Kingdom Not of This World

We're in the rising action of the entire gospel story.

And soon it will climax with Jesus on the cross.

And the story will resolve.

And so verse 1, it says,

When Jesus had spoken these words,

he went out with his disciples across the brook hydron,

where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered.

Matthew and Mark, in their gospels,

called this garden Gethsemane,

which literally means oil press.

So it's an olive garden.

And that's the garden that is in view.

And then in verse 2,

Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place,

for Jesus often met there with his disciples.

So Judas has an intimate knowledge of Jesus and his disciples' whereabouts

and how they travel, what they do.

And it seems that customarily at this time of the year,

they met, they gathered at Gethsemane,

at the olive garden,

so that maybe to pray,

to prepare for how they're going to spend the rest of the feast.

And so knowing this,

and knowing that it will be secluded enough just outside the city,

and knowing that there will be cover of night,

he comes with soldiers.

It says, verse 3,

Judas, having procured a band of soldiers,

and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees,

went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

And the band of soldiers is a technical word that refers to a division of the Roman army.

It's the Roman cohort,

which could have up to 600 soldiers,

300 to 600 Roman soldiers.

And so the implication is,

and they came with weapons,

this is a pretty sizable crowd, right?

Jesus and his disciples,

I mean fishermen,

12 people,

they don't have a chance,

11 people without Judas,

they don't have a chance against these people.

And it's not just the Roman soldiers,

but they come with the Jewish officers.

They don't really get along, right?

Historically,

but with the common foe in Jesus,

they become strange bedfellows.

They partner together to come.

And the whole world,

as a result,

is implicated in what's about to happen.

So the Jews,

Gentiles,

the whole world,

and not just others,

but also his,

even,

even his own disciples.

And as we go through this passage,

I'm going to kind of do an unusual outline,

and just look at four portraits of people in this story.

So we're going to look at Peter,

and how he denies the Lord.

We're going to look at Caiaphas,

and the other Jewish leaders.

And then we're going to look at Pilate,

the Gentile leader.

And then we're going to look at,

finally,

Jesus,

and the portrayal of him throughout this passage.

And in John 13,

if you might recall,

Peter had told Jesus that he would even die for him.

But Jesus told him,

the rooster will not crow

till you have denied me three times.

And up to this point,

Peter's doing well.

He seems to be keeping his word.

And so when Judas comes with the band of soldiers,

it says in verse 10,

that Peter took his sword,

which is probably not like a full-length sword,

but more like a dagger that people typically carry in this day and age.

And then he cuts off the servant of the high priest's ear,

the right ear,

he says.

His name is Malchus.

But it turns out that this is not only brash of Peter,

but also futile,

considering that they are hopelessly outnumbered.

And he's also rebuked by Jesus,

who says to him in verse 11,

put your sword into its cheek,

that shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me.

Right?

So Peter is not only acting,

you know,

rationed up,

but he's also contradicting the very will of the Father

in wanting Jesus to go through this.

Thankfully,

Jesus comes to his rescue,

and Peter doesn't get arrested for cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant.

And we know from the other Gospels,

it's because Jesus diffuses the situation by healing the servant's right ear.

And so that's why Peter's okay here,

doesn't get arrested or anything like that.

And so Jesus comes to the rescue,

and then he's bound and taken away by this entourage.

And in verse 15,

it says that Simon Peter followed Jesus,

and so did another disciple.

And since that disciple was known to the high priest,

he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.

And this unidentified disciple is most likely the beloved disciple

mentioned throughout the Gospel of John,

which is John,

Apostle John himself.

It's kind of an oblique way of referring to himself

instead of mentioning his own name.

And so the disciple whom Jesus loved,

and he apparently has a close connection with the high priest or his family,

so he's able to get into the courtyard where the trial with the Sanhedrin is taking place.

And this is not as far-fetched as it might sound,

because John's family is a fisherman,

but this is a day and age where social hierarchies are not as strictly divided.

Even people of the educational class or the priestly class

were expected to have some kind of trade.

So Apostle Paul, for example, was a tent maker, as you might recall.

So he had some connection,

so he's able to go in,

and he has enough connection to be able to get Peter into the courtyard as well.

So that's what he does.

And as Peter's getting in,

this is verse 16,

but Peter stood outside at the door,

and so the other disciple who was known to the high priest

went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door

and brought Peter in.

And as he's coming in,

the servant girl makes a sensible connection, right?

Because she knows,

because John's known in this household,

John's a disciple of Jesus,

and John just came in,

and he came out to grab Peter.

So she assumes,

oh, so maybe he's a disciple also.

And so she asks him this question in verse 17,

you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?

