Focusing On Christ's Sentence Series

Focusing on Christ Sentence

John 18:28-40

Introduction

A. Sporting events are great

B. To be there and to hear the crowed totally get it to it

C. Maybe someone from the home team made a great dunk and the next thing you know you have 30,000 people screaming with Joy

D. Maybe the ref makes a horrible call and 30,000 people begin to boo

E. It is amazing on how many people will follow what other start

F. Some will start yelling here we go Steelers Here we go and next thing that you know 60,000 people are saying it

G. We as humans tend to do whatever everyone else is doing

H. However, that might be the worst mistake we could make

I. We often throw truth right out the window

J. Today we are going to see what happens when we

a. Avoid Truth

b. Reject Truth

c. Forget Truth

I. Truth Avoided (28-32)

A. Explanation

1. After everything had transpired last night, early in the morning the Jews led their mob to Pilate

2. They wake Pilate up, Got Pilate to come to where they were, rather then coming to Pilate’s home

a) This is for a reason. It was during Passover and they did not want to be unclean

b) If you were to step foot in a Gentile house, you were unclean

c) The Passover you were not allowed to have any leaven. Leaven, was a common household item, therefore Pilate probably had some in his house, hence that would make them unclean

3. Keep in mind that the Jews were under Roman control

a) Being under Roman control meant that they could not order someone to death. Therefore they had to have Pilate sentence Christ to death

b) This is very interesting to note, Jewish form of capital punishment was stoning

c) However, the Romans used the crucifixion. Why is that important?

d) Jesus Himself predicated that he would be lifted up. (Read John 12:32)

4. Notice what Pilate says in verse 31. (Read 31) He does not want anything to do with this

5. There is a reason for that. Pilate did not have the greatest track record. He had been given some severe discipline for his stupid actions.

a) Let me give you a for instance. In Jerusalem there was an inadequate water supply. So Pilate decided to do something about it, he was going to build a better aqueduct to carry enough water. Here is the problem though; in order to fund this project he stole the money out of the Jewish Temple. The Jews opposed the aqueduct and would openly demonstrate the discontentment on the open street. Pilate got scared and dressed his soldiers up as citizens and ordered them to kill the Jews as soon as they got out of hand. Well Pilate was reported to the Emperor and the Emperor was not pleased

6. Because of all this Pilate did not want to get involved, However, the Jews basically blackmailed him, telling him that if he didn’t step in this matter that they would report him for one thing or another

B. Application

1. Fascinating story Pastor Dan, but who cared what does that have to do with me

2. Pilate had a chance to do the correct thing

3. This was not a matter of Roman Law, this was Jewish Religion

4. Pilate could have dismissed the charges and it would have been over

5. There are times in our lives were we have the opportunity to stand up for the truth

6. However we do not take it. WE become afraid

7. We worry that we might loose our job, our friend, our respect in the community

8. We need to be willing to stand up for the truth

9. We need to be willing to choose truth over popularity

10. We need to choose Christ over Friends

C. Illustration

1. Some story about someone taking the less popular Choice and Choosing God

II. Truth Rejected (33-37)

A. Explanation

1. Pilate was curious in religion, I would not say that he is a religious person, but fascinated by it

2. So Pilate ask the question “Are you the King of Jews”

3. Seems like an easy enough question, however, Jesus is all knowing he understood the motives behind the question

4. Jesus responds with the “Is that your own idea, or did you let others come up with it”

5. Jesus knowing that Pilate was a wimp and just did what people wanted him to do shocked Pilate with his response

6. So of course Pilate was too proud for his own good, and he responded with the silly Am I a Jew

7. He did this to try and claim that he was too good to know the Jewish customs and culture