5 of 19

Question (John 18:28)

…They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. - John 18:28 (ESV)

Are the Jews properly preparing for the Passover?

Potentially look at:

Exodus 12:19, Exodus 12:43-46

Numbers 9:6-11

1 Corinthians 5:7

I want to start by examining just this first verse of our reading tonight…The Jews are refusing to enter the governor’s headquarters so that they would not be defiled but could eat the Passover. Let’s ask…are they properly preparing for the Passover?

I have some verses on the Passover listed on the slides, which may be interesting to take a look at. From the Old Testament verses, you see some notion of the importance of “cleanness” (specifically in reference to leaven or dead bodies). There’s some speculation that Jews were concerned about encountering either of those in Pilate’s headquarters here, but that’s not really clear/certain from the text itself. Any “extra” prohibitions may have come from later Jewish custom.

But if you start to take into the 1 Corinthians 5:7 passage and what is going on in this scene, you may see some of the irony characteristic of John’s gospel (particularly for tonight’s reading). The irony is that the Jews are being so careful to remain undefiled for eating the Passover (as instituted back in Exodus), but what they’re actually doing could be considered more defiling - trying to kill the Son of God, who is the true Passover lamb for which they refuse to take part (John 6:53-58).

“(1) They began by hating Jesus; but they finished in a very hysteria of hatred, howling like wolves, with faces twisted in bitterness: ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ In the end, they reached such an insanity of hatred that they were impervious to reason and to mercy and even to the claims of common humanity. Nothing in this world warps people’s judgment as hatred does. Once people allow themselves to hate, they can neither think nor see straight, nor listen without distortion. Hatred is a terrible thing because it takes our senses away.

(2) The hatred of the Jews made them lose all sense of proportion. They were so careful of ceremonial and ritual cleanness that they would not enter Pilate’s headquarters, and yet they were busy doing everything possible to crucify the Son of God. To eat the Passover, a Jew had to be absolutely ceremonially clean. Now, if they had gone into Pilate’s headquarters, they would have incurred uncleanness in a double way. First, the scribal law said: ‘The dwelling places of Gentiles are unclean.’ Second, the Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Part of the preparation for it was a ceremonial search for leaven, and the banishing of every particle of leaven from every house because it was the symbol of evil. To go into Pilate’s headquarters would have been to go into a place where leaven might be found; and to go into such a place when the Passover was being prepared was to render oneself unclean. But even if the Jews had entered a Gentile house which contained leaven, they would have been unclean only until evening. Then they would have had to undergo ceremonial bathing after which they would have been clean.

Now see what the Jews were doing. They were carrying out the details of the ceremonial law with meticulous care; and at the same time they were hounding to the cross the Son of God.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, pp. 273–274). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

“Thus they seek cleansing before God while plotting and scheming the destruction of God’s beloved Son. ‘In their zeal to eat the Passover lamb they unwittingly help to fulfil its significance through demanding the death of the Lamb of God, at the same time shutting themselves out from its saving efficacy.’” - Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (p. 264). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

“The Jews take elaborate precautions to avoid ritual contamination in order to eat the Passover, at the very time they are busy manipulating the judicial system to secure the death of him who alone is the true Passover.” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 589). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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History of Pontius Pilate

4 BC - Herod the Great dies; territory divided among 3 sons
Archelaus - So horrible that the Jews requested a Roman governor to replace him

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. - Matthew 2:22 (ESV)

6 AD - First Roman governor of Palestine (Valerius Gratus)
~ 26-37 AD - Pilate’s time as governor

Let’s now talk about Pilate to get some background…

“In 4 BC, Herod the Great died. He had been king of the whole of Palestine. For all his faults, he was in many ways a good king, and he had been very friendly with the Romans. In his will, he divided up his kingdom among three of his sons. Antipas received Galilee and Peraea; Philip received Batanea, Auranitis and Trachonitis, the wild unpopulated regions of the north-east; and Archelaus, who at the time was only eighteen years old, received Idumaea, Judaea and Samaria. The Romans approved this distribution of the kingdom, and ratified it.

Antipas and Philip governed quietly and well; but Archelaus governed with such extortion and tyranny that the Jews themselves requested the Romans to remove him and to appoint a governor. The likelihood is that they expected to be incorporated into the large province of Syria; and had that been so, the province was so large that they would very probably have been left pretty much to carry on the way they were. All Roman provinces were divided into two classes. Those which required troops stationed in them were in the direct control of the emperor and were imperial provinces; those which did not require troops, but were peaceful and trouble-free, were in the direct control of the senate and were senatorial provinces.

Palestine was obviously a troubled land; it needed troops and therefore it was in the control of the emperor. Really great provinces were governed by either a proconsul or a legate; Syria was like that. Smaller provinces of the second class were governed by a procurator. He was in full control of the military and judicial administration of the province. He visited every part of the province at least once a year and heard cases and complaints. He superintended the ingathering of taxes but had no authority to increase them. He was paid a salary from the treasury and was strictly forbidden to accept either presents or bribes; and, if he exceeded his duties, the people of his province had power to report him to the emperor.

It was a procurator that Augustus appointed to control the affairs of Palestine, and the first one took over in AD 6. Pilate took over in AD 26 and remained in office until AD 35. Palestine was a province bristling with problems, one which required a firm and a strong and a wise hand. We do not know Pilate’s previous history, but we do know that he must have had the reputation of being a good administrator or he would never have been given the responsible position of governing Palestine. It had to be kept in order, for, as a glance at the map will show, it was the bridge between Egypt and Syria.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, pp. 276–278). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate

https://ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-18.htm

“As Coponius, who we told you was sent along with Cyrenius, was exercising his office of procurator, and governing Judea, the following accidents happened. As the Jews were celebrating the feast of unleavened bread, which we call the Passover, it was customary for the priests to open the temple-gates just after midnight. When, therefore, those gates were first opened, some of the Samaritans came privately into Jerusalem, and threw about dead men's bodies, in the cloisters; on which account the Jews afterward excluded them out of the temple, which they had not used to do at such festivals; and on other accounts also they watched the temple more carefully than they had formerly done. A little after which accident Coponius returned to Rome, and Marcus Ambivius came to be his successor in that government; under whom Salome, the sister of king Herod, died, and left to Julia, [Caesar's wife,] Jamnia, all its toparchy, and Phasaelis in the plain, and Arehelais, where is a great plantation of palm trees, and their fruit is excellent in its kind. After him came Annius Rufus, under whom died Caesar, the second emperor of the Romans, the duration of whose reign was fifty-seven years, besides six months and two days (of which time Antonius ruled together with him fourteen years; but the duration of his life was seventy-seven years); upon whose death Tiberius Nero, his wife Julia's son, succeeded. He was now the third emperor; and he sent Valerius Gratus to be procurator of Judea, and to succeed Annius Rufus. This man deprived Ananus of the high priesthood, and appointed Ismael, the son of Phabi, to be high priest. He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus, who had been high priest before, to be high priest; which office, when he had held for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and gave the high priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus; and when he had possessed that dignity no longer than a year, Joseph Caiaphas was made his successor. When Gratus had done those things, he went back to Rome, after he had tarried in Judea eleven years, when Pontius Pilate came as his successor.”

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History of Pontius Pilate

Troubles with the Jews:

Failed to remove emperor (god) images when entering Jerusalem
Raided template treasury to build aqueduct; killed many Jews
Shields with emperor (god); Tiberias ordered Pilate to remove them

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. - Luke 13:1 (ESV)

35 AD - After Jesus’ death, Pilate crushes revolt in Samaria and then removed from power

“Three famous, or infamous, incidents marked his career.

The first occurred on his first visit to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not the capital of the province; its headquarters were at Caesarea. But the procurator paid many visits to Jerusalem, and, when he did, he stayed in the old palace of the Herods in the west part of the city. When he came to Jerusalem, he always came with a detachment of soldiers. The soldiers had their standards; and on the top of the standard there was a little bust in metal of the reigning emperor. The emperor was regarded as a god, and to the Jews that little bust on the standards was a graven image.

All previous Roman governors, in deference to the religious scruples of the Jews, had removed that image before they entered the city. Pilate refused to do so. The Jews appealed to him to do so. Pilate was adamant; he would not pander to the superstitions of the Jews. He went back to Caesarea. The Jews followed him. They dogged his footsteps for five days. They were humble but determined in their requests. Finally he told them to meet him in the amphitheatre. He surrounded them with armed soldiers, and informed them that if they did not stop their requests they would be killed there and then. The Jews bared their necks and told the soldiers to strike. Not even Pilate could massacre defenceless men like that. He was beaten and compelled to agree that the images should thereafter be removed from the standards. That was how Pilate began, and it was a bad beginning.

