The Trial of Jesus
Sermon Notes
Context:
Here’s your context. At this point in ch. 18 Jesus has already been arrested by the Jews and Romans. He’s already stood trial before the Jewish high priest, the high priest didn’t like Jesus, and so the high priest and some other Jewish leaders decided to have Jesus killed. But they didn’t want to get their hands dirty, so they’re sending Jesus to Pontius Pilate hoping he’ll kill Jesus. This is where the Roman Empire’s trial of Jesus begins, and so let’s check it out.
The Word:
John 18:28 states, “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and said, ‘What charge do you bring against this man?’ 30 They answered him, ‘If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.’ 31 Pilate told them, ‘You take him and judge him according to your law.’ ‘It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,’ the Jews declared. 32 They said this so that Jesus’s words might be fulfilled indicating what kind of death he was going to die.” Notice these Jewish leaders already issued Jesus a death sentence, except they can’t carry it out because the Romans passed a law forbidding the Jews from executing anyone. But in vs 31 Pilate gives them permission to kill Jesus according to Jewish laws, which would’ve been death by stoning. But the religious leaders don’t want that, instead they want Jesus to suffer a worse death. They want Jesus to suffer the maximum amount of punishment under Roman law, which is death by crucifixion. They considered the cross the most painful, shameful death you could die. They believed in Deuteronomy 21:23 which states, “Anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” So they’re thinking if they can convince Pilate to crucify Jesus, then others will stop following Jesus because they’ll think he was cursed. But what these religious leaders don’t realize is this is all a fulfillment of God’s plans. Vs 32 says all this is a fulfillment of Jesus’ words, because Jesus predicted he’d die by crucifixion. In Matthew 20:17-19 Jesus said, “I’ll be handed over to the chief priests, they’ll hand me over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged, and crucified.” So the religious leaders think they’re cursing Jesus, but they’re actually fulfilling the plans of Jesus. His plan is to die on that cursed cross-shaped tree, to remove sins curse on you and me.
Vs. 33, “Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ 34 Jesus answered, ‘Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?’ 35 ‘I’m not a Jew, am I?’ Pilate replied. ‘Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36 ‘My kingdom is not of this world,’ said Jesus. ‘If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’” Jesus admits he’s a King, and that his kingdom isn’t of this world. In fact his kingdom’s far greater than all the kingdoms in the world combined. It’s why he isn’t even the slightest bit rattled by Pilate or the greatly feared Roman Empire. It’s because Jesus knows he can easily flex and cause Caesar to flinch. But instead he’s restraining his power as a powerful king, to lay his life down for our sins.
Vs. 37, “‘You are a king then?’ Pilate asked. ‘You say that I’m a king,’ Jesus replied. ‘I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ 38 ‘What is truth?’ said Pilate.” There it is, there’s the question we’re addressing. Pilate asks “What is truth?” He’s being cynical here because people back then believed truth is relative, just like many people believe that today. They believe all truth is relative,meaning it’s relative to the person. “What’s true for you, doesn’t mean it’s true for me.” They also don’t believe in moral absolutes, so “What’s moral for you, doesn’t mean it’s moral for me.” This is the general principle people in our culture live by. It’s the principle of relativistic beliefs and moral tolerance. We just need to be tolerant of everybody’s beliefs and lifestyles since all truth’s relative. I mean “Who am I to judge? Who are you to judge? As long as it makes you feel good, makes you happy then go for it! Just don’t push your beliefs and morality on me!” But if that’s true, then it means we should be tolerant of issues like racism, sexism, abuse, human trafficking, Hitler like genocides...If you say “No we shouldn’t tolerate such things,” then you just agreed to moral absolutes. You’ve agreed there’s certain moral lines humanity shouldn’t cross, and everybody has their lines. Everybody has their tolerance lines they’ll draw in the sand saying “That’s it, I’m not tolerating this anymore.” It’s hypocritical if you claim all truth and morality is relative, but then have your own tolerance lines people shouldn’t cross. Relativists are hypocritical because they expect everybody’s truth claims to be relative except their own. They’re basically saying “I absolutely reject absolutes,” or “I don’t tolerate intolerance.” It’s self-contradictory and proves absolute truths exist, which means moral absolutes exist too.
