TRUTH FALLING ON DEAF EARS

 

John 18:28-38

When people’s hearts become hard, the gospel will fall

on deaf ears. People stop listening.

 

The world we know will not listen easily to the gospel message but what about the Church? Jesus said; He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches...” Rev 2:7. It’s here that the religious leaders who were to prepare the people for the coming Messiah, is the ones who are trying everything they can to get Jesus put to death. This is why Paul wrote, “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Cor 2:8-10. When someone is said to turn a deaf ear to something, it doesn’t mean that they are deaf and can’t hear. It simply means they are choosing to ignore what’s being said. God’s Word very clearly expresses both God’s heart of love for mankind and in His law He shows us how He wants us to live.

Jesus Christ is the perfect representation of the Godhead when

He walked among the people.

 

It’s for this reason the religious elites hated Him so much, because they truly hate God. The Jewish leaders are done with Jesus, but they are stuck with their plans, because they don’t have the authority to bring about death to someone. So, what do they do? Let’s send Jesus to Pilate do our dirty work. Before we get to that conversation or going through the motions, lets look at the guards and leaders as they will not enter into the Governor’s Headquarters. (v28-v29)

This reveals the hypocrisy of these men. They say one thing out the corner of their mouths and out of the other they live like the world. James said this, “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” James 3:8-10

 

These men were scrupulous to avoid any ritual defilement even while they were carrying out the vilest acts in all of human history. To enter the pagan residence of Pilate would have brought them into defilement, preventing them from participating in the whole feast of Passover.

Passover lasted seven days and in order to patriciate in the entire feast, the priest and the officials had to maintain complete cleanliness from all forms of defilement. What hypocrites as Jesus already revealed, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” Matt 23:27-31

 

“Whitewashed tombs” means exactly what it sounds like: tombs or mausoleums that have been covered with white paint, so they “look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” This speaks to the spiritual condition of the scribes and Pharisees. Outwardly, they were holy and clean, but inside they were spiritually dead as they bring Jesus to Pilate. And they would not dare enter into a pagan’s home otherwise they would be unclean to take Passover. God despises this form and kind of religion. Why? This false worship is offered from the heart that is faithless. These Jews went through all the motions, maintained all the rituals, and kept themselves totally clean while they crucified the Son of God. What a picture of the self-righteous man or woman today in the church. They look religious but they are just as dead as their neighbor. So, they come to Pilate, who is the face of public authority, who was in the position of judgment.

The gospels tell us little about Pilate, other than his role in the trial of Jesus and in the disrespectful murder of Jews who offered sacrifice.

 

In Luke 13:1 we read, “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.”

 

This was due to the fact a certain group of Jews who opposed paying tribute to Caesar and submitting to the Roman government. A party of them coming to Jerusalem during one of the great festivals, and presenting their oblations in the court of the temple, Pilate treacherously sent a company of soldiers, who killed them, and "mingled their blood with their sacrifices.

 

It is during this time that Judea was considered one of the least desirable outposts for a Roman Official, because the Jews were notorious for not being yielding to Roman rule.

 

According to Josephus…. The Jews would hate the Romans standards with the image of the emperor into the city. The Jews would come into the city and staging a literal sit-down strike surrounding Pilates home. And they would refuse to leave for five days until Pilate issued his troops to warn them what would happen if they did not leave.

 

Pilate did many things to make the Jews unhappy and irritated. He brought in a ritual shield of the emperor in the Holy Place, which was sacrilege in the sight of the Jews, but the emperor commanded him to respect the Jews religion and freedoms to remove the shields from the Holy Place. Pilate took the sacred treasure from the Jewish temple to build an channel in the province; this sparked outrage but this time Pilate has his troops club people to death in protest. Pilate as a Roman governor had the privilege of striking coins with any image, he so desired. Pilate made copper coins bearing images of pagan religion, and this was an outrage in the eyes of the Jews. I say all this to set the tone between Pilate and the Jewish people. Pilate didn’t really care about anyone but himself, and he was a weak and pliable man who bowed to the multitudes, especially when it came to Jesus.

 

Because the Jews cannot come in, Pilate goes to them. (v29-v32) He asks, “What has Jesus done?” Which gives a sense of disgust in Pilate. Remember he doesn’t like these people one bit, and he no doubts was wondering why they brough a man to him so early in the morning over their dispute over theology. This trial that Jesus faced was history’s most egregious miscarriage of justice. Jesus was being tried as a vile sinner, though He was none of that, and the there was no evidence of that also. They refer to Jesus as a “Evil doer” which was assault on His character, but not an accusation of a specific legal violation. Not having a crime to convict Him of, affirmed Jesus’ innocence, but they still made it clear how much they hated Him, by sentencing Him to death.

