Lesson #92 The Silence of the Lamb John 19:1-11 Presented Live on January 20, 2019 I. Introduction and review A. We have seen Jesus before Pilate for the first time 1. Pilate was uneasy about this situation 2. In fact he was fearful of what could happen 3. Therefore he choose to compromise 4. He started down the road of compromise by offering the Jewish leaders a chance to release someone, a Passover tradition, who has been incarcerated 5. He set up the choice between Jesus and the worst criminal he could think of, a fellow named Barabbas a. Why was Barabbas so notorious? Page 1 of 11
b. He was an insurrectionary and murderer held by the Roman governor and sentenced to death c. John describes him as a bandit or robber d. Origen, a third century church father, indicates that Barabbas first name was Jesus, a common name at that time 6. Now at this point ion the proceedings, Pilate transfers Jesus to Herod B. But John does not record for us the transfer of the case to Herod or what happened there 1. Luke tells this 2. Luke 23:11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. C. John then recommences his narrative in Chapter 19, upon Jesus return to Pontius Pilate D. It is at this point we need to recognize that Pilate is fearful of this situation in which he finds himself 1. He was in a precarious position with Rome 2. Rome wanted a consistent flow of tax money and a lack of problems a. Such problems would include interfering with tax revenues b. Or causing the empire to participate in policing actions to quiet insurgents or barbarians E. But what would Pilate to be fearful of? 1. The Jewish leaders were threatening an uprising, riots or revolt Page 2 of 11
II. 2. He had just released from custody a known insurrectionist and murderer named Barabbas 3. And then consider the interaction that he had with his wife, which is found in the Gospel of Matthew 4. Matthew 27:17-19 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him." 5. If you are still not convinced of Pilate s fear, just wait and it will become abundantly clear F. With Pilate s fearfulness in mind let s consider Jesus second appearance before Pilate Pilate s continued compromise A. John 19:1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 1. Scourge mastigo,w mastigoo {mas-tig-o'-o} Meaning: 1) to scourge 2. The Romans would only scourge someone they believed to be a murderer or a traitor 3. The Greek word for this is kind of scourging is fragello,w phragelloo {frag-el-lo'-o} Meaning: 1) to scourge 4. So what does it really mean to scourge someone in this way? a. The Romans would, scourge a condemned criminal before he was put to death. Page 3 of 11
b. The Roman scourge, also called the "flagrum" or "flagellum" was a short whip made of two or three or more leather (ox-hide) thongs or ropes connected to a handle. c. The leather thongs were knotted with a number of small pieces of metal, usually zinc and iron, attached at various intervals. d. Scourging would quickly remove the skin from the recipient s body. e. Sometimes the Roman scourge contained a hook at the end and was given the terrifying name "scorpion." f. The criminal was either chained or tied to a pillar for his scourging. g. A scourging of this type would result in deep lacerations, torn flesh, exposed muscles and excessive bleeding which would leave the criminal "half-dead." h. In fact, death was often the result of this cruel form of punishment though it was necessary to keep the criminal alive to be brought to public subjugation on the cross. i. It was the Centurion in charge s responsibility to order the "lictors" to halt the flogging when the criminal was near death. 5. The is a second word for scourging and it is mastigo,w mastigoo {mas-tig-o'-o} Meaning: 1) to scourge a. It is different, in that it is a lighter scourging b. It involves more whipping and less flesh tearing or ripping Page 4 of 11
c. It was used as a punishment for lesser offenses d. That is what Pilate had them do to Jesus at this time, the lighter scourge 6. That does not mean that Jesus got off easy a. For after He was sentenced to death, they scourged Him again, the second way b. See Matt. 27:26 and Mark 15:15 7. Pilate ordered that Jesus be scourged even though he had found Him to be innocent B. John 19:2-3 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face. 1. The word thorns should strike a cord with most of us a. Can you think of a time when Thorns played a prominent role in the narrative b. Consider Genesis 3:17-18 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; c. Thorns were one of the results of man s sin d. And so Jesus, by wearing them, indicated what He was doing 2. Consider for a moment the purple robe Page 5 of 11
