were used to listening to men with all the credentials, with all of the recognition, and with great oratorical skills get up and speak with authority. But when Jesus spoke, all of a sudden, this was something entirely different. You recall the passage that we have mentioned several times from John's Gospel:
the officers that were sent to arrest Jesus. –
sent to arrest the Lord. This was their command, but they came back empty-handed. Why did they not arrest Him? They had the questions put to them. Why did you not bring Him? The officers answered:
Never, never did a man speak the way this Man speaks.
What a delight to hear the words of Jesus.
When Jesus speaks, this is a unique witness. This is God in flesh, the very radiance of divine glory in the midst of sinners, speaking is no man has ever spoke. He speaks with authority. His speaking is credible. By that I mean, look at His life. That's where we have problems many times with credibility, don't we? Someone gets up and says something and sometimes they may say the best things and say it was such forcefulness and skill. But then we find out some things about their lives, who they really are, what they've done, and what they're really like in some other areas, and all of a sudden everything they said it just sucks the wind out of it. When Jesus spoke, and time after time after time He spoke publicly, many, many times to thousands of people, and He lived His life in the midst of people. And there were those around Him and it wasn't just the 12 - there were many others who had a very close glimpse of the way Jesus lived - what He was really like. Imagine the credibility of what He said as He spoke with divine authority and had a life to back that up. Not only that, He was consistent. Think of the words of Christ. Think of how often we get caught in inconsistencies in the things we say. We lose credibility. Yeh, but I thought you said this before. Jesus was consistent, and even when it appeared he wasn't consistent he would explain and clarify. This is a unique witness. I want to make clear, though, it seems to me that in the context as we are reading this, the Lord's response to Pilate, not only in the immediate context, but in the overall context of the New Testament record, the climax of the Lord's witness is ultimately the cross and the empty tomb. Right? That is the climax of His witness, bearing witness to the truth of the gospel. And that is the very foundation of the truth of the gospel - the cross and the empty tomb.
So, the first thing I want us to contemplate together is that this is a unique witness when Jesus says, for this I been born, for this I come into the world to bear witness to the truth. This is not like anyone else bearing witness to the truth. This is special. This is unique. This is authoritative. This is redemptive.
The second thing that I noticed from the Lord’s statement, and that is that the witness Jesus is describing here is a functional witness - If I could say it that way, or a practical witness. I want to explain what I mean by that. First-of-all, several different things that I that I have in mind I see as I consider this. First-of-all, it is what Jesus bears witness to - the truth he bears witness to in His life, His teaching, and ultimately in His death and resurrection is the verifiable essence of reality. It is the very core and substance of what really matters. We’ve talked about this before - I remind you of it again this morning. This is crucial. This is so difficult for us to see - so many things seem to matter to us in our lives and our world. When the dust settles, this is what matters. Jesus is what matters. What He said is what matters - what really matters. This is why the Lord or this is one of the reasons -one of the things that I can take away from the great I am statements in the Gospel of John. If Jesus is not, in fact, the ultimate reality then how could He make some of these statements? I am the bread of life, no eternal life, no eternal existence, except in Christ. That's the ultimate reality. I am the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good Shephard. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way the truth and the life. Jesus makes the simple declaration to the Jews as they were arguing with the Lord in John chapter 8 - simple declaration - I am. That's it. That's the ultimate reality, the eternally existing One, the One who always has been -always will be. There is no reality greater than that - no reality beyond that truth. It's a functional witness, that is to say, it's what really matters. There's a lot of things that may be true in a given point in time in the temporal realm that after the passage of some time, aren’t anymore. That’s true every day with the weather isn’t it? We can say the sun is out, that's only true for a while. We can say it's cloudy, that's only true for a while. Lots of things are like that in this life. This is a witness that stands because it's a witness of the verifiable essence of what is real.
