Chapter BY Chapter

John 18:28-40

Jesus Questioned by Pilate

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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 an insurrectionist (the Greek word here is a general term, often referring to robbers.  However, other gospels use this term with the qualifying phrase “because he led an insurrection.  Since John assumes you know the other gospels, interpretation here as “insurrectionist” is the best translation.).

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John omits the part about Jesus being questioned by Caiaphas.  This is in other gospels and John assumes that the reader knows it by saying they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.  It was early in the morning and they would not enter the governor’s headquarters so they would not defile themselves and still be able to eat the Passover.

Leading up to the Passover was the week of unleavened bread.  The Jews had to rid their houses of leaven to be pure for the Passover feast.  The removal of leaven symbolized their removal of the evils of Egypt to prepare for their departure to God’s Holy Land.  The Jews were afraid to enter the house of a gentile at this time lest they come in contact with some leaven and make themselves ceremonial impure for 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.”

The gospel of Luke has them saying that Jesus advises people not to pay taxes to Caesar and claims to be the Messiah, a king.  The Jews break an even more serious law, “Thou shalt not bear false witness” in bringing Jesus to Pilate.  Jesus encouraged paying taxes to Caesar.  Having a statement with no content in it is also bearing false witness. 

One thing that always makes me laugh is that I hear these stories on the news that someone robbed a store and did some property damage, so they are charged with robbery and property damage that covers everything they did and then they also get charged with criminal mischief.  What is criminal mischief?  Isn’t that a broad term for committing a crime?  Why charge someone with some broad crime when all the specific charges cover everything? 

So, the Jews simply say that Jesus did something wrong without being specific about the charges. 

“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.”

Once again, the word of Jesus is fulfilled.  

We know from the gospel of Luke that the Jews told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, a king.  Now there was nothing wrong with the Jews having a king.  There was something wrong with organizing an insurrection.  We also know from the gospel of Luke that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod.  Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle.  When Jesus did not perform a miracle for Herod, he sent him back to Jesus without a judgment.  This infers that Herod might have been somewhat sympathetic to Jesus, and Herod also said at one time that Jesus must be John the Baptist resurrected. 

So, Jesus is returned to Pilate and Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you King of the Jews?”

If Herod had been expecting Jesus to perform a miracle for him, then Herod must have heard about the miracles Jesus did, and must have been somewhat sympathetic towards Jesus.  If Herod heard of the miracles Jesus did, then Pilate must have heard about them too.  For the rest of the story, Pilate tries to let Jesus Go, proclaiming Jesus is innocent.  However, Pilate is in a dilemma. 

Roman officials like Pilate came to Jerusalem at special times - especially during the great religious festivals, when the city was overcrowded and there was a greater potential for rebellion.

When there, they took up quarters in the royal palace built by King Herod the Great, father of the Herod (Herod Antipas) mentioned in the gospel of Luke. A section of this palace was the praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor.

But only the Roman governor could order that a sentence of death be carried out. In matters of this kind, the death penalty was meted out by the Roman magistrate as sole representative of the imperial authority - the imperium. Moreover, Pilate may not have been interested in a charge of blasphemy, seeing it as a Jewish matter and not something he cared to be involved in.

So Jesus was charged with a different offence: high treason. This was something Pilate could not overlook.

Convinced that Jesus was no threat, Pilate refused to find him guilty.  Jesus says his kingdom is not of this world.  So, Jesus is not leading a rebellion. 

“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?”

By saying, “My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus shows Pilate that he is not leading a rebellion or usurping the establishment.  Jesus also reveals something about the nature of his work and purpose.  Throughout the gospels, Jesus says many times that the kingdom of God is near.  Did he mean that a physical kingdom was near in time?  In John 3:3, Jesus said, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  So the way to the kingdom of God is not a matter of traveling in time.  It is a matter of spiritual renewal.  Jesus has completed his ministry of teaching at this point.  He taught people how to enter the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said the kingdom of God is like someone that sows seed, or grows yeast, or a valuable treasure.    Jesus has a kingdom.  In Luke 17:20-21, Jesus said, ““The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”  The subjects of his kingdom do not go about with an army conquering territory.  The subjects in Jesus’ kingdom go about winning over people’s hearts. 

Yet, the Jews are getting mad because Pilate refuses to condemn Jesus.  If Pilate fails to please the crowd, he could have a rebellion on his hands that way too. 

“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 an insurrectionist.”

So, Pilate tries to get the crowd to be pleased by the release of Jesus.  That backfires.  Why does Pilate call Jesus “The King of the Jews?”

