Jesus on trial (1) (Jn. 18:28-19:16)

Jesus on trial (1)

[John 18:28-19:16]

John 18:28 says, “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.” Here, “they” (v. 28) refers to the Jewish leaders who caught Jesus, bound Him, took Him to the Sanhedrin meeting at the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, and interrogated Him and then took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor, to be crucified (v. 28). And the Bible says, “they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium” (v. 28), but the Korean modern Bible translates it as ‘they led Jesus from Caiaphas' house and went to the governor's residence.’ Here, “the Praetorium” is that of Pilate, the Roman governor. Although Pilate was in charge of Caesarea (Pilate’s Praetorium in Caesarea), Pilate's "Praetorium" mentioned in John 18:28 was in Jerusalem. Pilate went up to Jerusalem specially during the Jewish festival to see the direct gates to calm down because hundreds of thousands of Jewish men (up to a million) who had been scattered during the Jewish festivals had come up to Jerusalem to keep the festival, so that the large number of people who gathered might not cause a civil war. The Jewish leaders did not enter the Praetorium of the Gentile Roman governor Pilate to eat the food of the Passover feast at morning, so that they would not be defiled, but made the governor Pilate come out (vv. 28-29). What false, formal, hypocritical Jewish leaders were these. They were the one who tried to kill Jesus, the innocent Passover lamb, who was entangled in the sin of blasphemy, on the cross according to the Roman law by accusing Him to the Gentile Roman governor Pilate. And they did not want to defile themselves by entering the Praetorium of the Gentile Roman governor Pilate in order to participate in the Passover feast for a week. It was a sin for them not to believe in the sinless Jesus [(Jn. 16:9) “concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me”], and even trying to kill Him is a greater sin [(19:11) “… he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin”)]. Not knowing this, when they did not want to enter the Pilate’s Praetorium was a lie, a formality and hypocrisy.

This is what John 18:29-31 says: “Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.’” Because of the Jewish leaders who had not entered the Praetorium of Pilate, the Gentile Roman governor, so that they could eat the food of the Passover, Pilate went outside and asked them, “What accusation do you bring against this Man (Jesus)?” (vv. 28-29). At that time, the Jewish leaders replied, “If this man (Jesus) had not been an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you” (v. 30). The reason they called Jesus “an evildoer” is because, in their opinion, Jesus did evil thing (v. 30). That evil thing was, from their point of view, Jesus saying blasphemy to what Jesus claimed to be “the Christ, the Son of God” (Mt. 26:63-66). And they firmly believed that Jesus' evil sin of blasphemy deserved the death penalty (v. 66). At that time, Pilate told the Jewish leaders, “Take Him (Jesus) yourselves, and judge Him according to your (Jewish) law” (Jn. 18:31). The Roman governor Pilate said that because he did not want to be involved in this trial. There are 4 reasons for this:

This was because, in the eyes of Pilate, he did not think that Jesus had sinned enough to be crucified according to the Roman law.

This is what Pilate heard about their accusation: “Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King’” (Lk.23:1-2). This is Pilate's answer: “Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man” (v. 4).

Pilate knew very well that the Jewish leaders were full of jealousy and handed Jesus over to him.

This is what Matthew 27:18 says: “For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.”

This was because Pilate’s wife had said to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man (Jesus).”

This is what Matthew 27:19 says: “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.’”

It was because Pilate thought it was a fearful thing to question and judge Jesus.

Look at John 19:7-8: “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.’ Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.” From the perspective of the Gentile Roman governor Pilate, the reason why he was afraid was because he heard that the Jewish leaders accused Jesus because He said he was “the Son of God.” Look at John 19:10-11: “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?’ 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.’” The reason why Pilate was afraid again was because Jesus had said, “If it had not been given to Pilate from above (God the Father gave authority), he would have no authority to harm me. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is more guilty.” Pilate, who heard this, was afraid that he would become a sinner if he dealt with this trial. Look at John 18:36-37: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’ Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. ….’” When Pilate heard Jesus' words, he could not help but be afraid.

So, Pilate, the Roman governor, tried to release Jesus:

First effort: Pilate declared three times that Jesus was innocent.

Look at John 18:38 – “Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, ‘I find no guilt in Him.’” Look at John 19:4 – “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.’” Look at John 19:6 – “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.’”

Second effort: Pilate sent Jesus to King Herod.

Look at Luke 23:6-7: “When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.” Even Herod could not find guilt in Jesus (v. 15). However, the Jewish leaders stood up and vigorously accused Jesus (v. 10).

Third effort: Pilate tried to release Jesus following the custom of releasing one person at Passover.

Look at John 18:39 – “But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” But they cried out again, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Barabbas was a robber (v. 40).

Fourth effort: Pilate gave Jesus to the Roman soldiers to have them whip Him, so that he could use people's sympathy to release Jesus.

Look at John 19:1-4: “Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and to give Him slaps in the face. 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.’” Wouldn't people have sympathized with Jesus when they saw Jesus with His flesh falling off from being scourged and bleeding, wearing a crown made of thorns and bleeding, all covered with blood? Pilate tried to get people to sympathize and release Jesus by showing them a very miserable image of Jesus. But when the chief priests and the officers of the temple saw Jesus, they cried out, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' (v. 6).

Pilate, the Roman governor, tried 4 times to release Jesus, but in the end they all went back to failure. Look at John 19:12 – “As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, ‘If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar’” [Ref.: (Lk. 23:20) “Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again”]. Despite Pilate's might as governor of Rome, the loud voice of the Jews prevailed [(Lk.23:23) “But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail”]. So in the end, Pilate took Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement (Gabbatha in Hebrew) and declared that he would do as the Jewish leaders demanded (Lk. 23:24). And he released the man they asked for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder and delivered Jesus over to them as they pleased (v. 25).

Although Pilate, the Roman governor, tried to release Jesus, it was not God's will. So, God, in His sovereign will, let the loud voices of the Jewish leaders overcome and crucified Jesus. This is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, the original gospel of God [the first messianic prophecy in the Old Testament]: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” When God said to the serpent (Satan) that the woman’s offspring will bruise his head, the woman’s offspring refers to Jesus Christ who was conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph but was not yet married (Mt 1 :18) and she gave birth to a Son (v. 25). And God said to the serpent (Satan), “you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen. 3:15), which means that on the cross of Mount Calvary, Satan killed His offspring (e.g. the high priest Annas, and Caiaphas, the Jewish leaders) to crucify Jesus Christ. Look at Acts 2:23 – “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.” God's foreknowledge and predetermined will was to borrow the hands of the Gentiles, "by the hands of godless men," to nail Jesus to death. So even though Pilate, the Gentile Roman governor, tried to release Jesus so that he would not die on the cross, in the end, God's will was fulfilled.

This fact reminded me of the words of Jonah 1. God's will was for Jonah to be thrown into the sea for disobedience (Jon. 1:12, 14), but the unbelievers' sailors struggled to fight against the great storm (v. 12) sent by God the Creator to save Jonah by rowing the boat desperately and tried to return to land (v. 13). But they were unable to do so, as the sea grew more and more raging against them, so they cried out to the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased.” Then, they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea (vv. 13-15). At that time, the Lord had already prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, so Jonah was spared (v. 17). However, according to God's will, God saved us who were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1) and allowed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in order to give us eternal life (Jn. 3:16). In the end, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, died on the cross according to God's will, so we became God's children. Look at Ephesians 1:5 – “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” Look at 1 John 3:1 – “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; ….” Look at Romans 8:17 – “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”