 

In Mark’s gospel we get a clear picture of the hearts these men who wanted Jesus dead. “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.” Mark 14:55-64

 

This is why they brought Jesus to Pilate, but this also revealed God providential plan for redeeming sinners like you and me. (v32) What Scripture is being fulfilled? “And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:32-34

So, Pilate ask Jesus a series of questions. “Are You the King of the Jews?” this is a question to see if Jesus would plead guilty or not. This was question to determine whether or not Jesus constituted a political threat to Roman imperial power. In all four gospels this is the first question he asked and all four gospels Pilate asks Jesus using the pronoun “You” with force as to say, “You of all people is the King of the Jews? From Pilate’s perspective Jesus didn’t look a king or someone who could teardown the Roman Empire. From Pilates perspective he is thinking, “Where are your followers, where is your army? But Jesus doesn’t answer his question the way he wanted, because Jesus interrogates Pilate for this line of question. (v34) This question was to clarify to the reasoning behind Pilate’s question. If Pilate was saying this on his own accord, and from a strictly political position, Jesus’ answer would be, “No” Jesus was not some military king trying win the people’s war. Back in chapter six we saw that already. “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” John 6:14-15

 

But in the same breath Jesus could not deny that as the

Messiah He was also Israel’s True King. Pilate didn’t like this questioning so he reveals his frustration and disdain for the Jews in his rhetorical question towards Jesus, “Am I a Jew?” I am only doing this on behalf your own people Jesus, and it’s the chief priests who have delivered you to me, seeking to end your life. I am only asking the question based on the people’s accusations against You. “Are You the King of the Jews”, “What have done?” For the religious elites they handed Jesus over because of envy, and Pilate is frustrated with His none answer, but also, “Why are you here at all?” So Jesus answers, “I have not come to defeat you and your empire, I am King but this is not My kingdom, My kingdom is not of this world.” (v36) Jesus is not here to be King on earth, otherwise he would have an army of followers, to defend, and defeat His enemy.

 

And to be clear no earthly king would have allowed himself to

be captured so easily especially without a fight.

 

Jesus didn’t come to give peace on earth; but to come a save sinners from judgement and death. The Messianic kingdom does not originate from human effort, but through the Son of Man’s conquering of sin in the lives of those who belong to His spiritual kingdom. Christ’s spiritual kingdom is active in today’s world, and one day He will return to physically reign on the earth as King. “

 

But until that happens the His kingdom exists in

the heart of His people who are His/ the church.

 

So, Pilate asks, “So you are a king?” (v37a) And Jesus responds I have come to into this world to bare witness to the truth, because Jesus is “The Truth” This is referring to spiritual not political, He came to testify to God’s goodness and mercy over this world system who are waiting judgment, though they don’t see it. Christ came to proclaim the truth about God, men, sin, judgement, holiness, love, eternal life. Everything as Peter wrote, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,” 2 Peter 1:3 

Here is where the conversation makes a turn for the worst. Pilate demonstrates his true ignorance towards truth when we read at response he gives to Jesus “What is truth?” (v38) This statement is the tragedy of fallen man, and what a loaded and sad question for a man of power to ask. This question is a response of someone who had given up hope in finding truth in a world of skepticism. In his cynicism Pilate was like so many people today outside the church, and unfortunately inside the church as well.

 

Without God there cannot be any absolutes, without absolutes

there can be no objective, universal, normative truths.

 

Al Mohler wrote, that this is happening in the church today. “It is well and good for the preacher to base his sermon on the Bible, but he better get to something relevant pretty quickly, or we start mentally to check out.” That stunningly clear sentence reflects one of the most amazing, tragic, and lamentable characteristics of contemporary Christianity, an impatience with the Word of God. How can so many of today’s churches demonstrate what can only be described as an impatience with the Word of God? The biblical formula is clear, the neglect of the Word can only lead to disaster, disobedience, and death. God rescues his church from error, preserves his church in truth, and propels his church in witness only by his Word, not by congregational self-study. In the end, an impatience with the Word of God can be explained only by an impatience with God. We, both individually and congregationally neglect God’s Word to our own ruin.

 

As Jesus himself declared, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt 11:15

 

Like Pilate, and the world, the

Church isn’t any different?

Do you really care about what the Word of God really says or are you only interested in things that matter to you?

 

Truth is slayed in the streets, and people say truth is whatever you want it to be. In other words, what you personally believe is “True to you” and what I believe is “True to me”, even if the two truths are polar opposite What Pilate demonstrates is what a great majority of mankind live their lives by “Truth is no longer objective”

 

This means that in his day and our time period the culture becomes…… 

Subjective

Relative

Pragmatic

Objectivity which gives way to subjectivity

 

This means that, “Truth is dependent on individual or cultural perspectives, rather than existing independently. This perspective suggests that what one person considers true may not be true for another.” We see this in the book of Jeremiah, when fallen mankind had accomplished forsaking God. “Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” 

Jer 2:12-13

 

The covenant-people commit two great sins; they abandon the true God; they served idols instead. They abandoned the truth of God, and accepted the lies from Satan. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones spoke about this kind of thinking, “Anyone who seeks satisfaction from a worldview that is either like a cistern of stagnant water or a fountain of flowing, living water. What characterizes the cistern is the “way of living”? First, it is entirely human-made — all authority is subject to change depending on the shifting opinions of humanity. Second, all the effort for happiness is dependent upon oneself. They are expected to find what makes one happy and chase it with all they have. Third, this way of thinking is so limited because it reduces everything to rationality, even beautiful emotions such as love and joy that cannot be measured. This way of approaching life cannot satisfy—there is no hope.”

 

That has been most evident in the past couple of years when asking the question “What is a woman?” The culture at large says. “A woman is a social construct and depend on the persons feelings and mind at that time, a woman is someone/anyone who identifies as one.” The Cambridge Dictionary now defines "woman" as "an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth". But in reality, a woman is a “Adult female” anything other than that, you are demonstrating that truth is no longer objective.

 

• A woman is a member of the human species with XX chromosomes.
• A woman is made in God’s image, sent on God’s mission, for His glory.
• Every woman is a daughter of human parents.
• She is a potential mother and sister, even if because of the brokenness of this world she doesn’t ever bear biological children or have biological siblings.
• She carries this maternal and sisterly nature into all of her relationships.

 

And yet the world says what is truth, because in reality they hate what is true, because it means they are wrong, accountable, and they have to change their ways. The contrast to man’s empty religion, hopes and dreams is that Jesus offers a fountain of flowing, living water, designed to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul in Himself. In contrast to the cistern, this living water is rooted in God’s unchanging authority, providing a bedrock upon that which one can establish their life.

 

This living water has accomplished all the work because

no one could not earn it on their own.

 

Jesus’s offer of salvation accomplished through His death and resurrection to atone for the sins of all humanity is offered to the Christian. Take a deep drink from this living water and find eternal life, this life-giving water is standing before Pilate, being condemned as a vile sinner.. But in Pilate’s blindness to see or seek truth (v38) Pilate didn’t even wait for Jesus to reply to that arrogant statement. He went out and said, “I find no fault in this man” Pilate was a man who lost all hope in what is true.

Why is truth important as it relates to

Christ and the gospel?

One of the most widespread but unsound religious teachings of our day is that there are many roads that lead to God. One person said this “There are many religions in the world and there are many ways to God. Some call God by the name ‘Allah’ and others by the name ‘Jehovah’ and others by many other names, but there is only ONE GOD, regardless of how He is addressed. All religions have the same goal, namely, to get to God, and it doesn’t so much matter what a person believes, as long as he is sincere and believes he is doing right in his heart. Eventually we will all end up in the same place.”

So, if men or women are sincere, we are told, it does not matter which path they travel, in the end they will all reach the same destination. There is some truth to that, because in the end they will stand before Him. Paul wrote, “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:10-12. For the Believer we will kneel before Him in all His glory with thanksgiving in our hearts. But the unbeliever they will kneel before Him in absolute horror, as He cast them into the lake of Fire, cast hem to outer darkness because they said in their heart, “What is truth”

 

That is the Gospel truth? If so, the next time someone tells you that it doesn’t matter what you believe about religion as long as you are sincere ask them these questions..... Does it matter if a sincere pharmacist puts the wrong pills in a bottle? Does it matter if a surgeon sincerely believed he removed a kidney when in fact he removed the liver? Does it matter if a woman eats a poisonous mushroom, even though she thought it would be quite nourishing? Jesus couldn’t have said it any clearer, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

It’s only though Christ alone...the finishing work of the cross. Truth matters Pilate, truth matters mankind and truth matters to the church. May we never become so callous to biblical truth that the last words we say is “What is truth?”