Study in John’s Gospel

1. Study in John’s Gospel Presentation 90

2. Examining Pilate’s Examination Chap 18v28-19v11 Presentation 90

3. Introduction It is impossible to encounter Christ without reacting to him. The Jerusalem crowd held a fluctuating enthusiasm for him, the Jewish leaders had nothing but violent hatred for him the Roman soldiers held him in the highest contempt. But the man responsible for his civil trial had great difficulty making up his mind about him. Not because the issues were not clear but because he feared the consequences of his decision. While Pilate was examining Jesus, Pilate himself was on trial. He was placing himself under God's examination. His reaction to Jesus tells us a great deal about the man. Presentation 90

4. An Examination Influenced by his Past Our past will always influence our examination of any subject. The sort of person we have become and the sort of experiences we have come through will inevitably colour our judgments. This was true of Pilate. Can you sense the tension that exists between him and the Jews in v29-31?Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes the background to the tension. Pilate’s administration in Jerusalem was marked by disastrous mistakes. Rome was usually tolerant of the religious views of its subject nations. But Pilate had purposefully provoked Israel including committing an act of supreme sacrilege by slaughtering Jews in the temple courts. Lk.13 Presentation 90

5. An Examination Influenced by his Past Pilate’s crimes had been reported to the emperor and he had been sharply reprimanded. A second complaint against him would prove disastrous. So when Pilate faced the Jewish leaders it was with a mixture of contempt and fear. What of the case against Jesus? Pilate could see through the treachery and duplicity of the Jews. Cf. Matt.27v18. Pilate had no doubts about Jesus’ innocence but because of his past dealings with the Religious leaders Pilate’s judgment was influenced more by fear than by justice. If news of a riot were to reach Emperor Tiberius, whom he knew to be a merciless tyrant, promotion prospects, his job perhaps even his life would be laid on the line. He was a man trapped by his past. Presentation 90

6. An Examination Influenced by his Past How does your past influence your examination of Jesus? We cannot come to Christ with what is popularly called an ‘open mind’, we cannot examine his claims in a vacuum. We are all influenced by our past. Perhaps the illness or death of a loved one has produced an emotionally negative response towards him. Perhaps the whole philosophy of life you have adopted encourages an intellectually negative reaction. The most common influence from the past is our former life that says “you're not cut out to be this man's disciple, you have too many skeletons in the cupboard, you’re not good enough”. Presentation 90

7. An Examination Influenced by his Past In one of his poems Tennyson describes a knight who is just about to decide to be Christ's man. He says: “Then every evil word I had spoken once, And every evil thought I had of old, And every evil deed I ever did, Awoke and cried, ‘The quest is not for thee’, And I too cried, 'The quest is not for me’”. The marvel of the gospel is that Jesus can deal with our past no matter how much it has coloured our thinking. Or, will you remain, like Pilate, a prisoner to your past? Presentation 90

8. An Examination Influenced by Scepticism Pilate was a man with an enquiring mind. He asks, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?'v33. ‘Are you a king?'v37 ‘Where do you come from?'19v9 But he did not have a passion for truth. Jesus explained that he was the king of a spiritual kingdom set up in the hearts of men and made clear that everyone who was of the truth would listen to his voice 18v37. The word translated 'listen' implies ‘obedience’. And so if a man belongs to the kingdom of truth he will obey the King of Truth. Presentation 90

9. An Examination Influenced by Scepticism Salvation without truth is impossible. We need to know the truth about ourselves, our sin, God's love and his grace. Pilate’s responds by asking, “What is truth?" v38. That is extremely revealing! It tells us a great deal about Pilate. The question was asked not by a man overwhelmed by perplexity and doubt. It was not asked in the dispassionate spirit of intellectual inquiry but with a sneering scepticism. Presentation 90

10. An Examination Influenced by Scepticism Scepticism was fashionable among the educated Romans of Pilate’s day. Religion, you see, as far as many of them were concerned had been discredited. Their motto had increasingly become, "seeing is believing". And even then you could always question what you see. Sadly, Pilate loses interest in the conversation at this juncture because God and the kingdom of God have no real place in his thinking. To say that you regard all religion as discredited is often only an excuse to evade the real issues of life not to mention the big questions in life. Presentation 90

11. An Examination Influenced by Scepticism Scepticism is a growing force in our own day. Much is being said and written in praise of ‘honest doubt’. Now I have every sympathy with and am happy to try to help those with genuinely honest doubts. Doubt even when honest is not a state to be cultivated but one to be dealt with. Many who claim to be sceptics or, agnostics are often really saying, ‘I have found a convenient cloak for my godless behaviour!’ Presentation 90

12. An Examination Influenced by Scepticism A woman said she could not believe because the Bible contained too many contradictions. When asked to point them out she could not do so but sheepishly replied, “If my sister were here she could tell you.” Often what we claim is an intellectual problem is in fact a moral problem. Once we accept that there is a God we have to explain why we do not obey him. Here is the great test for honest doubt. If all your problems were answered to your intellectual satisfaction would you then be willing to alter your manner of life? If you answer ‘No’ then you do not have an intellectual problem you have a moral problem. Jesus can deal with both our scepticism and with our deceitful hearts. Do not, like Pilate, use scepticism as a barricade to hide behind? Presentation 90

13. An Examination Influenced by Moral Weakness A great disparity exists between the ‘verdict’ of Pilate and the ‘sentence’ of Pilate. Three times he states his verdict “Jesus is innocent" 18v38, "Jesus is innocent“, 19v4 “Jesus is innocent"19v6. Innocence was his verdict but crucifixion was his sentence. Moral weakness explains the disparity between the two. Pilate’s scepticism contributed to his moral collapse. The boundary of his universe was what he could touch, hear and see. His horizon did not extend beyond Tiberius in Rome and the menacing mob in Jerusalem. God is left out of the reckoning. Now if there is no God vindicating right and punishing wrong, if there is no judgment beyond human judgment then the clamour and demand of the crowd will influence our critical faculties. Presentation 90

14. An Examination Influenced by Moral Weakness Pilate is a pathetic figure attempting to wriggle out of his responsibility. Knowing Jesus to be innocent he should have secured his acquittal as a matter of justice. Instead, he tried to gain his release through policy and cunning. He sent him to Herod, he was sent back. He would have him released under Passover custom, the people chose Barabbas. He had him scourged and hoped to win the people’s sympathy, they saw Pilate’s weakness and hardened in their demand for Christ's death. The responsibility keeps coming back to Pilate like the proverbial boomerang. Pilate was caught between two fears. Fear of the Jews and fear of violating his own conscience. He sought but failed to find a middle way. Presentation 90

15. An Examination Influenced by Moral Weakness Having Jesus scourged was the action of compromise. From that time the Jews knew they had Pilate in their power. Their logic was simple, ‘If a man can be persuaded to compromise what he believes to be right, then he can be forced to give up his point of view completely’. The man who says he has nothing against Christ but never speaks for him stands in Pilate’s shoes. Is Pilate’s dilemma your dilemma? Do you want to find in favour of Christ but you find other considerations weigh more heavily upon you? Do you agree that Jesus should be your king but you cannot face the ridicule of your family or friends? It takes moral courage to stand for Christ! Presentation 90

16. An Examination Influenced by Moral Weakness The glory of the gospel is that Jesus can supply the courage if you ask him. Think of the courage given to Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria in the C4th. A great debate raged within the church concerning the nature of Christ. Athanasius at one stage held what seemed to be a minority view. He was told “but Athanasius the whole world is against you”, to which he famously replied, “Then Athanasius is against the world”. The gospel has the power to deliver men from the tyranny of social approval. Will you remain like Pilate a moral coward? Presentation 90

17. Conclusion We either worship Christ or we wash our hands of him. Hand washing is not a neutral act. Pilate’s reaction to Jesus is publicly broadcast in the great Christian Creeds: “Crucified under Pontius Pilate”. What an epitaph to hound you throughout history and all the way into eternity! What will your epitaph be? Presentation 90