A second thing that I mean by this fact - by this statement that it is a functional witness, and that is that it is an incontrovertible witness. You know what that word means? I’m not trying to just use big words, I couldn’t think of a better way to say it. It means it’s irrefutable. It cannot be refuted. I don't know about you, but I delight in that. That thrills my heart. There are so many things in the course of living, as you live in this world, that at a given point in time or not you look at it in use and it seems so real, so true, and you're so convinced of it, and you're thrilled by it, only to find out a little bit later that it doesn't hold up over time. This isn’t like that. This is practical witness. That is to say, it never loses its relevance. It is incontrovertible. The second epistle that bears John's name, he begins this way:
the elder to the chosen lady and her children whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth. For the sake of the truth,
and notice these next words
which abides in us and will be with us forever.
Incontrovertible - cannot be refuted. Paul makes a somewhat similar statement at the end of his second epistle to the saints at Corinth verse eight he says:
this for we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.
The truth lasts. You can do what you want against it - you can throw everything you've got against it, but the truth stands. It’s incontrovertible. Forever, Oh Lord, psalmist says Thy word is settled in heaven. Jesus makes that statement, heaven and earth will pass away. My words will not pass away. Don't you love that - don't you delight in that? The certainty. It’s a functional witness. The verifiable essence of reality. It is irrefutable, it can be mocked, it can be ridiculed, it can be disdained. It can be abhorred and rejected, but it cannot be invalidated, it cannot be rendered ineffectual. That's a functional witness. That's a witness that really counts, that makes a difference.
A third thing that I would put under this heading of been a functional witness and that is that it can be simply and clearly stated. I don't know about you, but this too just delights my soul. I love this reality. It can be simply and clearly stated. Have you ever been frustrated by the way men declare themselves or make known their great learning? It never ceases to amaze me, if you read some of the statements and declarations of the great philosophers, current or past, some of their great statements that were all supposed to be so impressed with, and you read through them and you have to read through them over and over again to even begin to try and figure out what they're saying no matter how long you look at it you begin to wonder at some point they even knew what they were saying. So much of what this world puts forth as wisdom is utter nonsense. I was just reading yesterday of some of the wording in the last paper of Stephen Hawking that was published after his death. I was reading through some of it, now mind you, I acknowledge I don't know all the specific - I don't know the meanings of all the scientific terms, but it became pretty clear to me what's going on. Flipping around his terminology and ordering it in such a way that is impressive, but says virtually nothing of any real value or that you can be sure of - speculative theories. The meanderings and wanderings of a mind that is corrupt and has refused to lay hold of that which is simply and clearly stated in the gospel. So much of what this world puts forth is that which is profound wisdom is purposely obscured - it is shrouded in layers of intellectual psychobabble. it is not meant to be of real value. It’s just meant to impress other people with how deeply I can think - how smart I am. This is a functional witness.
One of the things that you and I ought to delight in is the simple truth of the gospel. When Jesus says that he came to bear witness to the truth, he didn't come to set forth an intricate and very complex treatise on redemption. He put it so simply, so plainly, so clearly, even a child can understand it. This is extremely important. For truth to really be of value, it has to be simple. It has to be simply and clearly stated or it has no real value. The truth that Jesus bore witness, to the truth of the gospel, is something that can be - it can be examined. We’re to handle were told to handle that truth carefully. Paul, you recall, in his epistle to the saints in the regions of Galatia was talking about this fact that he protected the truth of the gospel, even to the extent that he had to confront Peter. There in chapter 2 he said:
We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
Verse 14:
but when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all.
And he confronts him. I want you to notice this fact. The truth that Jesus bears witness to is something that can be understood - can be handled accurately. It's something that by which we can determine when it is not been handled accurately - when it's been deviated from - that's important.
