Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Jesus was led from the house of Annas to that of Caiphas.

It was there that a Jewish sham of a trial took place.

However, John gives it no coverage in his gospel.

He simply takes us to Pilate.

The ultimate verdict of the kangaroo court was that Jesus deserved death and should be taken to Pilate for this to happen.

Pilate’s normal residence was Caesarea Maritime on the comfortable Mediterranean coast.

But during festivals he would come to Jerusalem to make sure there was no trouble from the people.

The trial of Jesus was taking place during Passover.

His place of residence when in Jerusalem would have been the Praetorium.

The Jews would not enter this Praetorium because to do so would have made them ceremonially unclean and unable to eat the Passover.

It is ironic in that they could participate in the murder of an innocent man and consider themselves worthy of eating the Passover but not if they entered the place where his trial would take place.

So Pilate comes out of the building to meet with the Jewish leaders.

Pontius Pilate — He served as governor of the Province of Judea from AD26-36.

He was known to be a brutal and arrogant ruler.

He, like most Roman rulers of the day, rose early and did all of their business before noon.

The time of this inquisition was likely very early in the morning around 6am, perhaps even earlier.

The Jewish leaders had obviously conspired with Pilate up to this point.

They had tipped Pilate off to a potential revolutionary and requested troops to help in his arrest.

This is why there were 600 soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane at the arrest of Jesus.

The Jewish leaders wanted to eliminate Jesus quickly and as quietly as possible with their own public involvement kept to a minimum.

They believed this would be a short visit with Pilate and that Jesus would be quickly taken from this meeting to His execution without a genuine hearing or trial.

So the Jewish leaders were shocked when Pilate asks, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”

Pilate’s question opened up formal judicial proceedings against Jesus; they had simply believed Pilate would confirm their judgment and order the death sentence by crucifixion.

Pilate’s question opened up formal judicial proceedings against Jesus.

“If He were not a criminal.., we wouldn’t be here would we?” — The Jews respond sarcastically to Pilate.

“If you are going to be rude you will get no help from me” — He takes offense to this sarcastic response and advises them to judge Jesus themselves knowing full well they had no legal right to do so or they would not have brought Jesus to him in the first place.

This would be seen as a humiliating blow to the Jews.

“We have no right to execute anyone” — This was a humble statement which would likely have pleased the arrogant Pilate.

The Jews did execute people by stoning for blasphemy and other capital offenses.

However they would have no jurisdiction when it came to a political criminal which is what they were painting Jesus to be.

In affect they were saying, “We have no right to execute anyone for illegally claiming to be a king.”

John sees God in this entire process.

These political wranglings guaranteed that once sentence was passed Jesus would die by crucifixion and not stoning.

This would fulfill the prophecy Jesus had made about His death in

Are You The King of The Jews?

The Sanhedrin had become enraged at Jesus because they perceived Him to be a theological threat.

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

their problem was how to formulate this claim in a manner calculated to impress Pilate with how dangerous Jesus was, and therefore to bring down the death penalty.

The solution lay ready to hand.

In Jewish expectation, the Davidic Messiah was necessarily the promised king of Israel

“Their problem was how to formulate this claim in a manner calculated to impress Pilate with how dangerous Jesus was, and therefore to bring down the death penalty.

The solution lay ready to hand.

In Jewish expectation, the Davidic Messiah was necessarily the promised king of Israel” Carson, D. A. (1991).

The Gospel according to John (p.

592).

Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A. (1991).

The Gospel according to John (p.

592).

Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Pilate goes back inside to question Jesus and asks outright, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

This is the question that interests Pilate.

The Romans did not permit the Jews of Judea to have a “king.”

If a person claimed to be king they would be guilty of inciting a revolution against the Roman government.

Jesus responds with a question, “ Are you saying this of your own initiative or did others tell you about me?”

He wants to know, did the Jews say this about me or are you asking this question out of your own understanding and curiosity?

Jesus was really asking, “who put you up to this?” Jesus knew that the Roman and Jewish leaders were conspiring together.

“Am I a Jew” — Pilate snarls when he says this.

“This is both an insult to the Jewish Jesus and an expression of cultural arrogance.

Is Pilate a Jew?

Of course not, and the very idea is unthinkable.

Pilate is a Roman, and viewed his Jewish subjects as superstitious, stubborn, and uncultured.”

Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998).

John ().

Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

Co.

This is both an insult to the Jewish Jesus and an expression of cultural arrogance.

Is Pilate a Jew?

Of course not, and the very idea is unthinkable.

Pilate is a Roman, and viewed his Jewish subjects as superstitious, stubborn, and uncultured.

“Your own chief priests delivered you to me” — It is your own people who have betrayed you to me.

“What have you done?” — What have you done that is so terrible that they want you dead?

He knew that the Jews were no friend of Rome.

He knew the Jewish leaders would not go to such trouble to protect Rome from a revolutionary.

He wants to know what it is that Jesus has done to stir these people up to the point they would want Him crucified.

He knew the Jewish leaders own interests were at stake somehow and he wanted to know what this constituted.

Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998).

John ().

Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

Co.

My Kingdom

Jesus admits that He is a King but then defines His kingdom and does so in a way which would remove all offense to Rome.

And the proof of how little Rome should be concerned with Him is found in the fact that if He were a threat to them His followers would have fought to protect Him from arrest.

The reign of Jesus does not have its source or origin in this world.

It is certainly active in this world and affects the world.

One day the Kingdom of Jesus will conquer the world But this struggle and subsequent victory cannot be opposed by armed might.’

In Damascus a temple was built centuries ago.

When Christianity spread, this was used as a place for Christian worship and an inscription put on the arch: 'Thy kingdom O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.'

Mohammedans took possession and made it a mosque.

The inscription remained.

The mosque has been burnt several times, but the inscription still remains.

'He must reign.'

Mohammedans took possession and made it a mosque.

The inscription remained.

The mosque has been burnt several times, but the inscription still remains.

'He must reign.'

You are a King!” — Jesus responds in the affirmative that He is.

To be a King is why He was born!

This is why I have come into the world…to be King…the King which testifies to the Truth.

Truth — Jesus is the truth.

He embodies the truth.