TITLE:  KNOWING THE TRUTH SETS US FREE

TITLE:  KNOWING THE TRUTH SETS US FREE

SCRIPTURE:

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” 35“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  38“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.  39But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”  40They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.”

John 18:33-40 NIV

OBSERVATION:

         Pilate struggled with the truth.  We all struggle with the truth.  Pilate knew who Jesus was, but ignored the truth because of the fear of the crowd.  Pilate summoned Jesus and asked him, Are you the king of the Jews?  Jesus, countered him and said, Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?  Am I a Jew?  Pilate fired back.  Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me.  What is it that you have done? 

         We will ultimately have to know what the truth is.  Jesus said in another gospel that you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.  The Jews were offended by the truth that Jesus have spoken to them about.  They took offense at Jesus declaring that he and the Father were the same.  The Jews could not accept the fact that Jesus said predicted his own death and resurrection. 

         Jesus came and was born into this world to testify to the truth.  There are many times when we will be confronted with truth.  Everyone shifts and change and try to  wiggle their way out when confronted with truth. 

         Jesus said, when we are on the side of truth, we will be the most freer of all  people.  Truth does not need to be defended, but it needs declared whether people like it or not.  Truth is being trembled on the street today.  No one is concerned about truth because it exposed lies and it does not compromises. 

         Jesus said, we should all know the truth and it will sets us free.  Jesus also reminded me that he is the Way, the Truth, and Life.  To know Christ is to know truth, to know truth is to know Christ and thus gives us freedom from lies and untruthfulness. 

APPLICATION:

         I will continue to press in to know the truth.  Unless I know the truth, I would continue to have problems with what is right.  The foundation of righteousness is to walk in the truth.  I know I struggle with truth and sometimes I compromise and lie to myself of what is truth.  I will continue to press in on Jesus so I may know him the one and only truth. 

PRAYER:

         Father, help me to walk in truth always.  I know that there are times when I ignored your truth because I of the fear of people.  Please help me to be a child that does not ignore your truth but to declared it faithfully and to live it in obedience to the best of my ability.  I look to you daily and to be led and guided by your truth.  In your name Jesus, Amen!