A couple of years ago, I took the congregation here through a
series on the last week in the life of Jesus and as we got near
the very end it would be the day that Jesus was crucified on
Friday. I did talk about the idea of
pilate when Jesus was before him from the 19th Chapter of John.
What I want to do today though is I want to back up when Jesus
was taken to the praetorium two pilots Hall and the events that
transpired between verses 28. Eight and thirty eight as a text
though, I've chosen beginning in verse 35.
Pilate answered a mi Jus your own nation and chief priests
have delivered. You to me what have you done?
Jesus answered. My kingdom is not of this world.
If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight.
So then I should not be delivered to the Jews but now my
kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to him,
are you a king Vin? Jesus answered, you say, rightly
that I am a king for this cause I was born and for this cause I
have come into the world that I should bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth
hears, my voice pilate said to him, what is truth.
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and
said to them. I find no fault in him at all,
correct. Red and barring any mistakes
reads. Those passages of scripture that
we read, in the 18th chapter of the Gospel of John, Now
interestingly when John in the gospel uses the word, the Jews
or reference to the Jews, it's very important to understand
what he meant and divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit when
John wrote these things. So long ago, he was not talking
about the multiplicity of people with Jewish blood running
through their veins or even those that were proselytized or
converted to Judaism. He was talking about the
religious leaders. That opposed Jesus Christ.
And that's when he talks about when he says, when he talks
about Jews he's talking about those Jewish leaders.
Now bringing us to the point where he's taking the pilot in
the middle of the night. He was taken to Caiaphas and the
Sanhedrin. The next morning, he was taken
again to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.
Here's the question though. Why did you bring Jesus to
pilate? Why did the people bring Jesus
to pilate understand this though, in the Jew, in this
point, in time? In Jewish history, not only the
Jews, but all of Israel was under the thumb, or under the
oppression or under the governmental structure and
authority of Rome. In fact, at this time, there was
something that was ushered in and it was called from Latin Pax
Romana. And that literally means And
Roman peace and what that meant is Rome allowed those subjects
under it to have their own government, they could have
their own corks, you know, the juice can have that they can
have their own court system, their own legal system, but when
it came to executing somebody, the right of the sword, belonged
only to Rome and that was under the structure or under the idea
of keeping Roman peace, capital punishment had to be issued or
ushered in by row. Rome.
Now, if you go back a couple of chapters, remember Caiaphas is
very important. Kai fish said it's expedient,
that one man should die and a nation be spared.
Now, do you remember the events that happened right before he
said that Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
I put this in your mind. It doesn't say that Caiaphas
heard that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
In other words, like a rumor, it states is fact that Caiaphas
knew that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
Do you remember what the men said when they went to Caiaphas?
They said it's no problem. It'll all go away and Caiaphas
said, no, you don't know what you're saying.
It's good for one man to die and a nation to be spared.
And that that point Jesus Christ, the death of Jesus was
applauded. The religious trial was purely a
mockery to carry out that plot accusations and indictments.
There was nothing before Anna anise in the middle of the night
and it was really a joke in a plot to kill.
Jesus remembering the right of the sword belonged to roam.
The why does it matter why does it matter?
Well, first of all understand that a Jewish execution would
have been stoning, but in order for the Bible to be true, it had
to be a crucifixion and if it had to be a crucifixion, it had
to be authorized or it had to be given by Rome.
That's how Rome executed someone.
Now, let's just back up and let's talk about why All the way
back in the Old Testament and Numbers chapter 21.
You remember when the people were bitten by serpents or
snakes and they died and all of a sudden God gets their
attention through that very act. So, what are the people do?
The people? Go to Moses and they said, oh
pray to God that he takes away the snakes that he takes away
the Serpent's. You know, God doesn't take that
away. You know why?
Because the biting of the Serpent's represented sin, the
serpent represented sin, and God didn't take away that sin.
