WELCOME
PRAYER
WORD OF GOD set to music
SILENCE
When we return we will pick up our verse by verse study of John 19 beginning at verse 7.
Okay we left off last week talking about the process of mockery and torture to which Pilate subjected Jesus.
Scourging, a crown of thorns, a purple robe, slapping and mock worship.
After this Pilate brought Jesus out to the Jews and said:
Behold the man to which they replied over and over:
“Crucify Him. Crucify Him.”
And Pilate saith to them (at verse 7)
“You take him and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.”
That’s where we left off. Let’s read their response at verse 7 and beyond.
John 19.18
Milk
May 3rd 2015
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, “Whence art thou?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, “Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?”
11 Jesus answered, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”
12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15 But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate saith unto them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
So AGAIN – Pilate has tried to get Jesus released. This time he told the Jews to go and crucify Jesus themselves because He found no fault in Him.
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
Let’s look at this for a minute. The initial charge they produced against Jesus was sedition. That is what they brought to Pilate when He was presented to trial.
But earlier they had, according to their own religious trial held before the Sanhedrim, that He was guilty of blasphemy.
It was the charge of blasphemy that the Chief Priests condemned Him but they probably thought they couldn’t get this charge to mean much to a Roman Governor so they trumped up the charge of sedition.
Maybe at this point they could see that Pilate was fading in his resolve to do their will and have Him crucified – especially after Pilate told them to crucify Him because he found no fault with the man.
It is at this point that they bring out the real charge they believed they had against Him – the charge of blasphemy – assigned to Him because He referred to Himself as the Son of God.
To call oneself the Son of God was akin to making oneself God in their eyes.
In John 5:17-18 we read Jesus say to the Jewish leaders:
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
We recall that in Matthews account we read that Jesus two false witnesses were brought against Him and in verse 63 we read:
“But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.”
Their understanding of blasphemy was derived from the Law of Moses as recorded in Leviticus 24:16. It says:
“He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.”
The Hebrew term for blaspheme literally means to puncture, to poke a hole in the name or concept or holiness of God.
Jesus certainly did this. And in some ways we might see that from their historical perspective and interpretation of Leviticus Jesus was guilty.
Where they failed was in their blindness and hard-hearts which prevented some of them from seeing that He did NOT puncture the name or idea of God at all – only amplified it.
At this point I think that Pilate could see two things.
First, He probably had it confirmed to Him that there was an attempt at deception on their part since they started with the charge of sedition but had now shifted gears and were now being upfront about their problem with the Lord.
The second thing that Pilate could have crossed his mind was the fact that the man he was having scourged may have been far more important that he first anticipated.
Verse 8 says:
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John doesn’t tell us what it was exactly that frightened Pilate but he does tell us that it was upon hearing that Jesus claimed that He was the Son of God that he became “more afraid.”
Because of this we might assume that He considered the possibility that there could be some truth to His claims.
It’s clear that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent – but putting another regular old Jew to death was probably nothing to Pilate.
But like the song says, there was something about Jesus and Pilate had the spiritual sensitivities to know it – in the LEAST he knew He was innocent.
At the most, He may have wondered if He was heaven sent.
So hearing this (verse 9)
9 (He) went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, “Whence art thou?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
At this point Pilate would have know from where Jesus hailed – that He was a Galilean.
This isn’t what He was asking Him. He was asking Him point blank if He was claiming to be the Son of God.
“Are you of divine origins Jesus of Nazareth?”
But Jesus didn’t respond.
In the first place He has already explained to Pilate that His Kingdom was NOT of this world and that He was a King born into this world to share the truth.
That truth got Him scourged.
Also, to affirm to a Roman that He was the Son of God would probably have not made any difference in the outcome.
Pilate was fearful of men not the living God – prolonged conversation would have only prolonged the inevitable – and Jesus knew it.
No truth or sharing of truth was going to free Jesus from what was happening – as evidence of the scourging. It seems at this point Jesus was done offering reasonable truthful information.
So He remained silent.
Finally, this is a fulfillment of prophecy. It was fulfilled when Jesus went before Herod too because He said nothing in response to him and then again here, in the face of Pilates question on where He came from Jesus also remained silent.
The prophecy comes from Isaiah 53:7 which Messianically says:
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”
The lack of response did not make Pilate happy. (verse 10)
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, “Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?”
In all probability these words flowed from a very proud heart.
It is doubtful that Pilate had ever been met with silence to any one of his questions when sitting in their powerful position and I’m sure the lack of response really got under his skin – in more ways than one.
I mean Jesus by this point was a pathetic picture – beaten, bloody, mocked.
And yet in this extremely vulnerable position He declined to answer a question from the man who appeared to hold the keys to His liberation.
Pilate appeals to this apparent power, and in the face of being ignored says:
“Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?”
The irony is amazing. Here, beaten and bloody, is the creator of all things being told by a single paltry man of skin and bones that he holds the power to kill Him through crucifixion . . . or to release Him.
