“For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” John 18: 37-38.
What is truth? In the age of relativism, this question seems more poignant than ever. This chapter began Jesus’s march to the Cross. He was betrayed, and willingly accepted his arrest with no struggle. He was falsely accused and beaten by his captors. At the end of the chapter, Jesus is brought before the Roman Governor Pilate, who found “no guilt in him,” but yet appeased the Jewish rulers by allowing Jesus’s crucifixion.
Throughout the false trial, Jesus remained calm. He seemed to understand what was transpiring, and he demonstrated no fear. He asked Peter, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” On the contrary, Peter demonstrated a lot of fear. In the face of injustice, Peter denied he knew Jesus three times. When it looked like he might be in harm's way because of his participation in the Jesus movement, Peter wanted to preserve his own life by denying his association with Jesus.
It is amazing how quickly fear can wipe away even the strongest bonds of friendship! In this chapter, we see the serenity and love of Jesus juxtaposed to the fear and lies of Peter. We see the self-sacrificing light of Jesus against the self-preserving darkness of Peter. This chapter is a beautiful metaphor of the little choices that we must all make each day. Do I choose truth and stand for love? Or do I choose fear and grasp for what feels like security in the moment? Jesus reminds us, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
Early 20th Century philosopher James Allen titled the last chapter “Serenity,” in his book As a Man Thinketh (1902). He wrote, “That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold--yea, even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison to a serene life-- a Life that dwells in the ocean of Truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of the tempests, in the Eternal Calm!”
At the beginning of this Via Dolorosa, or Way of the Cross, Jesus shows us how a deep unity with God the Father fills him with the knowledge of all Truth. His connection to Love itself fills him with extreme serenity. Peter does not have that intimate knowledge of Truth nor the deep connection to Love at this point in Jesus’s story. Consequently, he is overcome with fear. We can learn from Peter’s mistake, and pray to be filled with Love. We can pray to experience the Divine unity with God’s love that Jesus modeled. Then, we can also experience the serenity that Jesus demonstrated when life’s trials come our way.