day 31: pilate

Day 31: Pilate

Scripture Reading: John 18:28-38

In John 18:28–38, we see Pontius Pilate standing before Jesus Christ—a moment that is both spiritual and personal. Pilate is a man of power, authority, and influence, yet in this encounter, he is unsettled. He asks the question that echoes through every generation: “What is truth?” But this is not merely a philosophical question. It is a spiritual one. Pilate is not far from the truth. He is standing right in front of it. He sees Jesus, speaks with Him, and even senses that there is no guilt in Him. And yet, he does not move toward surrender. Instead, he remains distant, cautious, and ultimately undecided. Pilate reminds us that it is possible to be close to Jesus, to examine Him, to even admire Him and still not fully commit to Him. How often do we find ourselves in a similar place? We live in a world where truth is treated as relative, negotiable, or even unknowable. unknowable. Like Pilate, we may ask the right questions, but hesitate to embrace the answer. We may acknowledge Christ with our minds, but resist Him with our lives. There can be a quiet tension within us between what we know is true and what feels safe or convenient.

Pilate’s struggle was not just intellectual, it was spiritual. He feared the consequences of standing fully with Jesus. And that same struggle can live in us. To follow Christ fully means surrender, obedience, and sometimes cost. It means allowing His truth to shape not only what we believe, but how we live. Yet here is the grace of this passage: Even when Pilate fails to recognize the fullness of truth, Jesus remains steady, clear, and unshaken. Truth is not fragile; it does not depend on our acceptance to remain true. The question is not whether truth stands, but whether we will stand in it.

So today, the invitation is simple but profound: Will we remain like Pilate—questioning, observing, but holding back? Or will we recognize in Jesus the Truth—and yield our lives to Him? Because in the end, truth is not just something to be debated. It is Someone to be followed.

Prayer:

Jesus, I acknowledge you as king of both the seen and unseen worlds. Help me to move through your kingdom with the heart and character of your holy ambassadors, representing you faithfully to those looking from the outside.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Won Kim

Lead Pastor of RockSpring Church