I’m sure if Jesus was not in so much pain He was probably laughing inside. Instead –
Jesus answered and said (verse 11)
“Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”
This passage opens us up to a fantastic and debatable question which has long festered among the minds of spiritually minded people –
Who’s in charge?
Here Pilate is told by Jesus that he could have absolutely no power or control over anything relative to Jesus unless it was given to him from above (from God).
In the case of people placed in office over us in this world Romans 13 says the following:
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
What Jesus says to Pilate here appears to be true for all of us – whatever power rulers have over us they have because God has given it to them.
Can we say this about all rulers – I think we have to.
You mean God allowed the powers of Mussoulini and Stalin to exist – which includes the power they exerted to harm so many people?
Yes.
I mean, who else allowed them to rise to power and remain in office and do the evil things that they (and so many others) have been allowed to do BUT God?
For many this is a very tough pill to swallow with some responding by rejecting the notion of such a God (and rewriting Him) or renouncing Him all together.
But the scripture is clear:
Pilate would not have ANY power of the life of Jesus (unless it was given to Him from above) and according to Romans 13 all leaders and their power and the acts they are allowed to commit also have the approbation of God – like it or not.
The way I am able to live with this biblical fact is through a little five letter word – FAITH – faith in Him and His ways and His views and His methods.
There is no other reasonable “God honoring” way to approach it. Sure – people will try and say that God has not given despotic men power but that they are a result of our failing actions.
Unfortunately this is not what scripture says. It says, and Jesus affirms this hear to Pilate, that the power leader have is given to them from above.
Taking it a step further, Romans 13 also tells believers that we are to NOT to resist them because to resist them is to, in effect, be resisting God Himself.
This principle was apparently taught to Jesus twelve apostles because, as Jesus said to Pilate, “if my Kingdom were of this world then my servants would fight.”
We see no fighting of His own to rescue Him from this injustice.
“So Pilate,” Jesus seems to be saying, “you are not in control of this situation like you think you are. In fact you couldn’t do anything to me – save me or kill me – unless the power was given to you from above.
On Tuesday of this week then spilling over into Wednesday I am participating in a six hour discussion over what is essentially a discussion about the sovereignty of God.
Or who is in control.
Simply put one version says we are in control (through free will)
Another version says God is in complete control of everything, that there is absolutely no free will (but the way He is described in His objectives for the human race is pretty horrific).
And stance incorporates both views saying that God is in absolute ultimate control over all things through His foreknowledge and using our free will choices orchestrates the end according to His desires which are good and light and love.
“You could have no power over me at all, Pilate, Jesus says, unless it was given to you from above.”
“Therefore,” (as a result) . . .
“he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”
This is a very interesting line because Jesus does NOT say, “THEY that delivered me,” but “He that delivered me.”
The Greek is singular. We can suppose a couple of things in the face of this.
The singular represents the plural, meaning that those who delivered Him –let’s name them – have the greater sin.
They would include:
Judas
The Temple Guards
The Romans soldiers
The Sanhedrim as a whole
Annas (High priest emeritus)
and Caiaphas (High priest in charge)
OR Jesus could have, as the Greek implies, been speaking only of one person – take your pick:
Judas? Caiaphas? Can’t really say.
What we do know however is Jesus plainly lays the “greater sin” at the feet of HIM WHO DELIVERED HIM rather than on Pilate who was just weak in his resistance against their wishes.
All this talk was enough to prompt Pilate to campaign for Jesus release . . . but it was not enough to stand up and sacrifice himself for the cause.
Understandably so –the pressure was intense upon the man. Verse 12 says
12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”
Smart manipulators, these guys. The Caesar that was on the throne at the time was Tiberius who was known for being extremely jealous and tyrannical.
As an FYI after the time of Julius Caesar (who reigned until 44 BC) all the Roman emperors were called Caesar just as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh. Tiberius, during the latter part of his reign, was the most cruel, jealous, and wicked so to threaten his allegiance to Caesar (if Pilate let Jesus go) was too much.
It seems that from this point forward His fate was sealed.
I believe God allowed Pilate to cut his teeth on Roman pleasures and luxuries and power to make it impossible for him to do anything but turn the Lord over – which we know he will ultimately do.
(verse 13)
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Hearing their threat against him for disloyalty against Tiberius Pilate brought Jesus forth to the place where sentence was officially pronounced.
This was the formal delivery of the Lord into the hands of the crucifiers.
Upon delivering Him Pilate sat down in the seat of Judgment that is called Pavement, translated in Hebrew as Gabbatha.
The area was called Pavement as it was apparently a judgment-hall whose floor was made of small square stones of various colors.
Why it was translated “Gabbatha,” is unknown as Gabbatha means “elevated.”
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, “Behold your King!”
We are going to cover the timing of all of these events relative to the Passover and the days of the week soon so I won’t hit on some of the difficulties with this statement here.
(verse 15)
15 But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate saith unto them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
This final verse for today introduces us to the very important – and biblically historical – topic of Kings.
The word is used in the Old and New Testaments some 2000 times and we can begin by simply saying God has always wanted to be the King of His Children’s lives.
Painted in red here on this stand is a verse from Isaiah 33:22. Remember what it says?
