May 20, 2018
Evening Service

Continuing from the morning message, we now see that Jesus appears before Pilate because the Jewish leaders do not have the legal authority to put Jesus to death and they intend to have Pilate do their deed for them. According to the laws of the local government, the law prevented them from killing anyone for punishment and therefore it had to be Pilate rendering this sentence. Remember that Caiaphas told the leaders it would be better for one man to die for all in verse John 18:14. In order to accomplish the killing of Jesus, they brought him before Pilate to condemn him to death and we resume our reading here.

Jesus Before Pilate

John 18:28 Then the guards took Jesus from Caiaphas' house to the Roman governor's palace. It was early in the morning. The Jews there would not go inside the palace. They did not want to make themselves unclean, because they wanted to eat the Passover meal. 

John 18:29 So Pilate went outside to them and asked, "What do you say this man has done wrong?" 

John 18:30 They answered, "He is a bad man. That is why we brought him to you." 

John 18:31 Pilate said to them, "You take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jewish leaders answered, "But your law does not allow us to punish anyone by killing them." 

John 18:32 (This was to show the truth of what Jesus said about how he would die.) 

In this passage, the Jews speak of not being able to go inside the palace because it would make them unclean. What is meant by unclean in this verse is “ceremonially unclean”; the act of going into the house of a Gentile would make them ritually unclean and not fit to eat the Passover meal. So according to their rituals and customs, Pilate came outside to them and asked, “What was this man Jesus accused of doing wrong?” The Jews then tell Pilate that he is a criminal, a malefactor, or wrongdoer. Pilate then tells the Jews to take him and judge him by their own laws and they protest that the local law does not permit them to punish anyone by killing them. The scriptures say in verse John 18:32 this was to show the truth of what Jesus said about how he would die. Once again, the whole truth of everything happening to Jesus was the “cup” or divine plan our Father had for sending his Son to this world to be our sacrificial lamb. His entire life was lived without sin and was and is the only person who could have ever served to be our Savior. The Word tells us that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus showed us all how we should live our lives without sin and how we should treat others, he also knows our different weaknesses because he lived in the flesh of man and overcome this world victorious over sin, death, and the grave, none of these things carried a sting as said in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

John 18:33 Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He called for Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 

John 18:34 Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did other people tell you about me?" 

John 18:35 Pilate said, "I'm not a Jew! It was your own people and their leading priests who brought you before me. What have you done wrong?" 

John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom is not an earthly one." 

John 18:37 Pilate said, "So you are a king." Jesus answered, "You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me." 

John 18:38 Pilate said, "What is truth?" Then he went out to the Jewish leaders again and said to them, "I can find nothing against this man. 

John 18:39 But it is one of your customs for me to free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this 'king of the Jews'?" 

John 18:40 they shouted back, "No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!" (Barabbas was a rebel.) 

 

As Pilate questions Jesus, he asks him if he is the king of the Jews? Jesus then tells him that his kingdom is not of this world and if so, his servants would fight so He would not be handed over to Jewish leaders. Jesus is the Truth, the Life, and the Way and he plainly says anyone who is truthful will listen to what he says. The whole reason the Jews are trying to say that Jesus is claiming to be a king is so they will incite Pilate to have Him put to death for fear of his own life and position in the government being jeopardized by not recognizing Caesar as the king and allowing Him to live. Pilate finally says that he finds nothing against Him and gives them the choice to free one prisoner according to their customs at the time of Passover. He asks, “Do you want me to free this ‘king of the Jews’?” The Jews then shout back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!” Barabbas was a robber and a rebel. This is another sad truth that the Jewish leadership feared Jesus so much and hated Him to the point of actually allowing a real known criminal go free to accomplish their plans to have Him killed. This scripture of how the Jews treated Jesus sounds very unfair and criminal, in fact…..we are the reasons Jesus was treated this way. The Bible reads in Isaiah 53:5   But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. Our Father in Heaven, we love you so much and are thankful for our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus!