Face To Face With The TRUTH
Face to Face With The Truth
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him,
“Are you the King of the Jews? “
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “ or did others talk to you about me ?”
“Am I a Jew ? “ Pilate replied, “It was your people and chief priests who handed you over to me . What is it that you have done ?”
Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world . If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews . But now my Kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king then !” said Pilate.
Jesus answered “You are right in saying I am a king In fact for this reason I was born and for this I came into the world , to testify to the truth . Everyone of the side of truth listens to me. “
“What is truth ?” Pilate asked.
From the Gospel according to John 18: 33 – 38
Who is this man Pilate ?
The year was 29 AD. Pilate was enjoying a highly esteemed position in the Roman Empire. The nation Israel is just one of the nations subjected to the rule of the vast Roman Empire. Pilate was the appointed Roman Governor tasked to govern, oversee, manage the affairs of the nation Israel. He hold a very powerful position in Israel which includes the power to execute criminals.
I presumed to be that Pilate is a man of great intelligence, education. and affluence. He would not hold that prestigious position of Roman Governor without these factors. Pilate holding one of the key position in the powerful Roman Empire, had all the best of the world could offer which includes prestige, power, influence, position, wealth, affluence but without the truth. He was living a totally depraved life apart from the truth.
But there is one moment in his life that he would never forget in all eternity, that moment when he came face to face with the truth, no other than Jesus of Nazareth.
Yes JesusChrist reached out to Pilate during Christ trial before Pilate. Jesus spoke to Pilate about his Kingdom. But it is very say to say That Pilate was a totally depraved man totally submerged into the world system,, that he could not see the truth in JesusChrist.
HomeUniversity Encyclopedia has this record about Pilate. According to this reference, Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who authorized the crucifixion of JesusChrist, was procurator of Judea probably from 26 to 36 AD. He was deposed from his office by Vitellius, the governor of Syria because of his severity. He returned to Rome to stand his trial just after the death of Tiberius (March. 37 AD ) . According to Eusebius he committed suicide soon afterward.
Pontius Pilate deposed from power found his life very futile and meaningless that he committed suicide. Yes Pontius Pilate encountered the truth in his life, came face to face with it , but never gave importance to it.. He just considered Christ a self-proclaimed king, one he should not take seriously. Christ reached out to him in compassion but he would not hear for he is totally engrossed with the world.
One thing is very sad about life, when the world has embraced you as its very own, when it satisfied you with the great things it can offer : position, power, prestige, wealth affluence, you become heavily submerged into its system, you became so depraved that you will not listen to the truth, just like Pilate. There are so many Pilates today who will not listen to the truth because they have submerged themselves completely with the world.