There’s a moving scene in the Easter season miniseries The Bible by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey where Pilate is alone with Jesus. Jesus is quiet. Pilate is clearly frustrated. Pilate is in charge, or so he thinks. Jesus tells Pilate that he was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. In a very dramatic, interrogating way, Pilate asks Jesus “what is truth”??? But before Jesus could answer Pilate turns and abruptly walks away. It is said that Pilate couldn’t face the answer and didn’t want to know the answer and thus walks away. The crowd was growing louder. His frustration was rising.
Remember the movie A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise? In their famous court room scene, Jack Nicholson exclaims “you can’t handle the truth!!!”. It’s a play on this similar scene from John.
The beautiful part of the story is clear when Jesus answers the question and states in chapter 14 verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth and the life.”
No cameras. No scripts. Just truth. The truth was plain to see on Easter morning. The tomb was empty.
There’s a Birmingham lawyer, Warren Lightfoot, that has a wonderful presentation that addresses this question in a trial like manner. He explores all the ways the resurrection was questioned. One question commonly explored is “Was the body stolen?” He states this theory isn’t credible. If the body had been found, it would have been produced immediately and paraded around the town. Truth. You can imagine Mr. Lightfoot’s closing argument.
The tomb was empty! It was just as Jesus had tried to tell the disciples.
This was the truth.
Jesus prays in John 17:17 “make them holy by your truth; teach them your word which is truth”.
What is your truth? What are you hiding? What truth do you need to know?
Jesus was crucified for our sins. My sins and yours. Jesus is our truth.
Godspeed.
God Speaks 