And we are back.
00:00:01.06\00:00:02.09
So Pilate wants
to please the Jews,
00:00:02.12\00:00:04.61
so he tries to, he
tries the Barabbas experiment
00:00:04.64\00:00:07.92
and they don't accept it.
00:00:07.95\00:00:09.79
And now he scourges Jesus
00:00:09.82\00:00:12.11
and it seems that
they don't accept that.
00:00:12.14\00:00:14.43
As a matter of fact
it says here in verse 6
00:00:14.46\00:00:16.45
that they were not sympathetic
00:00:16.48\00:00:18.95
at all but rather they
said, "Crucify Him, crucify."
00:00:18.98\00:00:21.70
So they really want Him dead,
there are no other options.
00:00:21.73\00:00:25.98
But, Pilate is implacable.
00:00:26.01\00:00:27.58
In verse 7 he says, "I
find no basis for your charge."
00:00:27.61\00:00:32.80
You see, there is no
basis for this thing.
00:00:32.83\00:00:36.58
So it's very clear
that Pilate is holding firm.
00:00:36.61\00:00:43.01
He does not believe that
Jesus should be released.
00:00:43.04\00:00:46.54
The Jews are
holding firm, the leadership
00:00:46.57\00:00:48.96
there because
they want Him dead,
00:00:48.99\00:00:51.57
so they had an impasse and
Pilate said a delicate point
00:00:51.60\00:00:55.38
here because of
his vulnerable ability,
00:00:55.41\00:00:58.49
he needs to resolve
the situation in someway
00:00:58.52\00:01:01.64
and that's why he is indecisive.
00:01:01.67\00:01:04.28
He knows what the right thing
00:01:04.31\00:01:06.03
to do is and yet he cant
quite bring himself to do it.
00:01:06.06\00:01:08.83
So both of them find
things aren't working.
00:01:08.86\00:01:12.09
And again that's clear
in verse 6 and it says that
00:01:12.12\00:01:14.52
"Therefore, when
the chief priests
00:01:14.55\00:01:16.71
and officers saw Him,
they cried out, saying,
00:01:16.74\00:01:18.81
'Crucify him, crucify Him.'
00:01:18.84\00:01:21.65
And Pilate said to them,
00:01:21.68\00:01:22.93
you take him, and crucify him.
00:01:22.96\00:01:24.79
I find no fault in Him."
00:01:24.82\00:01:26.80
You see, it's not
working for either side.
00:01:26.83\00:01:30.04
The Pilate is not
convincing the leadership
00:01:30.07\00:01:33.91
of that Jesus should be
released even the sympathies,
00:01:33.94\00:01:38.23
you know, look at this poor guy.
00:01:38.26\00:01:40.36
What kind of threat is He?
00:01:40.39\00:01:41.99
Clearly, Jesus is
not a threat to Rome.
00:01:42.02\00:01:44.43
But the Jews are not convincing
Pilate that he is a threat.
00:01:44.46\00:01:48.50
He is innocent, he says,
00:01:48.53\00:01:50.22
"I find now basis for
a charge against him."
00:01:50.25\00:01:52.37
So something has to
change to get things off center
00:01:52.40\00:01:55.65
and that happens
in verses 7 and 8.
00:01:55.68\00:01:58.55
The Jews answered him,
00:01:58.58\00:02:00.20
"We have a law, and according
to our law he ought to die,
00:02:00.23\00:02:04.35
because he made
himself the Son of God.
00:02:04.38\00:02:07.11
Therefore When
Pilate heard that saying,
00:02:07.14\00:02:09.83
he was more afraid."
00:02:09.86\00:02:12.91
There you see what happened,
00:02:12.94\00:02:14.84
they turned it, they
came with a civil charge.
00:02:14.87\00:02:18.15
He's a threat to Caesar.
00:02:18.18\00:02:20.60
They now realize
there is no way Pilate's
00:02:20.63\00:02:22.62
ever going to be
convinced to that.
00:02:22.65\00:02:25.09
He sees that Jesus is not
a political threat to Rome.
00:02:25.12\00:02:28.89
So now they turn the charge,
00:02:28.92\00:02:31.06
they turn it to
a religious thing,
00:02:31.09\00:02:32.57
the very thing they
were afraid to do at first,
00:02:32.60\00:02:34.61
they say no, this is
really about our law.