“For the LORD (that is the proper name of God which is represented by four consenants – YHVH and promounced YaHOVAH because we know of no other way to pronounce it) –
“for Yahovah is our judge, Yahovah is our lawgiver, Yahovah is our king; he will save us.”
The word is used in scripture generally to describe a male invested with authority of some kind or type and over a certain area or people group who has the obligation to provide, care and protect those who are in his kingdom.
It only stands to reason that the King of this earth is God – the great provider, caregiver, and protector.
As such, most Kings are simultaneously also lawgivers as they oversee the judiciary of their kingdoms. They are also traditionally the ones who inflict punishment for wrongdoing.
In the Bible we are suddenly and abruptly introduced to the concept of Kings in the 14th chapter of Genesis where Abraham finds himself in the midst of a collective of Kings who have ventured out to overtake some land and people – including his nephew Lot.
The way Moses writes about some of the Kings it seems they were well known.
It is almost natural for any gathering of people larger than two will ultimately work around to the point where they will put someone in charge.
These someones are often called Kings.
When Joshua entered into Canaan with the Children of Israel there were thirty-one kings who he subdued.
In the book of Judges we read that one “Adonibezek” subdued seventy kings and then we can see from our study here in John the Roman emperors are spoken of as kings.
Job frighteningly calls death “the King of Terrors.”
There’s a general sketch of Kings outside of God, Jesus, the Nation of Israel, and those who are in His Kingdom today.
Now let’s speak of the relationship God wants to have with His own as their King.
In the Old Testament Jehovah (the LORD) was the sole King of the Jewish nation.
Think about this – with Him reigning over the nation how could they EVER, EVER go wrong?
But amazingly enough (and when I hear myself say this I suppose its not so amazing when we consider how fickle human beings are) but there came a time in the history of the Nation of Israel when they demanded that they have a human king over them.
Do you know the reason why they wanted this?
In 1st Samuel 8:5 the people came to Samuel and said:
“Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
They pathetically wanted a King to rule over them so they could be like other nations.
Samuel the Prophet tried to dissuade them from such idiocy – the idiocy of replacing God with a man – but the people cried out and said,
“Nay, but we will have a king over us.”
See, Samuel had some sons who were doing things that got the nation into trouble and seeing that he (as the prophet) was about to die they feared what COULD also go wrong – and so they cried out for a King.
So the prophet Samuel prayed to God and this is what God said:
1st Samuel 8:7 Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
All the way back in Samuel they wanted to subject themselves to the ways of men rather than of God.
At verse 11 God said,
11 “This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That . . .
we also may be like all the nations; and
that our king may judge us,
and go out before us,
and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.”
(beat)
The results of this were often disastrous for the Nation of Israel as earthly Kings – even culled from their own – have feet of clay.
For me this is one of saddest events in the history of Ancient Israel.
The only one that trumps it is here in John 19 when Pilate asks the offspring of those who desired a King in Samuels day if He should crucify their King and their response was:
“We have NO King BUT Caesar.”
I seriously believe that in addition to the torture and death of His Son this singular statement coming from the mouths of the leadership of the Nation served as the death-nell to them as a Nation.
Paul speaks of God as the eternal King in 1st Timothy, saying:
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
God longed to be their King but they wanted a visible king. And they wouldn’t wait for the one promised to them by God.
Then when the promised one came they killed Him and said in the process –
“We have no king but Caesar.”
It’s an utterly amazing claim for them to make! Under Roman rule the Jews had a terrible time and yet here this was their claim – “We have no KING but Caesar.”
So guess what?
God honored their claim – and let Caesar reign over them . . . entirely. Under Caesar Nero the Nation was brutalized. And then under Caesar Vespasian what was left of the Nation (which was centralized in Jerusalem) – their genealogies, their temple and over a million of them – were utterly wiped out.
And God’s desire to reign over an actual physical nation of chosen people ended and was replaced by His Son reigning over the hearts of individuals who, to the death, will have NO KING but Christ.
(beat)
Paul, after calling God the eternal invisble King in 1st Timothy says five chapters later of Jesus . . .
“who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”
Jesus, overcoming this world, was given rule and reign over all things because of His obedience to God in the flesh.
Philippians 2, says, speaking of Jesus (LISTEN)
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As our mediator to the invisible God Jesus fills three separate functions for any and all who recognize Him as Lord and Savior:
He is our prophet,
He is our priest,
And He is our King.
All functions present in the Old Testament by different men. Now consolidated into the hands of One – the author and finisher of our faith.
For this reason followers of Him have no King but Him, have no prophet but Him, have no priest but Him.
Knowing the weakness and vulnerability that is innate to human beings, men and their institutions are constantly trying to stick themselves into this relationship Christians have directly with Jesus.
They claim to be prophets.
They deem themselves priests.
They hold the title of King.
But unlike those who put Jesus to death, those who are truly His relentlessly claim:
“We have no King but Jesus. In His name we will submit to governments. In His name we will endure injustice, but we will never recognize anything as deserving of our allegiance, love and devotion but Him.”
