Category: John 18

They shouted back, ”No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

This seems like an odd verse to write a meditation on.

“So…” you might be thinking, “… the crowds shouted for Barabbas. So what?” If you didn’t think that, I apologize. But that was my initial thought. Then I started to ponder the irony and hypocrisy of the whole situation.

The claims against Jesus made before Pilate are vague. After all, Pilate would have little to no interest in the theological arguments that the Pharisees held against Jesus. What the Jews needed was some way to manipulate Pilate into crucifying Jesus. What they came up with was akin to saying Jesus was organizing an uprising against the Romans.

The idea that Jesus claimed to be “king of the Jews” could be seen in two ways. The legitimate view is that Jesus, the Son of God, is literally the king of the Jews. The view that the chief priests suggested to Pilate was that the claim that Jesus was king was a direct threat to the Roman Empire. Like the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, the Jews focused on the physical. They suggested Jesus wanted a physical kingship. The claim was that Jesus wanted to be king bad enough to try and overthrow the Roman governor.

In his offer to free a prisoner, Pilate pairs Jesus with Barabbas. In a way, this is a test. Barabbas was a real threat to the Roman Empire. Barabbas had actually taken part in an uprising. If the Jews were all that concerned about protecting their Roman governor, they would want Barabbas locked up if not put to death.

In choosing to let Barabbas go free, the Jews revealed themselves. They cared nothing for the Romans. Freeing Barabbas proves that. All they wanted was to see Jesus dead.

Application: The text of the gospel does not explicitly tell us that Pilate was testing the Jews. Yet we can see the results. The Bible teaches that we need to judge for ourselves and judge correctly. (John 7: 24) Sometimes to make a correct judgment we have to go beyond the words presented to us. Sometimes a test is in order.

Food for Thought: If you were advising Pilate, what would you tell him after watching the Jews choose to set Barabbas free rather than Jesus?

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Continue reading “The Jews Revealed – John 18: 40”

But 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’?

At this point in Pilate’s encounter with the Jewish leaders, he makes two mistakes. Assuming that he prefers to see Jesus go free, Pilate attempts to negotiate with the mob. For some reason which I cannot fathom, Pilate thinks that if he offers to let Jesus go free that the crowd would want him set free. This is the same crowd that brought Jesus in to be crucified. The second mistake, as I see it, is that Pilate refers to Jesus as ‘the king of the Jews.’

If Pilate had come out to the crowd and shamed them by pointing to Jesus as one of them, things might have gone differently.

“This man is no different than any of you!” he might have raged. “He has not broken Roman law nor has he hurt you in any way. You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves!”

But Pilate didn’t take that approach. Instead, he mocked them and mocked their religion by calling Jesus “king of the Jews.” It was like throwing gas on a fire. The people were insulted and angered by Pilate’s words. Some of the people in the crowd might have been by Sea of Galilee when they wanted to make Jesus king by force. Many were likely in the crowd when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of, “Blessed is the king of Israel!” These people were like a scorned lover. They had wanted Jesus to be their king. But Jesus was not the kind of king that they wanted, one who would fight their political battles for them. Now they were happy to help the chief priests throw Jesus to his death.

Pilate’s attempt to bargain with them failed… miserably.

Application: Fortunately, none of us will ever be in the position of bargaining for the life of our savior! Still, there is something to be learned here. Sometimes crowds can be fickle. People you thought were your friends might one day be your worst enemy. It is important to remember that Jesus has been there and knows what that is like. It is also important to remember that even when the whole world seems to be against us if we are pleasing Jesus everything else will be okay.

Food for Thought: Was there anything Pilate could have done to avert having Jesus crucified?

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Continue reading “Bad Bargain – John 18: 39”

With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ”I find no basis for a charge against him.”

At this point in the conversation, Pilate was likely irritated or frustrated.

Pilate was in a tough spot. In front of him was someone innocent of any wrongdoing by normal standards. Outside of the palace were the people Pilate was supposed to be governing. These particular people, the Jews, were not like other people that the Romans had conquered. These people were stubborn and stiff-necked. They were not easily cowed. They resented their Roman overseers and it was not uncommon for members of their race to form groups and rebel. Today, instead of rebelling, they were using their Roman governor to do their dirty work and have someone killed. Pilate didn’t like this situation one bit.

To his credit, Pilate is not indifferent to the truth, or the fate of an innocent man.

Pilate could have taken the easy road and simply given in to what the Jews were asking of him. Instead, he finishes his interview with Jesus and he goes out to face them with a report that they will not like: “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Pilate understands enough about truth to know it when he sees it. He may not understand fully who Jesus is, but he recognizes his innocence of wrongdoing. By some means we cannot see, he concludes that the crowd outside is lying about this man, Jesus. Instead of conforming to the crowd, Pilate proclaims the truth.

