John: The King of the Jews
Notes
Transcript
Homiletic Point: Jesus is King!
Intro
Intro
We’re dropping in part way through the story, so let me catch you up real quick
The Gospel of John is a record about the life and teaching of Jesus Christ,
The first half of the book covers several miracles (signs) that Jesus performed as he traveled around Israel with his band of disciples preaching and teaching as he went.
That culminated in the best sign of all - raising Lazarus from the dead!
The book has noted several attempts by the religious leaders to try and kill Jesus, but Jesus has been clear that his “hour” was not yet here. Signaling to us that Jesus knew what was going to happen to him, and that it was all part of the plan.
Then, when Jesus returned to Jerusalem with his disciples one last time, they shared a meal together and Jesus announced his “hour” had come. Then John records an extended teaching session at that meal that culminates in a special prayer that we nick named the high priestly prayer.
After this Last Supper, Jesus and the disciples head out of Jerusalem proper across the valley to an Olive garden, where he was met by and armed group of soldiers and officials representing the religious big-wigs. They were lead by one of Jesus own disciples - Judas, who had betrayed Jesus for money.
Then they ship Jesus of to High Priest Annas’ house where he is questioned before being sent to High Priest Caiaphas house. How come there were two people called high priest? It turns out that Annas was high priest, and should have been for life, but the Romans deposed him. So then all of his sons and sons-in-law took turns being High Priest even while Annas probably still held the reigns somewhat.
So that means last time we left Jesus in custody at Caiaphas’ house.
Now we’re as we pick up the story today, we are looking at a passage that is pregnant with irony.
John has consistently exposed irony in the way he has told the story, and here it is not different.
If you don;t know what I mean by irony , it’s where things are “perversely contrary to what [you] expect” - such as when somebody in the story thinks that one thing is happening, but actually the opposite is happening. It would be like a guy who hasn’t been caught for a crime, bragging to someone about how smart he was to get away with the crime, while not realizing that he’s actually confessing to an undercover police officer.
In our passage there are 3 ironies! in the three main portions of the text so lets look at each in turn.
(Special credits if you can find the bible verses from the headings without electronic aids).
Straining a Gnat to Swallow a Camel
Straining a Gnat to Swallow a Camel
Do you know this saying?
This is how Jesus describes the Pharisees - one of the religious sects. It imagines a farcical situation where someone is making sure that the tiniest little insect is strained out of their food, while missing the giant camel right in front of their eyes!
Is it any wonder that in our modern parlance Pharisee has become a byword for hypocrite?
This is what’s happening here with the religious leaders, some of whom were pharisees. They were the Sanhedrin, the leading men of Israel which includes the top priests.
Lets see what their hypocrisy is:
Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
So they take Jesus to the Praetorium (palace is a little bit of a stretch, it could be used to describe a tent) - its the governors residence. Possibly the Fortress Antonio on the northen part of the temple mount.
From historical records we understand the Pilate, the roman governor, didn’t normally live in Jerusalem, but he would usually come down during big feasts so he was ready to deal with any uprisings.
Because it was the Jewish feast of Passover & unleavened bread, Pilate was in town.
Under Gods OT Law, there was this idea of ceremonial cleanliness - sometimes it overlapped with hygiene, but not always. The idea was that you had to be ritually clean to participate in worshiping God. That along with other laws also created a clear distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish people. The non-Jewish people became known as by the collective term “gentiles”.
So here the Jewish leaders are trying to maintain their ritual purity because they wanted to be involved in the ceremonial celebrations. To do this, they won’t go into the praetorium proper because it is a gentile “house”.
Here’s the thing, while it was certainly appropriate that they maintain this purity in accordance with God’s law. There doesn’t seem to be any stipulation about not entering gentile houses under God’s law.
There could be unclean food, etc. in that house. They were being so careful about being ritually pure that they won’t even go into the house for RISK of contamination.
So what’s the irony here?