One last thing that I would put under this matter of it being a functional witness and that is that it can be simply and clearly understood - simply and clearly believed. Not only is this witness simply and clearly stated in terms that can be assessed and evaluated, repeated, handled carefully, and to the extent that there are distortions of it, they can be determined as they are measured up against the simple and clearly stated truth -this witness. But it also can be simply and clearly understood. It is not something that requires a massive background. You don’t have to go and study theology for four years to believe it - to understand the simple truth. It is simply stated, and it can be simply understood and simply believed. and if it couldn't be, we would all be in trouble. Even those of us to think we’re pretty smart. I praise the Lord for this witness, for the simplicity, the clarity of the witness - simply and clearly understood, believed and with the most profound and practical implications. I was thinking of this just recently as I was reading through Colossians - Colossians chapter 1 Paul says this in verse three:
We give thanks to God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you. Just as in all the world, also, it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing even as it has been doing in you also, since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.
a third thing that I want to notice about the witness of the Lord Jesus, and that is that it makes all men accountable. It demands the response. Jesus says:
I came for this. I have been born for this, I come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
That puts every man, woman, and child on the planet whoever has lived or ever will live in a position of accountability to God. John mentions the fact in the first chapter that this light didn't just come with Christ. It was foretold, it was seen from afar and men are still held accountable for it, but to a much greater degree, once the One Who is the light of the world comes into the world. It demands a response. The question is simply this for everyone - What will you do with Jesus? - the words that song we sing - what will you do with Jesus?
When Paul is testifying - giving his testimony and he is giving his testimony - really is his defense before, you recall, Festus and Felix. And while Paul was saying this in his defense, you recall, in chapter 26 of Acts is really just a recounting of his testimony - how he came to Christ. While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, can you just imagine this, Paul is speaking of these glorious truths, and this Roman ruler outshouts Paul and he says:
Paul, you are out of your mind, your great learning is driving you mad.
Paul doesn't miss a beat it seems to me. His answer is this:
I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.
The person is out of their mind is the one who doesn't respond in faith, doesn't bow in submission.
I utter words of solemn truth. Jesus bore witness to the truth. He bore witness to the truth, and now men are accountable in a very unique way. Men will do what they want to do with the truth, they’re given that opportunity by God and His patience. Rejection may be very conspicuous. Or, as in the case of Pilate, it might be a clever attempt to just avoid it. What is truth? That's Pilate’s response to the Lord. You hear all kinds of varieties of this very same response today, still. There are so many different interpretations of the Bible and I don't really know what to believe. How do you know? How do you know which one is true? There are a lot of very sincere people who believe very different things. How can you say some of them are right or one of them is right and the rest of them are wrong? How can anyone emphatically say that what they believe is the truth? These are the kinds of questions that you hear. Who's to say what truth is? How do you know it won't change? As one man put it to me one time in a discussion is that how do we know that someday or 2+2 won’t equal four? Absurd things that we will say and latch onto to avoid this accountability to this witness. People will say things like truth is relative - truth is whatever works for you. That's truth. I could go on and on. You get the gist of that. Those are the kinds of things we hear. Those are the kinds of things we would be saying had we not come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.
A fourth thing that I bring to your attention. Not only does this witness make all men accountable. The last thing I want to draw your attention to is that Jesus calls in bearing this witness, He calls sinners to an intimate dependency upon Himself. Notice the last statement, the Lord makes:
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
This is how you and I walk in intimacy with Christ. This is how we are close to the Lord. This is how we are increasing in our knowledge of Him, in our understanding of Him. This is how we grow in grace. We’re listening to what Jesus says. Now Jesus obviously is not just speaking about His voice that can be heard at this given point in time.
Everyone is of the truth hears my voice.
Jesus invites sinners to partake of an intimate dependency upon Himself. Our total dependence upon the Lord includes an intimate relationship to the truth. That's the thing that I really find fascinating - what Jesus says here:
Everyone who is OF the truth.
To come to Christ is to be of the truth. It is to come to the knowledge of the truth. It is to be in close and intimate fellowship with the verifiable essence of reality with Christ Himself - the ultimate reality. In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul says beginning with verse 22 that:
In reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
We've been set apart in the truth, to the truth, with the truth, of the truth. This is a blessed reality for you and I, is it not? to hear the voice of the Son of God, to listen to what He says:
Everyone is of the truth hears My voice.
