I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth!

John 18:33-37

Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" 34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" 35 Pilate said, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?" 36 "My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king." 37 Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?" Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."

Food for thought!

Imagine the following. Jesus is being tied with ropes; his hands are tied together. Some soldiers drag him to the court to be accused. The judge is called Pilate. The trial begins. "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" The judge asks Jesus. Jesus answers, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?" Pilate responds, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?" Jesus does not answer this last question, but answers the first, which was "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?"

This is a very intriguing question. The judge must have wondered; how can a king appear the way Jesus is, tied with ropes, blood all over his body and face! Pilate is saying, is it possibly true that you are someone's king? "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?" "What did you do to your people, for your people to do this to you?" Someone is really wrong here? Is it true that you are king?

"My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king."

Pilate continues, "So, are you a king or not?" Pilate wants to ascertain. Jesus answers, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."

Did you notice how Jesus connects king to truth? "I am king; I am a King. [Certainly I am a King!] This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth [who is a friend of the Truth, who belongs to the Truth] hears and listens to My voice. What Jesus says is that he is king, KING OF TRUTH. It means that Jesus is the king of truth; that Jesus is the truth, even as he stands being tied, being tried, being humiliated; yes, Jesus is truth from eternity to eternity.

Jesus is like truth, and truth is like Jesus.

We can tie it/Jesus, we can try it/Jesus, we can judge it/Jesus, we can beat it/Jesus but we cannot destroy it/Jesus because he was born a king. Jesus/truth is immortal; Jesus/truth is divine. As the first reading of today puts it, "His/its rule is eternal — he/it will never end. His/its reign will never be destroyed." Jesus/Truth does not die; Jesus/it is eternal.

Jesus is like the truth, and truth is like Jesus.

As today's Second reading said, "everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!" All of us will soon or later know Jesus/truth, even those of us who pierced Jesus/it, who rejected Jesus/it, denied Jesus/it, tied Jesus/it, and tried Jesus/it. WE WILL ALL SEE JESUS/TRUTH!