The eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of John’s Gospel deal with the trials of Jesus of Nazareth beginning with His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane and culminating in His crucifixion. Who is this One on trial? Who is this One soon to give His life on Calvary? This question is important because the value of His death depends entirely upon who He was. If He was a criminal and deserved to die, His death means nothing, at least no more than the death of any one of the thousands of other criminals who have been executed down through the long centuries of human history. If He was an innocent man, His death speaks to us merely of the miscarriage of justice; His deportment, only of how a strong man can bravely bear misfortune. On the other hand, if He was God, as He claimed to be, His death has monumental significance.
It was on the ground of insurrection that Pilate conducted the trial. Imagine his surprise then when, after having acquitted Jesus of this charge, he suddenly hears the real charge mentioned. Pilate had said, “I find no basis of a charge against him” (John 19:6). Now His accusers reply, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God” (v. 7). Up to now Pilate had been conducting the trial as if Jesus were only a man and the issues merely human issues. Now the ground is shifted entirely, and Pilate must face the entirely new question as to whether Jesus is actually the Son of God.
Was His claim to be the Son of God factual? It is not only Pilate who is forced to face this question. You must confront it too. Many witnesses are available to help you reach your verdict.
THE SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES
The most important witness to any fact is GOD HIMSELF. So, although there are many witnesses to be considered, we should begin with Him. Does God Almighty bear witness to Christ’s deity?
We turn to the testimony of God given on the day of Christ’s baptism. Here we see the Holy Spirit of God descending upon the Lord Jesus Christ, like a dove from heaven. And we hear God speak. He says, “This is my Son, whom I love; in him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). Has such a testimony ever been given to another? We do not know of any. God called Abraham His friend, and David was called a man after God’s own heart. But these were nevertheless still men. Here is One called God’s Son. The testimony is powerful.
This was at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, before the temptation, the public acclaim, the rejection, the disappointments. What about later, after these things? Perhaps the One in whom God was “pleased” at the beginning will not be so pleasing at the end. We turn to that moment toward the end of Christ’s ministry when Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfiguration and was changed from His earthly into His heavenly appearance. In this moment He was clothed with light as with a garment, and in the hearing of Peter, James, and John, God Almighty spoke again from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; in him I am well pleased” (Matt. 17:5).
God the Father testifies to Christ’s deity.
The second witness to be summoned is JESUS OF NAZARETH. Any court should be willing to hear a man’s testimony about himself. So we turn to Jesus and ask Him: “You’re name is Jesus of Nazareth?”
“Yes.”
“What do you say for yourself?”
The Lord replies, “I have already given my testimony. On one occasion the leaders of Israel challenged me to reveal my true identity, and I did this so clearly that they immediately took up stones to throw at Me. I said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58). On another occasion I taught the people in the temple and said to them, ‘I am my Father are one’ (John 10:30). Just this week in my final moments together with My disciples I answered a question raised by Philip, saying, ‘Whosoever has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). Last night the high priest asked me the question, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ and I replied, ‘I am; and you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven’ (Mark 14:61-62). It is for this claim that I am being tried and for which I will be executed.”
The testimonies of God Almighty and of Jesus of Nazareth agree.
We have heard the witness of two members of the Holy Trinity. What about the third member, THE HOLY SPIRIT? Before He was crucified the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26). This He has done. The entire New Testament is the Spirit’s witness to Christ’s deity.
Are there other supernatural witnesses from whom we should hear?
There are ANGELS of heaven. What do they say? We hear their voice in the events which surround the birth of the Lord in Bethlehem. Gabriel is one of them. He appeared to Mary before the birth saying, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. . . . The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-32, 35). Later in the story the angels appear to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and say to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
What of the DEMONS? They know the truth about Jesus even though they are opposed to His rule. What is their opinion of the One who now appears before Pilate? We remember on one occasion the Lord healed a man who had been possessed by many demons. He was about to cast them out when they replied, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matt. 8:29). On another occasion the demons fell down before him, saying, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 3:11).
THE HUMAN WITNESSES
It is not only supernatural witnesses that attest to Christ’s deity. There are also many human witnesses, among them those who knew Him best. Consider the writers of the four Gospels. These men are the historians of Christ’s life. They may rightly be supposed to have carefully investigated the things that were being told about Him. Some lived with Him. They were eyewitnesses of the events they describe. What do these men think of the One who stands before Pilate?
“MATTHEW, what do you think? You wrote the first of our Gospels. You are a Jew, and the Jews confess one God. You are not likely to ascribe divinity to any man without overwhelming evidence.”
Matthew replies, “I believe that Jesus is the divine Savior of whom the Old Testament speaks. I have said so. I said that his birth was in fulfillment of that great prophecy of Isaiah, which says, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel --- which means, ‘God with us’” (Matt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14).
“MARK, what about you? You traveled with Peter. You received firsthand information from him. What do you think?”
Mark answers that he introduced his Gospel with these words: “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).
LUKE was a physician. He was not inclined to exaggeration. He has given us the most scientific of the Gospels. Yet Luke favorably records some of the most exalted titles ever given to Jesus: “Son of the most High” (Luke 1:32), “Son of God” (1:35), and “Christ the Lord” (2:11).
What about JOHN? “John, what is your testimony?”
John tells us that he has written the clearest words of all. His Gospel starts, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). John’s Gospel concludes, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31).
Are there any other human witnesses?
Yes, there are. JOHN THE BAPTIST, who was a cousin of Jesus, testified, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).
MARTHA, in whose home Jesus and His disciples often stayed, testified, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world” (John 11:27).
Jesus once asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” PETER, speaking for the rest, declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15-16). Did Jesus recoil from that confession? If there was ever an opportunity in which He could have corrected this “mistaken” notion of who He was, it was then. He could have said, “You are wrong, Peter. I am not God’s Son. I am just a man, as you are.” But that is not what He said. Instead He replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah; for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). The earthly witnesses and the heavenly witnesses agree: Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.
THE WITNESSES AT THE CROSS
It is said that the way in which a man dies throws much light upon who he is and how he lived. It is of interest to know how Christ died and what those who witnessed His death though of Him in His dying moments.
Two who were present were thieves who died with Him. One thief was hardened and mocked Jesus, according to Luke’s testimony. He said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” THE OTHER THIEF replied, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly; for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” He then turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:39-42).
The CENTURION was in charge of the execution party. He was a serious man. He had seen many die. What do you think, centurion? Our soldier replies, “I saw it all. I witnessed the conduct of the prisoner in His agony. No curse escaped his lips. While being nailed to the cross He even asked God to forgive those who were killing Him, saying they did not know what they did. He suffered bravely, and as He died darkness covered the land, even at high noon. An earthquake came; the rocks were shaken and the graves opened. I saw these miracles. And I said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man. This was the Son of God” (Luke 23:47; Matt. 27:54).
WHAT IS YOUR VERDICT?
As last we come to ourselves. We have not seen Him in the days of His flesh, but He is proclaimed to us in Scripture and the Holy Spirit bears witness to Him in countless Christian hearts. What do we say? Is He the Son of God? I give you MY TESTIMONY. Jesus spoke to me through the Word of God, declaring who He is and what He has done. I believed Him and gave my life to Him. I confess that He is indeed the Son of God and my Lord and Savior.
Is that YOUR TESTIMONY? You know the evidence. Will you decide in favor of His claims? Or will you decide against Him? The strange thing about this case is that the decision you make will not determine the destiny of the defendant. It will determine the destiny of yourself, the judge.