The witness of Christ required an unfathomably condescending grace and love, did it not? There's no we can fully appreciate what this really involves. It was no small thing for the Lord of glory to come into this world - to be born into this world - bear witness to the truth.
It's interesting too, when you think about it, this word that is translated witness here, and it’s used many times the New Testament, the Greek word for that is translated witness is martis. It's actually the word from which the English word martyr is derived. So, in its root form, it has to do with someone who bears witness by the giving up of their life, which of course is especially appropriate as the Lord uses it here. It’s not always used in the context in which it is used, it is not always referring to martyrdom -I'm not suggesting that. But that is the root meaning of the word. The Lord of glory coming into this world to bear witness to the truth to sinners like you and I, who in and of ourselves would have no response whatsoever, but to reject it, turn away from it, to write it off, to rationalize it away or to get angry by it. I remind you of the passage there in second Corinthians chapter 8, we read this verse I think, on Wednesday night- verse nine:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
What a condescending grace and love the Lord of glory has shown to us that He would come into this world bear witness to the truth, and then that He would bring us to Himself, so that you and I can have an intimate relationship with the truth - with Christ.
I have spoken openly to the world. I've always taught in synagogues in the temple where all the Jews come together, and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them, behold these know what I said.
We are were told that when He had said this, one of the officers standing by gave him a blow saying:
Is that the way you answer the high priest?
And Jesus's answer is this:
If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong, but if rightly, why do you strike Me?
in this interaction with Annas, He exposed the brutal bias of the Jewish leaders. These men were not there to execute justice. They were not there to find the truth. They were not there to do what was right. And the Lord's response exposed what it was these men were actually doing.
Later on in our Lord's initial response or His initial rate interaction with Pilate there's two hear that we are made aware of. Three, I guess, if you separate out the first statement that Jesus makes in chapter 18. In this interaction with Pilate - It's a very interesting one - Jesus very clearly distinguishes His purpose or His mission, if you will, from the temporal objectives of merely mortal administrators. Jesus acknowledges that He is a king, you see pilot when he asks Him in verse 33:
Are you the king of the Jews?
Jesus answered,
Are you saying this on your own and own initiative or did others tell you about Me?
Pilate answered,
I'm not a Jew am I? Your own nation and the chief priest delivered you up to me. What have You done?
That's his question to Jesus.
Are you the king of the Jews? What is it that you've done?
Jesus answered:
My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm. Pilate therefore said to Him, so you are a king. Jesus answered, you say correctly that I'm a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
Jesus acknowledges that he is a king but that His dominion encompasses an infinitely greater sphere than the political realm in relation to the Lord's kingdom and all other realms are subservient and immeasurably inferior. All Pilate can think about is, all he is dealing with, is the here and the now, the political context in which he has authority, in which he has to deal with this situation that has been brought before him. As you recall, the Jewish leaders deliver Jesus up to Pilate. This wasn't something Pilate went out and sought to do. As Jesus answers Pilate in regards to this question of who He is – this question of whether or not He is the king, Jesus identifies His mission in a unique way here, does He not?
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
Jesus identifies His mission as that of bringing the verifiable essence of reality to the sphere of human awareness - that is to bear witness to the truth. Our Lord's statements to Pilate here are worthy, it seems to me, of some careful attention. Jesus reveals a distinct and concise summary perspective of His coming into the world, and it may be when you think of what Jesus says, and I think of this quite often when I read this verse, I think of some of the Lord's earlier statements about His purpose for coming into the world. When Jesus says what He says in this verse, In his response to Pilate, He's in no way contradicting some of those earlier statements. You recall that Jesus had said that he had not come into the world to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. You recall in Mark's gospel, the very first chapter, The 38th verse, He said to his disciples,
Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby in order that I may preach there also for that is what I came out for.
