John 19 Pilate Caves

John 19 – Pilate Caves… Jesus Pays… Joseph’s Cave

Personal:

I love movies that are full of surprises…

Front to back…
Twists and turns
Who is the villain…
Secret identities…
Ones that keep you intrigued right to the end!!
Surprises… I love those kind of surprises…

Biblical:

John 19:1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 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. 4 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!" 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." 7 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; 9 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." 12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar." 13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" 15 So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." 16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. 17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS." 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS." 25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Secular: The Truth is….

We love an underdog… at least many of us do…
That is why there are so many Canuck fans here…
Ok….
We like to see the little guy… the unexpected… succeed…
We like those who appear destined to defeat are able to snatch glory… usually from a cocky… much more arrogant opponent…

Bridge: In Christian circles… “the meek shall inherit the earth...” and “his strength is in my weakness” have become platitudes… clichés

We have become calloused to the things that shock and surprise the world around us!!

We shouldn’t be surprised… when the world is…

We serve the boy born in a stable… laid to rest in hay… trained as a carpenter… who became an itinerant preacher… who baffled the most learned of rabbis… who sought no esteem for himself… who laid his life down for his friends… The underdog… who defeated death, sin, and the grave.

Surprised….

5 areas of Surprise

Body:

Surprise treatment of an innocent man….

John 19 opens…

Pilate took Jesus and scourged him… they place a crown of twisted thorns on his head… they slapped his face… they mocked him… 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."

Hardly seems right…. - preached love

- preached forgiveness

- preached compassion

- preached truth

NAU 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

NAU Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

We can’t claim the same innocence….

Have your ever wondered… in times of trial… “What is going on here?”
Or thought “I don’t deserve this!” KARMA....?
There can be so much suffering in our lives…. Suffering that isn’t some divine punishment…. Suffering that furthers God’s purpose

Paul… Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

· Should we be surprised?

· NAU Isaiah 48:10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. – lovingly grows us…

Christ wasn’t be refined for his sake and his sin… It was for our sin, our stain… that was being removed
We have been made righteous in Christ… yet this very righteous and holy Son of God still suffered for God’s purpose… our victory is eternally with God
Don’t be surprised at the suffering…
Be focused on the reward and the God you serve…
James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Even those made righteous… made innocent in Christ will suffer…

Surprise power in the powerless

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."

This is the topsy-turvy reality of the Christian world view…
Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last." Oh, what the world values vs what God values… (Remember the disciples…)
Jesus will be the strength in our weakness…
We know we have to be crucified in Christ to live….
Jesus… having been beaten… crowned with thorns… blood running down his back and from his head… tells Pilate… the man who apparently holds his ‘fate’ in his hands… that authority rest not with him… but in heaven… with the Father.
Mother Teresa… small women… quiet… but operated in the authority of God with power no man could have given her…
Billy Graham… does not draw a crowd because he is witty… or has a unique message… but operated in the authority of God with power no man could have given him…
The new believer sold out for Christ… living it and sharing it… operating in the authority of God with power no man could have given her…
When you wonder how can I do what God calls me to do… Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
It was in Christ’s apparent weakness the power of God was demonstrated!!
It is in our weakness that the Power of God can be demonstrated!!
Don’t be surprised by the demonstration of Power in the powerless…

Surprise death to the King

And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" 15 So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!"

Ever truly been shocked….
Something seems obvious… yet people vote it down… (RAV Line)
28 drivers working for Shell Canada…
Wanted to switch to 4 x 10 hour days…
Serve a wider area (w/o overtime) and save four jobs…
They voted no… voted 4 guys out of a job
Ancient time… celebrate the King… even now
“Behold your King”… Crucify him…
Presented with the Gospel… the answer was “we would rather perish”… Ever heard that…
Jesus is okay for you… but I don’t believe…
I can’t help but be shocked when I introduce the King… and they respond Crucify him…
No matter what power comes with the name of Christ there will be those who deny him….
We shouldn’t be surprised… (but we should hurt and ache) when the lost reject the King….

Surprise selflessness in agony

26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

If you recall… it is at this point… near death and in excrutiating pain… that Christ calls out and takes care of his Mother…
In the most dire of times… Christ still focused on others…
As Christ hung from the cross he was being obedient to his Father…
As Christ hung from the cross he was lovingly redeeming the children of God by bearing their sin
As Christ hung from the cross he thought of his Mother… and asked John the beloved disciple to care for her…
A Surprise of selflessness in agony
It doesn’t take much for our eyes to turn in… as a church and as a person…
In our pain or in our struggles we often want to inward…
But we have two very important thing to keep in mind…
"'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'"This is the great and foremost commandment.
39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
God first… other second….
And the world will be surprised…
Surprised by selflessness in agony

Surprise the end is just the beginning

30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

There is a difference between “This is the End” and “It is Finished”
John 14:3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going."
"And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
There is a difference between “This is the End” and “It is Finished”
The Jewish Leaders believed that they got rid of a pesky teacher…
Approx 13 – 18 million… who would call themselves Jews
Approx 2 billion Christians… the end was just the beginning…
From Pentecost to today… The cause of Christ continues to show that the cross was a place of new beginning…

NAU Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Surprise… the end was and is just the beginning!!

Conclusion:

Treatment of an Innocent Man:

· Don’t be surprised by the suffering even for those redeemed in Christ… Just Christ suffered for us and as Paul suffered for the Faith… we too maybe refined, challenged and grown by life’s trials

Power in the Powerless

· This is the topsy-turvy reality of the Christian world view…

· That God demonstrates his power in those who have humbled themselves…

· Don’t be surprised by God’s power in our weakness

Death to the King

· Don’t be surprised when we introduce the King… that some cry crucify him!!

Selflessness in Agony

· Don’t be surprised by the godly… those who live for God and others…even in their own adversity

The End is Just the Beginning

· Don’t be surprised… the end is just the beginning