Application: Pilate is in a tough spot. This is possibly the toughest spot in the history of tough spots. On one hand is Jesus, the embodiment of truth, love, mercy, peace, and joy. On the other hand is the crowd, a witches’ brew of deceit, anger, envy, hate, and enmity. Standing up for truth is hard, yet Pilate is willing to make the effort, not for personal gain, but because it is the right thing to do.

Food for Thought: How would this story about the crucifixion be different if Pilate had not cared about the truth?

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Continue reading “Truth Proclaimed – John 18: 38b”

”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.

What is truth? Pilate’s question is simple, yet profound.

In the world Pilate lives in, truth changes depending on who is in charge. If the Romans are in charge, then their idea of truth is what people use. If Pilate had been a slave in a world ruled by a Jewish king, then the rules that king espoused would be his idea of truth. Political truth is a matter of power. The strongest political force gets to define reality.

We see this played out in the Old Testament. Good kings recognized the truth of God and honored him. Bad kings said truth was worshipping foreign gods or idols of wood and metal.

From a spiritual perspective, truth is not affected by politics or power. Truth is what is. God exists and the truth of that claim will be self-evident to everyone when they pass from this life to the next. The truth of God’s word is self-evident to people who recognize the reality of God. The truth of who Jesus is and what he said and did will also stand the test of time.

Application: Truth is not the same thing as belief or knowledge. A person can “know” something they read or heard, and they might believe that it is true, but that doesn’t make it true. Only by knowing God can we hope to understand what is true. (Proverbs 1: 7)

Food for Thought: What truth was Jesus born to testify to?

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Continue reading “Truth Revisited – John 18: 37c – 38a”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.”

Once again we are caught up in the back-and-forth between Pilate and Jesus.

Pilate asks, “Are you the king of the Jews?

Jesus answers, “Is that your own idea?”

Pilate responds, “Am I a Jew?”

Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Pilate says, “You are a king, then!”

Jesus replies, “You say that I am a king.”

If the topic wasn’t so serious, it would almost sound like an old vaudeville act. One reason Jesus cannot come out directly and claim to be a king is that Pilate has no context for understanding what kind of king Jesus is. The word “king” does not really begin to describe the power and majesty of Jesus. If Pilate understood who Jesus was, he would not be able to proceed with the crucifixion.

Application: We live in a world that is blind to the reality of Jesus and who he is. When we testify about Jesus it helps to keep that in mind. People in the world will need help understanding who Jesus is.

Food for Thought: How would you describe the kind of king that Jesus is?

Bonus Question: Are there any other reasons why Jesus would not confirm to Pilate that his is a king?

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Continue reading “A Kind of King – John 18: 37b”

”You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

In the prior verse, Jesus admits to having a kingdom, even though it is not of this world. Pilate hears this and then, perhaps in surprise, says, “You are a king, then!”

Being in the presence of a king is not a small thing. Kings represent people, and what happens to the king affects all the king’s people. Like the game of chess, if you capture the king you have won the game.

Not all kings fought, of course. Some kings were content to manage their kingdom and respect the neighboring kings around them. Sometimes they would get together and hobnob in kingly fashion. Occasionally they would create alliances so that if one king was attacked the other kings would come to their aid.

Jesus does not threaten Pilate, so Pilate can afford to be intrigued by him. Who is this man and why is he so hated by his people? Is he crazy? The people outside of the palace shouting that Jesus must die seemed a lot crazier. Amid all the Jewish insanity, the man Jesus seemed saner than anyone. Yet here he is, calmly talking with Pilate, about a kingdom that is not of this world.

I think Pilate must have liked the idea of someone as lowly, humble and non-threatening as Jesus being called king of the Jews. Perhaps it amused him. The idea of Jesus as king irritated the chief priests and other Jewish leaders. That fact alone might have been appealed to Pilate. Was Jesus crazy? No, I don’t think Pilate entertained that thought. Was Jesus different? Yes. Pilate was keenly aware that Jesus was a different kind of Jew than he had ever met before.

The solution, for Pilate, was that Jesus was a kind of imaginary king. Not a real king in the worldly sense. His followers had scattered and were not a threat. Jesus himself was not a threat. Pilate had been told he claimed to be a king and Jesus himself agreed with this claim with the caveat that his kingdom was not of this world.

“Okay,” thinks Pilate. “You are a king, then!”

Application: Pilate does not understand that there is life beyond this earthly life. As Christians, we accept that God is real and that there is a real life after death where Jesus will be our visible Lord and King.

Food for Thought: What happens in our lives when we realize that Pilate was right about Jesus being king?