In Luke's gospel, the 19th chapter, Jesus makes another similar kind of statement -Luke chapter 19 and the 10th verse He says,
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Earlier on in John's Gospel we have a record of the Lord, making this statement in John chapter 12 verse 47:
And if anyone hears my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
The Lord’s statement here as He answers Pilate is not obviously not a contradiction of these other earlier statements, and in fact it is a corroboration and even elaboration, if you will, on those earlier statements. These are all statements of the redemptive intention and plan of our merciful Creator. And as we look at the Lord’s statement in this 37th verse, ‘dI like to focus our attention on what the Lord says here - what is it that we can learn from the Lord's answer to Pilate in this passage?
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
The first thing that I want us to notice this morning regarding the Lord’s statement here, and that is the fact that this is an utterly unique witness. Jesus makes this statement in such a way as to draw attention to this uniqueness.
For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
I think all of us understand - we recognize that the truth had been recorded and preserved and had been revealed to mankind, on numerous occasions and throughout the Old Testament. but Jesus makes this statement and as He makes this statement as it applies to Himself, He is speaking of something on a different level - a different plane, if you will. You will recall those times there in Matthew chapter 12 – maybe it would be good just to turn back and look at a couple of these verses - where Jesus draws a comparison – a very specific comparison. He says in Matthew chapter 12 verse 6:
But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here.
He says later on in verse 41:
The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Verse 42:
the Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold something greater than Solomon is here.
Jesus perceives himself to be on a different level of revelation, if you will, not a contradictory level, but superior level of revelation. John begins this gospel with statements to this very fact. Recall how this gospel begins. I think all of us are familiar with it, but we need to be reminded of it.
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 came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Verse 14:
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth.
Have men ever beheld anything like this?
This witness goes beyond anything else, anyone else that has ever come, or ever could come, beyond anything else that is ever been said, written or done. I remind you of the passage then in Hebrews chapter 1 again - a passage is very familiar to us:
God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways
this is God speaking in the Old Testament
in these last days has spoken to us in His son.
This is different. This is unique:
Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world and He is the radiance of his glory, the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
This is direct revelation from God in flesh - human form. I was reminded of this as well in the several of the statements in the Paul's epistle to the Colossians - tremendous statements, favorites of mine. We’re told of Christ:
He is before all things, in Him all things hold together.
Verse 19 of chapter 1 in Colossians four.
It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell.
All - this could not be said of anyone other than Christ. Verse nine of chapter 2:
for in him all the fullness of deity dwells – where - in bodily form.
This is staggering revelation from God. God, in flesh, dwelling tabernacle among sinners. This is indeed a unique witness and because of who this is, because of this fact that this is God become man, When Jesus speaks, there's something different about him. We are told several times during the Lord's earthly ministry that people were very much impressed, not just with what he was saying, but the authority with which he said It - verse 28 of the end of what we commonly refer to as the sermon on the Mount in Matthew seven:
The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one having authority.
and then this is added:
and not as their scribes.
Their scribes had authority. They had a lot of authority. They had a huge impact on the way the average Jew lived his life - on the very function of the average Jew's life. They were used to listening to men with all the credentials, with all of the recognition, and with great oratorical skills get up and speak with authority. But when Jesus spoke, all of a sudden, this was something entirely different. You recall the passage that we have mentioned several times from John's Gospel:
the officers that were sent to arrest Jesus. –
sent to arrest the Lord. This was their command, but they came back empty-handed. Why did they not arrest Him? They had the questions put to them. Why did you not bring Him? The officers answered:
Never, never did a man speak the way this Man speaks.
What a delight to hear the words of Jesus.
When Jesus speaks, this is a unique witness. This is God in flesh, the very radiance of divine glory in the midst of sinners, speaking is no man has ever spoke. He speaks with authority. His speaking is credible. By that I mean, look at His life. That's where we have problems many times with credibility, don't we? Someone gets up and says something and sometimes they may say the best things and say it was such forcefulness and skill. But then we find out some things about their lives, who they really are, what they've done, and what they're really like in some other areas, and all of a sudden everything they said it just sucks the wind out of it. When Jesus spoke, and time after time after time He spoke publicly, many, many times to thousands of people, and He lived His life in the midst of people. And there were those around Him and it wasn't just the 12 - there were many others who had a very close glimpse of the way Jesus lived - what He was really like. Imagine the credibility of what He said as He spoke with divine authority and had a life to back that up. Not only that, He was consistent. Think of the words of Christ. Think of how often we get caught in inconsistencies in the things we say. We lose credibility. Yeh, but I thought you said this before. Jesus was consistent, and even when it appeared he wasn't consistent he would explain and clarify. This is a unique witness. I want to make clear, though, it seems to me that in the context as we are reading this, the Lord's response to Pilate, not only in the immediate context, but in the overall context of the New Testament record, the climax of the Lord's witness is ultimately the cross and the empty tomb. Right? That is the climax of His witness, bearing witness to the truth of the gospel. And that is the very foundation of the truth of the gospel - the cross and the empty tomb.
So, the first thing I want us to contemplate together is that this is a unique witness when Jesus says, for this I been born, for this I come into the world to bear witness to the truth. This is not like anyone else bearing witness to the truth. This is special. This is unique. This is authoritative. This is redemptive.
The second thing that I noticed from the Lord’s statement, and that is that the witness Jesus is describing here is a functional witness - If I could say it that way, or a practical witness. I want to explain what I mean by that. First-of-all, several different things that I that I have in mind I see as I consider this. First-of-all, it is what Jesus bears witness to - the truth he bears witness to in His life, His teaching, and ultimately in His death and resurrection is the verifiable essence of reality. It is the very core and substance of what really matters. We’ve talked about this before - I remind you of it again this morning. This is crucial. This is so difficult for us to see - so many things seem to matter to us in our lives and our world. When the dust settles, this is what matters. Jesus is what matters. What He said is what matters - what really matters. This is why the Lord or this is one of the reasons -one of the things that I can take away from the great I am statements in the Gospel of John. If Jesus is not, in fact, the ultimate reality then how could He make some of these statements? I am the bread of life, no eternal life, no eternal existence, except in Christ. That's the ultimate reality. I am the light of the world. I am the door. I am the good Shephard. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way the truth and the life. Jesus makes the simple declaration to the Jews as they were arguing with the Lord in John chapter 8 - simple declaration - I am. That's it. That's the ultimate reality, the eternally existing One, the One who always has been -always will be. There is no reality greater than that - no reality beyond that truth. It's a functional witness, that is to say, it's what really matters. There's a lot of things that may be true in a given point in time in the temporal realm that after the passage of some time, aren’t anymore. That’s true every day with the weather isn’t it? We can say the sun is out, that's only true for a while. We can say it's cloudy, that's only true for a while. Lots of things are like that in this life. This is a witness that stands because it's a witness of the verifiable essence of what is real.
A second thing that I mean by this fact - by this statement that it is a functional witness, and that is that it is an incontrovertible witness. You know what that word means? I’m not trying to just use big words, I couldn’t think of a better way to say it. It means it’s irrefutable. It cannot be refuted. I don't know about you, but I delight in that. That thrills my heart. There are so many things in the course of living, as you live in this world, that at a given point in time or not you look at it in use and it seems so real, so true, and you're so convinced of it, and you're thrilled by it, only to find out a little bit later that it doesn't hold up over time. This isn’t like that. This is practical witness. That is to say, it never loses its relevance. It is incontrovertible. The second epistle that bears John's name, he begins this way:
the elder to the chosen lady and her children whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth. For the sake of the truth,
and notice these next words
which abides in us and will be with us forever.
Incontrovertible - cannot be refuted. Paul makes a somewhat similar statement at the end of his second epistle to the saints at Corinth verse eight he says:
this for we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.
The truth lasts. You can do what you want against it - you can throw everything you've got against it, but the truth stands. It’s incontrovertible. Forever, Oh Lord, psalmist says Thy word is settled in heaven. Jesus makes that statement, heaven and earth will pass away. My words will not pass away. Don't you love that - don't you delight in that? The certainty. It’s a functional witness. The verifiable essence of reality. It is irrefutable, it can be mocked, it can be ridiculed, it can be disdained. It can be abhorred and rejected, but it cannot be invalidated, it cannot be rendered ineffectual. That's a functional witness. That's a witness that really counts, that makes a difference.
