Surely they know what I said

 John 18:28-40

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.

If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 

So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

Jesus 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.” 

“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. But 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’?”

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

Why?

Here we see those priests follow the ceremonial clean, but discarded the truth and the real God, God loves his people, but they denied Jesus, they didn’t know what they are doing.

Same as us, we sometimes though we are doing the right thing, obeying the word of the Lord, but we forget the love and the truth. We see what we like to see, and are proud of what we have done.

Be conscious and be humble before the Lord, without Jesus we can do nothing. Always ask the Lord and empty me. Nothing is more important than honoring the Lord and listening to the word of the Lord.

------------

猶太人進衙門，自己卻不進去，怕進入外邦人衙門，因為怕不潔淨，不能過逾越節。只憑一句話，不願意作證、深怕禮儀上的不潔淨。

彼拉多知道猶太人的想法，為了宗教事務，為自己的特權，因此不想被利用。猶太人想用公義的法庭殺掉耶穌，因為只有法庭可以殺人。國與國之間也是一樣以假理由發動戰爭，世人利用法庭來害人！

控方提不出證據，法官也不知道犯人做什麼事！我的國不是這個世界，我不是來爭奪政權的。耶穌所謂的王是為真理做見證。所有相信真理的人就是耶穌的臣僕。

隨口問真理是什麼?彼拉多沒有聽耶穌說，就離開了，想趕快結案。人只為自己審判別人，但是不是為了真理，只為自己的利益。人常常為了明哲保身犧牲別人的自由、犧牲真理。只為自己，不為真像的審判。當否定一個人時，可以把一個人所有的瑣事拿來控告。把宗教上的事與政治牽扯上。耶穌沒有喊冤只要把事實說清楚。這個世界不問對錯，只管輸贏！不要對任何一個政權抱存夢想！世界與神的國衝撞，我們在乎的是什麼?

------------

How?

May the way of the Lord be my way and my truth.