Arrest & Trial

John 18:1-40

This says arrest and trial...not in our western understanding of a trial. And not even in the Old Testament sense of a trial. Jesus says you have heard me speak, ask those who have heard what I said to testify...but no, they don't do that. In fact they don't charge him with anything they can prove, and don't even try. Why do the people ask for a robber instead of Jesus? Pilate gives them that option. Why is it preferable to have a robber on the loose rather than this preacher, this man in whom no fault is found? What is that about?

Our Gospeler today does a good job of telling us all the points where Jesus had spoken about what would happen, and in fact what the prophets had said about this, so that is helpful for us as we follow this narrative. We hear Peter claim not to be with him, and yet stay because he couldn't leave without knowing the outcome. How hard it would be to stand and wait. This narrative tells us that another disciple went in with Jesus, and I can't believe it was any easier to do that.

Jesus doesn't answer these questions directly, he asks questions of the questioner, and perhaps we see that the answers, had they been different could have made a difference to them-as well as to Jesus.

In the end Pilate asks what is truth? This equivocation sounds very familiar to us today. When accused of a crime, we ask others to define their question or answer in such a narrow way so as not to lie, but not tell the truth either. Jesus, on the other hand says he was born for this; to bear witness to the truth. After the readings we have been doing we can see that this truth that he speaks of is the Lord's truth. That which has been from the beginning and still is today. His life bore witness and through the writings of the Gospelers it still does for us now.

For us today, what will we do with this truth? Will we deny the Son of God, and ignore the Lord's teaching? Or will we walk with Jesus, unnamed into the headquarters of those who would question us as to what is truth?

I pray that I can go with Jesus where he goes. Boldly or unnamed, but go none the less.

See you tomorrow.
-maggie