The second incident was this. The Jerusalem water supply was inadequate. Pilate determined to build a new aqueduct. Where was the money to come from? He raided the Temple treasury, which contained millions. It is very unlikely that Pilate took money that was deposited for the sacrifices and the Temple service. Much more likely, he took money which was called Corban, and which came from sources which made it impossible to use for sacred purposes. His aqueduct was much needed; it was a worthy and a great undertaking; the water supply would even be of great benefit to the Temple, which needed much cleansing with its continual sacrifices. But the people resented it; they rioted and surged through the streets. Pilate mingled his soldiers with them in plain clothes, with concealed weapons. At a given signal, they attacked the mob, and many Jews were clubbed or stabbed to death. Once again Pilate was unpopular—and he was rendered liable to be reported to the emperor.

The third incident turned out even worse for Pilate. As we have seen, when he was in Jerusalem, he stayed in the ancient palace of the Herods. He had certain shields made; and on them he had inscribed the name of Tiberius the emperor. These shields were what is known as votive shields; they were devoted to the honour and the memory of the emperor. Now the emperor was regarded as a god; so here was the name of a strange god inscribed and displayed for reverence in the holy city. The people were enraged; the greatest men, even his closest supporters, pleaded with Pilate to remove them. He refused. The Jews reported the matter to Tiberius the emperor, and he ordered Pilate to remove them.

It is relevant to note how Pilate ended up. This last incident happened after Jesus had been crucified, in the year AD 35. There was a revolt in Samaria. It was not very serious, but Pilate crushed it with sadistic ferocity and a plethora of executions. The Samaritans had always been regarded as loyal citizens of Rome, and the legate of Syria intervened. Tiberius ordered Pilate back to Rome. When he was on the way, Tiberius died; so far as we know, Pilate never came to judgment; and from that moment he vanishes from history.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, pp. 278–280). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

https://ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-2.htm

“Now Pilate, who was sent as procurator into Judea by Tiberius, sent by night those images of Caesar that are called ensigns into Jerusalem. This excited a very among great tumult among the Jews when it was day; for those that were near them were astonished at the sight of them, as indications that their laws were trodden under foot; for those laws do not permit any sort of image to be brought into the city. Nay, besides the indignation which the citizens had themselves at this procedure, a vast number of people came running out of the country. These came zealously to Pilate to Cesarea, and besought him to carry those ensigns out of Jerusalem, and to preserve them their ancient laws inviolable; but upon Pilate's denial of their request, they fell (9) down prostrate upon the ground, and continued immovable in that posture for five days and as many nights.”
“On the next day Pilate sat upon his tribunal, in the open market-place, and called to him the multitude, as desirous to give them an answer; and then gave a signal to the soldiers, that they should all by agreement at once encompass the Jews with their weapons; so the band of soldiers stood round about the Jews in three ranks. The Jews were under the utmost consternation at that unexpected sight. Pilate also said to them that they should be cut in pieces, unless they would admit of Caesar's images, and gave intimation to the soldiers to draw their naked swords. Hereupon the Jews, as it were at one signal, fell down in vast numbers together, and exposed their necks bare, and cried out that they were sooner ready to be slain, than that their law should be transgressed. Hereupon Pilate was greatly surprised at their prodigious superstition, and gave order that the ensigns should be presently carried out of Jerusalem.”
“After this he raised another disturbance, by expending that sacred treasure which is called Corban (10) upon aqueducts, whereby he brought water from the distance of four hundred furlongs. At this the multitude had indignation; and when Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they came about his tribunal, and made a clamor at it. Now when he was apprized aforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his own soldiers in their armor with the multitude, and ordered them to conceal themselves under the habits of private men, and not indeed to use their swords, but with their staves to beat those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal from his tribunal [to do as he had bidden them]. Now the Jews were so sadly beaten, that many of them perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to death by themselves; by which means the multitude was astonished at the calamity of those that were slain, and held their peace.”

https://ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-18.htm

“BUT now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to abolish the Jewish laws. So he introduced Caesar's effigies, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very making of images; on which account the former procurators were wont to make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments. Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there; which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done in the night time; but as soon as they knew it, they came in multitudes to Cesarea, and interceded with Pilate many days that he would remove the images; and when he would not grant their requests, because it would tend to the injury of Caesar, while yet they persevered in their request, on the sixth day he ordered his soldiers to have their weapons privately, while he came and sat upon his judgment-seat, which seat was so prepared in the open place of the city, that it concealed the army that lay ready to oppress them; and when the Jews petitioned him again, he gave a signal to the soldiers to encompass them routed, and threatened that their punishment should be no less than immediate death, unless they would leave off disturbing him, and go their ways home. But they threw themselves upon the ground, and laid their necks bare, and said they would take their death very willingly, rather than the wisdom of their laws should be transgressed; upon which Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution to keep their laws inviolable, and presently commanded the images to be carried back from Jerusalem to Cesarea.”
“But Pilate undertook to bring a current of water to Jerusalem, and did it with the sacred money, and derived the origin of the stream from the distance of two hundred furlongs. However, the Jews (8) were not pleased with what had been done about this water; and many ten thousands of the people got together, and made a clamor against him, and insisted that he should leave off that design. Some of them also used reproaches, and abused the man, as crowds of such people usually do. So he habited a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them. So he bid the Jews himself go away; but they boldly casting reproaches upon him, he gave the soldiers that signal which had been beforehand agreed on; who laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded them, and equally punished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not; nor did they spare them in the least: and since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, there were a great number of them slain by this means, and others of them ran away wounded. And thus an end was put to this sedition.”
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”
“BUT the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults. The man who excited them to it was one who thought lying a thing of little consequence, and who contrived every thing so that the multitude might be pleased; so he bid them to get together upon Mount Gerizzim, which is by them looked upon as the most holy of all mountains, and assured them, that when they were come thither, he would show them those sacred vessels which were laid under that place, because Moses put them there (12) So they came thither armed, and thought the discourse of the man probable; and as they abode at a certain village, which was called Tirathaba, they got the rest together to them, and desired to go up the mountain in a great multitude together; but Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon file roads with a great band of horsemen and foot-men, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the village; and when it came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of them they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of which, and also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain.”
“But when this tumult was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an embassy to Vitellius, a man that had been consul, and who was now president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the murder of those that were killed; for that they did not go to Tirathaba in order to revolt from the Romans, but to escape the violence of Pilate. So Vitellius sent Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea, and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the accusations of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in Judea, made haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of Vitellius, which he durst not contradict; but before he could get to Rome Tiberius was dead.”

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book40.html

8 of 19

Reading

Matthew 26:63-65
Luke 23:1-2

9 of 19

Questions (Matthew 26:63-65, Luke 23:1-2, John 18:29-35)

What accusations were the Jews

bringing against Jesus?

In John 18:29, Pilate asks the Jews what accusations they have against Jesus. Let’s explore that question some more.

In John 18, some of the accusations seem kind of vague/unspecified. The response to Pilate’s initial question leads the charges unspecified - just calling Jesus an evildoer (John 18:30). They later indicate that whatever Jesus had done is something they consider worthy of death (John 18:31).

Looking at Matthew 26:63-65, we see one of the main accusations against Jesus that the Jews have is that of blasphemy, effectively claiming to be God. That is very likely the kind of thing that Pilate would have been more disinterested in and would have wanted the Jews to deal with according to their own law.

If we look at John 18:33, Pilate jumps to asking Jesus if He is the “King of the Jews”. That suggests that some kind of “kingly” information had been shared with Pilate at this point (even if not recorded in John). We see this more explicitly recorded in Luke 23:1-2.

So the primary accusations the Jews have are (1) blasphemy and then (2) being king.

“In exploring this truth we note that the charges against Jesus were twofold; that of blasphemy, brought by the Jewish authorities (Mk. 14:60–64), and treason, the issue in the Roman trial before Pilate (12). Jesus died as a blasphemer and traitor. But precisely these two perversions are at the heart of all human sinning. Genesis 3 unveils it clearly. Sin is blasphemy: ‘you will be like God’ (3:5). ‘The essence of sin lies in man’s pretension to be God.’ But further, sin is treason, an act of rebellion against God’s rightful rule.” - Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (pp. 275–276). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

“Precisely the charges we face at the judgment seat of God therefore are the charges Jesus faced at the judgment seat of Caiaphas and Pilate. The trial of Jesus accordingly assumes a new dimension of meaning. Pilate and Caiaphas disappear from view and Jesus stands instead before the judgment seat of God. He comes to that judgment as our representative, to face our charges and to stand in our place, the ‘second Adam’ come to face the accusations which stand against the first Adam and his seed. This identification is perhaps hinted at in the question of Pilate to Jesus. ‘What is it you have done?’ (18:35) echoes the question to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after their sin (Gn. 3:13). More clearly it goes towards explaining the otherwise astonishing silence of Jesus before his accusers (Mk. 14:60–61; verse 9). Like the sheep that was dumb before her shearers, so Jesus takes the place of those whose ‘mouth is stopped’ (see Rom. 3:19, RSV) before the throne of God.” - Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (p. 276). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Note that the Jews did not have authority for the death penalty at this time (hence needing to come to Pilate, the Roman authority):

https://ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-2.htm

“AND now Archelaus's part of Judea was reduced into a province, and Coponius, one of the equestrian order among the Romans, was sent as a procurator, having the power of [life and] death put into his hands by Caesar. Under his administration it was that a certain Galilean, whose name was Judas, prevailed with his countrymen to revolt, and said they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans and would after God submit to mortal men as their lords. This man was a teacher of a peculiar sect of his own, and was not at all like the rest of those their leaders.”

https://ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-20.htm

“AND now Caesar, upon hearing the death of Festus, sent Albinus into Judea, as procurator. But the king deprived Joseph of the high priesthood, and bestowed the succession to that dignity on the son of Ananus, who was also himself called Ananus. Now the report goes that this eldest Ananus proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons who had all performed the office of a high priest to God, and who had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly, which had never happened to any other of our high priests. But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees, (23) who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when, therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a proper opportunity [to exercise his authority]. Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king [Agrippa], desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a sanhedrim without his consent. (24) Whereupon Albinus complied with what they said, and wrote in anger to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done; on which king Agrippa took the high priesthood from him, when he had ruled but three months, and made Jesus, the son of Damneus, high priest.”

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The Kind of Death Jesus Was To Die

This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. - John 18:32 (ESV)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, - John 3:14 (ESV)

Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. - Leviticus 24:16 (ESV)

Let’s next take a look at John 18:32. If we understand one of the accusations the Jews were bringing against Jesus as blasphemy, then the traditional Jewish punishment would have been stoning (which is actually attempted earlier in John). However, for Jesus’ words to be fulfilled, that would not have occurred by stoning. For Jesus to be “lifted up” by the means of His death, He had to be put the death by crucifixion, a Roman method of death. Just image all that had to come together for this kind of prophecy (going back all the way to the Old Testament) to be fulfilled.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, - John 3:14 (ESV)
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. - John 8;28 (ESV)
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. - John 12:32-33 (ESV)
“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. - Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (ESV)
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. - Galatians 3:10-14 (ESV)

I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” - John 10:30-33 (ESV)

“The text does not say that the Jews wanted Jesus crucified rather than stoned, ostensibly because they remembered that ‘anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse’ (Dt. 21:23), and they wanted to ensure that Jesus would be viewed as accursed (so Beasley-Murray, p. 328). Rather, John is saying that the flux of events, including the brute fact that the Romans had to sanction capital punishment, brought about the fulfillment of Jesus’ words indicating the kind of death he was going to die, his being ‘lifted up from the earth’ (Jn. 12:32–33).” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 592). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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Questions (John 18:33-38)

What is a “kingdom” ?

What is different about Jesus’ kingdom

versus what Pilate might have in mind?

In John 18:33-38, Pilate questions Jesus about His kingship, and Jesus elaborates on the nature of His kingdom. Let’s explore the nature of kingdoms.

First off, what exactly is a “kingdom”? Taking into account both the Greek (https://biblehub.com/greek/932.htm) and general knowledge, you can probably think of a kingdom as being the sphere/realm/domain where a particular king has rule or dominion. We might jump to thinking about “kingdoms” from a physical territory perspective by default, but that’s not necessarily strictly required by the definition of the general concept. From the discussion here, the notion of having “subjects” may also be reasonably be included in a kingdom.

So now…what is different about the kingdom that Jesus has in mind versus what Pilate might have in mind? Looking at the text, we see that Pilate is thinking very much about a “worldly” kingdom, with the Jews who handed Jesus over as potentially being the subjects of the kingdom. However, that’s not really what Jesus has in mind - Jesus is thinking very much of a kingdom that isn’t of “this world”.

What does being “of this world” (or not) mean? Jesus clarifies that one thing it means is that in His kingdom, His servants wouldn’t be fighting to ensure his freedom in this kind of scenario. Thinking more broadly, Jesus’ statement here may have a double meaning, indicating that not only is His kingdom in a “physical” sense not of this world, but it also does not get its nature from this world - it has a different set of characteristics.