The question is phrased in an intentionally pointed way.

It expects a negative answer.

It says,

you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?

So there's a hint of disdain and disbelief in her question.

And so Peter senses that,

feels that,

and he's also,

I mean,

to give him,

a lot of us might do the same when we're in his situation,

because he's a nerd by what's happened, right?

A shocking turn of events.

His master,

his teacher,

who he thought was going to come into his kingdom

and take over this,

repel the Roman Empire

and restore the Jewish kingdom.

This king,

this messiah,

has been arrested.

And not only are he in an environment he's never been in, right?

He doesn't have such connections that John did.

So he's never been to the courtyard of the high priest himself, right?

And so he's,

and he's also probably thinking back to what he did

in cutting off that servant's right ear.

So he's guilt-stricken

and he's probably a little fearful

and worried about what might happen.

And so Peter answers very defensively,

I am not.

And sin and denial of our Lord,

like any other sinful deed,

shameful deed,

really becomes easier and easier the more you do it.

And so the second and third denial come subsequently

and he becomes actually all the more animated as it comes.

Verses 25 to 27.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.

So they said to him,

you also are not one of his disciples.

Are you?

Again, that pointed question,

same phrasing.

He denied it and said,

I am not.

One of the servants of the high priest,

a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,

asked,

did I not see you in the garden with him?

Peter again denied it.

And at once a rooster crowed.

Right.

So it escalates, right?

In the last instant,

the man who asked him the question

thinks he's seen him, right?

Well, I was there.

I'm the relative of the guy whose ear you cut off, right?

I think I saw you there.

And still Peter insists and lies flatly to his face.

No, I'm not the guy.

And notice what leads Peter to these shameful denials, right?

He's not facing any judicial threat, right?

He's not,

he hasn't been arrested.

John's clearly there.

He's fine, right?

He's a disciple also.

So there's no real threat to him,

but he's cowed by the atmosphere that he is in, right?

That question of disdain, disbelief.

You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?

That feeling of marginalization,

that air of disdain,

that cows him to these denials.

And it's a pointed question, right?

You're not one of this man's disciples, are you?

This man, the one that's being tried by the Sanhedrin right now,

you're not this man's disciple, are you?

And we live in a generation that can identify with this

because we think with our feelings.

That's how our generation operates nowadays.

And nowadays what wins debates is not solid arguments,

but sneers and snarky remarks.

You also are not one of those Christians, are you?

You actually believe that God created the world?

Do you really believe that Jesus rose again from the dead?

None of these remarks, as you may have noticed,

are actual arguments, right?

They simply are assertions that generate a powerful feeling of shame.

And it preys on people's insecurities.

You really believe that?

You're really one of his disciples?

They make you feel like what you believe is ridiculous

without actually making any arguments to prove that it is ridiculous.

And I want to urge you guys,

and this is going to happen more and more,

and I can recall a time when Steve and I were sitting in a coffee shop

talking about the Bible, pizza pies down the street,

and a woman who was talking to her boyfriend

just right next to us on the table says,

oh, hey, you want to believe in Jesus too?

Just making fun of us.

And we hadn't said anything to her at all, right?

I mean, that's the kind of environment we're in, right?

And I want to urge you to don't be cowed by the circumstances.

When people, don't give people freebies like that.

Stand up for what you believe

and make them tell you why they think what you believe is untenable

instead of just believing that just because they make you feel that way,

that it's ridiculous.

And if you are not yet a follower of Jesus,

be aware of the same hindrance to your belief in Jesus.

Don't accept the assumptions of the spirit of the age

without examining them.

Consider Jesus on his own terms,

on his own right.

Be open-minded.

Don't deny Jesus simply because you're afraid of admitting

that you believe in him.

Don't fall to the trap that Peter fell into.

Now let's turn to a different character narrative.

Caiaphas, the high priest, and the other Jewish leaders.

After they arrest Jesus, it says in verses 13 and 14,

First they led him to Annas,

for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,

who was high priest that year.

It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews

that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

You guys might remember this from chapter 11.

Caiaphas saying,

Hey, let's make Jesus the scapegoat,

make him bear the wrath of the Roman Empire,

and in doing so we'll simultaneously quell this messianic frenzy,

and we will appease the Roman Empire.

So let's use him as a scapegoat.

And now that's so Caiaphas has said

that it would be expedient for them to do so.

So the verdict was already out,

and from that time on,

they had already resolved to kill Jesus,

and that's what they've been doing up to this point.

Now you might ask at this point,

Why do the Jews bring Jesus first to Annas,

the high priest's father-in-law?

That seems a little unusual.

Why don't you take him to the high priest?

