Exposition of John, Chapter 18 · Verse 19 – Verse 20
Ver. 37. Pilate therefore ſaid unto him, Art thou a King then? Jeſus anſwered, Thou ſayeſt that I am a King. To this end was I borne, and for this cauſe came I into the world, that I ſhould bear witneſſe unto the truth: every one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce.
In the third diſcourſe, Pilate, gathering from what Chriſt had ſaid of his Kingdome, that he held himſelfe to be a King, deſires a clear confeſſion thereof; and Chriſt giveth him that good confeſſion mentioned, 1 Tim 6.13. Adding, 1. That he came into the world to bear witneſſe unto the truth, where, without diſtinguiſhing curiouſly betwixt his being born, as being ſpoken in relation to his perſon, or humane nature ſubſiſting in it, and his coming into the world, in relation to his office; (ſeeing both may be looked on, as one and the ſame) we may look upon this, either generally, that his office at this time was, in part, to preach truth and avow it, and to prove himſelfe a King, by making it ſucceſſeful, and to confirme it by his ſuffering; O…, more particularly, that he came into the world, to beat witneſſe to this truth, that he was a King, and ſo to publiſh that decree, Pſal. 2.6, 7. and avow it to the death. 2. He addeth, that every one that is of the truth heareth his voyce; whereby he prevents an objection that might be moved againſt the truth of his doctrine and witneſſe, as being ſo ill entertained; and cleareth, that, however few do receive it, either his doctrine in general, or this in particular, that he is a King: Yet, this doth not make void the truth thereof, ſeeing all who are of the truth, or borne of God, and begotten by the Word of truth, and who love the truth, and do not delight in lyes, will hear him, and embrace his doctrine and teſtimony. Doct. 1. Sufferers may expect they will have to do with politick and quick ſighted men, who will ſift all their diſcourſes, and draw out their minde concerning theſe things wherein they think they may have moſt advantage of them; for, ſo doth Pilate, upon Chriſts former diſcourſe, urge him to ſpeak it out, Art thou a King then? Yet not ſo much (as appears from the ſequel, in that he troubled him not for it) becauſe of any fear he had of his Kingdome, as to try if he would adhere to ſuch a ridiculous-like profeſſion, which in his judgement might expoſe him to mockery and contempt. 2. Truth ought to be ſtoutly maintained and avowed, when we are called to it, how abſurd ſo ever it ſeem to be in it ſelfe, and how unpleaſant ſo ever it ſeem to be unto men; for, ſo doth Chriſt here anſwer, Thou ſayeſt that I am a King, or, it is ſo, as thou ſayeſt, and thou tightly gathereſt it from my words. A ſtout confeſſion, as to the matter of it, and yet modeſt, as to the manner, in that he doth it not vauntingly, but ſimply, thou ſayeſt it, and after cleareth that he did it out of conſcience and duty; to ſhew that courage and modeſty muſt go together in owning of truth. 3. Chriſt is indeed King of his Church; And where he gathereth his Church, there he ſets up his Kingdome, wherein his laws are to be obeyed and acknowledged by his ſubjects, and which he will protect and defend, in deſpite of all his enemies; for, this truth is clearly held out here, for the Churches comfort, thou ſayeſt that I am a King. 4. By perſecution the Lord giveth occaſion to his ſervants to publiſh truth, and make it known to the greateſt of men, who poſſibly otherwiſe would never hear ſo much of it, as is then ſpoken in their own audience; for, by Chriſts ſuffering, Pilate cometh to hear his doctrine, and that concerning his Kingdome. And beſide this alſo, their very ſufferings invite men to enquire after their doctrine for which they ſuffer; which probably otherwiſe they had not taken notice of, Phil. 1.12, 13. 5. Every man is ſent into the world, and employed by God, for ſome end and ſervice, which they ſhould much minde, and labour to be faithful in their employment and truſt, upon all hazards; Therefore doth Chriſt, as man and Mediatour, look to the end for which he was born, and the cauſe for which he came into the world; which being to bear witneſſe unto the truth, therefore he will here avow it on all hazards, even before Pilate. 