1. Pilate likes Jesus’ kind of Kingdom for the Jews.It is one that does not have armed rebellions.

2. Could Pilate have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah?

3. Because the Jews said he made this claim.

4. Pilate was a pagan.He had images of the Roman emperor smuggled into Jerusalem by night.This enraged the Jews.His job was to keep the peace.This meant putting down anyone that would challenge the political establishment.It also meant appeasing the Jewish aristocracy, and the outspoken populace.

   • In 36 A.D., a messianic figure rose in Samaria and formed a group of enthusiastic followers. Problems became serious when they armed themselves in an attempt to deliver their people from the hands of the Romans and establish God’s kingdom. To prove his assumed identity as the Messiah, the messianic figure invited his followers to follow him to the summit of Mt. Gerizim, a mountain the Samaritans considered a holy site.

   • He claimed that Moses had buried sacred vessels on top of the mountain and he knew where they were. (Evidently he believed if the sacred vessels were revealed, it would legitimize his messianic claims.) Pilate learned of this development and sent a platoon of Roman soldiers to block their ascent up the mountain. This led to a bloody confrontation and the Romans killed several Samaritans in the melee that followed.

   • The Samaritan Council formally complained to Caesar about Pilate’s abusive use of power and Tiberius summoned Pilate to Rome. Pilate left for Rome, but reached the city after Tiberius had died. The new emperor, Gaius, did not send Pilate back to Judea and Pilate suddenly disappeared from the radar screen of history.

   • Some people have theorized that Pilate attacked the Samaritans because he believed Jesus was the Messiah.However, it is most likely that he attacked them because the Jews in Jerusalem complained about them.

   • After Pilate was relieved of his post in Jerusalem, there are two traditions that explain the rest of his life.One tradition is that he went to Gaul, modern day France.The other tradition says that he became a Christian and was martyred.The Coptic and Ethiopian churches regard Pilate as a saint.

5. At this point, Pilate certainly is not a Christian.He does not believe Jesus is God.He does not protect Jesus at all costs.He is only interested in protecting his own skin.Jesus neither confirms nor denies that he is a king.Jesus affirms that Pilate says he is a king.Jesus tries to talk to Pilate about his spiritual purpose.Jesus says, “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 does not want to discuss anything like this and says rhetorically, “What is truth?”Then he tries to get them to release Jesus.

The Jews wanted to remain ceremonial clean for the Passover.  They are about to experience the Passover in a more powerful way than has ever been experienced. 

The Passover was observed on the first month of the year.  The celebration was given to celebrate their freedom from Egypt.  The crucifixion of Jesus frees us from sin.

On the 10th of the month, a year old lamb without blemish would be chosen.  Jesus was without blemish.  He was without sin.  John the Baptist said that Jesus was the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” and that he was not even worthy to untie his sandal.  On the 10th of the month, Jesus stood in the temple courts and said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  What Jesus said was confirmed by a voice from heaven.

The lambs were to be killed at twilight.   For the previous 1,200 years, the priest would blow the shophar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. At 3:00,17 when Jesus was being crucified, He said, "It is finished" - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shophar was blown from the Temple.  At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, multi-story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies) tore from top to bottom - representing a removal of the separation between God and man. 

The Passover Lamb was roasted over a fire.  The wrath of God for the sins of all was placed on Jesus. 

The blood of the lambs was applied to the door lentils of the houses of the Jews, and only those covered by the blood of the lambs were passed over, saved from the Lord’s wrath and able to escape Egypt.  Jesus’ blood was applied to the wooden beam of the cross.  Only those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice of blood for their sins are saved for eternity. 

When the Passover lamb was eaten, not a bone was to be broken.  None of Jesus’ bones were broken in his crucifixion, even though that was common in crucifixion to hasten death.

During the Passover meal, there are three Matzah breads.  The middle bread is broken and hidden, only to be revealed and eaten later.  Jesus was broken, buried, and arose later.

During the Passover meal, wine was consumed liberally.  At the last supper, Jesus passed out the wine and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for the sins of many.”

Christ in the Passover by Jews for Jesus

2 minute intro;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4XyYv991h4

38 minute full:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBGz3k37kDE

(Messiah in the Passover Demonstration

26 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K7mg_ApNis

A Portrait of Christ in the Passover - Steven Ger

25 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4mPl5tH1Kk)

Challenging questions:

1. The Passover is about God’s calling his people out of Egypt, not about salvation from sin.

   • Were the firstborn of those that failed to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and door lintels able to leave the sinful state of Egypt?

   • Who is Isaiah 53 about?

     • Isaiah 53:6-7, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”

   • Numbers 6:14, “There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering.”

Song:

Lamb of God by Vertical Worship: