Jesus Testifies to the Truth
John 18:28-37 or John 18:28-38
International Sunday School Lesson
April 1, 2012
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
What is truth? A philosophical question posed by Pilate in verse 38 in reply to Jesus after He said that He had testified through His life about truth and that “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” For Pilate, an earthly ruler, truth sometimes carried weight but at other times such as the one we read of today other factors rule.
In the world we live in innocent people every day are convicted and sometimes even executed. It is only from the Lord that man gets justice (Proverbs 29:26). Jesus certainly didn’t receive justice from the High Priest, or the Sanhedrin nor did He receive it from Pilate.
Last week we read in John 3 that “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” And now this week we see it lived out.
In the dark of night Jesus was subjected to the questioning and false accusations of the Jewish leaders. When Jesus spoke at all to them it was to acknowledge the truth and those who are not on the side of truth would of course not listen to Him just as Jesus said.
From God we are offered justice but to God’s son we gave injustice. To his credit Pilate feebly tried but failed to set Jesus, the most innocent of men ever charged, free but through Christ’s great efforts we all have the opportunity to be set free though we are all worthy of being convicted.
Consider this question, what do you see happen when an innocent man or a seemingly innocent man is unjustly charged or even convicted and executed? What usually happens is uproar for change so that this type of thing cannot ever happen again, but of course it does, especially once the energy has dissipated amongst the proponents.
So what results from this knowledge depends on you and me. Our Jesus died once for all, He won’t be doing it again. His proponents must stay energized and testify to the truth as He did. We can keep it to ourselves locked away or out of appreciation for this sacrifice and our subsequent salvation we to can testify to the truth. This is a story too good to hide away because it is a story of a God and His love such that no one would invent.
Somewhere maybe every day there are men who are convicted of the crimes committed by others. The crime that was committed is never therefore really accounted for. Next week when we return we will read of the innocent Man of Sacrifice that was convicted for the sins that you committed and never were made to take account for; He did it willingly so that you wouldn’t have to. Don’t you think you could take up the cause with an energy that never dissipates?
For Discussion:
1. Read the corresponding scriptures found in Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23
2. Ask in what scriptures Jesus had revealed the kind of death He would suffer.
3. Had the Jews executed Jesus for blasphemy what would have been the method of execution as opposed to the Roman form?
4. Discuss Pilate’s question, “What is truth?”
5. Ask people to consider the following scenario. They are being held prisoner for being Christian. There are other prisoners and they are all Christian as well. All violations of rules by prisoners are punishable by death. They commit a violation but another prisoner claims responsibility to spare them and that prisoner is summarily executed by being shot in the head. How would they feel, how would they react, if freed from this prison, how would they live as a result? Consider Christ as this fellow prisoner who took their punishment for them.
6. Ask if most of us are just going through some kind of ritualistic life of being Christian. Do we truly live like people who not only have had someone die a substitutionary death for them but one that results in eternal life for them?
7. Next week’s assignment does not include scripture on the crucifixion. Remind those in your group to read those passages as well.
Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries
4-8-12: The Living Word (Jesus Lives) John 20:1-10, 19-20
4-15-12: Cleansing the Temple (Temple is Cleansed) John 2:13-22
4-22-12: Woman of Samaria (Samaritan Woman Finds Living Water) John 4:7-15, 23-26, 28-30 or John 4:7-15, 21-30
4-29-12: Healing the Blind Man (Blind Man Receives Sight) John 9:1-17
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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