Without the means that he's going to talk about what God
told Moses to do is, I'm not going to take away the
Serpent's. What I'm going to do is this,
I'm going to tell you, you put a Brazen serpent up on a pole and
when the people were bitten, whoever would look up to that
pole, look up to that Brazen serpent.
It was a look of faith believing.
They would not die. They would live In John chapter
3 and verse 14, I believe it says Jesus says, As Moses in the
wilderness as people looked up in the wilderness, that's how
the son of man is going to be crucified.
He'll be lifted up it signified. The kind of death that Jesus
would die. In other words, it was a look of
faith, believing that took away sin in that regard, took away
the serpent in that regard. Now, you know it's interesting
too. I talked about the idea of a
Jewish execution being stoning. One of the things that they
accused Jesus of was blasphemy and the reason that they accused
him of blasphemy is because he said, I am the Son of God.
And by the way, the two things they hated about Jesus, what he
said on the Son of God, into the way handle the Sabbath, and they
hated him for it, especially those among the sect of the
Pharisees, but in Leviticus says that a man that was actually
guilty of blasphemy would be stoned to death.
Now, it can't be a Jewish state. Owning it has to be a
crucifixion. Now, what's interesting to me
is, is this law right here, pox, Romana, or Roman peace, and that
law began in ad 30. Jesus was crucified in ad 33.
Do you see the connection? Jesus starts his Earthly
Ministry in a T30 and for about three years until a t-33.
That's when Jesus was on this Earth and preaching as he went
about in his life. Three years.
The law changed in ad 30. So only Rome could execute
someone legally and he died in ad 33.
There's really no, I don't think that's by accident at all.
You might send a wait a minute, though.
Wait a minute, wait a minute. What about Steven?
remember when Stephen stood before his accusers and they
stoned him to death, So, what about Steven?
You know, a stone was a horrible thing.
What about Steven? That was different with regards
to Steven. That was a mob reaction.
It wasn't lawful they broke the law.
There were so angry, they broke the law, but it wasn't a legal
execution, a legal execution. Could only come from Rome, and
it began at a T30. That's the reason that they were
able to or they did Stone Steven.
Now, what's ironic here though? Is Jesus, as one scholar said,
was the Friend of Sinners and he was Shackled by the hate of
Sinners. And yet in this whole thing,
what dominates the scene is his innocence.
In fact, not once, not twice, but six times pilot said, I find
no fault in him. Innocent.
Completely innocent. You know, pilot doesn't want the
blood on his hands. He wants to say, I find no fault
in him. The three parts of the religious
trial were over. There was the trial before Annas
Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin in the night.
The next morning was the mock trial to try to legalize what
they had done illegally at night time and while it is early in
the morning, they brought Jesus to pilate for execution, do you
know why? They had to go to the Roman
court and the Roman Court began at Sunrise, and it ended its
Sunset. So early that morning at dawn,
here they come with Jesus. Now we go back to verse 28.
Then they LED Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium and
it was early morning but they themselves did not go into the
praetorium. Lest they should be defiled, but
that they might eat the Passover.
You know what's interesting here this is really A classic case of
hypocrisy. They don't want to go into the
Pretoria more the house of a gentile because they don't want
to be defiant. We can't be defiled.
You know why? Because we want to eat the
Passover. Look at the hypocrisy, though.
They take Jesus and they're willing to kill the one.
That was the Fulfillment of the Passover.
That was Jesus Christ. You know, there was many times
when Jesus dealt with aspects of their hypocrisy, we've talked
about hypocrisy in great detail over the years.
I'm just going to make this point.
Remember what Jesus said to them?
They were really good one time in Matthew chapter, 23, Jesus
points out. They were really good at even
making a tithe of even the kitchen spices 9, for me, one
for God 94. Me one forgot.
In other words, things that they could be seen for.
And Jesus says, what's your like, is this is what you're
like, you're like one who strains out a gnat and swallow a
camel. You know what's interesting
about this Annette was the smallest of unclean things.
A camel was the largest of unclean things.