00:02:34.64\00:02:36.66
According to our
law, He needs to die.
00:02:36.69\00:02:39.73
Now Pilate has
been wrong about the law
00:02:39.76\00:02:42.99
over and over
again, the Jewish law.
00:02:43.02\00:02:45.06
He had misunderstood, he
had not listened to them.
00:02:45.09\00:02:49.99
He had done things
that unnecessarily offended
00:02:50.02\00:02:53.68
the people and the
leadership, so he is afraid now.
00:02:53.71\00:02:58.37
Oh, oh, I'm fallen
into one of these again.
00:02:58.40\00:03:03.23
Now, what was he
afraid of because it says
00:03:03.26\00:03:05.67
here he was more afraid,
that mean he was already afraid.
00:03:05.70\00:03:09.02
Another thing is,
it doesn't seem that--
00:03:09.05\00:03:11.19
correct me if I'm
wrong, it doesn't seem
00:03:11.22\00:03:12.62
that the John inserts
here the dream of his wife.
00:03:12.65\00:03:17.59
No, no, that's not here.
00:03:17.62\00:03:18.95
So do you think, does that say
00:03:18.98\00:03:20.35
that he was more afraid of
the dream of his conviction
00:03:20.38\00:03:23.99
that indeed this
was the Son of God
00:03:24.02\00:03:25.85
or what was he afraid of before?
00:03:25.88\00:03:27.76
I think his basic fear is
related to all the mistakes
00:03:27.79\00:03:31.34
that he has made in
the past in relation
00:03:31.37\00:03:33.43
at this
particular group of leaders.
00:03:33.46\00:03:35.60
Anytime these leaders
bring something to him,
00:03:35.63\00:03:39.64
it's a dicey thing for him.
00:03:39.67\00:03:41.32
It's a dangerous
situation to be in.
00:03:41.35\00:03:44.04
So it's a vulnerable
situation from the beginning
00:03:44.07\00:03:47.86
but he still wants
to do the right thing.
00:03:47.89\00:03:49.91
Now, they realize
the place to get Pilate
00:03:49.94\00:03:53.04
is on the religious grounds.
00:03:53.07\00:03:54.73
Because if he offends
them religiously one more time,
00:03:54.76\00:03:58.73
Caesar might take his job
away, so his job is at stake.
00:03:58.76\00:04:02.73
He is not really
ultimately worried
00:04:02.76\00:04:05.04
about what happens to Jesus.
00:04:05.07\00:04:07.36
He wants to do the
right thing because
00:04:07.39\00:04:09.23
that's what
governors are supposed to do,
00:04:09.26\00:04:11.29
is what judges
are supposed to do,
00:04:11.32\00:04:13.07
to judge the right thing.
00:04:13.10\00:04:14.99
But, he realizes
that he can't release
00:04:15.02\00:04:17.60
Jesus and save
himself, that's the problem.
00:04:17.63\00:04:21.57
He is stuck in this thing.
00:04:21.60\00:04:23.83
He wants to preserve his
job but he can't save Jesus
00:04:23.86\00:04:28.09
and do that if
it's a religious charge.
00:04:28.12\00:04:30.83
And so he is got to go
back and find out something,
00:04:30.86\00:04:33.91
so he goes back to Jesus.
00:04:33.94\00:04:36.15
Verses 9 and 10.
00:04:36.18\00:04:38.38
"And went again
into the Praetorium,
00:04:38.41\00:04:40.38
and said to Jesus,
Where are you from?
00:04:40.41\00:04:43.38
But Jesus gave him no answer.
00:04:43.41\00:04:45.80
Then Pilate said to him,
are you not speaking to me?
00:04:45.83\00:04:49.92
Do you not know that
that I have the power
00:04:49.95\00:04:51.36
to crucify you and
the power to release you?"
00:04:51.39\00:04:54.55
Okay, so you see
now he's worried,
00:04:54.58\00:04:56.93
he wants to find out
about this religious thing.
00:04:56.96\00:04:59.18
Who is this guy that
they are so worried about Him?
00:04:59.21\00:05:03.27
Pilate just doesn't get it.
