SERMON OUTLINE:
(A). Jesus before Annas:
• Two High Priests: Annas & Caiaphas
(B). Jesus before Pilate:
• Step 1: Accusation (vs 18-32):
• Step2: Interrogation (vs 33-35):
• Step 3: Defense (vs 36-38a)
• Step 4: Verdict (vs 38b)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• One day, a youngster was really excited about getting to go fish with his dad.
• The 7-year-old had lots of questions.
• “Dad,” he asked, “what makes this boat float?”
• The father replied, “Son, I don’t rightly know.”
• A few moments later the youngster asked,
• “Dad, how can fish breathe below the water?”
• The father replied, “Son, I don’t rightly know.”
• After a few minutes of silence the youngster had another question,
• “Dad, why is the sky blue?”
• The father again replied, “Son, I don’t rightly know.”
• Another few minutes passed in silence when the youngster asked,
• “Dad, does it bother you that I’m always asking questions?”
• His father thought for a moment and said,
• “No, son, it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I’m glad you ask questions.
• How else will you learn anything if you don’t ask
• TRANSITION: From the trivial to the important;
• In our passage this morning a number of questions are asked.
• I make it nine questions in our reading;
• (Chapter 18 verse 21, 22, 23, 29, 33, 35, 37, 38 & 39)
• And we will look at them in a moment.
Note:
• Jesus will be given two trials, one Jewish, one Roman.
• The high priests, Annas and Caiaphas would lead the Jewish trials,
• And Pontius Pilate will lead the Roman trial.
(A). Jesus before Annas:
First there are 3 questions at this initial Jewish trial:
• Chapter 18 verse 21: Jesus: ‘Why question me?’
• Chapter 18 verse 22: One of the officials: ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’
• Chapter 18 verse 23 Jesus: ‘If I said something wrong,’ Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’
Note:
• Regarding the Jewish trial of Jesus;
• The Bible states that at the time in Jewish history,
• There were actually two high priests, Annas and Caiaphas.
• i.e. Luke chapter 3 verses 1-3:
• "...while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests".
• Strictly speaking, there could be only one high priest,
• He held that office until he died and then his successor took up the role.
• But the Romans (Roman procurator, Valerio’s Gratus);
• Complicated things by removing Annas from his position as High Priest;
• And replacing him with Caiaphas
• Since Annas hadn't died... he was technically still high priest, according to the Law.
• And the Jewish people recognized him in this office.
• But, Caiaphas had been appointed by the Romans as high priest.
• So, although Caiaphas carried out his role as official high priest,
• Annas retained the authority of high priest as well.
• So that is why there were high priests at the same time.
• So Annas was the legitimate high priest by the great majority of Jews.
• But Caiaphas held the title and was backed by the Roman authorities.
(B). Jesus before Pilate:
Pilate asks Jesus six questions:
• Chapter 18 verse 29: ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’
• Chapter 18 verse 33: ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
• Chapter 18 verse 35 ‘Am I a Jew?’ Pilate replied.
• Chapter 18 verse 37 ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate.
• Chapter 18 verse 38 ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate.
• Chapter 18 verse 39 ‘Do you want me to release “the king of the Jews”?’
Now Pilate asked some good questions:
• His problem was he did not act upon the answers he was given,
• And so Pontius Pilate’s brief appearance in Scripture is full of tragedy.
• Because he made at least three mistakes.
(a).
• i.e. He ignored his conscience,
• Instead of being true to his convictions,
• He took the easy option and followed the crowd.
(b).
• i.e. He disregarded the good advice of his wife,
• Who warned him not to have anything to do with ‘that innocent man’.
• (Matthew chapter 27 verse 19).
(c).
• i.e. He chose political expediency over public rectitude,
• i.e. He failed to recognize the truth even when Truth was standing right in front of him.
Note: I want to concentrate on Jesus and Pilate
• Pilate asked some good questions:
• He did not get the answers he wanted;
• And he did not have the moral courage to follow his convictions,
• And sadly he chose what was convenient over what was right.
Question: Who was Pontius Pilate?