And the Bible says about unclean things a clean animal or one
that they could eat. For example, would be one that
chewed its cud and had a cloven hoof.
Leviticus says that a camel, chews, its cud, but does not
have a cloven hoof. And the Bible says, in the Book
of Leviticus Guess they're for a camel is unclean.
Now what did Jesus mean when he said you're straining out a gnat
and swallow a camel, you might remember this.
They took a strainer cloth and put it over a vessel to put it
over a cup and they would pour the beverage through the
strainer cloth. You know why?
They didn't even want a little tiny nap to get in there.
One scholar said, some of these fastidious Jews would even drink
the beverage through clenched teeth to keep the bug from going
down their throat. Jesus Says, by the way that you
are, you know what you are, You're straining out a gnat, but
you're swallowing a camel. He hits him again.
In Matthew 23, here he goes, the greatest preacher ever.
He said, you know, what, you're like, you're like whitewashed
tombs. And, by the way, what a fitting
example, around the time that we're talking about right now,
Passover time because in Jerusalem around Passover time
after the rains, and everything would be washed clean, they
would take lime powder, and mix it with water and they would go
to all the tombs and they will. Whitewash, the tombs with that
lime powder that they mixed with water.
Do you know why? Because the Bible says, under
the Old Testament that a man that would touch a grave would
be ceremonially unclean for seven days.
Therefore, it's Passover, time we don't want our visitors.
Millions of people perhaps to come into Jerusalem and be
unclean at Passover time. So they whitewashed the tombs
Jesus said to them. That's what you are on the
outside. But inside, you're just Dead
Man's Bones. You're just a grave with dead
men's bones. That's what you are.
You know, I get this idea as they come to the praetorium.
They're doing the same thing. They don't want to enter,
they're not going in. Oh no, we don't want to go to
House of a gentile, but we're willing to kill the Messiah, the
Fulfillment of the Passover. You are dead men's bones.
Now in the next verse pilot, then went out to them and said,
what accusation Ation do you bring against this man?
Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent pilot really was no
dummy. He was very smart.
The problem that pilot had was pilot was a coward.
It takes courage to stand in the face of opposition and it takes
courage to stand in the face of opposition, especially when that
opposition can do you harm in any way.
I don't want to have any harm done my way.
It's easy to Have Courage when there's no ramifications for the
choice, right? So here it is.
Pilot looks out and they couldn't bring Jesus in because
I don't want to be defiled, so he looks out.
And he says what accusation do you bring against him?
Now notice this though, in chapter 19 and verse 12, From
then on pilot sought to release him.
But the Jews cried out saying if you let this man go you are not
Caesars friend. Whoever makes himself a king
speaks against Caesar. You know, really what they're
doing is they're blackmailing him kind of like we're going to
tell on you. We're going to tell on you and
later we're going to get to this.
Jesus says I'm a king so therefore they bring that
accusation and what they're saying the pilot is So pilot,
you know, there's only one king where there's only one king
pilot. You better do the right thing
pilot. And they were blackmailing him
to do the right thing. In other words, if you want to
keep your job, you gotta do the right thing here.
But notice this right here, what accusation do you bring against
this man? And by the way, this is the
first fair thing ever stated regarding the trial of Jesus.
What did he do, wrong? What accusation do you bring
against this, man? But you know, they didn't want
to trial, they wanted an execution and that's why they
went to pilate also. Verse 30, they answered and said
to him if he were not an evildoer we would not have
delivered him up to you. What an amazing way to respond.
Pilot says, what's the accusation, you know?
They said there was no accusation, by the way, see what
they said? Oh, you knew how we are.
You know, how we are. We're great.
Men of character. We wouldn't have brought him to
you. Had he not been an evildoer.
Skirting the issue in that way. They don't answer the question.
They just say. If he wasn't an evildoer, we
wouldn't have brought him to you.
There was no answer because there was no accusation, they
don't have a charred that would hold up in a Roman court.
