Notes

John 18:38b-19:16a

Pharisees were the Persecution in the legal context.
First question that Pilate asked was to the prosecutors - see Jn 18:29
“What accusation do you bring against this man?
Response: “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”

Q: What charge is this?
A: It is a groundless and baseless charge. They are just finding Jesus guilty without trial.

3 times Pilate found no guilt against Jesus.
NLT: He is not guilty of any crime.
NKJV: I find no fault in Him.
NRSV/NIV: Pilate found no case against Him.

Person on trial is not Jesus - Pilate finds that prosecutors have brought false charges against Jesus.

3 Main Responses from the People

1. Disbelief
a. Jews did not believe the Jesus was the Messiah
b. Jesus did not come to establish a political Kingdom - people chose not to believe
c. Called for Barrabas to be freed
i. This claim is found in all 4 Gospels
ii. All 4 Gospel writers found it important to include this account
iii. Barabbas was a zealot, tried to overthrow Roman rule over the Jews
iv. Wanted to establish a Jewish Kingdom
v. He did so with violence
vi. Person Jews requested to be released was Barabbas - why?
1) Jews didn't want Messiah who brought about a spiritual Kingdom
2) Wanted a Messiah who could overthrow Romans - see how Barabbas was part of the insurrection (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19)
a) John 18:40 refers to Barabbas as a λῃστής (lēstēs, "bandit"), "the word Josephus always employs when talking about Revolutionaries".
3) But even Jewish leaders said "no king but Caesar" - irony is real…
4) Profound disbelief in who God is, in the Kingdom of God
5) Rejection of who God is
vii. Do we act in the same manner?
1) Do we want God to do things according to our will?
2) Do we ask what Jesus wants of us?
3) Disbelief in a God fully in control of our lives
4) If we truly believe in Jesus and His kingdom we would trust that all things are under His control
2. Distress
a. Look at Pilate's response (Jn 19:8) - Pilate was even more afraid
i. He was technically the one in control of the situation
ii. Afraid of what people were going to say about Him
iii. Afraid that his future as Governor as Judea was at risk
iv. Do we respond to the proclaimation that there is no guilt in Jesus with fear and distress
v. How can God allow Jesus to be crucified?
vi. We think maybe God is not truly in control after all? Maybe He doesn't hold our future in His hands?
vii. Just like how Pilate doubts his future, we doubt if the guiltless man hanging on the cross can truly save us
3. Derision
a. Soldiers responded with derision
b. Twisted crown of thorns - mocked Him
c. Though out of their lips came "Hail, King of the Jews"
d. In their hearts they mocked Him
e. Isa 50:6
I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
f. Jesus is the one who gave Himself to be whipped, mocked, beaten
g. He willingly allowed himself to be mocked even though He is the creator
h. Do we mock Jesus?
i. When we sing that we believe in Jesus
ii. But in our lives we do not live as though He is Lord over our lives
iii. Do we give control of our lives to Him?
iv. Proclaiming Him to be King, yet with our actions we mock Him
i. Romans 8:1 - Paul writes so then there is no condemnation - same word as no condemnation in Christ Jesus
i. Jesus, the man who has no guilt, has taken on all the guilt and sin and punishment for all humankind
ii. So now there is no condemnation - a man who has no guilt has died for all of humanity, so therefore all of humanity will suffer no condemnation


Response to the Man who hangs guiltless on the cross:
- Do we respond in disbelief, or declare that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him
- Respond in distress, fearing that we have no control of our lives, or respond with dependence knowing that by grace we have been saved through faith, and that we can depend on Him because He holds the world
- Respond with derision or respond with devotion, giving over control of our lives to God, because He died for all so we may not live for ourselves but for Him
- Hope for our life and the world is in the control of a guiltless man who hangs on the Cross
- Some of us have begun to lose our faith in a God who is totally in control, that we hold our lives in our hands
- We have begun to call Jesus Lord with our mouths but mock Him with our lives
- Begun to fear for our future and forgotten to depend on the God who holds our future in His hands
Because Christ died for nothing we can inherit everything