Jno. 18:37 ... "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to
the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears My voice."
After observing the Passover Feast with His disciples in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem, Jesus took them eastward out of the city, crossed the Cedron Brook, and made His way up the slopes of Mt. Olivet to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to pray. But Judas Iscariot, who for thirty pieces of silver sold his allegiance to Jesus to His enemies, knew the spot since Jesus had often gone there with His apostles to pray when He was in Jerusalem. Making himself the most infamous traitor of all time, Judas led the Jewish authorities right to this garden, and they immediately arrested Jesus. They took Him first to the house of Annas, father-in-law to Caiphas, the high priest, in order to interrogate Him and fix charges against Him that would stand up before the Roman governor. Later, they took Him to Caiphas' house to continue this farce of a "trial." It was at this place that Peter denied Jesus the third time, just before the cock crowed, thus fulfilling Jesus' prophecy. As morning broke, the Jews took Jesus to the Judgment Hall of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. For they had determined that this Man of Galilee must die, and only this Roman governor had the legal authority to administer capital punishment.
The statement of Jesus quoted above was made during His appearance before this pagan official. From secular history we learn that Pilate knew little about the Jewish religion and cared less. In fact, he despised the Jews, especially their rulers, and welcomed every opportunity to act harshly against them. The mere fact that they brought Jesus before him probably made him at once sympathetic toward Jesus. But the only interest he expressed was whether this prisoner constituted a threat to Roman security. His first question was, "Are You the king of the Jews?" Jesus confessed that He was indeed a king, but that His kingdom was spiritual rather than political and that His disciples would not fight. Pilate then saw no problem with Him, and returning Him to the Jews waiting outside, he announced, "I find no guilt in Him." (The Jews had not entered Pilate's house, lest being in a Gentile structure they would "defile" themselves and be unfit to observe the Passover.)
It was when the governor asked Him if He were king of the Jews that Jesus replied, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world." God had sent Him to lay the foundation of a kingdom that would be established just fifty days from that very day. It would be an eternal kingdom, the very Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus was already its King before it began. This kingdom and all that pertains to it -- its government, law, territory and destiny -- were matters of truth beyond human ability to discover. It was Jesus' mission, besides being King, to reveal these great truths to mankind. His work of witnessing to the truth was so vital and unique that He personally equated Himself with it. In Jno. 14:6 He declared that "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Jesus is the sole access to the truth of God's will for man; and this, in the final analysis, is the only truth with value and meaning. Jesus said, "Every one who is of the truth hears My voice." He meant that those who seek truth will open their ears and their minds to His instruction. There are two dimensions of truth: the truth about the structure and operation of the physical universe, and the truth about the spiritual world. It is pathetic that people seek the former truth and deny the latter, decrying its meaning and value. They spend fortunes to implant worldly truth in their minds, and with contempt turn away from the spiritual truth that will endure forever after worldly truth has become meaningless. The knowledge and understanding of the structure and operation of the physical universe is beneficial only while one lives in the material realm. The truth Jesus reveals will benefit us, not only in this present life, but in the spiritual realm when we have passed beyond the door of death.
