John 18:28-40

            Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; 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."

            Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.""But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.  This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

            Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

            "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

            "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

            Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

            "You are a king, then!" said Pilate.

            Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

            "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.  But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

            They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

 

 

            In the Creed we state:  “Born of the Virgin Mary…..Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.”  Interesting are the two humans that God used to:

1. bring Jesus into the world
2. officially sentence Jesus “innocent” as Jesus fulfilled what he came to do.

 

            One:  Mary knows who Jesus is and that all that takes place is to fulfill God’s plan of salvation of his people.  The other:  Pilate only knows that he has to fulfill the expectations of him by those around and above him both in Jerusalem and in Rome.

 

            We know that Mary was chosen by God, unannounced to others around her, and unsuspecting to anyone who knew her.  Jesus came into this world in the quiet of a little village, Bethlehem, and in the most modest of circumstances.  Through his words and actions people came to recognize him as the Messiah, our Savior.

 

            Pilate was an official of the most powerful and prestigious empire in the world.  He had demonstrated his ability and worth in recognized ways.  His governorship was a mark of prestige.  His official title was, “Governor of the imperial province of Syria,” which included Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and other territories to the north.  It is a position he held from 26 through 36 A.D.  Although his palace and offices were in Caesarea, he came to Jerusalem during major celebrations, such as Passover, for his political visibility and also to control insurgencies and rebellions that might arise against the Roman authority.  Through Pilate, God demonstrates that Jesus is truly innocent as is sentenced to death on the cross as prophesied and in order to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for his people.

 

            Pontius Pilate never gives the evidence that he is a God-fearing man.  Instead he practiced emperor worship and the multiple gods and goddesses of Greek/Roman traditions.  He knew and understood both the religious and political motives of the Jewish people.  He knew real justice in the political and social sense. 

 

            As we read in Scripture, the temple leaders brought Jesus to Pilate as early after daybreak as they could.  Pilate readily identified that this was an internal thing among these leaders.  He had most likely either heard or witnessed Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem earlier this week.  After his careful and insightful questioning, Pilate could not find any fault with Jesus.  He spoke out to the crowd that had brought Jesus to him, “Why?  What crime has he committed?”  [Matthew 27:23}  Luke and John both record Pilate saying, "I find no basis for a charge against this man" [Luke 23:4, John 18:38, 19:4, 6].  Pilate stated this three times to no avail.

 

            Pilate washes his hands of the mess and turns Jesus over to be crucified.  But Pilate also had the following posted on Jesus’ cross:  “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” [John 19:19].  It is an official document.  In legal terms it states why Jesus was crucified.  We know and believe Jesus is our king as all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him [Matthew 28:18], not by election, not by gathering armies together, but by proclamation of God who has created all things.

 

            Jesus is our king who has fought and defeated all forces that would want to take control of us; sin, death and the devil.

 

            Jesus is our king as he reigns over his body, the holy Christian Church today.  In the truest and purest sense, all believers in him are his members who have citizenship in heaven.

 

            Jesus is our king as all authorities in this earth have their beginning in him as declared in the Revelation to John.  We know that all earthly authorities do not recognize this, but it is simple truth by God’s design. 

 

            Jesus is our king as he will come in judgment at the end of creation, to bring those “not guilty” by his blood to all eternity with him.  Those who have not believed in him will receive the punishment for their sins, eternal death in hell.  It is only those who believe and are baptized who will be saved [Mark 16:16].

 

            Jesus is declared innocent, as charged.  Jesus is declared our heavenly king sent from God, as charged.  Jesus is declared the Son of Man and the Son of God, as charged.  Jesus suffers and dies an innocent death, as charged by his heavenly father to do.  That is so today, all who believe in Jesus are declared innocent before God, because Jesus bore your sins for you and places his righteousness on you.

 

            2 Corinthians 5:21  God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

            Romans 4:25  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. 

 

            Galatians 3:27  ....for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

 

            Jesus was sentenced and died an innocent death so that all who believe in him will be declared innocent of the wages of death we deserve and be raised up to an eternity in all of the splendors of heaven with him.              Amen.