Why don't you take him to his father-in-law?

And then if you are an unusually careful reader,

you may have noticed that there's a slight contradiction,

well, it might be a contradiction.

Verse 19, it says,

The high priest, it says,

then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching,

in verse 19.

And that's when Jesus had been brought to Annas,

not Caiaphas,

but he's called him,

later he calls Annas the high priest.

And then afterward he says in verse 24

that Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

So it's Annas that's been questioning Jesus,

and he's called the high priest,

and then later he says that he sent Jesus to the high priest,

Caiaphas.

So who is the high priest?

Because there are only supposed to be one.

And so this might seem contradictory at first,

but if you understand the complex political and religious situation

on the ground at the time,

this makes a lot more sense.

Because Annas was in fact the high priest from AD 6 to 15.

But then the emperor,

or actually not the emperor,

but Pilate's predecessor,

who was Valerius Greatus,

he deposed Annas by force,

and then put Pilate in his,

not Pilate,

Caiaphas in his place.

And because of that,

a lot of the Jews,

the pious Jews,

held that Annas was the rightful high priest.

He was the one that was appointed by God to be high priest.

And so even though Caiaphas held the actual authority,

the official function according to the Romans,

Annas was kind of,

was considered a high priest as well.

And so,

and not only that,

Annas' sons,

actually five of them in fact,

all will at some point become high priests.

And his father-in-law Caiaphas,

I mean his son-in-law Caiaphas also obviously.

So,

so he's kind of like the patriarch of the high priest family.

So,

that's why Luke writes in chapter 3 verse 2 of his gospel,

that Jesus,

that John the Baptist ministered during the time,

during the priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.

So he's already commenting on this situation,

the reality,

that both of them are prominent high priests.

And so,

they probably arranged this already beforehand,

with Caiaphas and with the Roman authorities.

So they first take him to Annas to hear the verdict,

and then they take him to Caiaphas,

for the official stamp of approval.

And why did the Jewish religious authorities oppose Jesus so fiercely?

Right?

The content of Annas' interrogation of Jesus in verses 19 to 24,

reveals some of this.

So read verse 19 with me.

It says,

the high priest then questioned Jesus,

about his disciples,

and his teaching.

So,

those are the two things that they're up in arms about,

that they're questioning Jesus.

But his disciples,

which may reflect their concern,

preoccupation with how large his following is.

Because if it's large,

then maybe he could be,

he could lead a popular uprising.

And they're concerned about that.

And secondly,

they're concerned about his teaching.

So,

even though,

later as you will see,

they present the matter to Pilate,

in primarily political terms,

because they know that that's,

Pilate's vulnerable spot,

and that's the language he understands.

But for them,

the concern is religious.

Right?

So they say,

well,

politics also is a part of it.

But they disagree,

with people's assessment,

that Jesus is the Messiah.

That Jesus claimed to be the Son of God,

and had told them,

that they do not belong to the Father,

and that that's why they are rejecting Jesus.

So Jesus had told the Pharisees,

and the Jewish leaders to their face,

of this reality,

and they resent that fact.

And so they question him,

and it's questions about his teaching.

And then Jesus responds,

in verses 20 to 21.

I've spoken openly to the world.

I've always taught in synagogues,

and in the temple,

where all Jews come together.

I have said nothing in secret.

Why do you ask me?

Ask those who have heard me,

what I said to them.

They know what I said.

Jesus is saying,

he taught out in the open.

This doesn't mean that he didn't have

any private lessons he did with his disciples.

But he's saying that what he said out in the open,

in public,

was one and the same as what he taught in private.

There were not two different messages.

He was not saying something in secret,

and plotting something.

No, he said everything openly.

And in contrast,

look at these Jewish leaders.

They came in the cover of night,

in seclusion,

to arrest him away,

while the rest of the Jews are preoccupied

with celebrating the Passover feast.

And they conduct this trial at night,

and we know this,

due to the presence of the lanterns and torches

mentioned in verse 3,

also the charcoal fire by which the people are warming.

So this is taking place that night,

and according to Jewish legal procedure,

the court was not supposed to be in session at night.

This is illegal for them to do,

yet they're doing this.

Jesus,

and there's a stark contrast,

Jesus speaks out there in the open,

and these Jews are doing something illegal,

contrary to the law,

in secret.

And not only that,

Jesus asks them,

why do you ask me?

Ask those who have heard me what I said to them,

they know what I said.

This again is a statement that has bite,

because according to Jewish legal procedures,

you're not supposed to question the subject.

You're not supposed to question the defendant.

You're supposed to question the witnesses

that are produced on behalf of the defendant.

That's proper Jewish legal proceeding.