A third thing that I would put under this heading of been a functional witness and that is that it can be simply and clearly stated. I don't know about you, but this too just delights my soul. I love this reality. It can be simply and clearly stated. Have you ever been frustrated by the way men declare themselves or make known their great learning? It never ceases to amaze me, if you read some of the statements and declarations of the great philosophers, current or past, some of their great statements that were all supposed to be so impressed with, and you read through them and you have to read through them over and over again to even begin to try and figure out what they're saying no matter how long you look at it you begin to wonder at some point they even knew what they were saying. So much of what this world puts forth as wisdom is utter nonsense. I was just reading yesterday of some of the wording in the last paper of Stephen Hawking that was published after his death. I was reading through some of it, now mind you, I acknowledge I don't know all the specific - I don't know the meanings of all the scientific terms, but it became pretty clear to me what's going on. Flipping around his terminology and ordering it in such a way that is impressive, but says virtually nothing of any real value or that you can be sure of - speculative theories. The meanderings and wanderings of a mind that is corrupt and has refused to lay hold of that which is simply and clearly stated in the gospel. So much of what this world puts forth is that which is profound wisdom is purposely obscured - it is shrouded in layers of intellectual psychobabble. it is not meant to be of real value. It’s just meant to impress other people with how deeply I can think - how smart I am. This is a functional witness.
One of the things that you and I ought to delight in is the simple truth of the gospel. When Jesus says that he came to bear witness to the truth, he didn't come to set forth an intricate and very complex treatise on redemption. He put it so simply, so plainly, so clearly, even a child can understand it. This is extremely important. For truth to really be of value, it has to be simple. It has to be simply and clearly stated or it has no real value. The truth that Jesus bore witness, to the truth of the gospel, is something that can be - it can be examined. We’re to handle were told to handle that truth carefully. Paul, you recall, in his epistle to the saints in the regions of Galatia was talking about this fact that he protected the truth of the gospel, even to the extent that he had to confront Peter. There in chapter 2 he said:
We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
Verse 14:
but when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all.
And he confronts him. I want you to notice this fact. The truth that Jesus bears witness to is something that can be understood - can be handled accurately. It's something that by which we can determine when it is not been handled accurately - when it's been deviated from - that's important.
One last thing that I would put under this matter of it being a functional witness and that is that it can be simply and clearly understood - simply and clearly believed. Not only is this witness simply and clearly stated in terms that can be assessed and evaluated, repeated, handled carefully, and to the extent that there are distortions of it, they can be determined as they are measured up against the simple and clearly stated truth -this witness. But it also can be simply and clearly understood. It is not something that requires a massive background. You don’t have to go and study theology for four years to believe it - to understand the simple truth. It is simply stated, and it can be simply understood and simply believed. and if it couldn't be, we would all be in trouble. Even those of us to think we’re pretty smart. I praise the Lord for this witness, for the simplicity, the clarity of the witness - simply and clearly understood, believed and with the most profound and practical implications. I was thinking of this just recently as I was reading through Colossians - Colossians chapter 1 Paul says this in verse three:
We give thanks to God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you. Just as in all the world, also, it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing even as it has been doing in you also, since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.
a third thing that I want to notice about the witness of the Lord Jesus, and that is that it makes all men accountable. It demands the response. Jesus says:
I came for this. I have been born for this, I come into the world to bear witness to the truth.
That puts every man, woman, and child on the planet whoever has lived or ever will live in a position of accountability to God. John mentions the fact in the first chapter that this light didn't just come with Christ. It was foretold, it was seen from afar and men are still held accountable for it, but to a much greater degree, once the One Who is the light of the world comes into the world. It demands a response. The question is simply this for everyone - What will you do with Jesus? - the words that song we sing - what will you do with Jesus?