00:05:03.30\00:05:05.33
Why would Jesus be
a threat to anyone,
00:05:05.36\00:05:07.80
but somehow he is a threat
to these religious leaders,
00:05:07.83\00:05:11.20
so he is trying to
figure out where are you from?
00:05:11.23\00:05:13.52
Why are they so scared of you?
00:05:13.55\00:05:15.37
Why is there such an issue?
00:05:15.40\00:05:17.82
And Jesus is not interested
anymore in speaking with him
00:05:17.85\00:05:23.35
because he has already attempted
to clarify that with Pilate
00:05:23.38\00:05:27.87
and Pilate is not listening,
so Jesus doesn't respond
00:05:27.90\00:05:32.55
and Pilate says look
you got to understand.
00:05:32.58\00:05:35.47
I can free you,
I can crucify you.
00:05:35.50\00:05:38.15
I have all the
power and then comes
00:05:38.18\00:05:40.71
one of the most
amazing statements
00:05:40.74\00:05:43.35
that Jesus makes in verse 11.
00:05:43.38\00:05:45.16
Yeah. Before I read that
I want to just comment that.
00:05:45.19\00:05:47.48
I find it interesting
that before the people,
00:05:47.51\00:05:50.08
he does not show
any type of authority.
00:05:50.11\00:05:52.82
But then he takes Jesus by
himself and he seems to show
00:05:52.85\00:05:56.32
that authority, don't you know
00:05:56.35\00:05:57.49
that I have the power
and authority to let you go,
00:05:57.52\00:06:00.50
but he doesn't show
it before the people.
00:06:00.53\00:06:01.92
Jesus is frustrating him.
00:06:01.95\00:06:03.74
He wants Jesus to
give him something
00:06:03.77\00:06:06.26
that he can go back
to the religious leaders
00:06:06.29\00:06:08.15
and resolve the problem.
00:06:08.18\00:06:09.38
He knows Jesus is innocent.
00:06:09.41\00:06:11.14
He wants to free Him,
but he needs something
00:06:11.17\00:06:13.78
from Jesus and
Jesus isn't helping him.
00:06:13.81\00:06:15.88
Right. So, he says
00:06:15.91\00:06:18.17
that's what cause him to
say, look I can crucify you,
00:06:18.20\00:06:21.67
I can set you
free, I have the power.
00:06:21.70\00:06:24.08
And then Jesus
come back in verse 11.
00:06:24.11\00:06:26.09
Yeah. "Jesus answered,
00:06:26.12\00:06:28.43
You could have no
power at all against me,
00:06:28.46\00:06:31.29
unless it had been given
to you from above therefore
00:06:31.32\00:06:35.47
the one who delivered me
to you has the greater sin."
00:06:35.50\00:06:40.31
I just find it beautiful here,
in the midst of this trial,
00:06:40.34\00:06:44.05
Jesus is still not
concerned about Himself.
00:06:44.08\00:06:46.95
He still holds out the
olive branch to Pilate.
00:06:46.98\00:06:49.12
He says look, yes, I know
you're in a difficult position.
00:06:49.15\00:06:52.51
You didn't choose to be here.
00:06:52.54\00:06:54.08
The one who handed you
over has the greater sin.
00:06:54.11\00:06:56.88
He kind of lets him off
the hook just a little bit
00:06:56.91\00:07:00.51
and Pilate sees
what Jesus is doing.
00:07:00.54\00:07:02.86
And in verse 12 it says,
00:07:02.89\00:07:05.26
he tried to set
Jesus free even more.
00:07:05.29\00:07:09.66
So doesn't work?
00:07:09.69\00:07:13.29
It's not working.
00:07:13.32\00:07:15.16
Pilate comes to realize
00:07:15.19\00:07:17.44
he either gives Jesus
up or he gives himself up.
00:07:17.47\00:07:20.29
Yeah. Now, Dr.
Paulien, here when Jesus says
00:07:20.32\00:07:24.18
that the one who
has given to you--
00:07:24.21\00:07:27.28
who has delivered me
to you has greater sin.
00:07:27.31\00:07:31.40
So it seems that Jesus
is implying that Pilate
00:07:31.43\00:07:34.55
has sin or is
guilty of something.
00:07:34.58\00:07:38.51
What is that sin
that Pilate is guilty off?
