FBCWest 605 | Pilate’s Conversation with Jesus
Recorded On: 05/05/2024
Bulletin
Hymn # 461 “I Love to Tell the Story”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“Way Maker”
“Love Is War”
“Great I Am”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Pilate’s Conversation with Jesus”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Only King Forever”
Benediction “The Lord’s Prayer (it is Yours)”
Sermon Notes
John 18:28 - 32 Religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate to crucify without accusation
John 18:33 – 37 Pilate discusses with Jesus about being a king and the kingdom
John 18:38a What is truth?
John 18:38b – 40 Pilate tries to release Jesus but the crowd wants him to release a robber
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
The religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate who is a Roman governor to authorize his crucifixion. During that time Pilate and Jesus have a conversation about his kingdom and his kingship, but during that conversation Pilate deflects by asking a question. He doesn't care really about the answer to the question because he doesn't spend any time to listen. The second thing is he asks the wrong question. Come and hear what Pilate asked and the question he should have asked.
Turn to the Gospel of John. We're going to start with chapter 18 starting with verse 28. The context as we've been going through is that Jesus was arrested, bound, and led to Anna's house where if you will they conducted a preliminary hearing. Jesus didn't quite deliver what they wanted so they sent him to Caiaphas house who was the high priest. John doesn't tell us but there was basically a trial before the Sanhedrin and now we're picking up the story where it says, "Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium and it was early and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled but might eat the Passover." So what we have here is we have the Jewish authorities have led Jesus to the Roman governor Pilate because they want him executed and they want him executed because they're not allowed to put anybody to death and under the terms of the way they under the Jewish law they would stone Jesus but Jesus already knew and predicted how he would die which would be by crucifixion. And so they go early in the morning because it's been a eventful night and they're trying to get this done because it is Passover is is coming and they want to eat the Passover. Now if you read some commentaries it's frustrating because people are so bound to their tradition that they refuse to read the scriptures honestly. Tradition says that Jesus died on Good Friday. So they cram a whole bunch of stuff and then they try to make up for things by saying well maybe the Passover already happened and that they were trying to continue doing the Passover. Notice it said that they might eat the Passover that they might because Jesus is going to be crucified while they are sacrificing the Passover lambs. So they instead of looking at the scriptures and then changing their tradition they try to fit their tradition into scriptures and mess it up. So the situation is is that it is the day of the preparation for the Passover and that evening will be Passover. And so they don't want to go into the Praetorium which is a covenant because under the Jewish extra laws that you couldn't go into a Gentiles house during holy days otherwise you would be defiled. And so as long as there was a opening in the roof if you will then they could go in so they could go into like the courtyard because there'd be no roof but they couldn't go into the actual palace or Praetorium of anyone because then it would be a closed roof and they couldn't participate in the Passover. So they don't want to be defiled but it's interesting that they're condemning an innocent man to death but that doesn't defile you. So they're concerned about their religious cleanliness rather than true religion. "Therefore Pilate went out to them and said what accusations do you bring against this man?" So he knows something's up and so they're there and Jesus is there bound and so there he knows that they're they're seeking something and I find this extraordinary. "And they answered and said to him if this man were not an evil doer we would not have delivered him to you." They don't tell him what's the charge they just said if he didn't do anything bad we wouldn't have brought him. Trust us just execute him
rather than saying because I think they know two things if they were really to tell them why they're bringing him before Pilate to be crucified Pilate may not do it. So they come up with things like well he's claims to be the king of the Jews and things like this and partially that is true and whatever but they sugarcoat it to their perspective so that Pilate would do a rubber stamp and say okay let's crucify this one. "So Pilate said to them take him yourselves and judge him according to your law and the Jews said to him we are not permitted to put anyone to death." So they've risen to stake they've said we brought him here he's an evil doer but we want you to condemn him to death not just to scourge him or do whatever we want you to do it and it says to fulfill the word of Jesus which he spoke signifying by what kind of death he was about to die. See Jesus was never taken surprised by the events the the rolling of history did not crush Jesus. Jesus was always fully aware was going to happen why because he came for this very purpose and so therefore not only did he predict it he came knowing that this was going to happen and not only did he come knowing this was going to happen before they ever said let there be light it was determined that this was going to happen. "Therefore Pilate entered again into the Potorium and summoned Jesus and said to him are you the king of the Jews?"
So Pilate comes into the the actual place where there's walls and ropes and whatever and he probably sits and determines okay I'm gonna be the judge of this person so he says okay are you the king of the Jews and Jesus answered are you saying this on your own initiative or did others tell you about me? Jesus is asking a very specific question the question is are you asking the question because you've heard rumors or has the Spirit of God revealed this to you? If you're asking me because the Spirit of God revealed this to you we're going to have a different conversation than if you're doing it because that's what you've heard from other people. And Pilate answered I'm not a Jew am I? So basically saying I don't care about your religions I don't care about your Messiahs I don't care about whatever I'm not all a part of that not mine because my king is Caesar your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me
what have you done? So Pilate still doesn't know why he's supposed to crucify Jesus they just say well if he wasn't an evil doer we wouldn't have brought him and Jesus says didn't answer whether he was a king or not he just did people tell you or did or did the Lord reveal this to you? And Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus is following up on what he has taught his disciples. His disciples he taught you are not of this world and Jesus says that his kingdom is not of this world and so those of us who are disciples who are not of this world are part of his kingdom is not a part of this world. If my kingdom were of this world then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews but as it is my kingdom is not of this realm.