Looking at the transitional language and close proximity of Jesus’ statements in verse 37 to what He just said in verse 36, there is a suggestion that Jesus’ kingdom is one of truth. He is a King and has been born, coming into the world, to testify to the truth. This is such an ironic contrast to what is going on against Jesus now - while in some sense their accusations are true, in general, many people involved here are trying to twist or suppress the truth. They don’t necessarily want to confront it and thus can’t hear the truth.

“It is just possible that under Pilate’s question ‘Am I a Jew?’ the Evangelist finds lurking deeper ironies. Pilate despises and distrusts the Jews, yet in the course of the narrative he is eventually forced to adopt their position.” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 593). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

“Jesus cannot possibly answer with a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ unless he knows what is meant by the question. He therefore asks Pilate if the question the governor has posed spontaneously springs from his own understanding and curiosity (cf. Hoskyns, p. 520), or is simply a repetition of the Sanhedrin’s charge. If the former, then perhaps Jesus can lead him to better or deeper understanding; if the latter, then Pilate is already so profoundly misled that major clarification will be necessary if Jesus is to answer truthfully at all. At the same time Jesus, as it were, has become the interrogator; the prisoner has become the judge (cf. notes on 3:2).” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 593). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

“Both expressions mean that Jesus’ reign does not have its source or origin in this world (cf. 8:23)—this world which is both created by God through the agency of the pre-incarnate Word (1:2, 3) and locked in persistent rebellion against its creator (1:10, 11). It is the sphere of darkness, of rebellion, of blindness, of sin. The kingships of this world preserve themselves by force and violence; if Jesus’ kingship finds its origin elsewhere, it will not be defended by the world’s means.” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 594). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

“The parallelism suggests his kingdom is the kingdom of truth; or, more precisely put, the exercise of his saving kingship is virtually indistinguishable from his testifying to the truth. In this context, truth is understood in more than an intellectual sense (cf. de la Potterie, 2. 624ff.); it is nothing less than the self-disclosure of God in his Son, who is the truth (14:6). Disclosing the truth of God, of salvation and of judgment, was the principal way of making subjects, of exercising his saving kingship” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 595). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

“If Jesus’ kingship is indistinguishable from his testimony to the truth, and if his followers are characterized by allegiance to his testimony rather than by violent upheaval, Pilate is forced to recognize that Jesus is the victim of a Sanhedrin plot. Moreover, there is an implicit invitation in Jesus’ words. The man in the dock invites his judge to be his follower, to align himself with those who are ‘of the truth’.” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 595). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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Questions (John 18:37-38)

“What is truth?” - from John 18:38

What are the different ways this question could be asked?

What is “truth” ?

In John 18:38, Pilate asks what is probably an age-old question - “What is truth?” However, it’s hard to understand exactly how he might intend to mean that question based on just reading text like this - it’s often hard to discern tone, etc. So first, what are the different ways this question could be asked/intended?

Some options (not necessarily exhaustive):

Sincerely
Rhetorically
Sarcastically
Spitefully
Frustrated/Exasperated

Are there any clues in the text as to how the question is intended? There aren’t many, but given that Pilate seems to almost immediately leave Jesus to head back out to the crowd, that suggests Pilate probably wasn’t asking the question fully sincerely - he wasn’t really too interested (or at least optimistic) about getting a true answer, so he doesn’t stick around to dig further.

Okay…so let’s try and answer the question (even if we can’t get exhaustive today)…what is “truth”? “Truth” is a pretty common theme throughout the gospel of John (https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?qs_version=ESV&quicksearch=truth&begin=50&end=50), so you can see all of those verses for other ideas. But contextually, I think one of the key points is Jesus revealing more of the fullness of reality - objectively, accurately, truthfully, who God is, who humans are, and the nature of sin, our relationships, etc. to each other. Those truths may be tough to confront, but if they are reality, then they need to be dealt with. Those who are unwilling to confront the truth, who love the darkness more than the light (John 3:19-20), will remain blind and in captivity.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14 (ESV)
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. - John 1:17-18 (ESV)
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. - John 4:23 (ESV)
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31-32 (ESV)
Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” - John 8:43-47 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 (ESV)
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14:17 (ESV)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. - John 16:13 (ESV)

Also note the “reversal of roles” here. Jesus came to Pilate as one on trial. But with the questioning going on here, there’s a sense that Pilate is now on trial instead, with Jesus asking the insightful questions. Will Pilate respond? Is Pilate going to recognize Jesus’ kingship and the truth on his own? Are those the kinds of things he is seeking? As we know from the text, that’s not what happens.

