The Voice of Truth—July 6 Bible Reading Plan

The Voice of Truth

There’s a voice of truth that rings loud and clear—do you hear it? And there are also other voices seeking to subdue us. We are influenced by the world from the day we are born, steeped in deception. If there is no objective truth, how can we determine what is right? It is hard to find the truth especially in a world that is so subjective. What voices win out in your life, friends? What pressure pushes you to disobey God’s will? Will the voice of truth win? The truth is convicting. We cannot accept it and be the same. And we cannot choose both a lie and truth—we have to choose. When we accept Christ, we accept the truth.

The Voice of Truth Cannot be Extinguished with a Lie

We are finishing the book of Luke today, Luke 23-24. Christ is being accused before Pilate. They are accusing Christ of lying while they are lying about His character.

The Easy English Bible Commentary says:

“The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of three serious crimes. He tried to cause the people to act against the Romans. Then he told the people not to pay taxes to the emperor. And he said that he was Christ the king. The first two of these were clearly false. And Jesus did not say to the leaders that he was a king.”

Peer Pressure Cannot Kill the Voice of Truth

Reading from Luke 23:1-3, “Then their whole assembly rose up and brought him before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 4 Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds for charging this man.” 5 But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he started even to here.”

• They reportedly found Jesus misleading people and stirring them up.
• Luke reveals the lies they shared about Jesus supposedly lying but
• Reading this same story in the book of John, we see an emphasis on truth:

What is Truth?

John 18:37-38 tells a different account of this, with more details: “Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” 38 What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.”

The Voice of Truth is Convicting

We are influenced by the world from the day we are born, steeped in deception. It is hard to find the truth especially in a world that is so subjective. If there is no objective truth, how can we determine what is right?

Pilate knew Christ was innocent and when he discovered that Jesus had started in Galilee, he sent Jesus to Herod, since Galilee was a part of his jurisdiction. Herod also found no basis for crucifixion and sent Jesus back to Pilate Picking up from Luke 23:13-23:

Loud Voices Cannot Silence the Voice of Truth

“13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who misleads the people. But in fact, after examining him in your presence, I have found no grounds to charge this man with those things you accuse him of. 15 Neither has Herod, because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will have him whipped[e] and then release him.”

18 Then they all cried out together, “Take this man away! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him.”

23 But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified, and their voices won out. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand 25 and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.”

• What voices win out in your life, friends?
• Will pressure pushes you to disobey God’s will?
• Or will the truth win out in our lives?

Which Jesus Do You Choose?

I had written a blog post in 2014 about something I had discovered in this passage. Every year I read this story, but this is the first time that I recognized Barabbas was named Jesus Barabbas. Upon researching his name, “Barabbas”, it literally means, “Son of the father”.

“Barabbas‘ name appears as bar-Abbas in the Greek texts of the gospels. It is derived ultimately from the Aramaic בר-אבא, Bar-abbâ, “son of the father”. Some ancient manuscripts of Matthew 27:16–17 have the full name of Barabbas as “Jesus Barabbas” and this was probably the name as originally written in the text.” (multiple sources – Hermeneutics Stack exchange, Britannica, etc.)

Two men with identical names but completely different natures. Both of them were named “son of the father”. One Jesus was the Holy son of God while the other Jesus Barabbas was a criminal – a thief and a murderer.

The people were given a choice – which Jesus would they choose?

A Counterfeit Jesus Cannot Save—But God.

They chose the counterfeit Jesus. The one who was a sinner just like them who did not make them uncomfortable in their sins. They did not choose the unpopular Jesus – the only Jesus that could truly set THEM free.

By setting the sinner free, they were enslaving themselves, and blind to the consequences of their choice. But God. Even though they did not choose Jesus Christ as their Savior, His death would set sinners free still.

I wonder if the irony was seen by any of them at the time. When they said, “let His blood be upon us and our children”, indeed it is only Jesus’ blood which could cover them. They thought they could handle the judgment and responsibility for crucifying God.

But they did not know that they were the very tool used by God to shed His innocent blood, which would indeed set all people free.

Pilate was given a choice.  He claimed innocence, but did he choose Jesus?  Knowledge of Him is not enough. People in the time of Christ were given a choice, too.  So are we.  False Christs abound today. They might not be clothed in garb that is easily recognizable, but comforts and idols abound, which are often chosen over the One true Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ suffered as a criminal for us all.  What will be our choice?  To be identified with Him, to know of Him, or to deny Him? We do not have to have lived at that time of Jesus to make that choice. He is alive and drawing us near to Himself.  He fulfilled the righteous demands of God’s law and suffered cruelly in our place. And He died for you and I, friend.  That is the Savior I choose.

Scripture of the Day: Luke 24:44-48

44 “Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.”

Application

• God can open our mind to understand His word. We just have to ask.
• But when we understand, we will have to choose.
• What voices win out in your life, friends?
• What pressure pushes you to disobey God’s will?
• Will the truth win out in our lives?
• The truth is convicting. We cannot accept it and be the same.
• We cannot choose both a lie and truth and we will have to choose.
• When we accept Christ, we accept the truth.
• We are influenced by the world from the day we are born, steeped in deception. It is hard to find the truth especially in a world that is so subjective.
• If there is no objective truth, how can we determine what is right?

Listen to this song, “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y 

7-Fold One-Year Bible Reading Plan

Day #188: Luke 23-24

Scripture of the Day: Luke 24:44-48

Listen: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Luke.23

Join me live at 8am ET: www.facebook.com/deniseduboispass

Bible Reading Plan: https://denisepass.com/bible-reading-plan/

#SeeingDeep #BibleInAYear

Scripture of the Day: