Show Notes
Mark lived in a world where people could only tell the truth because they had no concept of untruth — that is lies (They had no knowledge of Good and evil.) Mark is played by actor Ricky Gervais in his movie, The Invention of Lying. One day, Mark discovers that lying can assist in acquiring money, and thereby women who would otherwise not date him due to his genetic propensity to produce “little fat kids with snub noses.” When his mother dies, Mark invents a lie to make her feel better, someone overhears, and soon the whole world wants to know about “The Man in the Sky.”
Under pressure, Mark writes down 10 points on two pizza boxes that look a little like stone tablets. He tells the world: “There is a man in the sky who controls everything... When you die, you don’t disappear but go to a really great place... If you do bad things, you won’t get to go to this place... [but] a terrible place the worst place imaginable.” Of course everyone wants to know what constitutes “a bad thing,” so for two hours, Mark gives them his best shot at the “knowledge of good and evil.”
When asked, Mark reveals that it’s like baseball: You get three bad things, three strikes, and you’re out. “The man in the sky who controls everything decides if you go to the good place or bad place,” he says. When the people discover that he also causes natural disasters, they all want to kill the man in the sky. But Mark reveals that the man in the sky makes up for it (if you go to the good place) by giving you an eternity of good stuff after you die. They conclude that He’s “kind of a good guy” and “kind of a (something that can’t be posted online),” and so life is “kind of a test.” And Mark says, “Yes.”
In the movie, Mark invents religion, and it’s all a lie. It’s a hilarious comedy, and the truth is that people do invent all manner of “religion.” At the end of the film, he tells someone, “There is no man in the sky” — BUT: #1. How does Mark (or Ricky) know that there is no man in the sky? #2. If Mark (or Ricky) is suggesting that Jesus is our invention, who would invent a messiah that would tell us that we must all pick up a cross? (That’s not a test to see who does or doesn’t get in; that’s the revelation that all must be tested in order to get in.) #3 The “invention of lying” assumes the existence of Truth.
What is Truth?
If someone says to you, “There is no absolute truth,” just ask them, “Is that the truth... absolutely?” If it’s not absolutely true that there is no absolute truth, then there is absolute truth. Truth holds all things together. We assume truth every time we connect two thoughts or speak a word. And yet we cannot prove truth, for with what would we prove it... The Truth?
John 18:38, Pilate looked at Jesus and asked, “What is Truth?” John 14:8, The night before, Jesus told his disciples, “I am... the Truth.” That’s not an argument; that’s a crisis (krisis in Greek, a “judgment”).
One stormy night, the captain of a ship looked into the dark night and saw a faint light in the distance, but approaching fast. Immediately, he sent a message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” Promptly a message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” The captain sent a second message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am the captain.” Soon a message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am seaman third class Jones.” Immediately the captain sent a third message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am a battleship.” Then the reply: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a lighthouse.”
God is Light. Jesus is the Light of the World. He is also the Rock . . . that “followed them.” Not even the most ardent atheist could make a movie about inventing religion without assuming the Truth and crashing into the Lighthouse.
What is Truth? John has been telling us all along and is now clarifying the answer in John 18.
John 18:13-14, “First they led him to Annas, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest
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John 18:38-40: “Pilate said to [Jesus], ‘What is truth?’ After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ‘I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ They cried out again, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a robber [lestes: a taker].”