And not only that,

the witnesses,

you're supposed to first bring up the witnesses

in support of the defendant,

and then listen to the witnesses

that are coming up against the defendant.

But nothing like that is taking place.

They come merely to question Jesus himself,

with no witnesses for him.

So Jesus is saying,

why do you ask me?

He's exposing the hypocrisy

of the Jewish leaders.

And after being taken to Caiaphas after Annas,

Jesus is then taken to the Roman governor's headquarters.

This is Pilate's headquarters.

In the morning,

and so this would be the morning of Good Friday.

And in order to be,

so it says in verse 28,

that the Jews themselves

did not enter the governor's headquarters

so that they would not be defiled,

but could eat the Passover.

I mean,

that just drifts with irony, right?

I mean,

they are concerned

about eating the Passover meal

while they are illegally prosecuting

and killing

the true Passover lamb

that God sent

to rescue them and save them.

Right?

They're concerned about eating the Passover.

So they won't even go into the governor's headquarters.

And I want to keep going on this train,

but I need to digress for a little bit

in case you guys notice

these seeming inconsistencies.

And not because

these are important in themselves,

in their own detail,

but because I believe

it's important for you

to have confidence in God's word

that it's trustworthy.

Because you might be wondering,

well,

didn't Mark and Luke

and,

you know,

Matthew,

right?

And didn't we see earlier

that Jesus already had

the Passover meal

with his disciples?

So that was on Thursday.

So what does it mean here

that they want to eat the Passover?

Does that mean

the Passover hasn't happened yet?

Right?

So the reason why

it could appear to be contradictory

is because the word Passover

is used in multiple senses.

And the first sense,

of course,

is to refer to the Passover feast proper,

that meal,

or that meal

that takes place on Thursday.

Right?

And so it could refer to that meal

and that's how Matthew

and Mark

primarily use the word.

Actually,

that's the exclusive way

they use the word.

But Passover could also,

the word can also be referring

to the whole feast

which lasts seven days,

not just to the Passover meal proper.

And that's how John

uses the word.

He goes back and forth

between the two.

And you could tell

that this is the case

because in Matthew and Mark,

they always distinguish

the Passover

from the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And they're one and the same.

Passover is the first day

of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

But they distinguish the two

because to use the term

Unleavened Bread

to refer to the feast

and the word Passover

to refer to the Passover proper,

to the meal.

But John doesn't do that.

He doesn't,

the word Unleavened Bread

doesn't even occur

in the entire Gospel.

So that tells you

he has to use the word Passover

in multiple senses.

And here he's referring

to the feast.

So they're saying,

no,

they had the Passover meal already

but the feast

continues to have special meals

and they want to be able

to continue to participate

in that feast.

It's not,

you know,

unlike how we have,

I mean,

there's,

some of us are Chinese American

and we celebrate

the Chinese New Year.

There's a big festival

in Boston,

right?

And the Chinese New Year

is,

was this year,

was actually on January 28th,

right?

But the celebration

of the Chinese New Year

lasts 15 days,

not one day,

right?

And so the Chinese New Year

parade in Chinatown

was actually on February 12th,

almost two weeks

after the fact,

after the actual

Chinese New Year day.

It's kind of like that,

right?

So someone could say,

well,

I need to go celebrate

the Chinese New Year

two weeks after the fact.

So right,

this here,

it's the day after

the Passover,

they're saying,

no,

they need to continue

to celebrate

the Passover feast,

right?

And this also explains

kind of a thorny question

later in chapter 19,

verse 14,

where it says,

now it was the day

of preparation

of the Passover.

Again,

that's not referring

to the fact that

it's the day

when they prepare

for the Passover proper,

which would be

the Wednesday

in preparation for Thursday,

but it's referring

to the preparation

of the Passover,

which actually,

throughout the gospel,

the word preparation

is used in only one way,

and it's referred

to the preparation

for the Sabbath.

That's how the word

is typically used.

And so it's talking

about that that was

the day of preparation

for the Sabbath

of the Passover feast

is what it's talking

about there,

right?

And you can see

that clearly

in chapter 19,

verse 31,

where John notes

that since it was

the day of preparation

and so that the bodies

would not remain

on the cross

on the Sabbath,

for the Sabbath

was a high day,

it's a special Sabbath

because it's during

the feast,

the Jews asked Pilate

that their legs

might be broken

and that they might

be taken away.

So again,

so if you look

at these,

then you could see

a remarkable harmony

arises in the gospel

narratives of Matthew,

Mark, Luke,

and John.

So getting back

to the main point here.

