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Past Ponderings

Thursday, January 21, 2016

PONDERING... Jesus Before Pilate (John 18:28-19:17)

BARE-BONES NOTES
Jesus Before Pilate
SCRIPTURE: John 18:28-19:17  
GIST: Pilate stood face-to-face with Jesus and missed Him. Don't do the same.

This week, we're faced with another passage that can be addressed in multiple ways. I just want to focus on what Pilate missed out on in this experience.

Why Pilate? (A Brief History Lesson)
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29  So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?"  30  They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you."  31  Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death."  32  This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 
     It’s worth your time to look into the reign of Pilate. Everything surrounding this political environment led (by design) to the crucification of Christ. Here’s just a few points worth noting.
     1- Only recently had the Jews lost the authority to use capital punishment. That is why they had to appeal to the Romans to kill Jesus. Otherwise, Jesus would have been stoned instead of crucified.
     2- Pilate was not in good with either the Jews or the Romans at this point. There had been several situations where his power had been challenged. We even see this tone hanging over in the way the Jewish leaders address him. This sheds some light on why he is does what he does. He wants his power…and this is not secure.

What Pilate Misses:

1-His Kingdom-
33  So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"  34  Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"  35  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?"  36  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."  37  Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice."  38  Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him.  39  But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  40  They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. 

2- His Mission-
19:1  Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.  2  And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.  3  They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands.  4  Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him."  5  So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 

3- His Majesty-
6  When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him."  7  The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God."  8  When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.  9  He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.  10  So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?"  11  Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." 

4- His Salvation-
12  From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."  13  So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.  14  Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"  15  They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."  16  So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,  17  and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha."

For Us?:


Pilate stood face-to-face with Jesus, but missed Him. If you're reading this blog, few though that number may be, you've been exposed to Jesus, as well. Better yet, if you've been exposed to God's Word clearly explained, you've experienced His truth. Don't miss out on His Salvation. This trial, His death and resurrection, that was all for you. Believe in Him. Give Him your life. 

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