On trial

John 18:28-19:16 ESV

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. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 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.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.   So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”  Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 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.”  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.”  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. 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?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 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.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 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.” 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.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 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?” 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.”  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.” 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. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 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.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

Rev. Charles Han

Crucifixion was a capital punishment meted out to people who were charged, tried, and convinced.

Firstly, Jesus was tried by the priests. He was tried and convinced by the leaders. Jewish people were not allowed to mete out capital punishment. That was for the Roman government. This whole scene is one of injustice.. Gross miscarriage of justice in these scenes.

The kingship

Pilate saw this as largely a theological matter. The priests wanted the death penalty. They convicted him of blasphemy, but they don't say that. They try to make Jesus out as a danger to the state of Rome. Pilate wants nothing to do with this. But the Jewish leaders press him. So Pilate asks Jesus, is he the king of the Jews? If he said no, he would invalidate his entire ministry. If he said yes, that would make him a revolutionary... One who was fighting for the Jewish people and worthy of the death penalty. So Jesus answers, saying that he was a king, but not of this world. Neither Pilate nor the chief priests had a category for this man. He spoke in both political and theological terms. He was a revolutionary, but not in the categories of the world. His kingdom operated based on those who saw themselves as morally bankrupt. Not money and power of this world. The people of his kingdom operated on the giving away of power and wealth. This picture asks of us... Of what kingdom are we operating? The usual way to deal with revolutionist is to kill them. But what about this one? Killing him does no good. It just launches and empowers his movement...

The sentence (substitutionary death)

Pilate declares him innocent. Jesus makes no threats, his servants aren't trying to free him, a quiet demeanor, no attempts to defend himself. Pilate wanted to please the crowds, but he wanted to free Jesus. So he tries a couple of things. He tried to free him by offering the freeing of a man... But they choose to free a robber and murderer, Barabbas. Pilate has Jesus shamed via a flogging knowing this was an innocent man. But the mob is not appeased. They want this man to die. So the leaders press harder, they say that if Pilate is wrong about Jesus, Pilate's position could be in jeopardy. Pilate is struck with fear. So Pilate condemns Jesus to death, after finding him innocent of any crime. The most important detail is that Barabbas, a known revolutionist, murderer, and robber, walks free and Jesus... An innocent man is put to death. This is the gospel. We, self acknowledged sinners, are set free, while Jesus dies on our behalf.

The real trial

Pilate is really the one on trial. Pilate asks, are you king of the Jews? Jesus doesn't answer. He asks Pilate, who do you think I am? Pilate is placed on the stand instead. Is Jesus the king, the savior? Jesus says that he is on the side of truth. Pilate makes a dismissive statement... What is truth? He implies that there is no absolute truth. Jesus says that those who follow him walk in the truth. Everyone else is living in falsehood. Jesus is the son of God. That is not a question here. We are much more like Pilate. We are the ones on trial here. We are not given a choice of neutrality about Jesus. We might be more swayed by the crowds than by Jesus. We are either following Jesus or we are still in our sins. There is no middle ground with Jesus. We are either for him or against him. Behold this man... Who is he? Is he a king? Is he a savior?