Jesus - Witness to the Truth

by Whitney V. Myers

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John 18:37 - Image by Whitney V. Myers

Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?"  Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king.  For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  (John 18:37)  

This article is the fifth and final in the series, "About the Truth."
 

     Consider.  In today's scripture (John 18:37), Jesus was facing Pilate, the representative of the highest political authority on earth (Ref. 1).  Jesus courageously and nobly said to Pilate that he was born to be a king and came into the world - to bear witness to the truth.  Ellicott's Commentary says the natural interpretation (based on Greek verb tenses) is "To be king I have been born, and to be a king I have come into the world, in order that I may bear witness to the truth" (Ref. 2). 

Pilate asked Jesus, "So you are a king?" (John 18:37).  However, Jesus' kingdom was not a kingdom in the political sense that Pilate inferred  (Ref. 1, Ref. 3).  Jesus' kingdom was a kingdom in the spiritual sense (Ref. 4).  Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). 

     Jesus said he came to bear witness to the truth.  Let's look at the meaning of the words for bear witness and truth.  The English words bear witness are translated from the Greek verb martureó, which means bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report (Ref. 5).  The Greek noun for truth is alétheia, which means reality, the opposite of what is false or illusion (Ref. 6).  Jesus came into the world to show and tell mankind that God's truth is reality. 

Consider these statements where Jesus bears witness to God's truth.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6).

"If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

These statements, and the entirety of the Holy Bible are God's truth and are reality (Psalm 119:160, John 17:17).  Believe in Jesus.  Believe God's truth. 

     Jesus said, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  To whom is Jesus referring when he says "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice"? (John 18:37)  To be of the truth means to have root in it and to draw life from it (Ref. 7).  People who have root in Christ and who draw life from him hear his voice. 

In John 18:37, the Greek word for the verb hears is akouó (Ref. 8).  Akouó literally means to hear (listen); figuratively, to hear God's voice which prompts Him to birth faith within (HELPS Word-studies in Ref. 8).  Thayer's Greek Lexicon adds that hearing Jesus' voice prompts obedience (Ref. 8).  Those who are of the truth hear Jesus' words, have faith in him, and yield obedience to him. 

Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24).

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

     Apply.  Are you rooted in and drawing life from the truth of Christ? 
Are you yielding obedience to Christ? 

References
1.  https://biblehub.com/commentaries/jfb/john/18.htm
2.  https://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/john/18.htm
3.  https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/john/18.htm
4.  https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/john/18.htm
5.  https://biblehub.com/greek/3140.htm
6.  https://biblehub.com/greek/225.htm
7.  https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/john/18.htm
8.  https://biblehub.com/greek/191.htm