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Continue reading “King Jesus – John 18: 37”

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.”

The test of a threat for a man in Pilate’s position is whether or not the accused is inclined to fight. A man who is inclined to fight whether by physical force or political intrigue is a threat. People so inclined are generally aggressive, prideful, arrogant people. Sometimes they are boastful. Other times they might be deceitful, guarded, evasive. Jesus was none of these things. He did not meet the test of being a threat to Pilate or anyone else.

Pilate’s first question to Jesus after he had summoned him into the palace was, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus responded by asking his own questions. He was unimpressed by the fact that Pilate was standing in judgment over him. They exchange a few more words, and then Pilate asks, “What is it you have done?”

In response, Jesus answers the first question and says, ‘’My kingdom is not of this world.”

That is an interesting response, but certainly not a threat. But what does he mean? Pilate must have at least understood that Jesus meant he had no ambitions of power here on earth. Going back to the Test, there is still the question of Jesus’ disciples. Do they agree with their master on this point?

Jesus answers Pilate’s unspoken question saying that if his kingdom were of this world, his servants would, “fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.” In a sense, Jesus invites Pilate to look closely at him. Is he struggling? Is he resisting? Is he making threats? No. None of that. Jesus and Pilate might be conversing over tea out on the veranda for all the concern Jesus shows over his future.

In this short exchange, Jesus answers Pilate’s question, passes the test, and opens the door to a kingdom not of this world.

Application: If we choose to model our lives after Jesus, we choose to focus on the same kingdom he was focused on. The things of this world do not matter because His kingdom is not of this world.

Food for Thought: If you were to stand before Pilate would he consider you a threat? Why or why not?

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Continue reading “The Test – John 18: 36”

”Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, ”or did others talk to you about me?”
”Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. ”Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Yesterday in “Threat” we posed the question: Where did Pilate hear that Jesus claimed to be king of the Jews? Today Jesus responds in a rather uncharacteristic way. Jesus asks Pilate where he got the idea about him being king of the Jews. If we assume that Jesus already knows the answer to his question, then his question seems intended to get Pilate (and us) to think.

Instead of answering Jesus, Pilate comes back at Jesus with another question. His response is, in effect, an affirmation of the differences between him and Jesus. Finally, he gets down to a practical question, but one that he should not have had to ask.

”What is it you have done?”

It is like both of them are caught in a kind of nightmare. Jesus, arrested for simply being who he is. Pilate is the judge and jury in a trial where no one will tell him what the person on trial has done wrong.

Somehow, in this whirling cauldron of political intrigue, Jesus is the bad guy. Pilate has been led to believe that the Jews are accusing Jesus of political insurrection. The problem is that Jesus doesn’t look the part. He has done nothing to threaten the Romans even though the Jewish leaders feel threatened.

What is it, Jesus, that you have done?

Is Pilate is expecting Jesus to explain what all the fuss is about? Even under Roman law, it was the responsibility of the accuser to explain their accusations. The Jews have not even done that.

Application: In this passage, we see the dramatic difference between the world’s approach to a problem and God’s approach. Jesus offers Pilate a chance to reconsider his implied accusation. Pilate offers Jesus the affirmation that he is hated by his own people. Then Pilate offers Jesus a chance to provide evidence against himself. When the world rejects you, think of Jesus’ calm assurance in his relationship with God.

Food for Thought: If Pilate had answered Jesus’ question what would have changed in this story?

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Continue reading “Nightmare – John 18: 34-35”

”But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

When Pilate told the Jewish leaders to take Jesus away and “judge him by your own law,” they whined in response, “but we have no right to execute anyone.”

Execute??

That word had to get Pilate’s attention. Something was going on and it was something he didn’t understand. Why were these people so agitated? Who was this man who they had brought to him? Why this talk about executing someone?

The Romans of Jesus’ day were not primitive savages. They were actually quite advanced in the application of the law and reason. The measure of a society is not its technology, rather it is the moral quality of its people. While Romans could be brutal (we see this in the eventual execution of Jesus) they could also be concerned with the application of justice.

Perhaps Pilate’s first instinct was to avoid dealing with someone else’s problem. Maybe to him, the Jews were a kind of a pain in the neck. Regardless, when the Jews mention execution, two things happen. The first is that they get Pilate’s attention. The second is that they foretell the fulfillment of the prophecy about the death that Jesus would suffer

Application: God has ways of getting our attention. Whether it is a beautiful summer’s day or a rear-end collision in the middle of a busy intersection, God is there. He wants you to pay attention to Him. Not because he needs your attention, but because when we pay attention to God everything falls into place.

Food for Thought: As a Christian, how do you prepare for a situation like the one that Pilate found himself in?

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Continue reading “Situations – John 18: 31b-32”