John 18:28-40, Irony

Objectives

• Congregants will recall the grace of Jesus in salvation and throughout life.
• Congregants will recognize Jesus as the ultimate Truth
• Congregants will determine to place Jesus in the position of priority.

Introduction

• We tend to have a fascination with getting to the bottom of things. Take a minute, how many crime/detective shows can you think of? Innately, built into us is a desire to discover truth.

C.S. Lewis stated that within each person there is a God shaped hole. I wonder if our desire to seek truth is not connected to that God shaped hole in each of our hearts.

Main Proposition

 As Christians we must regularly remind ourselves that we were redeemed by Truth itself to walk daily under the direction of Truth.

Main Body

Setting the Stage

• After Jesus was arrested he stood trial before two representatives of the Jewish nation. Caiaphas and Annas. However, neither of these two men had any real power at this point in history. Real power, resided in Rome and in particular in the Roman Perfects appointed over the region.
• Typically, a Roman province would have been ruled by a high-rank individual. However, the less important provinces like Judea were ruled by prefects, a military man.
• Pilate, it appears, was perfect of Judea from about AD 26- AD 39. He was recalled to Rome after harshly suppressing a Samaritan revolt.
• Some extra-biblical mentions of Pilate exist and in particular, both Philo and Josephus describe Pilate. In these accounts, other events and incidents during Pilate's authority are described. Both Philo and Josephus describe Pilate as an individual who was insensitive to Jewish customs and accuse Pilate of repeatedly causing near-insurrections among the Jews.

The Irony of Poor Decisions (V. 28)

• Notice all the points of Irony.
  • Pilate is in Jerusalem in order to quell any riots that might take place at the time of passover.
    • Normally, the Roman governor resided in Caesarea in the palace Herod the great had constructed. However, Pilate, like the governors before him, made it a habit of staying in Jerusalem at the headquarters of the Roman military detachment in order to control the people during their feasts.
  • The Jews present the one who they should have looked for freedom from to the ones from whom they sought that freedom.
    • The Jews sought political freedom from the Romans. Jesus offered spiritual freedom from sin. In an ironic turn of events the Jews submitted to the authority they hated in order to destroy the authority the claimed to love.
  • The Jews are careful to avoid ceremonial defilement while committing an act of rebellion against God Himself.
    • Jews's considered it unclean to enter a Gentile's house and so they ere unwilling to enter the house where Pilate resided. However, Jews were allowed to go into the courtyard or under the colonnades. The Jews were careful, even meticulous in their efforts to sanctify themselves for their passover feast while at the same time, planning murder.

• Pilate was worried about a rebellion that would turn the province upside down, instead he plays a role in a movement that would turn the world upside down.
• The Jews were worried about defilement that would interrupt their passover, instead they played a role in murder that would bring redemption.

What has Jesus done? (V. 29-32)

The Question (V. 29)

• For all intents and purposes Pilate is Rome. Pilate is the one who has ultimate authority in the region and his decision will be final. Pilate comes outside and the trial begins. Pilates first question, interestingly enough, is the question that we each should ask. What did Jesus do?

The Answer (V. 30)

• In one of the most ridiculous answers in the history of answers the Jews state, Jesus was a criminal because He was arrested.
• The irony is that the Jews were actually more correct in their answer than they ever realized. What Jesus had done was exactly what they stated. Jesus had allowed Himself to be arrested. Jesus was guilty of presenting Himself as a substitute for each of our sins. Jesus had allowed Himself to be arrested and put on trial so that we might have eternal life.

The Response (V. 31-32)

• Pilate's response follows something like "this is your own problem, you deal with it." Again, notice the irony, Jesus came not to solve a Jewish problem but a human problem. Pilate didn't realize that he was the agent of God's plan.

• Notice the second aspect of irony. Pilate told the Jews to take care of it themselves. Many people often read the statement "it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," but what about the stoning of Stephen in Acts 6? Furthermore, Pilate has just told the Jews to take care of it themselves, I doubt anyone would have accused them of usurping Rome had they proceeded to execute Jesus. Instead I think we have another case of irony. The Jews knew that Jesus had not done anything worthy of death, often the phrase "it is not lawful" refers to something that is forbidden under Mosaic law. I think that the Jews knew that Jesus did not deserve death but instead wanted Him dead.

