Of all the scenes in the Passion narrative, this moment gripped me for a most modern reason —Jesus bound and standing before Pontius Pilate. The drama isn’t in the chaos around them, but in the eye contact between two men: one calm and composed, the other conflicted and searching. Between them lingers Pilate’s question, “What is truth?”

That question still echoes through history. In John 18, Jesus speaks of truth and a kingdom not of this world, while Pilate responds with a line that reflects the confusion of every age. I painted this moment to capture that quiet intensity—the collision of earthly authority and divine certainty, of worldly power and eternal truth.

In this scene, Jesus gazes steadily at Pilate, while Pilate wrestles with doubt, knowing he’s facing innocence but feeling trapped by politics and fear. I wanted viewers to feel as if they’re watching this unfold in real time—invited to step into the silence, confront the question, and encounter the answer in the person of Christ: “I am the Truth.”