So while they are

trying to get Jesus,

the ultimate Passover lamb,

killed,

they're concerned about

eating all the meals

in the Passover feast.

But what made them

so blind?

Right?

Because they were

so set in their ways

and so settled

in their expectations

of who Jesus,

who the Messiah

would be,

they missed God's

purposes and plans

even though He was

right before their eyes.

they expected

a Messiah

that would lead

them militarily

to establish

a physical kingdom

on earth.

And we know

that that's what

they expected

not only from

the gospel narratives

but also from

historical records.

Not too long after,

just over 30 years

after Jesus'

crucifixion,

the Jews will

actually revolt,

start the first

Jewish-Roman war.

They wanted to take over.

They wanted to further

their political ambitions.

And so that's why

they took exception

to Jesus.

And we see this clearly

in chapter 19,

verse 7.

Read it with me.

We have a law

and according to that law

He ought to die

because He has made

Himself

the Son of God.

They can't come to terms

with the fact

that Jesus might

actually be

the Son of God.

And because they're

so settled

in their expectations,

they want to get

rid of Him

instead.

And I want to ask

ourselves this morning

as well because

we might also be

missing God's purposes

and plans right

before our eyes

because we're so

settled in our own

faulty expectations

of God.

Ask this question

to yourself honestly.

In what ways

are we trying to

make God fit

into our plans

rather than trying

to make your life

and your priorities

fit into God's plan?

Maybe some of us

expected a Savior

who would say to us,

Daughter,

neither do I condemn you,

but a Savior

who would not say,

And from now on,

sin no more.

Maybe you expected

a Savior who would say,

Whoever hears my word

and believes in me

has eternal life.

He does not come

into judgment

but has passed

from death to life.

But maybe not

a Savior who would say,

Unless a grain of wheat

falls into the earth

and dies,

it remains alone.

But if it dies,

it bears much fruit.

Whoever loves his life

loses it

and whoever hates

his life in this world

will keep it

for eternal life.

These are all

from the Gospel of John,

what Jesus said,

his words.

Maybe you expected

a Savior who would

give you health

and wealth

and prosperity

but never sickness,

poverty,

and suffering

for your good

and God's glory.

Maybe you expected

a God who would

fit neatly

into your theological

paradigms and worldviews

but not one who declares

his untrammeled sovereignty

and defies your restrictions

of his deity.

Maybe we expect

a God who would make us

the center of the universe,

not a God who says

he is the center

of the universe.

Our duty as Christians

is to humble ourselves

before God,

die to our own wills

and plans

and then submit

to the revealed will

of God in Scripture

in every aspect of life.

That's what we are called to.

And if you are not

a follower of Jesus,

I ask you also

to examine yourself

at this time.

Do aspects of Jesus

and his teaching

offend your sensibilities?

Do you find yourself

saying God wouldn't do

such a thing?

He wouldn't say such a thing?

Do you find yourself

saying things like that?

Oh, God would never

say something like that.

God would never do

something like that.

How do you know?

Don't we make

faulty judgments

about people

and situations

all the time

in our lives?

We all do.

What makes you so sure

that your subjective

expectation

of what God should be

is correct?

I implore you

to look at Jesus

and his claims today

with fresh eyes

because he's

the only true savior

and we must accept him,

submit to him

on his terms.

So we've seen

Peter succumb

to peer pressure

in a way

and Caiaphas

and other Jewish leaders

to the religious pressures

that they feel

and we see now here

we turn to Pilate

who succumbs

to political pressure.

Read with me

verses 29 to 32

of chapter 18.

So Pilate

went outside

to them

and said,

what accusation

do you bring

against this man?

and 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

then and judge him

by your own law.

The Jews said to him,

it is not lawful

for us to put

anyone to death.

So Pilate

opens up trial

by asking,

what accusation

do you bring

against this man?

And interestingly enough,

the Jews don't bring

a single accusation.

They just say,

hey,

if you didn't do

anything bad

we wouldn't have

brought him to you.

And so the fact

that they respond

that way

suggests that

there was already

a prior understanding

and the fact

that Roman guards,

the detachment

of soldiers

came with Judas

to arrest Jesus

shows that

the Roman authorities

already had an idea

of what was going on.

So Pilate probably

already knew this.

He's just kind of

on a power trip.

He's saying,

hey,

let's open up this trial.

Let's see what you do.

And he threw out

this passage

who will mock the Jews.

And we know

that Pilate knew

something of what

was going on

because later

when he takes

Jesus aside

he asks him,

are you the king

of the Jews?

The Jews didn't

tell him anything

about that

to this point

so he already

knew what was going on.

And Pilate senses

their insolence

when they respond

that way

and he responds

in kind.

