The Price of Sin Part 3

Introduction

John 18:28–29 NASB95

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

Jesus was led from the house of Annas to that of Caiphas. It was there that a Jewish sham of a trial took place. However, John gives it no coverage in his gospel. He simply takes us to Pilate. The ultimate verdict of the kangaroo court was that Jesus deserved death and should be taken to Pilate for this to happen.

Pilate’s normal residence was Caesarea Maritime on the comfortable Mediterranean coast. But during festivals he would come to Jerusalem to make sure there was no trouble from the people. The trial of Jesus was taking place during Passover. His place of residence when in Jerusalem would have been the Praetorium.

The Jews would not enter this Praetorium because to do so would have made them ceremonially unclean and unable to eat the Passover. It is ironic in that they could participate in the murder of an innocent man and consider themselves worthy of eating the Passover but not if they entered the place where his trial would take place. So Pilate comes out of the building to meet with the Jewish leaders.

Pontius Pilate — He served as governor of the Province of Judea from AD26-36. He was known to be a brutal and arrogant ruler. He, like most Roman rulers of the day, rose early and did all of their business before noon. The time of this inquisition was likely very early in the morning around 6am, perhaps even earlier.

The Jewish leaders had obviously conspired with Pilate up to this point. They had tipped Pilate off to a potential revolutionary and requested troops to help in his arrest. This is why there were 600 soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane at the arrest of Jesus.

John 18:30–32 NASB95

They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

The Jewish leaders wanted to eliminate Jesus quickly and as quietly as possible with their own public involvement kept to a minimum. They believed this would be a short visit with Pilate and that Jesus would be quickly taken from this meeting to His execution without a genuine hearing or trial.

So the Jewish leaders were shocked when Pilate asks, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” Pilate’s question opened up formal judicial proceedings against Jesus; they had simply believed Pilate would confirm their judgment and order the death sentence by crucifixion.

Pilate’s question opened up formal judicial proceedings against Jesus.

“If He were not a criminal.., we wouldn’t be here would we?” — The Jews respond sarcastically to Pilate.

“If you are going to be rude you will get no help from me” — He takes offense to this sarcastic response and advises them to judge Jesus themselves knowing full well they had no legal right to do so or they would not have brought Jesus to him in the first place. This would be seen as a humiliating blow to the Jews.

“We have no right to execute anyone” — This was a humble statement which would likely have pleased the arrogant Pilate. The Jews did execute people by stoning for blasphemy and other capital offenses.

However they would have no jurisdiction when it came to a political criminal which is what they were painting Jesus to be. In affect they were saying, “We have no right to execute anyone for illegally claiming to be a king.”

John sees God in this entire process. These political wranglings guaranteed that once sentence was passed Jesus would die by crucifixion and not stoning. This would fulfill the prophecy Jesus had made about His death in

John 12:32–33 NLT

And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

Are You The King of The Jews?

John 18:33–35 NASB95

Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

The Sanhedrin had become enraged at Jesus because they perceived Him to be a theological threat. Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

their problem was how to formulate this claim in a manner calculated to impress Pilate with how dangerous Jesus was, and therefore to bring down the death penalty. The solution lay ready to hand. In Jewish expectation, the Davidic Messiah was necessarily the promised king of Israel

“Their problem was how to formulate this claim in a manner calculated to impress Pilate with how dangerous Jesus was, and therefore to bring down the death penalty. The solution lay ready to hand. In Jewish expectation, the Davidic Messiah was necessarily the promised king of Israel” Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 592). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 592). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Pilate goes back inside to question Jesus and asks outright, “Are you the king of the Jews?” This is the question that interests Pilate. The Romans did not permit the Jews of Judea to have a “king.” If a person claimed to be king they would be guilty of inciting a revolution against the Roman government.