In vs 37 Jesus said “I came to this world to testify to the truth!” Not a truth, but the truth! Not a different truth for me, and a different truth for you, but the truth! He also said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Pilate’s asking “What’s truth?” Jesus is saying “You’re looking at it!...You’re looking at the truth. I came to testify to the truth!” But like Pilate you’ll miss the truth that can give so much meaning and purpose to your life, if you don’t seek Jesus for that truth. Author Kelly Monroe Kullberg states, “Truth yields life. If we are sailors lost at sea, we need true north...It seems to me that our American culture in its present condition is both lost and starving for truth. We are vulnerable to the deception of power politics, marketing schemes, and politically correct slogans of professors, politicians, and media that often leads to the death of the soul and the body. Lies lead to death, and a culture of death, but the truth sets people free for life.” Jesus is the truth, he came to testify to the truth, and his truth can set us free for life.
Again vs 38, “‘What is truth?’ said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no grounds for charging him.’ 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ 40 They shouted back, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.” Notice the text says Pilate found ‘no fault’ in Jesus. He’ll actually say Jesus is innocent 2 more times. But eventually he’ll cave under Jewish pressures and crucify Jesus despite being innocent. The reason he’ll cave is because Pilate’s on thin ice with the Roman Emperor Tiberius for creating issues when he first arrived in Jerusalem. When Pilate first arrived he marched in, threw a huge parade with large banners, bearing the image of Tiberius Caesar as display of Roman power. He then hung those banners everywhere in Jerusalem, and his mistake was hanging the banners in the Jewish Temple. The Jews became outraged, Pilate agrees to meet them in an amphitheater, and upon arrival he surrounds them with soldiers and threatens to kill them. But the Jews call his bluff, they lay on the ground, and offer their necks. So Pilate ends up removing the banners.
Then later on Pilate needs money to build a new aqueduct, so he extorts a huge amount of money from the Temple treasury, and the Jews are outraged once again. So they protest, Pilate sends soldiers disguised as normal citizens, and they beat many of the protestors to death. As a result the Jews hated him, Rome was annoyed by him, and so the Roman Emperor Tiberius puts him on probation. The Jews know this which is why they’re trying to manipulate him to crucify Jesus even though Jesus is innocent. They know Pilate can’t risk another riot or else he’ll face serious heat from the Emperor, so they’re pressuring him to get what they want. But before he caves, he offers them a chance to release one Jewish prisoner as an act of good will for the Passover. He lets them choose between releasing Jesus who’s innocent, or Barabbas who’s guilty of stealing and terrorism. Barabbas harmed a lot of people including the Jews, so they knew he was guilty and deserved to die. But they chose Barabbas who’s guilty, instead of Jesus who’s innocent. Pilate then sends Jesus away to be flogged hoping it’ll satisfy the Jews, but it doesn’t.
Ch. 19:1-16 states, “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 And they kept coming up to him and saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ and were slapping his face. 4 Pilate went outside again and said to them, ‘Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.’” Pilate once again declares the innocence of Jesus.
Vs. 5, “Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’ 6 When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ Pilate responded, ‘Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.’” That’s the 3rd time Pilate declares the innocence of Jesus. John the author is stressing that even the Roman government found no fault in Jesus. He’s innocent! But Pilate’s starting to sway from what he knows is true, because of the constant pressures of an emotionally charged culture. Are you doing the same?...Are you starting to sway from certain biblical truths, because of the constant pressures of our emotionally charged culture and all the changing cultural shifts? Instead of caving like Pilate, stand firm like Jesus.
Vs. 7, “‘We have a law,’ the Jews replied to him, ‘and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.’ 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus did not give him an answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?’ 11 ‘You would have no authority over me at all,’ Jesus answered him, ‘if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.’” They’re having a discussion on authority. Pilate says he has the authority to release or crucify Jesus, but Jesus is like “You only have that authority because I’m allowing you to have that authority. You aren’t taking my life, I’m volunteering my life to save other people’s lives.” But Pilate’s problem is our problem. It’s that we think we’re the ones with authority, we’re the ones calling the shots for our lives. We’re like “What’s truth? What’s moral vs. immoral?...You don’t have authority over me, so don’t tell me what I should believe or how to live my life.” It’s another issue with relativism, it’s the issue of authority. It’s who gets the authority to decide what’s true and morally absolute? I mean we already agreed that everybody has a tolerance line. We already agreed there’s moral absolutes humanity shouldn’t cross, but who gets the authority to decide what those moral absolutes are? You have 3 options. Either you decide, somebody else decides, or God decides.