And this is that point about blasphemy that I mentioned just
a moment ago. You know, they can say all they
want to about blasphemy. They can say that he is guilty
of blasphemy because he said, I am the Son of God, but do you
know this, that charge does not hold up at all to a Roman Court
from didn't care about that. He didn't care about that at
all. So nothing could be stated about
that. He was perfect.
He is without sin, he would die for our sins and not his own.
He was perfect in every way and that brings us to verse 31 and
32. Then pilate said to them, you
take him and judge him according to your law.
Therefore, the Jews said to him, it is not lawful to put anyone
to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which
he spoke signifying by what death, he would die.
Here's a point of reference as Jesus is speaking really as a
prophetic God, here's a point of reference in Mark 10 and verse
32. Now they were on the road and by
the way, this is before John Now, when they were on the road,
going to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them and they
were amazed. And as they followed, they were
afraid that he took the twelve aside again and began to tell
them the things that would happen to him.
Then the next verse behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and
the son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the
scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to
the Giles. Now Jesus speaks concerning
these very things that are going to happen.
So now we go back to John, 18 and verse 31.
Then pilate said to them, you take him and judge him according
to your law. Therefore, the Jews said to him,
it's not lawful for us to put anyone to death.
You know? You've heard me say this over
the years and I really think it's a point worth making it all
times. Jesus Christ was no man's
victim. He was no man's victim.
That's what makes his sacrifice even better.
It's one thing to just willfully submit to something that comes
your way. That's one thing.
But for someone to be like Jesus, who could dictate the
whole thing and be totally in charge, and totally in control
and set aside that and then died for the sins of the world that
makes the sacrifice even greater.
NOW Watch, What Happens pilot knows that Jesus is innocent.
So pilate says, you take him and judge him, according to your
law. In other words, pilot was saying
I'm giving you the right to break the law you decide. and
then they said, It's not lawful for us to put anyone to death.
Then in verse 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled,
which he spoke signifying, but what death, he would die.
You know. Jesus spoke about this in John
chapter 12 and verse 32 he said and if I am lifted up from the
earth will draw All Peoples to myself now, I heard somebody say
one time that what this means is this If practically I Lift Jesus
up in my life. And if Christians would Lift
Jesus up in their life, it will draw all people unto Jesus
Christ. And I suppose that's true in a
separate and apart since. But that's not what, the Lord
met here. And the reason that I know,
that's not what the Lord meant is because after he says, and if
I be lifted up from the earth on the cross, what he was speaking
of, I will draw All Peoples to myself.
Verse 33 says this signifying. The manner of death that he
would die. He had to be lifted up.
Totally in control. Pilot says go ahead do it
yourself. They said, oh no.
We can't do. That is one of those times when
God uses the wrath of men to praise him.
He was a perfect man. He's the prophetic God in every
way. And now we look also in verses
33 37. And in this group of scriptures,
John exalts, Jesus. Really as a supernatural King,
the juice finally came up with something that they thought
would stick. They thought I got one.
In fact, in Luke chapter 23, listen to this.
Verse 2. Luke said, and they began to
accuse him saying we found this fellow perverting, the nation,
that's a lie. Forbidding to pay taxes to
Caesar. That's a lie.
Say that he himself is Christ a king and that's the one thing
that they thought we got him on. now, picture this picture this
When Jesus is portrayed as someone that's going to come in
as a revolutionary, and he's going to come in and do
something by way of a Revolt. That's the only thing that might
have touched the mind of pilot. That's it.
That's the only thing. In fact, they said this to at
one point, they said we have no King.
But Caesar. What's interesting?
Is the Jews. Absolutely hated Caesar but they
said we have no King but Caesar And so when Jesus was claiming
or they said he was claiming to be an Earthly King, then the
idea was he's going to start a revolution and by the way let's
back up a little bit. Do you remember when Jesus was
coming into Jerusalem a week ago and he's going through it.
Got headed towards Jerusalem and there were people that were
following with him, you know, that there were many people that
followed Jesus because they thought that once he got to
Jerusalem, he would establish an Earthly Kingdom.