Jesus responds with a question, “ Are you saying this of your own initiative or did others tell you about me?” He wants to know, did the Jews say this about me or are you asking this question out of your own understanding and curiosity? Jesus was really asking, “who put you up to this?” Jesus knew that the Roman and Jewish leaders were conspiring together.

“Am I a Jew” — Pilate snarls when he says this.

“This is both an insult to the Jewish Jesus and an expression of cultural arrogance. Is Pilate a Jew? Of course not, and the very idea is unthinkable. Pilate is a Roman, and viewed his Jewish subjects as superstitious, stubborn, and uncultured.” Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.

This is both an insult to the Jewish Jesus and an expression of cultural arrogance. Is Pilate a Jew? Of course not, and the very idea is unthinkable. Pilate is a Roman, and viewed his Jewish subjects as superstitious, stubborn, and uncultured.

“Your own chief priests delivered you to me” — It is your own people who have betrayed you to me.

“What have you done?” — What have you done that is so terrible that they want you dead? He knew that the Jews were no friend of Rome. He knew the Jewish leaders would not go to such trouble to protect Rome from a revolutionary. He wants to know what it is that Jesus has done to stir these people up to the point they would want Him crucified. He knew the Jewish leaders own interests were at stake somehow and he wanted to know what this constituted.

Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.

My Kingdom

John 18:36–37 NASB95

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were 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.” 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.”

Jesus admits that He is a King but then defines His kingdom and does so in a way which would remove all offense to Rome. And the proof of how little Rome should be concerned with Him is found in the fact that if He were a threat to them His followers would have fought to protect Him from arrest.

The reign of Jesus does not have its source or origin in this world. It is certainly active in this world and affects the world. One day the Kingdom of Jesus will conquer the world But this struggle and subsequent victory cannot be opposed by armed might.’

In Damascus a temple was built centuries ago. When Christianity spread, this was used as a place for Christian worship and an inscription put on the arch: 'Thy kingdom O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.' Mohammedans took possession and made it a mosque. The inscription remained. The mosque has been burnt several times, but the inscription still remains. 'He must reign.'

Mohammedans took possession and made it a mosque. The inscription remained. The mosque has been burnt several times, but the inscription still remains. 'He must reign.'

1 John 5:4 NASB95

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

You are a King!” — Jesus responds in the affirmative that He is. To be a King is why He was born! This is why I have come into the world…to be King…the King which testifies to the Truth.

Truth — Jesus is the truth. He embodies the truth.

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Disclosing the truth of God, salvation and judgment was the way Jesus made subjects in His Kingdom. This is how he exercised His Kingship.

Those who look for the truth. Who are genuinely seeking and open to the truth…those on the side of the truth…they will listen to Jesus and be saved by Him.

Pilate responds with contempt. Truth! If all you are about is spiritual or philosophical truth you pose no threat the Rome and I have been tricked into agreeing to your execution under false accusations.

Now Pilate looks for an out…a way for everyone to save face and Jesus to be set free.

Saving Face

John 18:38–40 NASB95

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 guilt in Him. “But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Pilate says he finds no guilt in Jesus but you have that I release a prisoner at Passover…he asks if they wish to have Jesus, the King of the Jews released.

Pilate sees this as an opportunity for everyone involved to save face and move on. If Jesus is released the Jews can walk away thinking that Jesus is pardoned, Pilate can avoid entangling himself in this quagmire and Jesus can escape with His life.

The Jews ask for Barabbas instead…a murderer, thief and revolutionary.

Jesus was one step closer to the cross

Conclusion

One of the great take-aways of this passage is a right understanding of the Kingdom of God. It is something we need to mediate upon this morning.

Not of this world — Until Jesus returns He will will never have a physical kingdom on earth. The United States of America is not now nor has it ever been The Kingdom of Jesus. People can call this country a Christian nation all they want because many of its founders held Christian ideals but it has never been the Kingdom of Jesus.

The Roman Empire, despite embracing Christianity a few centuries after the resurrection of Jesus, was never the Kingdom of Jesus. The Holy Roman Empire, despite its name and the Christian influence of many in its borders was never the Kingdom of Jesus.

