#1535 John 19 Part 1 I Have Authority

 

Pilate then took Jesus and flogged Him. 2 And when the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they were coming to Him and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were giving Him slaps in the face. 4 And Pilate came out again and *said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, “Behold, the man!” 6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate *said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he became more afraid; 9 and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 As a result of this Pilate kept seeking to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he *said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” John 19: 1-15 LSB

John 19: 1-15

Pilate then took Jesus and flogged Him - There is a problem with so many in high positions, and that is this, they don't have the courage to stand, and so we call them politicians, and we applaud them for compromise. This is becoming a battle of wills between the squeaky wheel and a man that wants to keep his position, and is being pressed towards sacrificing the innocent in order to keep the guilty from rioting. He doesn't want to kill so here is a compromise, Jesus is flogged, the soldiers mock Him in verse 2, dressing Him up like a king. In verse 3 they Hail Him as the King of the Jews, and this isn't working in His favor, this won't satisfy the mob. They don't want Him to be called King, and especially not of the Jews. 

V. 4 I find no guilt in Him - Jesus is pronounced innocent, what a relief, now He can go home a free man, but that's not how this ends.

V. 5 Behold the man - He has been beaten, flogged, and humiliated, surely this is enough. 

28All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’… John 1: 28-30

V. 6 Crucify, crucify - They are not appeased; they need more, and if you really want to know why, it's not just because they are confused or sick, but God's holiness demands more, sin is far more grievous than you or I comprehend. It is the will of an infinitely Holy and Just Being that this continues, if anyone is going to be saved then this must go on till completion. 

…6He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’” 8Then they remembered His words.… Luke 24: 6-8

V. 7 He made Himself out to be the Son of God - This is true, and others had made such claims such as Tiberius Augustus Caesar and Emperor Nero. This was by rule of might, dependent upon armies. Jesus proved He was God by way of His miracles, being over the elements, telling the sea to be still and walking on water. He turned water into wine, multiplied enough food for one child into more than enough for 5,000. He healed stuff way beyond headaches, like lameness, blindness, deafness, and showed His power over the spiritual realm by casting out demons. The claims of Tiberius and Nero are not those of a self existing, eternal being.  

“It is certain that the Jews understood this in a very peculiar sense. When Christ called himself the Son of God, they understood it to imply positive equality to the Supreme Being.” (Clarke)

V. 8 He became more afraid - Some say this is political fear again, strictly the fear of the mob and losing position in Rome because of the potentially explosive situation and unrest. I think that will be the deciding factor in turning Jesus over to be crucified, the fear of man, but Pilate really doesn't want to kill Him. He keeps stalling, and I find it very hard to believe that a man like this would normally care to do so. Matthew gives us another view of this time, and I know Pilate realizes this is about hate, about envy and we know greed and ego as well. I think Pilate also sees something that these religious rulers don't see, and to accept it, to continue down the path of Who Jesus really is would turn Pilate's world upside down. Even his wife has warned him.

…18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” 20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death.… Matthew 27: 18-20

V. 10 You do not speak to me - Pilate's the big guy, the representative of Rome, of capitol punishment, but that's not as big a deal as he thinks, and very temporary. I have had people ask me, "do you know who I am,' or sometimes, 'do you realize who that is?" Well, it ain't God. Pilate, do you know Who Jesus is? That's the more pressing question, that's the one with eternal implications. 

…35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. 36 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?… Mark 8: 35-37

…6We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. 8By oppression and judgment He was taken away, and who can recount His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was stricken for the transgression of My people.… Isaiah 53: 6-8

V. 11 Unless it had been given you from above - Pilate did not hold the highest seat here, nor Caesar, but God alone was sovereign in all this. This is history, and history is God's redemptive story. It is all about Christ, for their is nothing good in us, our righteousness is as filthy rags, but Jesus is the One Who the Father calls well pleasing. He is the only satisfaction for a Holy God. This is why Jesus is here, this is why Pilate is able to have this conversation with Him, because it was the Lord's will.

Pilate thought he had power, but what he had was the power to do wrong, to do harm. He didn’t have the power to do what was right. The right thing to do was to release an obviously innocent Man instead of sending Him to death, but Pilate was weak before the strength of the religious leaders and the crowd they commanded. To say, “I have power to do what the crowd wants me to do” is to say you have no power at all.

ii. The same man who claimed to have all power tried to wash his hands of the decision (Matthew 27:24) claiming, “I didn’t really want to do this.” - E Word

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6

9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.… Isaiah 53: 9-11

…23At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision: 24Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress.… Daniel 9: 23-25

“He that delivered me could be a reference either to Judas or Caiaphas and the language of the evangelist seems to be deliberately vague.” (Tasker)

ii. “The verb ‘hand over’ (Gk. paradidomai) has been used repeatedly in the earlier part of the narrative to denote Judas’s act of betrayal.” (Bruce)

V. 12 Everyone who makes himself to be a king opposes Caesar - These guys are kind of special, a lot of them hate Rome, yet this is their argument. And here is the tension for Pilate, he wants to let Jesus go even though Christ claims to be the Son of God. He isn't sure there isn't something to that, but "opposes Caesar", now that could get spun up and turn into a riot, and he is all about self preservation. He has seen what Rome can do, but He hasn't seen Jesus, this Lamb like man, kill anybody. He seems harmless, but the mob is pushing to make this be about Rome, this is Pilate's weakness, the fear of man. This is when even your "friends" roll on you.

…27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.… Matthew 10: 27-29

V. 15 We have no king but Caesar - Wow! Is there anyone you fear more than God, anyone whose approval you want more than His? Is there anything you would choose over God? 

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38Look, your house is left to you desolate.… Matthew 23: 36-38

“Driven by hate, they deliberately disown their Messianic hope, and repudiate their national glory. They who will not have Christ have to bow to a tyrant. Rebellion against Him brings slavery.” (Maclaren)