They were playing fast and loose with the law, to try an manipulate an execution for Jesus, yet they were being overly scrupulous about going into a gentile building.
Jesus was tried at night (not supposed to do that under the law).
Basically in secret - no one else could witness or testify if they were home in bed.
The witnesses brought against Jesus didn’t agree.
They weren't giving Jesus a fair, unbiased hearing.
They decided the case first, then went and arrested Jesus, and now they will manipulate the (occupying) roman governor to get their way.
They are carrying out murder!
But don’t worry, they won’t miss out on the festivities because they were extra careful about not going near anything unclean that day!
What hypocrites - keeping the law when it suited themselves, and twisting it when convenient.
How often do you do that?
You may not realize you’re doing it, because you have justified your actions to yourself so many times.
Ask the Lord to reveal your hypocrisy so that you may repent and have a clear conscience before God.
Back to the story:
So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
Pilate had to come out to them...
John doesn’t record the charges the Jewish leaders brought, as if to highlight the fact that they were so dumb.
Instead John records their retort “If he wasn’t guilty we wouldn’t have brought him” - as if that justifies their actions.
Pilate has no desire to get embroiled in internal Jewish affairs, so he tries to palm off the issue:
Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
They’re gunning for the death penalty, but because the Romans were the occupying force, they had “removed” the right for Jewish leaders to decide executions.
SO in order to get the death penalty carried out, they needed to swing it so that Jesus was apparently guilty of not only breaking Jewish law, but also Roman law.
They weren’t there for truth and justice, just blood.
This reminds me of the mobs of our own day, where a furor erupts over some controversy or other.
How easy it is to be swept up in the moment but only later to discover the truth was more complex, or even opposing the side you took!
Stay away from agendas that have decided the outcome before the process even begins. Even when they seem to be “on your side”.
2nd irony...
Faithful Witness, Firstborn of the Dead, and Ruler of Kings on Earth
Faithful Witness, Firstborn of the Dead, and Ruler of Kings on Earth
Pilate seems to agree to look into the issue. The interview gets underway:
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
Pilate knows the accusation
It seems Pilate is concerned with weather or not Jesus is a political figure gunning for power.
Jesus asks a question that could expose whether or not Pilate is genuinely interested in the issue, or just asking expedient quiestions based on what other have told him.
Pilate responds...
“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Pilate wants to hear from Jesus own mouth what the story is - perhaps he understands the bias that would lead to Jesus being hated by the Jewish leaders.
Jesus is reserved in his responses here, he know what needs to happen to get to that cross, and so he holds back.
But he will reveal something - that his kingdom is not of this world. This is something that Peter had misunderstood when he took out his sword in the garden.
Jesus is building a kingdom that doesn’t look like the other kingdoms they’re used to.
Otherworldly kingdom, that starts and grows
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Stone carved without hands!
Sometimes nations fear the rise of Christianity - like in China. It is perceived as a threat, and it is in many respects, in undermines evil. Yet it is not a kingdom that usurps, but a kingdom that brings life to the dead, restoration to the broken.
As it is even here, in Aus, there are growing concerns of the effect that Christianity
In the story, Jesus has acknowledged that he is king, which Pilate recognizes:
John 18:37–38 (NIV)
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
Jesus responds to the king Q - “you said it”
Here’s the second irony!
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 18
Ironically, the one charged with determining the truth in the matter glibly dismisses the relevance of truth in the very presence of the one who is truth incarnate
Righteous for the Unrighteous
Righteous for the Unrighteous
John 18:38–40 (NIV)
With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
People would rather have the epitome of evil - a life taker, instead of the life-giver.
Gospel right there!
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
So What?
So What?
References:
Carson’s Pillar Commentary on John.
Hutcheson’s commentary on John
Hendrickson’s commentary on John
Sermons by Richard D. Philips,
Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.
Phillips, Richard D. John. Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. 1st ed. Vol. 1 & 2 of Reformed Expository Commentary. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014.