And when he did Did maybe it would remove the oppression of
Rome and lift that thumb of repression over off of them once
and for all an Earthly Kingdom, they didn't get it.
So he's accused of perhaps starting a revolution.
So now in verse 33 Then pilate entered the praetorium again
called Jesus said to him. Are you the king of the Jews?
You know, it's interesting at first glance.
It seems like he's just asking him a question.
Really does in the English language and you can look at all
the translations and it just appears like he's asking him a
question but there's so much more.
It doesn't say it like this in the Greek.
In the Greek. It says this.
You are the king of the Jews. Did you get that?
He wasn't saying are you the king of the Jews?
He's saying you you the king of the Jews.
In other words, it's ludicrous in his mind as he looks out.
And he sees Jesus, you the king of the Jews standing there with
a garment of a peasant, you the king of the Jews standing before
me with hands bound. You don't look like a king to
me. They said he's the king of the
Jews. He said that he was the king of
the Jews. He said, you the king of the
Jews. It's unbelievable to pilate.
It's unbelievable. But here's the Dilemma.
If Jesus says, yes, I'm a king. The problem is pilot only
understood an Earthly King. So he would lead the Jews in a
Revolt. If he said, I'm not a king, he
would deny his kingship. So, he qualifies to question.
This is how he responds. Jesus answered him.
Are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell
you this concerning me? Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant. He clarifies the question.
Pilate said, am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief
priests have delivered you to me, and then he said this,
please get this. What have you done?
You know, I didn't know this. Till I studied some history
about this. But, you know, pilot broke the
law right here. Pilot, broke the law.
It was kind of a fifth amendment deal that we might relate to.
But here's really the point. Another word, the Fifth
Amendment says that you don't have to say something that will
incriminate yourself, okay? You plead the fifth, you don't
incriminate yourself, but it's more.
There was a law, a Roman law that stated.
You could not be executed. You cannot be convicted based
upon your own testimony of yourself.
In other words, there was no other testimony.
There was no other accusation that stood up.
So finally he said this what have you done?
Give me the charges and you'll legal question and a desperate
question to you couldn't be condemned by your own testimony.
And Jesus said this, my kingdom is not of this world.
If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight
so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now
my kingdom is not from here. You know, Earthly kings are
appointed by the people, right? They're appointed by the people,
when King Saul was appointed, he was the People's Choice.
God didn't choose King. Saul.
The people chose King Saul because King Saul was Head and
Shoulders above everyone. He was one of the men.
The four men in the Bible that are spoken of as handsome and
Built. Well, he wanted to be a king of.
They wanted to have a king that was like all the other nations
and he stood up above everyone. So they picked it.
I was the People's Choice. Okay.
God, chose David. That was God's choice and the
Bible says that Jesus would be a king like David.
And in many ways he was a king, like, David.
And I don't have time to go into all of those things.
But I will say this, he was a king like, David specifically
here in that he was God's choice.
Jesus was God's choice to be king, king of kings, and Lord of
lords. Oops.
You know, really when they were in the garden and they came to
arrest Jesus. This whole thing plays out
because Malcolm is pulls out his sword and he cuts off the right
ear or a Peter pulls out his sword and cuts off Mal kisses
right ear. And when he does, so Jesus puts
it back on and he told Peter, put your sword away.
For they that lives by the sword, shall also perish By The
Sword. Jesus also said that if my
kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight.
He could have called down twelve, Legions of angels and
put a stop to the whole matter. I appreciate our brother leading
that song in Pilots Hall that we just guilty of loving me that we
just saw Thousands of angels, hovering nigh.
Waiting to hear the Lord's. Famous cry.
But Jesus instead chose the cross.
Willingly and willfully. You know why?
His kingdom was not of this world?
Then verse 37. Pilate therefore said to him,
are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say, rightly
that I am a king for this, cause I was born and for this cause I
have come into the world that I should bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth
hears, my voice, I want to spend a little time on breaking this
passage down for the first thing we want to notice, is this?
