Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 18:38-40 “And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, ‘I find no guilt in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?’ So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber.”
John left out some significant events at this point. He didn’t event mention Herod. Luke recorded this in Luke 23:4-7. “Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no guilt in this man.’ But they kept on insisting, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.’ When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.” I hope you’ll go to Luke 22 and read the rest of the story because there’s quite an exchange between Pilate and the Jews after they and Jesus returned from Herod’s interrogation. Jesus didn’t answer any of Herod’s questions, yet Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate saying he could find nothing worthy of death. We don’t see in John’s account how much Pilate had reversed course and tried to do everything he could to release Jesus. He even suggested that he would punish Him before releasing Him.
But it came to Pilate’s mind that he customarily released someone from prison as an act of goodwill toward the Jews. So he made one last appeal. “Don’t you want me to release your king to you—Jesus, the king of the Jews?” Do you find this as unbelievable as I do? Blinded by hatred, the Jewish officials bid Pilate to kill Jesus and release Barabbas, a known thief. Luke wrote that Pilate “wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again.” It’s a this point that the Jews chanted out, “Crucify, crucify Him!” Pilate made a third appeal which was drowned out by the crowd’s insistence that Jesus be killed.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the mount, said that if someone is angry with his brother, he is guilty of murder before the court (5:22). We can certainly see that truth evidenced in the Jews. They hated Jesus and are so blinded by it, that they can’t see what they are doing. Rejecting their king for a thief.
When we think of love’s antithesis, we usually think of hatred. May God free us from even the smallest vestige of hate in our hearts. The way to get free from hatred is to live to love with Jesus. If your goal is to love others in the power of the Holy Spirit, there is no room for hatred. Holy Spirit, please purify our hearts for a sincere love of the brethren so we can love them fervently from the heart as Peter admonishes us in 1 Peter 1:22.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:38 “Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’”
What is truth? Jesus told Pilate that He came to testify to the truth, namely, that He is a king of a kingdom that is not of this world. It’s a kingdom that Pilate couldn’t see, but it exists nevertheless. We popular progressive view of truth today is that it is something inside of a person. It’s how they feel or think about themselves and the world around them. It’s not fact related nor does it have to be proven. There’s a truth for you and a truth for me. Your truth, my truth, anyone’s truth. However, for centuries, truth was something outside of our individual selves. It was something to be discovered so we could align ourselves with it.
In light of the Scriptures and the revelation of Christ, I would propose that Truth, with a capital T is whatever God sees, says, and does from and in eternity. If He sees it, then it is the truth. If He says it, it is the truth. If He does it or establishes it, it is the truth. If He didn’t see it, say it, or do it, then it is a lie.
With that in mind, consider this. God is love. Therefore, love is the truth. Everything God sees, says, and does is motivated by His love. The apostle John echoed this reality when he wrote in 3 John 3-4 “For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” If we are of the truth, then we will live to love with Jesus. As we do so, we are testifying to the world that Jesus is our king and we are of His kingdom.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:37 “Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’”
I’m trying to imagine the impact Jesus had on Pilate. I’m sure he had never spoken with anyone who said the things Jesus said about Himself. Pilate had no reference point for Jesus. For that matter, how does anyone who is of this world and thinks life consists only of what we can see, touch, and hear in this world understand the eternal things of God? They can’t. So perhaps we can sympathize with Pilate a little as we read their exchange. Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone talk about the reason they came into this world? I doubt it.
Jesus told him that He came to testify to the truth and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice. We’ll talk tomorrow about what truth Jesus was speaking of. But for now, let’s focus on the amazing statement that those who hear His voice are “of” the truth. This isn’t the first time Jesus had said this. John recorded Jesus saying these things in John 10:16 and 27. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” and vs. 27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Obviously Pilate was not “hearing His voice.” Have you? If so, you are of the truth and of His kingdom. He is your king, and He knows you. He was born to testify to this great truth: namely, that God has an eternal kingdom and Jesus knew the servants of His kingdom before the world was. The Father gave them to Him. He was born and lived in this earthly domain, to testify to that great truth. The evidence of that truth is that His servants hear His voice, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34 and 14:1) and they follow Him. If you’ve heard His voice, live to love with Jesus today.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:35-36 “Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’"
Basically, Pilate seems frustrated with Jesus—and the Jews. Remember, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. If we could look into his heart, we might find him looking for a reason not to condemn Jesus. Pilate’s remarks essentially confirm this. He was saying, “I’m not a Jew, so this has nothing to do with me. I didn’t start this.”
His question, “What have you done? What have you done to threaten your people and their leaders that makes you a threat to Rome?”
Jesus’ answer removes the false claim that Jesus was killed because He spoke truth to power. Jesus’ answer should have brought a sigh of relief to Pilate. Jesus is a king, but not a king of the earthly realm. Certainly this was as puzzling to Pilate as Jesus’ words were to Nicodemus when He told him about being born again. It is clear from the text that Pilate is still in the kingdom of darkness.
Perhaps this gives us a small insight into Peter’s attack on Malchus. At that point in time, Peter did think Jesus’ kingdom was of this world. Perhaps he fought so Jesus wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But this verse makes it clear that we who follow Jesus have been transferred out of the kingdom of this world into another kingdom, the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians that God “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). In Him, our beloved king, we have eternal life.
Love is the manifested evidence that we are in Jesus’ kingdom. In a sense, love is our kingdom ID. John wrote in his first epistle in 3:14 that those who love have passed from death to life. May we display everyday that we are not of this worldly kingdom, but servants of Christ our king.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 18:34 “Jesus answered, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?’"
First, notice how love pushes for the highest good. The highest good in this instance for Pilate was to ask himself, “Is it possible that this man really is the a king? And if he is, what kingdom is he the king of?” Jesus answered Pilate’s question with a question that revealed Pilate’s heart and motives. Second, notice also that Jesus isn’t telling Pilate something he’s not ready to hear. Third, notice also that Jesus was reminding him, kindly, that the law requires witnesses. “Did others tell you about Me?"
We can learn from this exchange how to answer an opponent or antagonist. It is better to answer questions of accusation with a question that helps them sort out why they are doing what they are doing. Jesus was keeping the burden of proof on Pilate and the Jews. When we know we are of the truth, the burden of proof rests on the accuser. Like Jesus, we should rest peacefully in the truth. If we live to love with Jesus we will always be walking and standing in the truth, for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
For more encouragement to live to love with Jesus I invite you to visit www.livetolovewithjesus.com.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com