You and I will never usher in an earthly Kingdom of Jesus through our political arguments, activism, or even armed revolution.

The Kingdom of Jesus is here now but it is not now nor has it ever been a physical Kingdom. Christians in the United States need to be reminded of this.

The Kingdom of God is much richer, more powerful and meaningful than any nation or kingdom on earth ever has been or ever will be.

The Kingdom of God is made up of every man, woman and child who trusts Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is made up of all those who believe the truth about their sin, Jesus and the salvation He brought us in His Cross.

The power of the Kingdom is the Spirit of God who convicts mankind of their sin, reveals the truth of their salvation and confirms them in their faith. The Spirit of God changes us!

The blood of Jesus has paid for all of our sins. The Cross of Jesus has taken us into His death so we could be raised to a new life. We are free from both the consequences and power of sin because Jesus is the Truth who sets us free!

The power of the Kingdom is the Spirit of God who convicts mankind of their sin, reveals the truth of their salvation and confirms them in their faith. The Spirit of God changes us!

Someday Jesus is going to return and set up His earthly Kingdom on this earth…He will do the work…He will defeat our enemy the devil. He will destroy all the works of evil and wickedness. He will finally destroy all the affects of sin. He won’t need our help in the slightest in doing so. But now His Kingdom goes forth and conquers sin and death…delivering all who have faith so they might be citizens of His Kingdom both now and then.

Application

Focus — Our focus should be on Christ and His Kingdom rather than on earthly kingdoms. To put it another way…we need to be more heavenly minded.

Warren Buffet — Reads 500 pages each day. Spends 80% of his time reading and thinking. “Anyone of you can do it but I guarantee that most of you won’t.”

C. S. Lewis — If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.

Think and mediate about heaven often. Think of how your life matters for eternity. Ask yourself daily whether what you are doing today will matter when there are no more tomorrows on this earth.

Faith — Believe it is so when it isn’t so because it is so because God said it was so.

In the summer of 216 B.C. the army of Hannibal destroyed a great Roman army under the consul Terentius Varro. This came at the end of eighteen months of terrible battles with the conqueror from Carthage. In these battles the Roman armies had lost sixty thousand men. Yet the great disaster did not shake Rome. The Senate voted the defeated general, Varro, their thanks—"because he had not despaired of the commonwealth." When Hannibal encamped not more than three miles from the wall of Rome, the ground on which his army was encamped was put up for sale at Rome and brought its full market value. It was a magnificent tribute to Rome's confidence in herself and her future.

When it looks like God is losing and the world is going literally to hell all around us we need to remind ourselves of the truth of the situation and exercise faith. This is not how the story ends. God is still in control and He has already won the war.

Romans 8:28 NLT

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

And to make this personal...God truly is working all things together for our good…that we would be conformed into the image of Christ…be a part of what He is doing in the world and bring greatest glory to Him. Believe it is so.

Fear Not — Biologists say that fear is not only universal emotion but the first of emotions to be developed in man and beast. The whole creation is under dominion of fear. Man comes into this world stamped with fear before he is born, and those fears are multiplied as he increases in knowledge and experience.

Fear is rooted in sin…our sin nature…the desire to be in control and free of God means that we are left insecure and at the mercy of what we can do for our self. The greater our surrender to Christ and the truth the less fear has of us.

We are a part of the Kingdom of God. We are princes and princesses of the most High King.

The Kingdom of God is advancing and the gates of hell can never prevail against it. We continue to see our King take more and more ground from the enemy in the battle for the hearts of people.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Jesus has overcome…and in Him we have too.

There will be many times in life when it seems like all is lost…as though following Christ brings no advantage and that all your commitment is for not. Focus, have faith and fear not…God has this! He really is in control…His Kingdom has already won…we are a part oft hat Kingdom and in Him we have won too!