It is when Jesus says for this, cause I was born, okay?
Well, the born part is The Human Side.
Everybody, that's human is born. But the Bible talks about Jesus
as being the son of man, meaning fully human.
Our Messiah was fully human. That's this part.
He was to be a king and for this, cause he was born in human
form. What else?
He says, also for this cause I have come into the world.
This is the Divine side. In other words, if Jesus came
into the world, it means that he existed somewhere else before,
if I come into the world, I have to come from somewhere and that
somewhere was Heaven. That's the Divine side.
That's why Jesus is called the son of man and the Son of God.
Both in John, chapter 17 and verse 5, this shows that Jesus
existed before. And now father, glorify me with
yourself with the glory, which I had with you before the world
was The Bible also says that in the beginning was the word, John
chapter 1, and the Word was with God.
And the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him. And without him was not anything
made that was made verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt
among us and we beheld his glory, the glory, as of the only
begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.
So Jesus tells him in this little sermon, he's preaching a
pilot. I came to be born into this
world to be king for this, cause I left where I came from to be
king. I am fully divine.
And then, Back In this passage again the end of this passage.
Then I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears, my voice.
Jesus is the great proclaimer of Truth.
He said, I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one comes to the father, except by or through me, John
14, and 6, the great disclaimer of Truth.
One scholar said this to know, Jesus is to know the truth.
And Jesus is the king and his scepter is truth.
But notice this pilate said, what is truth?
Have you ever heard somebody say truth is relative?
In other words, what you think is truth is okay for you.
But what's truth to me is, okay, for me.
And everybody determines what their own truth is going to be.
I want you to notice pilot is doing that very thing.
In fact, when he said what is truth?
It literally means everyone who is of the truth hears.
My voice of Jesus said when he says what is truth, he is
referring to this. He's saying this there is no
such thing as truth. What's it mean to here?
The word here in the Greek literally means to listen
intently and Obey. So to hear the truth is to obey
the truth. Number one time when Jesus gave
a little lesson after he gave a parable, he said be careful how
you listen in other words, take heed, how you hear the way you
hear, the word of God will determine your spiritual
condition. One of those ways is obediently,
you cannot hear properly without the idea of obedience, and
that's what he was telling him. That's what Jesus was telling
him. There's no truth outside of
Jesus Christ. He went out again to the Jews
and said, I find no fault in him.
Everyone who is of the truth hears, my voice, which means,
intently, Listen and Obey. And then also this He said,
simply this, I find no fault. In here.
You know, many times I've tried to put my mind in my mind's eye.
I've tried to go back to how it was for pilot.
Jesus appears to be on trial. The religious trial is over, and
he seems to be in this other trial with pilate and pilate has
the authority and the power. To let him go or crucify him.
He's got the power. But he never stopped to
consider. There's no indictment, there's
no accusation. Jesus really wasn't on trial
here pilot was In fact, in chapter 19, we find Pilots
failing proposals to try to let him go.
He knew he was innocent. He knew he wasn't guilty. but
the people said crucify him and he gave in so, a long time ago,
Jesus standing before Pilate and Pilots Hall Starts the events
that we talked about today. And the question is this,
though. Here's the question for all of
us today. What's your response to that?
You know, when Jesus died on the cross for your sins, it means
nothing to you if you don't respond to the gospel.
Whether the gospel saves her offends, is your response to it.
The gospel is the good news of the death burial and
resurrection of Jesus. So what is your response to
that? If you're here, for example, and
you are hearing the word of God, preached, and you're hearing
about Jesus the invitation being extended.
Maybe you've heard the invitation over and over again,
but here it is again. What is your response going to
be? You must hear the word of God
believe in Jesus repent of your sin.
Ins confess his name as the Son of God and be baptized in water
for the remission of your sins and contact, the blood of Jesus
and have your sins washed away. What is your response to what?
Jesus did for you so long ago. We thank you for listening to
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