Answer:
(a).
• Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36,
• Serving under Emperor Tiberius.
• He is most known for his involvement in condemning Jesus to death on a cross.
(b).
• Outside of the four Gospels,
• Pontius Pilate gets a name check and is mentioned by the Roman & Jewish historians;
• Tacitus, Philo, and Josephus.
• Records of Pilate’s reign are not good;
• He was tactless and undiplomatic, he was brutal and violent.
• It seems to me that most of his problems and disputes as Governor;
• Seemed to have been resolved by the sword;
• And always with a high price of taking much human life.
(c).
• In 1961 archeologists discovered the “Pilate Stone,”
• This finding includes a description of Pontius Pilate;
• And mentions him as “prefect” of Judea.
(d).
• In the Bible, Pontius Pilate is mentioned;
• Solely in connection with the trials and crucifixion of Jesus.
• John’s gospel has the longest and most detailed account of Jesus’ hearing before Pilate.
• And John alone records a conversation which occurred between Pilate and Jesus.
Note: as we look at this passage:
• In these verses at the end of John chapter 18:
• The Roman code of criminal procedure is being used.
• The Roman code of criminal procedure involves four major steps;
• All four steps are found in our passage, here in John chapter 18.
• And that gives us our outline for this section.
STEP ONE: ACCUSATION (vs 18-32):
“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. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’
30 ‘If he were not a criminal,’ they replied, ‘we would not have handed him over to you.’
31 Pilate said, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’
‘But we have no right to execute anyone,’ they objected. 32 This took place to fulfil what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’”
Ill:
• There is a story told that involved Abraham Lincoln.
• One day when a man drew a revolver and thrust the weapon into his face.
• Abraham Lincoln calmly asked the man “What seems to be the matter?”
• The man replied, “Some years ago I swore an oath;
• That if I ever came across an uglier man than myself I’d shoot him on the spot.”
• Lincoln smiled and said: “Shoot me,”
• He added; “If I am an uglier man than you, I don’t want to live.”
• TRANSITION:
• Well, there was nothing humorous about the accusations against Jesus;
• Verse 28: shows the hypocrisy of these Jewish leaders;
• Unwilling to physically (outwardly) enter a Gentile building;
Ill:
• The Governor’s palace, the correct name is the ‘Praetorian’.
• Translators think that palace is more understandable in the twentieth century.
• Praetorian was the name for the headquarters;
• Of the commanding officer of a Roman military camp.
• Or the headquarters of a Roman governor such as Pilate.
• Pilate resided in the Praetorian during feast days;
• So that he could quell any disturbances that might arise.
• Otherwise he lived in the palace of Herod the Great in Caesarea.
Verse 28: shows the hypocrisy of these Jewish leaders;
• Unwilling to physically (outwardly) enter a Gentile building;
• Because that would make them ‘ceremonial unclean’.
• Yet, they are totally unclean inwardly;
• And they do not bat an eyelid when it comes to injustice;
• They are prepared to condemn a man to death;
• Without a fair trial and on trumped up charges!
Notice: Pilate saw through the sham of their actions:
• Pilate asked in verse 29: "What are the charges against this man?"
• The Roman code of criminal procedure;
• States that a trial must begin with an indictment,
• But the Jews did not have any charge that would be recognized in a Roman court,
• Let alone one that would be viewed as a capital offense.
Ill:
• The Jews were permitted to conduct judicial proceedings;
• They were allowed to punish criminals in certain legal matters,
• But that punishment was severely limited;
• i.e. They were forbidden to punish anyone by death.
• Consequently, the chief priests and elders needed the agreement of Pilate,
• The Roman governor, if Jesus was to be executed as they had planned.
• Note in verse 31 the Jewish leaders had already decided Jesus must die!
• They are not after a trail, they just want the verdict;
• They want Pilate to grant permission for Jesus to be executed.
Pilate is a shrewd old boy, he knows this case is a Jewish matter not Roman:
• To him they were wasting his time over a trivial matters.
• Over religious matters not civil law
• Jesus was originally accused of blasphemy;
• This was not a crime under Roman law.
