Sermon Tone Analysis

©Copyright October 17, 2021, by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

One of the biggest hindrances to growth in the faith is our tendency to make excuses.

We seem to be allergic (as a society in general) to taking responsibility for our actions.

It is always someone else’s fault or the fault of our circumstances, or it is ‘just the way we are (in essence, blaming God).

When confronted with some problem, we all tend to turn it around and point out the issues in the other person.

We don’t like to confront our own guilt.

You will be hard-pressed to find people who were better at making excuses than the people in the spotlight of our text today: The Roman Governor Pilate, the Jewish religious leaders, and the people of Jerusalem.

They made one excuse after another as they presented Jesus to Annas, Caiaphas, and now Pilate.

These leaders also made excuses.

As we look at some of these excuses, let’s not forget that this whole situation was part of God’s plan to redeem us.

This does not mean the people involved are off the hook.

However, as we look at the actions of these people, do not let it to overshadow what God was doing in and through these circumstances.

In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul said, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

It is no accident that the events in Jerusalem we are looking at, all took place at the time of the Passover.

In fact, we see the true meaning of the cross within the context of Passover (and visa versa).

The Passover lamb was to be a lamb without blemish.

The blood of that lamb applied to the doorposts of that home meant the angel of death would pass over than home.

This is a picture of Jesus, the perfect lamb of God dying to save us.

His blood shed on our account delivers us from eternal punishment.

In the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was to place his hands on the head of the animal to be sacrificed, as a way of symbolizing the transfer of sins to the animal whose death would allow the people to escape God’s wrath.

The Old Testament images pointed to what took place at the cross.

God’s timing is perfect.

The drama of redemption which was played out for centuries in the Temple was now to be played out on the cross of Jesus.

Remember these words of Jesus,

9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?”

But Jesus gave no answer.

10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded.

“Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.

So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

Jesus was a willing participant.

He could have stopped things at ANY time.

However, He was standing in our place.

He took the punishments that we deserved.

However, the fact that these things were fulfilling God’s plan of redemption does not mean we are not held accountable for the choices we make.

Let’s look at some of the excuses of the people who condemned Jesus.

The Excuses of Pilate

Jesus was brought to the office of Roman Governor, Pontus Pilate.

The Jews didn’t have a strong case, but they knew which buttons to push with Pilate.

He was already in a fragile position with His job.

Pilate tried to get rid of the problem by letting King Herod deal with it.

Herod sent Jesus back.

He was warned by his wife not to have anything to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

Pilate was in a tough situation, but he is still responsible to act in an honorable fashion.

In this, he failed.

The One thing our text points out to us (John 18:39, 19:4,6).

After a thorough investigation Pilate drew the conclusion, “I find Him not guilty.”

Pilate knew Jesus was not guilty, yet He still had Him sent to Herod, then had him brutally whipped, mocked, and beaten.

The Roman practice of whipping was a horrific form of abuse.

It was administered by one who was an expert at inflicting pain (like all those people on TV shows who are experts at getting people to tell them what they want to know.)

The whips were made from leather onto which bone fragments of bone and pieces of metal were attached.

There were different intensities of flogging.

Even if Jesus received the lightest flogging his skin would be torn and he would suffer terrible pain.

The crown of thorns was likely thorns of some length.

As they beat and mocked Him, these thorns would be pressed further into his skull.

It must have been excruciating.

Why would these men do such things?

It is because they had so little regard for the Jews.

They relished opportunities to mock and beat them.

It reminds us of those who ran the termination camps during World War II.

They may claim they were only following orders, but their actions showed the depth of their hatred and depravity.

After all this, Pilate offered Him as the prisoner to be set free (why was he a prisoner if he was not guilty?)

He may have thought the sight of Jesus being beaten would make the crowd feel kindlier toward Jesus.

However, the hatred of men, stirred by the fear of some leaders, is more depraved than we can fathom.

Pilate made a big scene about washing his hands to say he was free of all responsibility for the death of Jesus but verse 16 says, “The Pilate handed him over to be crucified.”

The Judge, knowing the prisoner was not guilty, sent him to the cross.

If we had Pilate here with us today, I suspect we would hear all kind of excuses:

1.

I did everything I could do to save Him.

That’s not true.

Pilate was the One person who had the power to save Him with just a word.

However, in fear, He refused to do what was right.

2. If I set Him free there might be a riot, I would lose my job, and possibly be executed myself.

After this fiasco with Jesus, Pilate lost his job anyhow and was sent into exile.

Where leadership demanded courage, Pilate cowered to the crowd.

3. I was just giving the public what they wanted.

This is a failure in leadership.

Sometimes leaders are called to do what is right . . .

even when it is not popular.

It is easy to poke fun at Pilate, but we must look at our own lives and confront the excuses we make in our lives for

· Failing to speak up for Christ

· Not doing what the Bible tells us we should do

· Following the path of greed rather than generosity

· Encouraging hatred rather than understanding

Excuses of the Jewish Religious Leaders

In verse 6 and 7 we read,

6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him!

Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said.

“I find him not guilty.”

7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

The Jewish leaders indict themselves!

First, they said they knew Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

They had been waiting for and teaching about when God would send one like a Son of God to come to rescue and save His people.

Jesus came saying He was that man!

Instead of sitting down with Him (as Nicodemus did) and listening to Him, they reacted to the fact that Jesus wasn’t exactly what they expected.

He was critical of the religious leaders.

They took offense.

The evidence was overwhelming.

Jesus healed sick people, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and even brought people back from the dead.

He walked on water and fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and two fish!