Today’s devotion comes from John 18:28-40 which continues to cover the account of Jesus before Pilate. We will focus on verses 37 and 38, but here is the link to this whole passage. Click here: John 18 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com
“Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him. John 18:37-38.
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Pilate, like all of us, was confronted with the truth. Pilate asked: “What is truth?”
As to what was on his mind regarding this question, we don’t know more than what Scripture states. Pilate, like many of us, did not seem to wait for an answer. Pilate, like many of us, seemed to be satisfied with just posing the philosophical question. Pilate, like many of us, was more concerned to do his earthly job than understand The Heavenly Truth.
It is not enough to just ask the question and then move on. It is even not enough to just study the issue. Jesus noted that attitude when he rebuked: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” John 5:39-40.
So, what does Scripture tell us about truth?
Here are some verses which specifically and directly identify Jesus as The Truth.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6.
“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17.
John 8:32
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Jesus is The Truth.
Here are some verses which more generally attribute truth to God, such that God abounds in truth and His words are truth and the works of His hands are truth. These Scriptures also lead us to Jesus, The Truth.
2 Samuel 7:28
“Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.
“Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.
Psalm 25:5
“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.
“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:10
“All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”
“All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.”
Psalm 26:3
“For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.”
“For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.”
Psalm 31:5
“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.”
“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.”
Psalm 40:10
“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.”
“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.”
Psalm 40:11 “You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.”
Psalm 43:3
“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.”
“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.”
Psalm 57:3
“He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”
“He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”
Psalm 57:10
“For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds.”
“For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds.”
Psalm 69:13
“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth.”
“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth.”
Psalm 71:22
“I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.”
“I will also praise You with a harp, Even Your truth, O my God; To You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.”
Psalm 86:11
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”
Psalm 86:15
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
Psalm 89:14
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”
Psalm 108:4
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the skies.”
For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the skies.”
Psalm 111:7
“The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.”
“The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.”
Psalm 111:8
“They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness.”
Psalm 115:1
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.”
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.”
Psalm 117:2
“For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!”
“For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!”
Psalm 119:142
“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.”
“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.”
Psalm 119:151
“You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.”
“You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.”
Psalm 119:160
“The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”
“The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”
Psalm 138:2
“I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”
“I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.”
Jeremiah 4:2
“And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.”
“And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.”
Micah 7:20
“You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.”
“You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.”
Zechariah 8:3
“Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ “
“Thus says the LORD, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ “
Zechariah 8:8
“and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.”
“and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.”
Mark 12:14
“They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”
“They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?”
Luke 1:4
“so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”
“so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.”
John 1:14
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 14:17
“that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
“that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 15:26
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,”
John 16:13
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
John 17:17
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
Ephesians 4:21
“if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,”
“if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,”
2 Thessalonians 2:10
“and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”
“and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”
2 Thessalonians 2:12
“in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
“in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:4
“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
2 Timothy 3:7
“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Titus 1:1
“Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,”
“Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,”
1 John 5:6
“This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”
“This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”