a. Why did the soldiers select a purple robe? b. The Romans, when they would conquer a people, many times they would install a king over them to govern them c. But he would be governing them for Rome d. He would be what is called a vassal king e. The soldiers were making it clear that if Jesus was viewed as the King of the Jews, He was still subject to Rome 3. Why did Pilate do these things to a man whom he had found to be without guilt? a. Pilate had a plan b. But his plan involved serious compromise of right and wrong, once again c. Beating a man within an inch of His life d. And then releasing Him e. How do we know that was his intension? f. Consider Luke 23:16 Therefore I (Pilate) will punish Him (Jesus) and release Him. C. John 19:4-5 Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the Man!" 1. Pilate makes a big show out of revealing the beaten and humiliated King of the Jews 2. How must have Jesus looked? 3. His statement: Behold the Man has gone down in Page 6 of 11
infamy, as it has echoed down through the corridors of history D. John 19:6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him." 1. Why did the Jewish leaders react this way? 2. It seems so bloodthirsty and barbaric 3. Can you ever mollify evil with compromise? 4. Is it fair to say that the Jewish leaders were evil? 5. Do you remember what it said in John 13:2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him.... 6. And in John 13:27 After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." 7. Do you not think that Satan was working in the hearts of the Jewish leaders also? 8. Do you think that Satan was not working in the heart of Pilate at the same time? E. John 19:7-8 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God." 8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 1. Then something very telling happened 2. The Jews, recognizing that their charges of sedition and insurrection were failing, and decided to bring to bear the charge which had carried the day in the Jewish religious court, blasphemy Page 7 of 11
3. And the reaction of Pilate to that charge is startling 4. That news immediately exacerbated the fear level in Pilate s heart 5. With that what does he do? F. John 19:9-11 And he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." 1. Why would he ask Jesus that question? 2. He believes that a correct answer to that question would either confirm or deny his worst fears 3. But Jesus refuses to answer him, why? a. There may be several reasons. b. Jesus is reading this man s heart and He knows whether he is truly seeking to know God or whether his interest is for other reasons c. Also consider Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. d. Jesus had already told Pilate who He was and where He had come from (1) Consider John 18:36-37 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were Page 8 of 11
of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (2) God does not reveal additional spiritual truth to us, if we fail to grasp or act upon the truth which He has already given to us (3) Further, He had already made it clear that he was not interested in Jesus truth 4. At this point it may be time to go a little deeper a. What does the silence of the Lamb portend? b. What happens when God chooses to remain silent? c. Has that ever happened before? d. Well we know that there was 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments e. There was a period of silence in Job s life while he was being tested f. But let s consider what Elijah went through g. Consider 1 Kings 18:1 Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth." h. During that time period, the people continued to sin and Elijah held on with faith, but God was silent Page 9 of 11
III. 5. There are some keys to enduring the silence a. Don t ignore God s silence (1) It may have seemed to Elijah that God was doing nothing, but that was not true, God was waiting until just the right time (2) In Elijah s life, some of the greatest things that God did through him, were done right after the silence of God ended (3) The same thing is true in Job s life b. During the silence is a wonderful time to confront any sin that may be in your life c. Go back to what you know, the truths that God has taught you before d. Listen and watch closely, because God is going to do something (1) But remember His ways are much higher than our ways (2) He did in Job s life (3) He did in Elijah s life (4) And He did after the 400 years ended He sent His Son into the world to save us all Final thoughts, for further pondering A. If you ponder on what happened here and what was going on in the spiritual realm B. You begin to see that it wasn t Jesus who was really on trial C. It was instead the Jewish leaders and Pilate 1. That would also be true for us 2. If we are accused of wrong doing when obeying God Page 10 of 11
3. We may be tried in a number of different courts, even the court of public opinion 4. But the one(s) really on trial is our accusers www.believersbibleclass.com and www.believersbibleclass.podbean.com 2019 Believer s Bible Class, & Douglas W. Brady Page 11 of 11