CAPITAL BAPTIST CHURCH APRIL 2, Jesus before Pilate John 18:28-40

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1 CAPITAL BAPTIST CHURCH APRIL 2, 2006 SERMON NOTES PASTOR BILL HAKEN Jesus before Pilate John 18:28-40 Intro: Notice after Peter s denial, Jesus is moved from his religious trial to his civil trial before Pilate. 1. Jesus is taken from Caiaphas to Pilate, the Roman governor. After he tore his robes, Caiaphas said, What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now we have heard His blasphemy. And He was the blasphemer. Why do we need witnesses? betrayed his uneasy conscience; Behold, now ye have heard him was the signal that the mock trial was over. The answer he wanted was promptly given: He is guilty of death. Elated at their fancied triumph, then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? So Israel condemned their Messiah, and rebellious man his God. When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor (Matthew 27:1, 2) Here is where John picks up the narrative: Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early (John 18:28). He went as a lamb to the slaughter. Mark tells us (Mark 15:1) they bound Him; unto the hall of judgment, Pilate s court-room. And it was early : the disciples could not watch with Him one hour; His enemies had acted against Him all through that night! Ironically, mankind has more zeal and energy for what is evil than for what is good. The same people who will listen, untired, half a day to a political discussion, or sit three hours through a movie, complain that the preacher is long-winded if he spends a whole hour in expounding the Word of God! It was early : their one object now was to obtain from Pilate, as swiftly as possible, his confirmation of the death-sentence. His accusers didn t go in themselves because it would defile them, and they wouldn t be allowed to celebrate the Passover feast.

2 Pilate s judgment-hall was Gentile property and to enter it the Jews would be ceremonially defiled they therefore went no further than the entrance to the praetorium. They would not enter Pilate s hall, though they were ready to use him to further their own wickedness! What a proof was this of the worthlessness of religion where it has failed to influence the heart. This helps us understand what Jesus was referring to when he said, about them, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:27, 28). These very men were here engaged in the vilest act ever perpetrated on earth, and yet they spoke of being defiled! 2. Pilate asks for a charge, but the Jews dodge the question. It was clear to him, then, that here was some culprit whom the Jews wished executed before the Feast began. And said, What accusation bring ye against this man? (John 18:29). He did not ask them what the object of their visit was, but what charge they preferred against their prisoner. You see, Roman law required three things: the making of a specific indictment, the bringing of the accusers before the accused, and the liberty granted to the latter to answer for himself (Acts 25:16). Pilate therefore acted honorably in demanding to know the nature of the crime charged against the Lord Jesus. God saw to it that out of their own mouths they should be condemned. We wouldn t have handed him over to you if he weren t a criminal! they retorted. (John 18:30) The Jews were piqued at Pilate s question. They were not anxious to prefer a charge, knowing full well that they had no evidence by which they could establish it. They hoped that Pilate would take their word for it especially as they had obtained the soldiers from him so easily and condemn their Prisoner unheard. With characteristic hypocrisy they now assumed an injured air: they posed as righteous men; they would have Pilate believe that they would never have arrested an innocent man. if he were not a criminal, we would not have delivered him up to you was tantamount to saying: See who is before you we are none other than the sacred Sanhedrin: we have already tried the case, and our judgment is beyond question: we only ask you now to give the necessary Roman sanction that He may be put to death. Their hands were forced by Pilate, for Luke tells us, they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a king (Luke 23:2).

3 3. Jesus prediction of his crucifixion is guaranteed. Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone, the Jewish leaders replied. 32 This fulfilled Jesus prediction about the way he would die. The Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him (Mark 10:33, 34). 4. Jesus clarifies the truth about his kingdom: It is not of this world 36 Then Jesus answered, I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world. He came to bear witness to the truth. 37 Pilate replied, You are a king then? You say that I am a king, and you are right, Jesus said. I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true. 5. Pilate finds him blameless 38 What is truth? Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, He is not guilty of any crime. 6. The Jews choose a robber over Jesus Christ, God s Son. 39 But you have a custom of asking me to release someone from prison each year at Passover. So if you want me to, I ll release the King of the Jews. 40 But they shouted back, No! Not this man, but Barabbas! (Barabbas was a criminal.) How much like today this is; people choose the crook, the con man, the prostitute, the swindler, over the decent, law abiding person. Proof? look at the world of politics. 7. Jesus takes Barabas s place Physically, he took the punishment instead of Barabas. Spiritually, he can take the punishment for you and me But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we

4 like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5,6 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. I was guilty with nothing to say, and they were coming to take me away Then a voice from heaven was heard that said, Let him go, take me instead. I should have been crucified, I should have suffered and died, I should have hung on that cross in disgrace, But Jesus God s son took my place. A friend visited an elderly woman badly crippled by arthritis. When asked, "Do you suffer much?" she responded, "Yes, but there is no nail here," and she pointed to her hand. "He had the nails, I have the peace." She pointed to her head. "There are no thorns here. He had the thorns, I have the peace." She touched her side. "There is no spear here. He had the spear, I have the peace." That is what the atonement of Jesus Christ means for us--he gave of himself so that we might have the peace. Ralph Turnbull, If I Only Had One Sermon to Preach As you travel along I-10 in Louisiana there is a large billboard which catches your eye. It stands high above the city just as you start up the Mississippi River bridge. On it is a picture of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross of Calvary, head bowed. The caption underneath says in bold letters, "It's Your Move!" What a powerful thought. God has already taken the initiative in salvation. Christ died for you. Now--it's your move! --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 70. When I was 5 years old, before factory-installed seat belts and automobile air bags, my family was driving home at night on a two-lane country road. I was sitting on my mother's lap when another car, driven by a drunk driver, swerved into our lane and hit us head-on. I don't have any memory of the collision. I do recall the fear and confusion I felt as I saw myself literally covered with blood from head to toe. Then I learned that the blood wasn't mine at all, but my mother's. In that split second when the two headlights glared into her eyes, she instinctively pulled me closer to her chest and curled her body around mine. It was her body that slammed against the dashboard, her head that shattered the windshield. She took the impact of the collision so that I wouldn't have to. It took extensive surgery for my mother to recover from her injuries. In a similar, but infinitely more significant way, Jesus Christ took the impact for our sin, and his blood now permanently covers our lives.

5 -- Jeffrey Ebert in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.