Now I don’t want you deciding for me, you don’t want me deciding for you, so that means God gets to decide. “Well maybe we should just let everybody decide what’s morally true for themselves.” We already said that won’t work, since we have tolerance lines against things like racism, sexism, abuse, and Hitler. So the only reasonable option for who has the authority to decide on moral absolutes is God. Yale Law Professor Arthur Leff states, “In the absence of God, who among us ought to be able to declare a law that should be obeyed?...Either God exists, or He doesn’t. But if He doesn’t, nobody can take His place.” Simply put, if God doesn’t exist, then who gets to say what’s lawful or unlawful? Who gets to say what’s moral or immoral? It’s quite a dilemma for moral relativists. “Well just let society vote on it?” No because historically that’s led to minority groups suffering at the hands of the majority. Besides a majority decision doesn’t always mean it’s the right decision. So if you believe in human rights and moral absolutes, the only reasonable option is for God to set the standard on those rights and moral absolutes. It’s to trust the authority of Jesus since he’s the only one in human history who’s innocent, sinless, and can make sinless decisions, with sinless motives on truth and moral absolutes. Everyone else in human history is sinful, which means we have sinful self-serving motives like the religious leaders and Pilate. Only Jesus is the truth, and has the authority to testify to the truth. So if you want to know what’s true, moral and immoral, then learn it from Jesus. If you want to believe in things that’ll give you true meaning and purpose in life, then learn those things from Jesus. Be willing to take the things you’ve been thinking are true, moral, and immoral...and submit them to the authority of what Jesus says is true, moral, and immoral. Pilate thinks he has the authority to give Jesus life or death, but it’s really Jesus who has the authority to give us eternal life or death.
Vs. 12, “From that moment Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, ‘If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!’ 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement, but in Aramaic, Gabbatha. 14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then he told the Jews, ‘Here is your king!’ 15 They shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Should I crucify your king?’ ‘We have no king but Caesar!’ the chief priests answered. 16 Then he handed him over to be crucified.” The religious leaders confess Caesar as their king, instead of Jesus, instead of God as their king. It was checkmate against Pilate, because they’re basically accusing Jesus of treason, of claiming to be a king in opposition to Caesar, which forces Pilate to have to execute Jesus. He feared for his own life, so he orders the execution of Jesus’ innocent life, and who gets to walk free? Barabbas...It’s sinful, guilty, undeserving Barabbas...We know historically 3 men were supposed to be executed that day. It was Barabbas and 2 other thieves on the right and left of Jesus. Barabbas was supposed to be the one executed in the middle, but Jesus was executed in his place. Like Barabbas we’re the ones supposed to be executed for our sins, for exchanging the truths of Jesus for lesser things than Jesus. In every heart there’s a throne and a cross. If you sit on the throne of your heart, you deserve to die for your sins on the cross. But if Jesus sits on the throne of your heart, he undeservingly dies for your sins on the cross. He takes our place on the cross so we can be set free from sin and have an eternally joyful life with him. Believe that truth, submit to that truth, pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus in response to that truth.
The Big Idea:
Look the big idea is that the truth and authority of Jesus, is revealed in the trial of Jesus... Jesus repeatedly says his kingdom isn’t from this world, and he came to give us the truth from his heavenly kingdom. His heavenly truth is full of absolute truths that everyone should discover, believe, and submit their lives to if they want to make sense of this world and live a much more meaningful, purposeful, joyful life. The reason so many of us aren’t experiencing that kind of life, is because we’re believing and submitting every day, to other truths instead of Jesus and his truths.
So let’s shed the relativistic mindset of our culture thinking we know what’s best for our lives. Thinking we know what’s true, what’s moral and immoral, what’ll bring us the greatest good, the greatest joy for our lives and city. We need to shed that relativistic mindset by turning to Jesus for what’s true, moral, good, and joyful. We do it by sitting in a quiet place with Jesus, reading the four gospels in the bible, immersing ourselves in the teachings of Jesus. Then as you listen to what Jesus says, ask him to help you see the truth, and ask him to help you follow his truth. He came to bear witness to the truth, the four gospels contain those truths, and if you read them with an open heart...his truths will transform your mind, your heart, your entire life...Let’s pray.