• Which is why Pontius Pilate declaring him innocent.
• So the religious leaders;
• Knowing that this charge would not hold water in a Roman court;
• Change and alter their accusations to treason.
• So the new charges brought against Jesus was that of treason.
• Treason against the Roman government and Caesar's authority.
• They said; he claimed to be a king and therefore he is challenging Roman authority;
STEP TWO: INTERROGATION (vs 33-35):
“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
34 ‘Is that your own idea,’ Jesus asked, ‘or did others talk to you about me?’
35 ‘Am I a Jew?’ Pilate replied. ‘Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?’”
• The second step of the Roman code of criminal procedure;
• Was interrogation.
• Pilate wants to get to the facts, to get to the truth.
The Jewish leaders alleged that Jesus had claimed to be a king,
• Pontius Pilate has to take notice of this claim;
• Because he represented the world's most powerful government,
• He could not let any sedition undermine it.
• So wisely Pilate questions the accused and asks him:
• Verse 33:‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
• Note: The word ‘YOU’ is emphatic in the verse:
• Pilate was probably expecting some sort of revolutionary;
• Some type of Israeli terrorist before him.
• When he saw Jesus he was disappointed.
• As a military man Pilate was able to read people;
• He knew this was no terrorist, no freedom fighter standing before him.
Note: Jesus replied to the question by saying:
• "Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?" (vs 34)
• The distinction Jesus makes is important,
• Because the answer would differ depending on the sense of the question.
• Jesus was not the king of the Jews in a political sense;
• The way the Jewish leaders are suggesting (Luke chapter 23 verse 2),
• That is promoting sedition against Rome,
• But he was indeed the King of the Jews in the Messianic sense;
• (Matt. 2:2; Luke 1:32-33; 19:38; John 12:13).
• He was the promised Messiah that the prophets had predicted would come.
• His agenda was not political but spiritual;
• He had bigger enemies to fight than the Roman army (i.e. sin, death & the devil).
STEP THREE: DEFENSE (VS 36-38a)
“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.’
37 ‘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.’
38 ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate.”
• The third step of the Roman code of criminal procedure; Defense.
• The accused was given the opportunity to defend themselves.
Pilate almost mockingly asks Jesus: “Are you a king?” (vs 33)
• He looks at Jesus and sees a poor man with no financial clout;
• He is a Galilean, therefore from the wrong part of the country.
• He has a small band of followers, no great army;
• And even these few have all run away and abandoned him.
• So mockingly Pilate asks him, “Are you a king”
• He already knows within himself the answer;
• Only a deluded king at best.
• To Pilate Jesus has no background or pedigree or army to support such a claim.
• The idea that this man is a king is laughable.
Jesus responded (vs 36): "My kingdom is not of this world"
• Jesus makes it clear to Pilate that he is a king;
• But not the type of king Pilate is thinking of.
• This king does not need to establish his Kingdom like the Romans did;
• With a display of physical power.
• Jesus says in verse 36:
• My followers do not take up physical weapons and fight for him.
So Jesus informs Pilate that:
• His kingship is different;
• His subjects are different;
• And then he says that his kingdom (reign/authority) is also different.
• i.e. The Jewish people were under the Roman authority.
• i.e. Pilate was under the authority of the emperor,
• But Jesus derived his authority from God.
• His kingdom is spiritual, that is in the hearts of his followers;
• Therefore he does not depend on military might to establish it.
• Jesus will not win people to his kingdom by force;
• But through conviction and persuasion.
• By the truth!
This answer then leads into Jesus explaining his ministry to Pilate (vs 37b-38a):
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.
• To paraphrase Jesus; “what is truth - you are looking at it!”
• ‘I was born and came into the world’ to demonstrate and speak the truth.
• If a person embraces my teaching, then they are believing the truth.
• Pilate replies: ‘What is truth?’
• From Pilate’s worldly perspective, as far as he knows, the only place you get truth;
• Is out of the sheath of a sword.
• Today people would say: “Out of the barrel of a gun”
Quote: Winston Churchill.