Well,

take him yourselves

then,

judge him

by your own law.

If you're so certain

of your judgments

then you do it yourself.

And he's displaying

his power

saying,

well,

you can't do that,

can you?

Because they have

no power

to execute

criminals.

Only the Roman

authorities

had that power.

And that had been

the case

since 6 AD

when the Roman

Empire

established the

prefect to rule

over Judea,

over all the Jews.

And so after this

Pilate takes

Jesus into

his headquarters

to question him.

In verse 33

he asks,

are you the king

of the Jews?

So that's how

the Jews

had framed

Jesus'

you know,

their accusation

toward Jesus.

Of course,

Pilate doesn't care

whether Jesus

is,

you know,

Messiah

or what he claimed

to be

or teach

for the Jews

but he cares

when someone

claims to be king.

Because his job

is to uphold

the authority

of Caesar.

So they told him

he claims

to be the king

of the Jews

and so Pilate

asks Jesus

this question.

And then Jesus

says,

do you say

this of your own

accord or did

others say it

to you about me?

And then Pilate

responds,

am I a Jew?

Your own nation

and the chief priests

have delivered you

over to me.

What have you done?

Right?

So his question

is contemptuous.

Am I a Jew?

He's,

that's derogatory.

He's saying,

no,

I'm not a Jew.

So why are you

asking me that question?

I'm not the one

that brought you here.

Your own people

brought you here

and I know

these people

are being

hypocritical

because they never

once wanted

to uphold

Caesar's rule

before

and all of a sudden

they're interested

in ratting out

this guy,

this Christ

who claims

to be the king

of the Messiah.

And so you did

something.

What have you done?

He's asking.

And Jesus answers

in verse 36,

my kingdom

is not of this world.

If my kingdom

were of this world,

my servants

would have been fighting

that might not

be delivered

over to the Jews.

But my kingdom

is not from the world.

So by speaking

of his kingdom,

Jesus freely

acknowledges

his kingship.

But rather than

simply accepting

the Jewish authorities

and the Roman authorities

definition of kingship,

he defines it

in his own way.

He says,

it's not of this world.

If it were,

his servants

would be fighting for him.

But because it's not,

he's all alone,

forsaken even

by his own disciples.

Pilate then follows up,

so you are a king.

And Jesus says,

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.

So when he says,

you say that I am a king,

he's not saying,

well, that's not what I said,

but that's what you're saying.

That's not what Jesus

is saying at all.

This is the typical Jewish way

of affirming

what the person said.

It's saying,

it is as you said,

it is as you said,

it is as you say so.

That's what he's saying.

And you know that

you can compare it

to Luke 22,

70 to 71

where a similar question

is asked of Jesus

and Jesus responds

in the same way,

you say that I am.

And then they take that

as blasphemy.

So it's clearly

an affirmation.

It's not a denial

of what Pilate is saying.

And the purpose,

he says,

in fact,

he's such a king

that he is so,

by his nature,

a king

that it's the very purpose

for which he was born.

That's the reason

why he was born.

And that's the reason

why he came into the world.

And he explains it.

He says,

to bear witness

to the truth.

And Jesus,

as he said earlier,

he is the truth.

He's the way,

the truth,

and the life.

And because Jesus

is the ultimate revelation

of God the Father,

he's the one

that's sent by God

to reveal the truth

about God.

Because of that,

to become a king,

he was born

to be a king,

is the same thing

as him being born

to bear witness

to the truth.

They're one and the same.

And there's an implicit

invitation in Jesus'

last statement,

isn't there?

Verse 37,

everyone who is

of the truth

listens to my voice.

Will you listen

to my voice,

Pilate?

Will you listen

to my voice?

But Pilate says,

dismissively,

verse 38,

what is truth?

And we know

he's being dismissive

because he doesn't

wait around

for an answer.

He just storms

right out

to continue the trial

and to talk

to the Jews.

And in doing so,

he proves that

he is not

of the truth.

But nevertheless,

Pilate is probably

at this point

a little bit fearful

already

about who

Jesus might

truly be.

the pagan rulers

during this time

were very superstitious,

right?

And they liked

to appease

all the gods

that they can.

And they had

a category

for divine men,

men who were

spiritual,

men whom

gods had endowed

with spiritual gifts.

And so perhaps

that's what's going on.

But he definitely,

he knows that

Jesus is innocent

with regard to the claim

that the Jewish

authorities are bringing.

So he tells them,

I find no guilt

in him.

And if Pilate

were truly

a man of integrity,

that would be

the end of the discussion,

wouldn't it?

I find no guilt

in him.

End of trial.

Leave.

That's what he should

have done,

but he doesn't.