Do you have a satisfactory answer to this question? Have you found what you’re looking for?

“When someone faces him, it is not Jesus who is on trial; it is that person. Pilate may have treated many Jewish things with arrogant contempt, but he did not treat Jesus in that way. We cannot help feeling that it is Jesus who is in control and Pilate who is bewildered and floundering in a situation which he cannot understand.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, p. 283). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

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Barabbas (John 18:39-40)

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. - Luke 23:19-19 (ESV)

Bar - abbas - “son of abba” (son of father)

Let’s talk a bit about Barabbas. The release of a prisoner at the Passover is a custom the Romans had for the Jews at this time.

There seem to be layers of irony involved here. First, his name means “son of abba (father)”, which is ironic in how Jesus is the one and only Son of God. And some manuscripts (though not many) also suggest that Barabbas’ first name may have been “Jesus” (At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” - Matthew 27:16-17 ESV)

Beyond that, ignoring the seemingly dangers of Barabbas based on the reasons why he was thrown in prison, it’s ironic to choose Barabbas here. To start, he seemed to have been trying to start and insurrection and rebel against Rome, which is sort of something the Jews were previously afraid of (John 11:48-50). But the Jews very much seem to be asking for someone trying to usurp Roman authority (and presumably convicted) to be released, in contrast to Jesus, whom they are falsely accusing.

“Thus, at the instigation of the chief priests, who normally had nothing to do with Zealots and others interested in armed rebellion, the crowds call for the release of a man who has committed murder in his struggle against Rome, while condemning a man falsely accused of being a danger to Rome. Pilate cannot fail to see the irony. What will he do?” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 596). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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Reading

John 19:1-15

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Questions (John 19:1-12)

Why might Pilate be afraid?

Why might Jesus respond to some of

Pilate’s questions but not others?

Who has authority in this situation?

Why might Pilate be afraid (John 19:8)? Looking at that verse, it seems to indicate that this was from the statement referred to in the previous verse - where Jesus is referred to as the Son of God (John 19:7). While Pilate might not be a Jew, it seems likely he had some religious superstitions/beliefs regarding “gods” or the divine (his wife had a dream - see Matthew 27:19), so Pilate seems to be afraid due to something in this realm - crucifying a “god” would probably not be good for him. The question Pilate asks in John 19:9 further seems to support this. Alternatively, Pilate could be afraid about the consequences of not doing what the Jewish mob seems to want - they’re so intent on crucifying Jesus, and if Pilate doesn’t acquiesce to their demands, he could have a revolt on his hands that would be be perceived as good by the Roman emperor. It’s also possible the question about where Jesus is from in John 19:9 could be related to Pilate seeking the proper jurisdiction for Jesus (i.e. sending him to Herod - see Luke 23:5-12).

Next, it’s interesting to try and think of why Jesus might respond to some of Pilate’s questions but not others. Looking at the questions going back to John 18:33, it seems like some of Jesus’ questions might leave open an invitation to Pilate to choose to dig deeper and align with Jesus. It’s possible that some of Jesus’ responses are aimed at that, or just clarifying some key points (like who has authority in John 19:11). When Jesus does not respond, it’s possible it might not meet those goals. For example, if Pilate hasn’t come to conclusions on his own and isn’t interested in the truth, then it’s possible an answer to Pilate’s question in John 19:9 about where Jesus is from might not have really made a difference.

Finally, who has authority in this situation? First, recognize different levels of authority. We know from John 19:11 that the ultimate authority comes from God above, for which Pilate has received some delegated authority. What’s also interesting is to think about how while Pilate seems to have some authority here, the Jews actually seem to be exercising enough power of him to influence his decisions.

