Passion: Jesus is Judged
John 18:5-6 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
For the past several weeks, we have been considering The Passion of Jesus. Andy has done an excellent job of laying out the big picture: how Jesus’ passion for us and his mission resulted in his focus on the events leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.
Week 1 Jesus in the Garden
Andy taught us about suffering by looking at how Jesus responded to suffering and how we can apply His example to our lives/suffering.
Week 2 Jesus, Judas, Me
Andy continued by looking at how Jesus reacted to being ‘hurt/betrayed’ by Judas. He gave us some excellent suggestions for dealing with and growing through the pain that comes from people hurting us or letting us down.
Week 3 Jesus is denied by Peter
And last week, Andy focused on two major players in the story of what took place in what is probably the most important week in the history of the world. Andy talked about Peter and Judas and how they both failed big time and how they behaved following their failures.
Week 4 Jesus is Judged by Pilate
This brings us to week 4 in the series that will continue until Easter Sunday. On the app, this week is identified as Jesus is Judged by Pilate. We are going to be looking at what is sometimes referred to as the Trial of Jesus.
Jesus is Judged by Pilate (and everyone else)
Have you ever been unfairly judged? Or falsely accused? I would be surprised to hear anyone say. “No – never.” People, including you, are constantly judging; judging each other – judging products and brands – judging political parties/candidates. It is what we do. All four Gospels contain the record of Jesus appearing before Pilate. The account in Mark is probably the briefest. The other versions contain information that will help us get a more complete understanding of what happened.
This week we are looking at Jesus and his ‘trial’ by Pontius Pilate. I want us to look at how Jesus responded to being falsely accused and unfairly judged. Pilate was the Roman Governor in Jerusalem. Jesus was brought before him by the Jewish religious leaders. Ordinarily, these leaders would have as little to do with the Roman authorities as possible. They despised the Romans because they were Gentiles and because they were occupying Israel and oppressing the Jews. I want to briefly describe the events leading up to Jesus being judged by Pilate.
Last week, Andy talked about the last supper and how two men who were in Jesus’ inner circle let him down. After the meal, Judas went to do what he had arranged with the chief priests. Jesus and the rest of the disciples went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Well, Jesus went to pray – it seems the disciples had trouble staying awake. To be fair, it was later on in the evening. Judas led the Jewish leaders and soldiers to where Jesus was and identified Jesus. Even this circumstance was unfair. In Jewish custom, if a man was to be accused, everything was supposed to be done openly. The Jewish leaders were afraid to take Jesus publicly because of his popularity with the people and because it would reflect poorly on them.
Notice how Jesus responds. I want you to notice how Jesus interacted with those who were involved in passing judgement on him. Jesus is arrested and judged by the Jewish leaders
The High Priest just wanted Jesus to go away and so he, and the chief priests and other leaders questioned Jesus in the middle of the night. In doing so, they broke all the rules. They knew that they had to come up with a way to get Pilate to condemn Jesus to death; that way they could say to the people,
“This wasn’t our doing! Pilate ordered him to be put to death!” There are many scriptures like Matthew 26:59: The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. Jesus was already Judged by them before he ever stood before Pilate.
John 18:1-5
1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
This is the exact same phrase that Jesus used in John 8:58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. In most Bibles, the word ‘he’ is in italics. This is to indicate that the word in italics is not found in the original text. The translators added it in an attempt to make the passage make sense. It is the same phrase that is found in Exodus 3:14 Exodus 3:14 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
John 8:58 Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Every Jewish person would recognize this phrase. In our small group, we are studying the Gospel of John. One of the things we have noticed is that the closer Jesus got to his crucifixion, the more open he was about who he was. What he was teaching and doing was bringing him into greater conflict with the Jewish authorities. Which is why they were plotting to get rid of him. Earlier in his ministry he was less confrontational. He even told people that he had healed not to tell others. Now, he knows what’s coming and he is not trying to prolong his time – he knows his time is up (crucifixion). Here is an example of Jesus showing how much power he really has. This is also an example of how he was interacting with those who were involved but maybe not at the highest levels. The soldiers and officials from the chief priests and Pharisees who were just carrying out the orders of their superiors. They would eventually pass judgement on Jesus when discussing these events with family and friends. Jesus was always carrying out the work his Father sent him to do – even during the darkest period of his life. Here is an example of Jesus showing how much power he really has. In Matthew 26:50-55 Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.”
