Download 090 John 18v29-19v11 Examining The

Presentation 90
Presentation 90
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.
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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
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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.
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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”.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!’
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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?
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