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”
• Case in point: Pilate.
• He knows Jesus is innocent,
• He knows why the Jewish leaders handed him over to him.
• So Pilate wants rid of Jesus ASAP.
• So again he follows Roman procedure.
STEP FOUR: VERDICT (vs 38b)
• Stage four of the Roman code of criminal procedure: The Verdict.
• Verse 38b Pilate informs every one of his decision.
“With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him”
Ill:
• Alexander the Great was the famous conqueror of the ancient world,
• One day came across the philosopher Diogenes.
• Diogenes was staring attentively at a heap of bones.
• “What are you looking for?” asks Alexander.
• “Something that I cannot find” replied Diogenes.
• “And what might that be?” said Alexander.
• Diogenes replied:
• “The difference between your father’s bones and those of his slaves”
• TRANSITION: Diogenes point was a good one;
• The great and the weak, the rich and the poor, the wise and the foolish;
• People are basically all physically the same and end up that way.
• Pilate looked and examined Jesus;
• And here was one who was different.
• He did not just tell the truth, he was the embodiment of truth.
• Not only was he innocent of these false charges;
• But he was the innocent of any charge – he was the sinless Son of God!
Pilate found that Jesus had committed no crime so he informs every one of his decision:
“With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him”
• Now the normal course of action should be;
• The prisoner is released, but no so in this case.
• Pilate is well aware that the Jewish religious leaders are not going to settle for that;
• So he is forced to try something else.
Note:
• Between verses 38 and verse 39;
• An interval takes place that John the writer skips over.
• Dr. Luke in his gospel (Luke chapter 23 verses 6-12) tells us that;
• Pilate sends Jesus the Galilean to Herod the ruler of Galilee to deal with.
• Herod was also in Jerusalem at this time, he was there for the feast Passover.
• But…
• Herod could not get any answer from Jesus and so sent him back to Pilate.
• John does not record hat incident, but moves on to Pilates next action.
A CUSTOM (vs 39):
• Once again Pilate tries to release Jesus;
• So he draws on a popular Passover custom that Roman governors used each year.
• The release of a prisoner was a political gesture;
• That won the Romans a little bit of favor with the Jewish people.
So Pilate offers to the crowd a choice of two men:
• JESUS: the man declared innocent by both himself and Herod.
• Jesus the man who had a few days earlier been hailed as a Jewish king;
• As he entered the city on what we call the ‘triumphant entry’).
• Or BARABBAS a rebel, a terrorist and a murder.
• “Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder”.
• (Luke chapter 19 verse 23)
Now as incredible as it seems to us today:
• We should be amazed that the crowd ask for Barabbas!
• To us it does not make sense!
• But remember that this is Passover time;
• National patriotic feelings are increased and at a high during festivals.
• And a vote for a freedom fighter like Barabbas;
• Was a significant vote against their Roman oppressors.
• Remember too that this was a manipulated crowd;
• Stirred up by the religious leaders
• This crowd is respond by its feelings rather than its brains.
Ill:
• On the Counties LIFE Expo this week;
• One of the children asked about this incident.
• And I was able to share with them this choice Pilate gave the crowd.
• As Barabbas looked at that middle cross built for him;
• He could say to himself, “He took my place, he died for me!”
• TRANSITION: It is of course true and something we can or should all say:
• “He took my place, he died for me!”
Quote: ‘There is a green hill far away’:
“We may not know, we cannot tell,
what pains he had to bear,
but we believe it was for us
he hung and suffered there.
He died that we might be forgiven,
he died to make us good,
that we might go at last to heaven,
saved by his precious blood.”
• He was rejected,
• That we might be accepted.
• He was condemned,
• That we might be forgiven.
• He was punished,
• That we might be pardoned.
• He was hated,
• That we might be loved.
• He was crucified,
• That we might be justified.
• He died,
• That we might live.
• Because when he rose,
• He conquered sin, death & the grave.
• That we might,
• Be found blameless,
• Know his love,
• Be saved!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=ZCHE8GIPHLQCnXdSbYLh0dJ56SF4YjwU&forceSave
