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The Gospel of John, The Period of Consummation, Part VII, John 18:31-36 - Lesson 184
Read Verses John 18:29,30 for review: Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, (evildoer) we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
As Luke records in verse 23:2, And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
John 18:31,32, Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
If he is just a criminal take him and judge him according to your law.
Pilate resisted giving in to them and tried to pass the buck back to them.
Pilate could have put a stop to this if he was interested in justice.
But Pilate was weak and unprincipled, Pilate was vacillating.
All he wanted to do was get himself out of this case.
But the legalists threw that excuse back in his face.
They used the Roman law against Pilate.
The Jews had no right to execute capital punishment.
It was impossible to do as he has said.
Only Pilate could authorize death to the malefactor.
The buck stops at your place, Pilate!
So we see in the following verses that Pilate goes with the flow instead of executing justice.
But Pilate was about to see to it that God's word was true.
If the Jews would have executed Jesus Christ it would have been by stoning.
But God saw to it that his Son came into a world where it was not lawful for the Jews to put any man to death:
That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
John recorded the word of Christ in John 12:32,33, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Jesus was to die by being lifted up.
Clearly a picture of a Roman crucifixion.
And if that is not completely clear God provides more details of his death in the Psalms and in Zechariah.
Psa 22:16 reveals that the Messiah was to suffer the piercing of his hands and his feet.
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
And Zechariah in Zech. 12:10 again tells of the piercing of the Christ:
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
God knew the heart of Pilate and Pilate did nothing other than his sinful nature dictated.
John 18:33, Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Pilate was indeed playing the middle man trying to find a way out of this predicament.
Certainly he had heard about this man.
Christ had not lived his life in a vacuum.
Perhaps he already had received the report from his soldiers of the events in the garden of Gethsemane.
Did he know of the miracle of healing that took place and the power of this man's word which caused his soldiers and all of the arresting force to fall back?
Certainly Pilate was not neutral in this event.
His wife had even warned him!
The Jews had told him that he claimed to be Christ as king.
So he returns to the judgment hall and asks the first of five questions, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Was this question posed in ridicule?
Was it a question given in contempt?
Jesus Christ never looked like man's idea of a king.
What Pilate saw as Jesus stood before him was a man dressed in humble clothes and dressed in humility itself.
Not a proud royal figure but one who was meek and mild.
Who was this strange figure who had attracted the multitudes and had so instilled in the Jewish leaders such hatred and fear?
Pilate certainly had heard of his power to heal the sick, his power to raise the dead, his power to speak a word and have his Roman soldiers fall back as if struck.
John 18:34, Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Notice how carefully Jesus Christ answers Pilate's question, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Jesus does not answer Yes or No but instead calls upon the conscience of Pilate.
From where do you ask that question?
Is it from a desire to act justly?
Are you trying to gather information so that you can do right?
Or are you simply a tool of those who delivered me to you?
Are you interested in knowing whether I am a threat to Caesar or not?
Is this your concern or are you simply placating the Jews?
In Pilate's answer Jesus learned from Pilate that that is what he was doing.
He was not interested in justice.
John 18:35, Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Pilate's answer showed his contempt for the Jews.
It was almost as if to say to Jesus "How dare you think me, a Roman, to be a Jew."
So he denies any personal interest in Jesus Christ.
Am I a Jew who cares about the fine points of the Jews religion?
What is it that they have against you?
Perhaps Pilate sensed that he was being maneuvered by the high priest to further the high priest's ends.
John 18:36, Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. |