• In verse 32 we see the true irony, Pilate didn't really want to get involved. The Jews couldn't legally execute Jesus, no instead the authority to execute Jesus resided in one person and one person only, Jesus.

As Christians we must remind ourselves of what Jesus did and then respond appropriately.

What is Truth? (V. 33-38a)

• The narrative moves from it's location outside the praetorium to a place inside the praetorium. Jesus has been granted an audience with the governor and the Jews, in an effort to maintain ritual purity are likely excluded from this portion of the trial.

You must decide? (V. 33-35)

• Verse 33, Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews. John put the word "you" in "Are you the King of the Jews" in the emphatic position. Wether Pilate was mocking Jesus or asking if Jesus genuinely considered Himself a king we don't know. What we do know is that Pilate was looking at not just the King of the Jews but the King of creation. John uses the emphatic position to highlight that this is Jesus Pilate is looking at.

• Verse 34, Jesus turns the tables on Pilate and in one question forces Pilate to take personal responsibility. Either he will be manipulated by the Jewish leaders or he will make the decision himself.

• Verse 35, Pilate responds in a effort to postpone making the decision.

The transcendence of truth (V. 36-37)

• Verse 36, In stating "My kingdom is not from this world" John uses the genitive. What does Christ mean by referring to His kingdom? Isn't that later? Christ refers to his kingdom in a functional sense. i.e. in the sense of dominion. The focus here is not on a literal kingdom, but on His kingship and dominion.
• What does Christ mean "My kingdom is not from this word?" Does this mean He does not have dominion today? It is not that Christ's kingdom does not include the world, but rather that the power and authority for Christ's kingdom is not from this world.

• Verse 37, Jesus' kingdom is a kingdom of truth. However, this truth is not some abstract notion but something that we can know personally. That knowledge is possible because of Jesus. Back in Matthew 1:22-23 we saw that Jesus is God with us, now we see that Jesus, God with us, is the revealer of truth.
  • So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

The irony of truth (V. 38)

• Verse 28 in three simple words Pilate reveals the ultimate irony. Looking at truth squarely in the face Pilate asks "what is truth?" Don't let anyone tell you there are no stupid questions, there are. In this case Pilate asks the wrong question. Rather than asking "τι εστιν αληθεια" (What is truth) he should have asked "ος εστιν αληθεια" (who is truth).

As Christians we must recognize the transcendence of truth and live in light of an absolute truth that is knowable only through Jesus.

What will you do with Jesus? (V. 38b-40)

• The narrative returns outside the praetorium and again involves interaction between Pilate, the Jews, and Jesus.

No basis for rejection (V. 38b)

• Verse 38b. You can almost picture Pilate as he departs in frustration back to the Jews and declares, "I find no fault in Him." However, as will be made clear, for Pilate, no fault is not the same as innocent.

• In our society, there are plenty of people who find no basis to reject Christ, but this not the same as accepting Him. Similarly, you may have no basis to reject Christ's will for your life, but that is not the same as following Christ's will for your life.

The necessity of a decision (V. 39)

• In verse 39 we see Pilate trying to absolve himself of the situation but in so doing proving that everyone is faced with a decision, what will you do with Jesus? Notice that Pilate even uses the title "King of the Jews." There is no doubt as to who Jesus is, the question is not is Jesus king, the question is is Jesus your king.

The irony of rejection (V. 40)

• John is a very careful writer. Many times, John chooses not to name his characters e.g. mother of Jesus, lame man, blind man, beloved disciple. However, other times John is careful to name people when it is an important point of emphasis. Here, John chooses to name Barabbas. So what is in a name? The name Barabbas literally means Son of Abba. Abba means father so what is it that the Jews do, in the ultimate irony they Jews trade the Son of the Father for the son of a father. Consider the irony, the Jews elect to trade their Messiah for someone who might as well have been nameless. In fact, Josephus discusses bandits who roamed the area but Barabbus is only named in the gospels. The Jews ironically traded the Son of the Father for one who whose only claim to fame is the fact that he was traded for the Son of the Father.

• Whenever we trade Christ for something it is ironic because we never trade up, trading Christ is always the worst choice.

As Christians we must determine to accept Christ's will for our lives, forsaking all else, and never trading the infinite for the finite.

Conclusion

Are you guilty of trading the infinite for the finite?

As Christians we must regularly remind ourselves that we were redeemed by Truth itself to walk daily under the direction of Truth.