He wants to appease

the Jews.

So the story

continues in chapter 19.

Read verses 1 to 5

with me.

Chapter 19,

verses 1 to 5.

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

and Pilate said to him,

Behold the man.

The flogging

that takes place

at this point

is not the flogging

that Matthew

and Mark

write about.

So we know

because that flogging

takes place

after Jesus

sentenced to death.

This happens

before Jesus

sentenced to death.

And the Jews

had three types

of flogging.

The mildest kind

was reserved

for petty crimes

and they used it

as a warning.

Hey,

don't do this again

and they'll let them go.

That was the mildest

form of flogging.

And then they had

the moderate kind

and then they had

the severest kind

of flogging

which involved tying,

taking the clothes

off the person,

tying them to a post

and then whipping them

with a leather whip

that was retrofitted

with bones and metals.

And it was so severe

that many people

died from just being flogged.

And that treatment

was connected

to capital punishment.

And so Jesus,

this is not that kind

of flogging

that he's referring to.

That happens to Jesus later

and Matthew and Mark

write about that.

So he's going through

a whole ordeal here.

And so in order

to appease the Jews,

he flogs them

and he wants to let them go

with the warning

and says,

I find no guilt in him

but the Jews are stubborn

and unyielding

the Jewish leaders

in their demand

of the capital punishment.

So verse 6 to 11,

it says,

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.

And 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.

And 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.

So when finally

the Jewish authorities

come to the crux

of their accusation

that he claimed

to be the son of God,

Pilate hears this

and is even more afraid.

He says,

Maybe this really is

a spiritual person.

And so he tries to

manipulate Jesus

into answering his questions.

He says,

I have the authority

to release you

or crucify you,

but Jesus would have

none of it.

He wouldn't answer.

And he tells him,

You would not have

authority over me

unless it was given

to you from God.

And he says that,

Therefore he who delivered

me over to you

has the greater sin.

So he's not saying

that Pilate is without guilt

because God was sovereign

over this process.

He is guilty

of what he did.

But his sin

is less grave

compared to the sin

of those who handed him,

the one who handed him over.

Because his is passive.

He received Jesus

as he came into his jurisdiction.

But Judas,

who's probably,

this John is referring to here

because the word betrayer

is attached to him

throughout the gospel,

which is the same word

as the word delivered.

So it seems

that he's referring to him.

He is guilty

of the greater sin.

And so he says,

From then on,

Jesus seeks to release him

in verse 12.

And then the Jews

pull out their final card,

their biggest weapon,

their leverage.

Verse 12,

If you release this man,

you are not Caesar's friend.

Everyone who makes himself

a king opposes Caesar.

Now that's his sensitive spot,

isn't it?

Right?

He's subject to Caesar.

And Caesar at this time

was known,

Tiberius was known

for being suspicious

of his subordinates.

And he was known

for brutally wiping out

any people

that he has suspicions against.

And earlier,

we know from history,

the Jewish authorities

had actually kind of

told on him before.

They had come

and went to the emperor

and complained to him

about Pilate before.

So he knows

they're not bluffing

at this point.

So he's fearful.

And so even though

he had clearly said,

I find no guilt in him,

and from this point on,

he settled on the decision

what he's going to do.

So when Pilate heard

these words,

he brought Jesus out

and sat down

on the judgment seat

at a place called

the Stone Pavement

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.

So the timing

is slightly off

from the other Gospels.

They say in the Gospels,

six hour is about noon,

according to Jewish reckoning.

But in other Gospels,

it says that Jesus

was crucified

around 9 a.m.

But let me remind you,

they didn't have watches

or clocks

during this time,

and people are not

carrying sundials around.

So it was acceptable

for them to have

approximate

knowledge of time,

and it was considered

truthful

when they wrote that way.

So that's,

I don't want you guys

to be bothered by that

when you find it.

And the Jews

continued to clamor violently,

Away with him!

Away with him!

Crucify him!

And Pilate now knows

that he is trapped,

but he does not miss

the last opportunity

to mock the Jews.

He says,

Shall I crucify your king?

And then they answer

in unison,

We have no king

but Caesar.

So he delivered him

over to them

to be crucified.

What?

An apostasy,

right?

Just,

the Jewish leaders

who ought to be serving God

as their king

says,

We have no king

but Caesar.

And let me ask you

this morning,

What are the fears

that prevent you

from accepting Jesus

as your God

and Savior?

Are there any

allegiances in your life

that preclude

your supreme

and exclusive

allegiance to God?

Perhaps you feel,

your fear

that you will damage

your reputation

if you tell people

about Christ.

