August 26th, 2019

TITLE:  Truth, Lies and Fiction
DATE:  August 26, 2019
TEXT:  .John 18: 37b-38 – ESV - I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
Jesus always tells the truth.  
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That’s just one of many things that makes Jesus different than everybody else. Even when they’re trying to tell the truth, people are often guilty of conveying falsehoods that are born out of ignorance. Even so, you are still expected to accept what they say as being “the Gospel truth.”

As evidence, allow me to share some statements taken from official documents, newspapers and magazines that were widely read, and believed, during their day.

• In the year 1840, an expert said, "Anyone traveling at the speed of thirty miles per hour would surely suffocate."
• In 1842, the first bathtubs were denounced as a "luxurious and democratic vanity." (In 1843 Philadelphia made bathing illegal between November 1 and March 15.)
• In the year 1878, an editorial seriously commented "Electric lights are unworthy of serious attention."
• An expert in 1901 dryly observed, "No possible combination can be united into a practical machine by which men shall fly."
• It was a scientist who said, in 1926, "This foolish idea of shooting at the moon is basically impossible."
• Another scientist observed, in 1930, "To harness the energy locked up in matter is impossible."

In a world filled with lies, Pilate was quite right in asking his skeptical question, “What is truth.” He was quite wrong in assuming that, in this world filled with lies, it was impossible for anything resembling the Truth to exist. Which is most unfortunate, because on the most important day of his life, Pilate heard the Truth.

Pilate’s mistake is one that we must avoid.

It would be easy to follow in the footsteps of his skepticism,  Easy because we, too are surrounded by politicians with broken promises, by friends who are false, and contacts which can be broken. Like Pilate we can become great doubters.
Which is precisely why we need to listen to the Lord Jesus. His words are guaranteed by His life. And His promises are empowered by His precious blood.

When He says, “I am with you”, we know He is there. When He says, “Call upon Me”; we know that He will listen. When Jesus says, “Cast all your care upon Me”, we know He will carry those troubles. Most importantly, when Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”; we know it is so. Jesus, through His death upon the cross, by His resurrection on the third day, gives us God’s truth that we can cling to – every time, in every way.

When Jesus says to us, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me,” I know I’m glad to listen.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, let me see just how different You are. Let Your truth fill my heart with gratitude and trust. Send Your Spirit so the world may see “What is truth.” In Your Name. Amen.
 
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html