6. As it is the eminent imployment put upon all profeſſours of Religion, that they bear witneſſe to the truth, or give a teſtimony to the worth thereof; Partly, by their open avowing of it and ſuffering for it, when they are called to it in times of hazard; and partly, in their ordinary carriage, by publiſhing truth in their ſtations, by ſubjecting their walking, thoughts, and reaſonings to it, and by magnifying the truth thereof, in oppoſition to their tentations and diſcouragements, which when men neglect, they will never prove ſtout in ſuffering for it; And particularly, they are bound to bear witneſſe unto the Kingdome of Chriſt: So Chriſt himſelfe is the great Captain of theſe witneſſes; He is the great preacher of truth, whoſe powerful Scepter, as a King, is the Word of truth; who ſtands for the maintenance of truth, and particularly this truth, that he is a King over his own Church, to order the affairs thereof; and, who did ſeal this, and the whole truths of God, by his blood: for, he declareth this to be one of his great ends and works in the world, to bear witneſſe unto the truth, as a pattern to all others in their ſtations, and an encouragement to all who follow his pattern, that they have ſuch a Champion of truth, who yet doth maintain it, though he come no more into the world in perſon, nor ſuffer any more. 7. Albeit the moſt part of the world do little regard Chriſts doctrine, yet it is the very truth, and all the lovers and friends of truth will own it, and who ſo do otherwiſe, they bewray their own eſtrangement from truth, and are indeed delighters in lyes; for, every one that is of the truth, heareth my voyce.
Verſe 38. Pilate ſaith unto him, What is truth? And when he had ſaid this, he went out again unto the Jewes, and ſaith unto them, I finde in him no fault at all.
In the laſt branch of this part of the chapter is recorded Pilates carriage and dealing with Chriſts accuſers, after his examination of him, and that in two particulars: The firſt whereof is, that Pilate abruptly breaking off the Conference with Chriſt, diſdainfully enquiring what truth is, he goeth forth to the Jews, and abſolveth Chriſt, declaring that he judged him innocent. Whence learn, 1. Chriſt and his followers may ſeem oft-times great fooles in their ſufferings, as ſuffering for things of no moment in the eſteem of men, who (as the Lord oft-times draweth the controverſie for which the godly ſuffer, to a very ſmall haire and point of truth; ſo they account it great folly for men to ſuffer for any divine truth; for, ſo much doth Pilates queſtion, What is truth? import. He propounds it, not ſo much for ſatisfaction, ſeeing he went out not waiting for an anſwer, as teſtifying that he looked on truth, and particularly, that which Chriſt now avowed, as a very trivial thing for him to hazard ſo much upon. 2. Mens own wit and knowledge is ſo great an idol to them, that they can hardly endure to be reputed ignorant, or to eſteem of any truth as excellent, wherewith they are not acquainted; for, this alſo occaſioned Pilates diſdainful queſtion, to which he will not ſtay for an anſwer. He could not endure to heare that truth commended, the knowledge whereof (as he might gather from Chriſts laſt words) was wanting in him, and the Romanes, who were reputed ſo wiſe a people. 3. Chriſt was cleared, even by his enemies and perſecutors, to be innocent in his own perſon, that beleevers may be confirmed in the faith of his ſuffering for them, and his ſtanding in their room, and of his fitneſſe for that work, being a ſpotleſſe ſacrifice; Therefore, it is recorded, that he went out again to the Jewes, (who would not enter to him, v. 29.) and ſaith unto them, I finde in him no fault at all. 4. Mens paſſions, and particular prejudices and reſentments againſt perſons, ought not to blind their judgements, nor byaſſe them in cognoſcing upon cauſes; for, this is commendable in Pilate, that though he had been ſomewhat commoved, v. 35. and not much taken with what Chriſt ſaid of truth, yet when he cometh out, he ſaith, I finde in him no fault at all. 5. The Lord can make uſe, not only of mens natural conſcience, but, even of their Atheiſtical diſpoſition and contempt of truth and Religion, to bring about the good of ſufferers, when he pleaſeth, in the vindication of their innocency; Whereby he teacheth them to eye him much, who can make what uſe he pleaſeth of every thing; for, it was Pilates contempt of what Chriſt preached of his Kingdome and truth, in the beginning of the verſe which concurreth with his natural conſcience, to make him think nothing of the accuſation, and abſolve him. So alſo was Paul releaſed, Acts 18.12.16.