00:07:38.54\00:07:42.06
Because Pilate is really
putting himself ahead of Jesus.
00:07:42.09\00:07:45.56
If you know who
Jesus is and that's what
00:07:45.59\00:07:47.61
this gospel is all about.
00:07:47.64\00:07:48.92
If you've read
from the prologue on,
00:07:48.95\00:07:50.64
you realize that for Pilate,
00:07:50.67\00:07:52.76
this is the most
awesome moment of his life.
00:07:52.79\00:07:55.65
He is with the
King of the universe.
00:07:55.68\00:07:57.69
He is with the One who
created everything, you see.
00:07:57.72\00:08:01.74
That's the moment
of all moments to say,
00:08:01.77\00:08:04.23
I don't care if I'm governor,
I don't care if I even live,
00:08:04.26\00:08:08.01
I got to do what
God wants me to do.
00:08:08.04\00:08:10.11
That's the thing
that truly matters
00:08:10.14\00:08:11.64
in the ultimate
scheme of things.
00:08:11.67\00:08:13.56
And Pilate has
some sense of that.
00:08:13.59\00:08:15.97
He realizes he is dealing with
somebody special even thought
00:08:16.00\00:08:19.08
he doesn't get a message
from his wife in this account.
00:08:19.11\00:08:21.71
You can see that Pilate
definitely believes Jesus
00:08:21.74\00:08:25.01
is innocent and
there's something about Jesus
00:08:25.04\00:08:27.44
that's really special.
00:08:27.47\00:08:29.29
But he also realizes
that the religious leadership
00:08:29.32\00:08:32.47
is not going to be moved and so
now he is faced with a choice.
00:08:32.50\00:08:37.46
He can save Jesus or he can
save himself, he can't do both.
00:08:37.49\00:08:43.41
And it is that decision that
is his lesser sin in that sense.
00:08:43.44\00:08:47.68
He is not the one
who wants Jesus dead,
00:08:47.71\00:08:49.90
but he is nevertheless
willing for Jesus to die.
00:08:49.93\00:08:53.30
So he can stay as
governor and continue
00:08:53.33\00:08:56.62
with his plush
life and all of that.
00:08:56.65\00:08:59.17
So, Pilate makes the decision,
he realizes that his indecision
00:08:59.20\00:09:04.43
is causing him trouble.
00:09:04.46\00:09:06.52
And so he says, "I'm
going to become decisive now."
00:09:06.55\00:09:09.51
And he decides if he
is going to give Jesus up,
00:09:09.54\00:09:12.47
he wants something in return.
00:09:12.50\00:09:14.80
And what he does
in the next few verse,
00:09:14.83\00:09:16.70
we won't have time to read them.
00:09:16.73\00:09:18.11
But what he does is
basically extract from them
00:09:18.14\00:09:21.23
the confession that
Caesar is their king, not Jesus,
00:09:21.26\00:09:25.99
not God, not anyone else.
00:09:26.02\00:09:28.36
And the irony of this
is amazing because Caiaphas
00:09:28.39\00:09:31.81
has said in Chapter 11
that "Preserving the nation
00:09:31.84\00:09:36.26
is the crucial thing
one person should die
00:09:36.29\00:09:39.52
that the nation
would be preserved".
00:09:39.55\00:09:42.20
Now, they are so against
Jesus that they are willing
00:09:42.23\00:09:44.90
to sacrifice the nation
in order to kill on man.
00:09:44.93\00:09:48.22
I mean the whole
thing is turned on its head.
00:09:48.25\00:09:50.59
They are willing to say.
00:09:50.62\00:09:52.04
We have no king but Caesar.
00:09:52.07\00:09:56.70
And Pilate hears that
he knows that he is one.
00:09:56.73\00:10:00.19
And then he has a
placard put on there,
00:10:00.22\00:10:03.55
the king of the Jews you see.
00:10:03.58\00:10:06.05
I mean the
humiliation of Israel,
00:10:06.08\00:10:08.87
he uses the cross
to absolutely destroy
00:10:08.90\00:10:13.04
the standing of
these religious leaders
00:10:13.07\00:10:15.27
in the eyes of the
people and they realize
00:10:15.30\00:10:17.25
what he is doing
and they protest.