Maybe your primary loyalty

maybe lies to your employer

or your political party

or your country

and not to God.

Are we in any way

seeking to preserve

our status quo

to protect ourselves

and to advance

our causes

rather than aligning

ourselves unreservedly

with Jesus

and his cause?

Now that brings us

to my final point

because this narrative

is not at all

about Peter

or Caiaphas

or Pilate

but it's about Jesus.

And we see Jesus

from the beginning

to the end

in full control

of what is happening.

Right?

Chapter 18 verse 4

Then Jesus,

knowing all that

would happen to him,

came forward

and then said

to the band of soldiers

who would come to arrest him,

Whom do you seek?

They answered him,

Jesus of Nazareth

and Jesus said to them,

I am he.

And when Jesus said

to them,

I am he,

they drew back

and fell to the ground.

Jesus is not caught unaware.

He knows exactly

what's going on

and because of that

he comes forward

and he self-identifies.

He says,

no, I am the Jesus of Nazareth

that you're looking for.

And when he says that

he says,

I am,

literally.

That's what's behind

the translation,

I am he.

He literally says,

I am.

And he's,

which is again,

reminiscent of God's revelation

of himself to Israelites

in Exodus 3

when he said,

I am who I am.

Say this to the people of Israel.

I am has sent me to you.

And when God

so discloses himself

to people,

the only appropriate response

is for them

to fall prostrate.

And so these

Roman guards,

the cohort,

300,

secondary soldiers,

they draw back

and they fall

to the ground.

Some people say that,

you know,

they were just

physically inept,

you know,

started,

they're so surprised

by Jesus' self-exclusion

they're just kind of

stumbling back

and then they trip

and fall,

right?

But I mean,

even if that's what happened,

John Curry

intends something

more than that.

If that's what happened

then they act better

than they know

because that's in fact

what they should have done

in the presence of God,

the great I am.

And so Jesus

is in full control

and he secures

the safety

of his followers.

He says,

if you seek me

let these men go

and John notes

that this is in fulfillment

of scripture

of those whom you gave me

I have lost,

not one.

That of course

refers to spiritual salvation

but in order to save

his disciples spiritually

he needs to preserve

them physically

because he hasn't died

and rose again yet.

So he secures

their safety

and when Peter

tries to play the hero

he says,

this is the cup

that he must drink

because the father

has given it to him.

So he's in full control

during his arrest

and he's in full control

during the trial,

right?

That's why

John intentionally

juxtaposes

Peter's shameful denials

along with Jesus'

bold witness,

right?

He kind of

interweaves them

and puts them

right next to each other

because in order to

highlight the context

Jesus is bold

as a witness.

He tells the truth

as a witness.

He does not

cowering

because of

the environment.

And John reminds us

in 1827

that after Peter's

third denial

at once

a rooster

crowed

to remind us

that Jesus knew

this was going to happen

all along.

Nothing

that's happened so far

has happened outside

of God's sovereign plan

is what

he's telling us.

and even

the Jewish

leaders

decision to bring

him to Pilate

so that he can be

executed by the Roman

proper Roman authorities.

Even that is in

fulfillment of scripture.

So John notes

in 1832

this was to

fulfill the word

that Jesus had spoken

to show by what

kind of death

he was going

to die.

And this wasn't

even intentional

but I think this is

really cool

that it happened.

the preaching

from this Friday

the tentative

was from Psalm 22

during our prayer service

which prophesies

about Jesus'

crucifixion.

Verses 16 to 18

of Psalm 22

says

dogs encompass me

a company of

evildoers

encircles me

they have pierced

my hands

and feet

I can count

all my bones

they stare

and gloat over me

they divide

my garments

among them

and for my clothing

they cast lots.

So this

is all going

to be fulfilled

in the next chapter.

Jesus is going

to be pierced

he's going

to be crucified.

Every single

turn of event

here in this passage

happens due to

God's sovereign

knowledge and plan

and Jesus

is in full

control.

But that raises

the burning question

for us

what's in it

for us?

God is clearly

orchestrating

these turn of events

but why

why is he doing that?

and that brings

us to

the truth

that we

should never

become too

familiar with

and that

is the main

point of this

passage.

Christ the

king

is condemned

according to

God's sovereign

plan

so that those

who believe

in him

might be

justified.

Christ the

king is

condemned

according to

God's sovereign

plan

so that those

who believe

in him

might be

justified

and we

see this

truth

in the

manner of

Jesus'

suffering

throughout

the gospel

because

Pilate asks

him

what is

truth

and we

know

from what

Jesus said

before that

he is the

truth

and yet

he misses

the truth

right before

his eyes.

The Jews

accuse him

of having

claimed to

be the