Jesus if I was going to be an earthly king here then those who are my disciples those who are my servants they would be fighting not to even me have me be here they would have been even more successful than Peter who simply cut off an ear they would fight to prevent this. He doesn't say but not only does his servants come thousands upon ten thousands of angels could come and defend him if his kingdom were of this world and there will come a time that when his kingdom the millennial kingdom is here he and his angels will defend it.
As it is my kingdom is not of this realm he's going you don't have to worry as far as the political environment my kingdom as being a king is not here. Therefore Pilate said to him so you are a king so he's trying to draw him up and Jesus answered you say correctly that I am a king so he doesn't deny that he's a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. So Jesus tells him yes I am a king and yes I was born to be a king and to do exactly what I've come into the world to do and to testify to the truth that the Father sent him that all who might believe in him should have eternal life and everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Those of us who are believers sometimes find it very difficult to understand why others who aren't believers when they are confronted with the truth don't understand and accept everyone is of the truth hears my voice not everyone unfortunately is of the truth so therefore they don't hear his voice. So there are times when Jesus will say things that I don't like like I'm supposed to love you the way he loves you but it's the truth because he is of the truth and I hear it I hear his voice and I know that it's true even when I don't like it. And Pilate does what many people do. Pilate said to him what is truth you see Pilate deflects he doesn't sit down and say okay well let's discuss this why is it I'm not here you know and this voice is it audible I'm I hearing you now or is it something else or what are we talking about he simply says what is truth he makes it in essence
relative and we do it in our culture today your truth is not my truth all truth is relative you believe what you want to believe and I'll believe what I want to believe and some people admit to facts and others will mostly talk about feelings but we don't talk about truth and it is so crept in our culture that there are even Christian songs that will talk about God's truth well God's truth is in God's truth God's truth is truth it's not his form of truth it's truth but I find it interesting while Paul I mean while Pilate is deflecting what is his job to determine whether Jesus is guilty or not he is supposed to determine truth at least in the setting of this situation does he deserve crucifixion so instead of saying well my job is to determine truth help me out he deflects but notice and when he had said this he went out again he didn't wait for Jesus to answer the question because he doesn't want to hear the answer but the correct answer question he should have asked was not what is truth it is who is because you just said those who hear your voice
and Jesus said I am the way I am the truth and I am the life Jesus is truth he is the embodiment of truth of the Word of God and so Pilate should have been saying explain to me truth and why is it people hear truth and don't hear truth who is truth what is truth and and discuss it but instead he deflects doesn't want to hear the answer and leaves even though that's his job as the judge to determine truth so he went out to the Jews again because he's looking for a way out because he knows that Jesus is an innocent man he knows that Jesus claims to be a king but not of this world so he is no threat to Rome so why do I need to execute him he doesn't seem to be an evil doer so he goes out and goes so he goes out to the Jews and say but you have a custom that I release someone for you at Passover oh yeah this is during Pat you know again I just find it interesting that the scriptures keep telling us it's that Passover it's that pass over its pass over and people saying well maybe it's around at that time no it's at Passover do you wish then I release for you the king of the Jews so Pilate doesn't back away he says I just had a conversation with Jesus Jesus claims to be king not of this world not of this realm but he claims to be king and that if he were going to be an insurrectionist then his disciples would defend him but they're not therefore he's not a threat so he's gone I'm going to give you an opportunity to release Jesus so they cried out again saying not this man but Barabbas now unless you are aware of
Hebrew you probably don't get the irony here the man who were not told now Barabbas was a robber Barabbas name is bar means son of Abbas or Abba is father
he's saying you want me to release the son of the father or the son of the father you want me to release the son of the father who is a robber the son of this father is a robber and a thief and a liar and as some say not just a robber but an insurrectionist Satan seeks to overthrow God's kingdom and to establish himself as king this Barabbas this son of the father is the son of his father the devil all would you rather us release the son of the father the Lamb of God the son of the living God and here's the choice but they don't want that Barabbas and so the question becomes who do we choose we choose truth the truth do we choose the son of the living God who's come to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world or do we choose to be the son of the other father who seeks to rob and to see steal and to be an insurrectionist now most would say oh I don't have to make a choice no there are only two choices there is no neutrality here no one is Switzerland you're either for God or you're against him you're either his child or you're the child of the other one how you know which child you are is do you hear the truth and once hearing the truth do you act on it you see Pilate hears the truth by words but he doesn't delve into the truth he simply deflects and continues to living on so many people say I'll make that choice later I'll choose later well by choosing later you've made a choice you've chosen the other Barabbas so the scriptures tell us that you can follow an innocent man or you can follow the other one one is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the other simply lies and steals that is why we're going to be singing as our reflection song that he is the only King forever because Jesus as he has just testified is the King and came into this world that he might suffer and die so that we might have the right to be called children of the living God at this point and as we'll look in the next few chapters he doesn't appear to be the truth sometimes is far more real than appearances he may appear to be defeated he may appear to not be King he may appear to be subject to the Roman authorities but the truth is he was and is and always will be King and all God's people said