This is also an example of how he was interacting with those who were involved but maybe not at the highest levels. The soldiers and officials from the chief priests and Pharisees who were just carrying out the orders of their superiors. Jesus has compassion on the soldier whose ear Peter cut off. He healed him. Also, consider how he interacts with the Jewish leaders: They are treating him unfairly – arresting him in the middle of the night with soldiers from the Temple guard. How does he respond? Gently, yet authoritatively, he points out the unfairness of their treatment of him. How would you respond? Would you be angry? Demand your rights? Observe how Jesus responds: He doesn’t get angry
– he does what his Father sent him to do: he points sinners toward the Heavenly Father.
Here the high priest is breaking the rules for a trial: they are questioning Jesus in the middle of the night, in a private home. Plenty of false accusations but no witnesses or evidence. This judging was also unfair. How did Jesus respond? Not with anger, which he was capable of (remember the cleansing of the Temple?) and which would have been justified. He could have demanded his rights. He responds gently, but with authority. He points out the obvious things they are doing wrong or in violation of long-established principles. Jesus was interacting with Annas and the chief priests, but he was also aware of the other Jewish leaders that were there. He was doing everything he could, under the circumstances, to declare the truth and point people towards the Father. Annas sends Jesus to Caiaphas who questions him.
Eventually, he is led to Pilate. Jesus is Judged by Pilate
John 18: Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.
By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So, Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” They don’t even bring a formal charge. The Jewish leaders knew that they could not bring Jesus to Pilate over a religious ‘squabble’ – Pilate would have refused to get involved. They needed to accuse him of something that would result in Jesus being condemned to death. Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. Pilate then went back inside the palace. Pilate talks with Jesus and comes to understand that he really hasn’t done anything deserving of death. Notice Jesus interacting with Pilate. Jesus wasn’t angry. He knew the position that the Jewish leaders had maneuvered Pilate into, and he did what he could to reveal truth to him. At this point, if Pilate was fair, he would release Jesus. But that’s not what he did. That would have required actual leadership; he would have had the Jewish leaders spreading lies about him. That would have made governing more difficult. As the Governor, he should have been concerned with dispensing justice. Instead, he caved in to the demands of the Jewish leaders. He took the easy way out. In Matthew 27:19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” Pilate makes one more (feeble) attempt to do the right thing: he reminds the mob that there is a tradition of releasing a condemned person during the Feast of the Passover. There is a real criminal being held who is scheduled to be crucified. His name is Barabbas. He was an acknowledged murderer and was guilty of leading an insurrection against Rome – the very thing Jesus was (falsely) accused of. Pilate thought there was no way the crowd would choose to have Barabbas released and Jesus killed. He knew Jesus was innocent of the charges the chief priests had brought, and he believed that the crowd knew it as well. Talk about unfair – to condemn Jesus, who was innocent, to die in the place of a guilty man! Andy taught me something this week: when we were discussing this, he pointed out that Barabbas means son of a father. Bar: son of and Abba: father or master. So basically anyone. And isn’t that the Gospel? Jesus takes the place of anyone who trusts in him. When we are falsely accused or judged unfairly, it doesn’t just affect us in the moment. It has the potential to affect us and all those we interact with.
Jesus is Judged by You
The truth is, everyone judges Jesus; everyone who ever heard him speak, or who saw him perform a miracle, passed judgement on him at some level. Everyone who hears a gospel message decides whether they believe what they have heard and whether or not they will act on it. Last week Andy focused on Judas and Peter and how they failed Jesus. In a way, they passed judgement on Jesus by their actions. Each of us must judge Jesus; we must pass judgement on his claims. We must decide if he is who he claims to be. When (not if) we are treated unfairly, we can react with anger – demand our rights – lash out and hurt others or we can learn from the example of Jesus. We can ask him to help us respond as he did.