John 18:28-40

Jesus’ trial with Pilate.

John 18:28–32 ESV

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

After meeting with Annas, the Jews took Jesus to be held trial by the Roman government. Jesus was just given a sham trial, where he didn’t even go before Caiaphas, the High priest. In fact, Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law. I learned this week that Annas was actually the one in charge of the money changers in the temple. He was probably bitter for what Jesus did when he turned their tables over. The trial held by Annas was at night. Everything about it was a sham, yet they moved forward anyway.

The Jewish rulers wanted Jesus put to death. As part of the Roman empire, they were not allowed to take part in capital punishment. This was up to the highest courts in each province. So, they had to take Jesus to the governor in their province.

So now it is Friday early morning, the day before Passover begins.

What is Passover?

The Jewish officials were not able to enter a Gentile area because they were fearful of becoming defiled. The day before Passover is a day of cleansing and preparing your body to be clean before the celebration begins. If they were to be defiled they would have to go through a traditional cleansing. It was better to not have to go through all that. This is why the Jews met with Pilate outside his quarters.

John 18:28–29 ESV

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”

Pilate almost certainly knew what was already happening.

Who arrested Jesus in the Garden? - The Jewish authorities and the Roman soldiers, last week Shawn said, maybe over 1,000 of them.

Pilate and the Sanhedrin most likely had been meeting prior to this to orchestrate the situation, yet Pilate seeks to give Jesus a fair trial. He asks, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”

John 18:30–31 ESV

30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

Imagine being in a court room. Not just a local court room, but the Supreme Court of Florida.

Jesus is on trial, Pilate is the judge, the Jewish council are the prosecutors.

Pilate asks what accusations do you have against this man and the Jewish council says, this man has been doing evil.

Pilate is likely frustrated and says, that is no big deal, you should be the ones to judge this man and deal with him yourself.

But the Jews come back and say we seek the death penalty for this man, which makes this case necessary in front of Pilate, the governor, who has authority over capital punishment trials.

For the Jews, they strongly believe that Jesus is blaspheming-claiming to be the Son of God.

Back in 19:7 it says:

John 19:7 ESV

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”

Claiming to be the Son of God was offensive to the Jews. They thought they were right. They didn’t think that their Messiah would be delivered in a stable. Parented by a carpenter. They thought the Son of God was going to come as a glorified King and would see them as righteous. Instead Jesus came, humbled, and called out their sins and completely turned their religion upside down.

They thought that there was no way Jesus was the Messiah.

John 18:32 ESV

32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

All throughout the book of John, we see hints of how Jesus was going to die.

John 3:14 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

John 12:32–34 ESV

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”

John 8:28 ESV

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.

We can look at “to be lifted up” in two ways- one to glorify him, but also to crucify him.

If the Jews had executed Him, it would have been by throwing Him down to stone him.

God providentially controlled all the political procedures to assure that, when the sentence was finally passed, He would be crucified by the romans, and not stoned by the Jews.

Let’s read John 18:33-38

John 18:33–38 ESV

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

In verse 33 Pilate takes him to the court room and asks him, Are you the King of the Jews?

-This proves that Pilate had some information on who Jesus was.

-Notice how Jesus answers, he answers with a question, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did other say it to you about me?”

-All throughout the Bible we see Jesus questioned. What I’ve noticed is that he often responds to the question with a question.

-Jesus desires to hear what others think before he responds.

-Who do you say I am?

-Here Jesus wants to hear who Pilate thinks He is. Jesus doesn’t care what others have told Pilate about Him, but he wants to hear what Pilate thinks for himself.

-Instead of Pilate getting defensive, he just asks Jesus flat out, what have you done? What have you done to cause so much trouble amongst the Jews?

Then in Verse 36 Jesus talks about his kingdom.

-His Kingdom is not an earthly, or of this world kingdom.

-If his Kingdom was of this world, He would have fought. That’s how King’s preserve their kingdoms and themselves, by fighting with force.

-But back in 18:10-11, where Peter uses force to cut off the ears of one of the guards; we see Jesus rebuke Peter and see that fighting is not have any part of His kingdom.

What are your thoughts on His kingdom?