Who Is This Jesus?
17. He is our King of Righteousness
John 18
Don Jaques
March 12/13, 2005
MAIN IDEA: Those who persecuted Jesus were more concerned with ritual cleanliness than with pleasing God with their actions.
It is easy for religious people to get fixated on certain smaller parts of God’s laws and lose track of the more important things.
Followers of Jesus Christ must be more concerned with God’s “main things” than with side issues.
Key verse: 28Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
OBJECTIVES:
People who hear this message will be reminded/taught what God considers most important.
People will be challenged to examine their lives for places they may be disobeying in major areas of their life with Christ while keeping up religious appearances.
INTRO:
Is anybody here a procrastinator like me? I don’t do it all the time – but there are definitely times in my life when I will do almost ANYTHING to avoid doing something that really needs to be done.
For me I sometimes avoid doing the important work of prayer and Bible study and preparation to speak by doing such things as organizing my files or checking email over and over, or following rabbit trails on the internet. Please tell me I’m not the only one who has this problem!
Basically what is happening when we do this is that instead of focusing on what is really important – we turn our attention to other, less important matters or even trivial matters. The result is a loss of productivity in our lives.
But what about when we do this in our spiritual lives? What happens then?
As we move now to the end of the Gospel of John, we’re getting into that part which is most dear to us as disciples of Jesus Christ. This week and the next 3 weeks we’ll be hearing the story of that last night and agonizing day of Jesus’ life, and the amazing ending to the story that we celebrate on Easter.
As you listen to the scripture in John 18 now – I encourage you to listen as if you’re hearing the story for the first time. You’ve been following along as Jesus has done miracles and taught his disciples and shared the Passover meal – ending with a lengthy prayer for his disciples and all who would follow after them. Now we pick up the story…
John 18
Jesus Arrested
1When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
2Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8“I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
Jesus Taken to Annas
12Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
Peter’s First Denial
15Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17“You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”
18It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
22When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter’s Second and Third Denials
25As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
26One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” 27Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Jesus Before Pilate
28Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29So 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.”
31Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. 32This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
33Pilate 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. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Who is Jesus? As he answered Pilate’s questions quite clearly – He is a King. But not a king of any place Pilate had ever seen – he is quite another kind of King – and His Kingdom is quite another kind of Kingdom.
But the Jews refused to receive Jesus as their King. Why did they miss him? There are many reasons, but one reason that comes shouting out through this passage is that they were so busy keeping up religious appearances that they missed what God was really up to.
There is so much we could talk about in this chapter – but I’m going to focus on one simple verse that has haunted me this week:
28Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
These men thought nothing of scheming and conspiring for the arrest of an innocent man under trumped up charges. They did not consider striking him during the midst of his interrogation anything that was a matter of concern. And ultimately they called for the freedom of a lawbreaker in exchange for the death of this innocent man.
But they wanted to make sure they were ceremonially clean! They didn’t want to miss the Passover meal – no sir – they looked forward to that all year. The time when they would celebrate how God provided for their people’s escape from Pharaoh and all the miracles he had done on their behalf. This was the high point of the year – 7 days of feasting. But you could only participate if you were a Jew who was ceremonially clean. If they entered into a Gentile home or place of business, they would be ceremonially unclean for 7 days – and they would miss the party!
But we’ve got to ask the question, “What is God more concerned about – ritual cleanliness or scheming, dishonesty, hatred, violence, murder?”
I’ve been asking myself this week how it is that I sometimes follow this same pattern. Can it be possible that though I find it so amazing in the actions of these Jewish leaders, I simply pass it off as normal when I do it.
• Do I ever hurry past people who are in need of justice, mercy, and love in my desire to get to my next appointment?
• Do I want to take small portions of the Word of God and make them a bigger deal than God makes of them?
• Do I make it a point to make it to church services, but I’m ignoring God’s commands to live a holy life?
• Do I wear Christian t-shirts to church, but refuse to speak a word about Jesus to my neighbors and co-workers?
When I do – or when anyone does these sort of things - we’re moving in the same direction as these Jewish authorities who wanted to have their Passover lamb without living out the clear commands of God.
How does God feel about such acts of so-called worship? The prophet Isaiah addressed this subject in the area of fasting – going without food as a spiritual discipline for a matter of time. Listen:
Is. 58:1 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
And Jesus, speaking to the Pharisees in Matt 23:
Matt. 23:23 ¶ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
What we see in these passages is that God is not impressed when we perform religious acts out of duty or for the mere appearance of holiness. What God desires in our lives is ACTUAL holiness. The scriptures tell us that we are adopted into His family when we come to him in faith and surrender our lives to his leadership. The scriptures urge us to be ambassadors for Christ – His representatives in this world. But for what? Fasting, church attendance, tithing, religious rituals? No – the more important things. Which as Jesus said, are justice, mercy and faithfulness. As the LORD said through Isaiah they are loosening the chains of injustice setting oppressed people free, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked. In short – ACTION!
The Jewish authorities lost sight of the call of God to ACT in ways that will bring the Kingdom of God into this world – and they focused instead on a side issue like ceremonial cleanliness.
In Romans 14, Paul addresses this subject as some people were getting all bent out of shape over the issues of eating meat of animals that had been sacrificed to idols, and over the observance of certain days as more “holy” than others. He wraps up his argument in verse 17:
Rom. 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Friends, it’s not about things like eating and drinking – or things like what people wear or whether they smoke cigarettes, or whether they have tattoos, or whether they perform certain religious rituals. The kingdom of God is a matter of RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, and JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. As Paul writes, “anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God.”
Yes, religious disciplines like giving and fasting and attending worship services are important – but they are to be props that help us to do what Jesus called the more important things. Living a life of righteousness, fighting for justice, bringing mercy, walking humbly, keeping in step with the Spirit.
CONCLUSION:
I bring to you now a call for one simple thing. Repentance.
• Repentance from being more concerned about what people think about your spiritual life than what God thinks about it.
• Repentance from focusing attention on minor details and forgetting to represent God in the major things.
• Repentance from doing spiritual looking things while you’ve been harboring sinful attitudes.