00:10:17.28\00:10:19.93
Pilate is unmovable.
00:10:19.96\00:10:21.88
Once he is
decided to give up Jesus,
00:10:21.91\00:10:25.83
he is
confident, he is unmovable.
00:10:25.86\00:10:28.33
What I have
written I have written.
00:10:28.36\00:10:31.69
So Pilate in putting Jesus
on the cross finds himself,
00:10:31.72\00:10:37.00
that's the interesting thing.
00:10:37.03\00:10:39.10
The cross of Christ changes
00:10:39.13\00:10:41.27
people in the Gospel of John.
00:10:41.30\00:10:43.17
It changes
Pilate too, he becomes
00:10:43.20\00:10:44.97
a different person after that.
00:10:45.00\00:10:47.37
He is confident he knows
where he is going etcetera.
00:10:47.40\00:10:49.87
Obviously it's in
rejection of Jesus,
00:10:49.90\00:10:53.32
it's a loss to him in the
ultimate scheme of things,
00:10:53.35\00:10:56.55
but in condemning
Jesus to the cross,
00:10:56.58\00:10:59.53
Pilate ironically finds himself.
00:10:59.56\00:11:03.37
The crucifixion story itself is
almost totally unique to John.
00:11:03.40\00:11:08.61
He has a lot of
stuff that the Matthew,
00:11:08.64\00:11:11.20
Mike and Luke don't have in.
00:11:11.23\00:11:12.83
Let me review those quickly
before we draw to a close.
00:11:12.86\00:11:17.22
There's the controversy
over the inscription,
00:11:17.25\00:11:19.76
you know, what he
should write there.
00:11:19.79\00:11:21.62
The cross is a
fulfillment of prophecy.
00:11:21.65\00:11:24.90
Pilate now is
like Peter, you know.
00:11:24.93\00:11:28.24
He wants to be in
control and he feels like
00:11:28.27\00:11:30.25
he's got in
control of the situation.
00:11:30.28\00:11:32.93
But God is in control, Pilate
is simply fulfilling prophecy.
00:11:32.96\00:11:37.95
Jesus' death is voluntary,
00:11:37.98\00:11:41.67
it's full of purpose and
it's according to the Bible.
00:11:41.70\00:11:45.61
He sees Mary, His mother
and He puts her in the hands
00:11:45.64\00:11:50.91
of John and takes care of her
and then he says it is finished.
00:11:50.94\00:11:58.63
And then the
reality of Jesus' death
00:11:58.66\00:12:00.53
is verified by
experts, Roman soldiers.
00:12:00.56\00:12:05.13
So in concluding
the story of the cross,
00:12:05.16\00:12:08.22
you want to ask the question
what was finished at the cross.
00:12:08.25\00:12:10.81
Jesus says, "It is finished."
00:12:10.84\00:12:13.17
What was finished at the cross?
00:12:13.20\00:12:16.47
From John we get four answers.
00:12:16.50\00:12:19.16
Number one, Jesus and
the Father are glorified.
00:12:19.19\00:12:23.77
God's character is revealed,
00:12:23.80\00:12:25.54
that revelation was
complete at the cross.
00:12:25.57\00:12:29.45
Second, the prophecies
related to the Messiah,
00:12:29.48\00:12:32.76
Isaiah 53 those are
completed at the cross.
00:12:32.79\00:12:36.71
Number three, the ruler of
the world has been defeated.
00:12:36.74\00:12:40.02
Satan is defeated at
the cross, John 12:31.
00:12:40.05\00:12:43.83
And finally John
12:32, everyone will be drawn
00:12:43.86\00:12:49.26
to Jesus because of the
cross, that's what was finished.
00:12:49.29\00:12:53.82
And, Dr. Paulien, you
know as I think about this,
00:12:53.85\00:12:55.71
I try to apply
it to my own life.
00:12:55.74\00:12:57.55
And I think we sometimes
are in the position of Pilate
00:12:57.58\00:13:01.61
where we must decide
either for Jesus or against Him.
00:13:01.64\00:13:04.98
We cannot be
neutral just as Pilate was.
00:13:05.01\00:13:07.83
And so, friends, I
also want to invite you
00:13:07.86\00:13:09.87
to invite Jesus
Christ into your life.
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