When Paul is testifying - giving his testimony and he is giving his testimony - really is his defense before, you recall, Festus and Felix. And while Paul was saying this in his defense, you recall, in chapter 26 of Acts is really just a recounting of his testimony - how he came to Christ. While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, can you just imagine this, Paul is speaking of these glorious truths, and this Roman ruler outshouts Paul and he says:
Paul, you are out of your mind, your great learning is driving you mad.
Paul doesn't miss a beat it seems to me. His answer is this:
I'm not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.
The person is out of their mind is the one who doesn't respond in faith, doesn't bow in submission.
I utter words of solemn truth. Jesus bore witness to the truth. He bore witness to the truth, and now men are accountable in a very unique way. Men will do what they want to do with the truth, they’re given that opportunity by God and His patience. Rejection may be very conspicuous. Or, as in the case of Pilate, it might be a clever attempt to just avoid it. What is truth? That's Pilate’s response to the Lord. You hear all kinds of varieties of this very same response today, still. There are so many different interpretations of the Bible and I don't really know what to believe. How do you know? How do you know which one is true? There are a lot of very sincere people who believe very different things. How can you say some of them are right or one of them is right and the rest of them are wrong? How can anyone emphatically say that what they believe is the truth? These are the kinds of questions that you hear. Who's to say what truth is? How do you know it won't change? As one man put it to me one time in a discussion is that how do we know that someday or 2+2 won’t equal four? Absurd things that we will say and latch onto to avoid this accountability to this witness. People will say things like truth is relative - truth is whatever works for you. That's truth. I could go on and on. You get the gist of that. Those are the kinds of things we hear. Those are the kinds of things we would be saying had we not come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.
A fourth thing that I bring to your attention. Not only does this witness make all men accountable. The last thing I want to draw your attention to is that Jesus calls in bearing this witness, He calls sinners to an intimate dependency upon Himself. Notice the last statement, the Lord makes:
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.
This is how you and I walk in intimacy with Christ. This is how we are close to the Lord. This is how we are increasing in our knowledge of Him, in our understanding of Him. This is how we grow in grace. We’re listening to what Jesus says. Now Jesus obviously is not just speaking about His voice that can be heard at this given point in time.
Everyone is of the truth hears my voice.
Jesus invites sinners to partake of an intimate dependency upon Himself. Our total dependence upon the Lord includes an intimate relationship to the truth. That's the thing that I really find fascinating - what Jesus says here:
Everyone who is OF the truth.
To come to Christ is to be of the truth. It is to come to the knowledge of the truth. It is to be in close and intimate fellowship with the verifiable essence of reality with Christ Himself - the ultimate reality. In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul says beginning with verse 22 that:
In reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
We've been set apart in the truth, to the truth, with the truth, of the truth. This is a blessed reality for you and I, is it not? to hear the voice of the Son of God, to listen to what He says:
Everyone is of the truth hears My voice.
The witness of Christ required an unfathomably condescending grace and love, did it not? There's no we can fully appreciate what this really involves. It was no small thing for the Lord of glory to come into this world - to be born into this world - bear witness to the truth.
It's interesting too, when you think about it, this word that is translated witness here, and it’s used many times the New Testament, the Greek word for that is translated witness is martis. It's actually the word from which the English word martyr is derived. So, in its root form, it has to do with someone who bears witness by the giving up of their life, which of course is especially appropriate as the Lord uses it here. It’s not always used in the context in which it is used, it is not always referring to martyrdom -I'm not suggesting that. But that is the root meaning of the word. The Lord of glory coming into this world to bear witness to the truth to sinners like you and I, who in and of ourselves would have no response whatsoever, but to reject it, turn away from it, to write it off, to rationalize it away or to get angry by it. I remind you of the passage there in second Corinthians chapter 8, we read this verse I think, on Wednesday night- verse nine:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
What a condescending grace and love the Lord of glory has shown to us that He would come into this world bear witness to the truth, and then that He would bring us to Himself, so that you and I can have an intimate relationship with the truth - with Christ.
