Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20000419.htm

JOHN: TRIUMPHING IN LIFE'S MOST CRITICAL ISSUE
Part V: The Atonement Of The Messenger Of Salvation
C. Christ's Lordship Credibility Seen In His Trial Before Civil Authority
(John 18:24-19:16)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus as Messiah will the world, we would expect His royalty to emerge in His contact with civil rulers.
    2. Christ's trial before civil authority is revealing to us, exposing that divine royalty in Christ (as follows) and also providing a rich directive in our own relationship with others as we serve our Lord ourselves:
  2. Christ's Lordship Credibility Seen In His Trial Before Civil Authority, John 18:24-19:16.
    1. As Caiaphas was set up by the Romans to be high priest in place of the Biblically correct Annas, we view Christ's trial before Caiaphas in John 18:24-27 as a trial before civil rule, Bib. Know. Com., N.T., p. 335.
    2. Though John's Gospel is silent about this trial, he describes Jesus before Pilate to reveal His royalty:
      1. Pilate asked Jesus' Jewish captors for their charge against Him, and they replied that were Jesus not a criminal, they would not have handed Jesus, a fellow Jew at Passover over to Pilate, John 18:28-30.
      2. Pilate knew about Jesus' Triumphal Entry, that these leaders were thus jealous of Jesus, so he chose to aggravate Jesus' enemies by refusing to act without sufficient charges, John 18:31a.
      3. The Jews replied they could not execute Jesus by Roman law, and John notes this fulfilled Scripture: death by the Jews would include the breaking of bones via stoning, and Scripture predicted Jesus would die without any of his bones being broken as in a crucifixion, Ps. 34:20; Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12.
      4. Accordingly, Pilate began to question Jesus directly, a move that revealed the royalty of Jesus:
        1. Knowing of the Triumphal Entry, Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, Jn. 18:33.
        2. Jesus wanted to know if Pilate asked his question as a magistrate needing to know if Jesus was creating an unlawful insurrection or if He was speaking of a spiritual rule of no import to Pilate, 34.
        3. Pilate sarcastically answered he was interested only in the civil issues, John 18:35.
        4. Christ then clarified that He was not working in rebellion to Rome or His servants would fight against Roman rule. His kingdom was not of this world as to its source or methodology, Jn. 18:36.
        5. Pilate wanted to know in what sense Jesus viewed Himself a King, and Jesus replied He spoke of God's truth as His spiritual ruler from heaven, John 18:37.
        6. Oblivious to what Jesus meant, Pilate told His captors Jesus was innocent of punishment, Jn. 18:38.
        7. To placate the Jews and get Jesus released, Pilate tried to release Jesus to the crowd as a goodwill gesture in keeping with Passover custom. The crowd instead demanded Jesus' crucifixion, 18:39-40
        8. Realizing he had to work harder to placate the crowd, Pilate scourged Jesus, had Him mocked and beaten as a mock king and tried to release Jesus in that condition without killing Him, 19:1-5.
        9. However, that treatment still did not gratify the leaders who still wanted Jesus crucified, 19:6a.
        10. Pilate sarcastically told them to crucify Jesus themselves as he found no fault in Jesus, but the Jews threatened that Jesus needed to be killed as He had made Himself out to be God as God's Son, 6b-7.
        11. This bothered Pilate, for he knew how deeply the Jews felt about such a blasphemy charge, and he needed to work hard to keep control of the crowds to protect his reputation and rule, Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. John 19:8. Thus, he questioned Jesus again as to His claims, 19:8.
        12. Though facing threat of death by crucifixion under Pilate's rule, Jesus fearlessly clarified to Pilate as His Judge that Pilate could do nothing apart from God's permission. Thus though Pilate was guilty mistreating Jesus, Caiaphas who handed him over to Pilate had the greater sin, John 19:9-11!
        13. Pilate then sought to release Jesus, but gave in to the mounting press of Jesus' enemies, 19:12-16.
Lesson: (1) Before even THREATENING CIVIL rulers, Jesus acted (a) RESPECTFULLY and (b) LAWFULLY (c) though with AUTHORITATY, viewing HIMSELF as RULER over Caiaphas, the Jewish captors AND Pilate. Thus, (2) Jesus was either terribly MISTAKEN about His authority OR He was indeed the Messiah from God Who gave Himself as God's Lamb for our sins, John 1:29.

Application: (1) Since all we know of Jesus in John's Gospel to this point indicate Jesus could not be MISTAKEN about His AUTHORITY, Jesus' conduct before civil magistrates revealed Him to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is to be believed and OBEYED as such! (2) As we SIMILARLY are sent forth as God's Messengers by CHRIST'S world-ruling authority (Mtt. 28:18-20), we should be just as (a) lawfull, (b) respectful and also (c) fearless of men as we serve the King of the world to come!