Audio Messages:
Pastor Wade Burleson

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The Purpose Driven God
He Came to Proclaim the Truth

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John 18:33-40 (KJV)

33. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34. Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35. Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
39. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
40. Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

In our previous studies we have seen how God came to rescue a lover, how he came to destroy an enemy and now in our text, we see He came into this world to "bear witness unto the truth." Christ came to bear witness (Greek: martyr) of the truth. Everything about Him -- His birth, His life, His ministry, His teaching, His death -- all of it about "the truth." John Piper says of this phrase, "It is THE TRUTH, not a truth for me and different truth for you, but THE TRUTH for all of us. Unchanging, absolute." The truth affects your dating. The truth affects your work. The truth affects your family. The truth affects every thing about you. I would propose if you and I could come to understand the truth, we would find true freedom and joy in this life. But . . .

1. The truth is not always as it seems.
   Jesus has been arrested (v.12), bound (v.12), beaten (v.22), and taken to the judgment hall. Pilate, the Roman Governor, looks at Jesus and says incredulously, "Are you a King?" (v.33). Pilate had a hard time believing the leaders of Israel could be threatened byt his man (v.35). You may be having a hard time believing that you can trust Jesus with your life. You look around and think to yourself, "Everybody else seems to be doing just fine with Christ!" But the truth is, without Christ, there is no real, genuine satisfaction in this life. That is the truth! "The real measure of our wealth is how much we'd be worth if we lost all our money" Jowett.
2. The truth is not always what others say.
   When Pilate first asked Christ, "Art thou the King of the Jews" (v.33), Jesus answered . . . "Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?" (V.34 NIV). The Jews were telling Pilate a lie. They were alleging Christ wanted an earthly Kingship. Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world" (v.36). The truth is not found in the words of men, but it is found in the words of Christ. What does Christ say? What does He think of my situation?
3. The truth is not always what you sense.
   Pilate says, "What is truth?" and walks out (v.38). He then followed his feelings, not truth. "The light minded worldliness and dull skepticism of so-called culture leads to a despair of the truth. Pilate's question is the expression of those whose god is the world." Braune. These verses are a caution to everyone who lives life with an indifference to the truth. To reject "the truth" is to ultimately reject Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. He is the truth.
4. The truth is always seen in the Savior.
   "Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice" (v.37). This is parallel to Christ's statement "He that is of God hears God's words: ye hear them not because ye are not of God" (8:47).
   1. Jesus Christ is God . . . therefore "He is the truth."
      When Jesus Christ bears witness of the truth He is bearing witness to God Himself.
   2. Jesus Christ is good . . . everything that comes from His mouth is "true and good."
      "Thy words are a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Whose words are you going to believe? Which person are you going to truth? There is uncahngeable, absolute truth. That truth is found in the person of Christ.

   

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