WHAT IS TRUTH?

Jesus stands before Pilate having been brought there by the Jews. He is accused of blasphemy. See John 18.

Pilate asks Him: "Are you the King of the Jews"?

Jesus explains that His kingdom is not of this world; that His Kingdom is from another place.
This is truth.

Pilate asks Jesus : "What is truth"? but does not wait for an answer. Instead he goes out to the Jews crowding outside and says : "I find no basis for a charge against him."
This is truth.

He asks them whether they want him to release the King of the Jews. Instead they want the release of a prisoner named Barabbas. Barabbas was a rebel, apparently the leader of a rebellion again the Romans, and interesting enough, his name means "son of the father". So in his own right, also a leader with a significant name. It makes for a better understanding why Pilate gave the Jews the choice between Jesus and and Barabbas. (As if there could ever be a comparison between the two.)

So we have the sinless Christ and the rebel Barabbas, being weighed against each other.

Now if we, you and I, have to look at our own lives, our past - who can we compare ourselves to? Jesus or Barabbas?

Never without sin as is Jesus - therefore Barabbas! This is truth!

Before releasing Barabbas, Pilate has Jesus flogged - 39 lashes. By enduring this flogging, Jesus takes upon Himself all our physical suffering. Being exchanged for, and taking the place of the criminal Barabbas, although found without blame, He takes upon Himself all the sin and unrighteousness of us all.
This is truth.

Pilate takes Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, outside and introduces Him to the crowd: "Here is the man!" He is stripped of His heavenly title and belittled being called just "a man".
This is truth.

                             "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men,
                             the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be
                             testified in due time." 1 Tim. 2:5-6

This is truth.

He is slapped in the face, spat on, cursed, swore at, scorned, his beard is pulled from his face, and He takes upon Himself all our shame and humiliation.
This is truth.

Three times Pilate confirms that he finds no blame in Christ. This is truth.

Jesus is handed over to the priests and the Jewish rabble and He carries His own cross, which should have been Barabbas's (and ours) to the place of the Skull. Here He is crucified on the cross and hangs naked, between two other criminals. Total degredation!

                       "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse
                       for us, for it is written : 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree' "
                       Gal. 3:13

He takes the curse which rests on us for our rebellion against God, our disobedience, our inability to live according to God's laws, our lack of love and respect for God on Himself and in our stead.
This is truth.

He gave His life and died in the stead of Barabbas and of ourselves. This is truth.

Before He died, Jesus said : "It is finished!" He had completed the sacrifice in our stead.
Nothing more would ever be needed. This is truth.

He purchased our redemption with His blood and life. This is truth.

But His death would have been in vain if He was not resurrected from the dead. This is truth.

He rose from the grave on the third day and lives forevermore! This is truth!

                     "Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
                     through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For
                     such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
                     separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens; who
                     does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for
                     his own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when
                     He offered up Himself." Heb. 7: 25-27

This is truth!

                     "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the
                     heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."
                     Heb. 4: 14

Thank You, Jesus, for sacrificing Your life for all the world, including Barabbas and me. Thank You, that You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Help us to daily live according to Your Truth and to hold fast to our confession.