“And here also is the terrible picture of the silence of Jesus. There was a time when he had no answer to give to Pilate. There were other times when Jesus was silent. He was silent before the high priest (Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61). He was silent before Herod (Luke 23:9). He was silent when the charges against him were made to Pilate by the Jewish authorities (Matthew 27:14; Mark 15:5). We have sometimes the experience, when talking to other people, of finding that argument and discussion are no longer possible, because we and they have no common ground. It is almost as if we spoke another language. That happens when people do in fact speak another mental and spiritual language. It is a terrible day when Jesus is silent to anyone. There can be nothing more terrible than for a person’s mind to be so shut by pride and self-will that there is nothing Jesus can say to that person that will make any difference.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, p. 286). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

“Pilate seeks to alleviate his own fear by questioning Jesus about his origins: Where do you come from? Jesus gave him no answer, a silence which is a Johannine parallel to Mark 14:61; 15:5 (cf. Is. 53:7). Neither in John nor in Mark is the silence absolute: in both, Jesus speaks again. But the question as Pilate phrases it cannot rightly be answered with a word, a phrase, a clause—at least, not if Pilate is to understand it. And Pilate has shown no interest in real understanding: he has contemptuously dismissed Jesus’ claim to testify to the truth (18:37–38), so why should Jesus think the governor is any more prepared for truth now? What answer, long or brief, could Jesus have provided for the Roman prefect who is more interested in political manoeuvering than in justice, who displays superstitious fear but no remorse, who (in the next verses) still struts on the stage of human power but is enslaved by the political threats of his frenzied opposition?” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 600). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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The King of the Jews

They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” - John 19:15 (ESV)

“When you…say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. - Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (ESV)
Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” - Judges 8:23 (ESV)
And the LORD said to Samuel, “...they have rejected me from being king over them. - 1 Samuel 8:7 (ESV)
…you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. - 1 Samuel 12:12 (ESV)

There’s further irony in the Jews crucifying the one who should be their actual king in favor of an earthly king they really shouldn’t have.

They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” - Matthew 22:21 (ESV)

“The most astonishing thing they said that day was: ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ Samuel’s word to the people was that God alone was their king (1 Samuel 12:12). When the crown was offered to Gideon, his answer was: ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you’ (Judges 8:23). When the Romans had first come into Palestine, they had taken a census in order to arrange the normal taxation to which subject people were liable. And there had been the most bloody rebellion, because the Jews insisted that God alone was their king, and to him alone they would pay tribute. When the Jewish leader said: ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ it was the most astonishing about-turn in history. The very statement must have taken Pilate’s breath away, and he must have looked at them in half-bewildered, half-cynical amusement. The Jews were prepared to abandon every principle they had in order to eliminate Jesus.” - Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, p. 275). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

“On earlier occasions the Jewish authorities had communicated their displeasure with Pilate to the Emperor; Pilate had no reason to think they would refrain from doing so in this case. What defence of himself could be possibly give to a somewhat paranoid ruler, against the charge that he had failed to convict and execute a man arraigned on well-substantiated charges of sedition—brought up on charges put forward by the Sanhedrin, no less, the highest court in the land and known to be less than enthusiastic about the Emperor’s rule? Whether or not friend of Caesar was at this point a technical term, everyone knew that even the claim to be a king (unless some kind of vassal-king status was granted by the Emperor himself) signalled opposition to Caesar.

The verse is saturated with irony. In order to execute Jesus, the Jewish authorities make themselves out to be more loyal subjects of Caesar than the hated Roman official Pilate is. They thereby demonstrate their slavery not only to sin (8:34) but to the political thraldom they earlier disavowed (8:33). Jesus claims to be a king, but king of such a nature (18:36–37) that he is far less of an immediate threat to Caesar than are the people who are levelling the charge” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (pp. 602–603). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

“The Hebrew Scriptures repeatedly insist that the only true king of Israel is God himself (e.g. Jdg. 8:23; 1 Sa. 8:7); the Davidic kings are legitimate, at least in theory, only because they are vassal monarchs in liege to the LORD and bound by the covenant. By vehemently insisting they have no king but Caesar, they are not only rejecting Jesus’ messianic claims, they are abandoning Israel’s messianic hope as a matter of principle, rejecting any claimant (‘We have no king but Caesar’), and finally disowning the kingship of the LORD himself. ‘Their repudiation of Jesus in the name of a pretended loyalty to the emperor entailed their repudiation of the promise of the kingdom of God, with which the gift of the Messiah is inseparably bound in Jewish faith, and Israel’s vocation to be its heir, its instrument, and its proclaimer to the nations’ (Beasley-Murray, p. 343). This is the ultimate evidence in support of the Prologue’s pronouncement, ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him’ (1:11), and of the terrible blindness depicted in 12:37ff.” - Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 606). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

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