sign in sign up
<<
Home , John 1, John 10, John 18, John 19, John 3

THE OF JOHN Small Group Discussion Guide Text: :28-38a

Theme/ Big Idea: The Jewish religious leaders keep the law but miss the lamb, while Pilate questions truth and misses the King of Truth.

Context/ Background Information: As discussed in previous study guides, there were three phases to ' trial. Phase 1 occurred before (John 18:12-14; 19-24). Phase 2 was before the led by (Matt 26:57, 59-68; :53, 55-65; :54, 63-65). And finally, phase 3 was a formal hearing before the Roman governor Pilate (John 18:28-19:16).

John only provides details regarding phase 1 and phase 3. This is likely because he knows his audience is familiar with phase 2 and the Sanhedrin trial. It is also likely because John is using the trial of Jesus to tell a greater story in the .

Interestingly, phase 3 (sometimes referred to as the Roman trial) also had three phases: 1) the first appearance before Pilate (Mk 15:1-5; Matt 27:2, 11-14; Lk 23:1-5; John 18:28-38); 2) the appearance before (Lk 23:6-12), and 3) the final appearance before Pilate (Mk 15:6-15; 3; Matt 27:15-26; Lk 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16). John, however, summarizes all three phases of the Roman trial into one. Said another way, John briefly covers the trial Annas, skips the trial before the Sanhedrin, and by contrast, provides a lengthy account of the trial before Pilate. Therefore, John intends for his reader to see this trial comprehensively and hear Jesus' words clearly.

If we were to summarize John 18 and the greater story John is telling, it would be: Man rebelled against (John 18:1-12), man failed God (:15-18 and 25-27), man stands guilty and in need of a perfect high priest between himself and God (John 18:12-14 and 19-24), and now, through the recounting of Jesus' initial interaction before Pilate, John communicates that Jesus is the perfectly innocent, True King man must bow before and worship. These themes dominate John's recounting of Jesus before Pilate (John 18:33–37, 38, 39; 19:3, 12, 15, 19–22; 19:4 and 6). . THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS KEEP THE LAW BUT MISS THE LAMB Frustrated that he was getting nowhere with Jesus, Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas. In verse 28, we are told, "Then they led him from Caiaphas to the governor's office." John skipped the Sanhedrin trial that happened between his interrogation by Annas and his interrogation by Pilate. He does so, likely b/c his audience is more than familiar with the Sanhedrin scene covered in other .

The governor's headquarters refers to , who was appointed Roman governor of from 26-36 A.D.. The governor's primary responsibilities included overseeing capital trials and execution, collecting taxes, payment of necessary expenses for the area governed, and forwarding all revenue on to Rome.(1) It is the first responsibility of overseeing a capital trial and execution to which the Jewish religious leaders turned to Pilate.

John notes, they "did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the " (Jn 18:28). Though subtle, this is an important reminder that the are turning to the Gentiles for assistance in killing Jesus. It is also another use of extreme irony in the Gospel of John. The Jews are legalistically adhering to the letter of the law in order to be eligible to partake in the Passover lamb while completely missing the fact that they are sacrificing the True Passover Lamb who came to set them free from bondage to the law. Said another way, they want to remain clean before God while attempting to kill God's own Son.(2) They desperately want to partake in the Passover meal, but they completely miss God's Passover lamb (:29; 1 Cor 5:7). What we see in the religious leaders is always a danger in religion. In attempting to keep themselves clean, the religious leaders reject God's only means of making them clean. Religion deceptively blinds us to the good news of the gospel of Jesus . It says you can be clean by your own effort, and yet, in this case, the reader sees clearly the religious leaders are in bondage to the law and far from Jesus. John wants his readers not to make the same mistake. Therefore, he turns to Jesus' interrogation before Pilate to present the True King, our need to bow before him, and our only means of cleansing before God.

THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS WANT JESUS DEAD AND CURSED, BUT MISS THE ONE WHO WAS SENT TO BECOME A CURSE AND DIE In verse 29, Pilate asks, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" the Jewish religious leaders respond vaguely, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you" (John 18:30). Their response is shorthand for, "He's guilty, trust us."

Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law" (John 18:31). In other words, Pilate demands that if Jesus offended their laws, they ought to judge him by their laws; otherwise, they must present clear charges and a case. Though responsible for capital trials, Pilate is not interested in following along with legitimate charges.

Rather than present charges, the Jews argue, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death" (John 18:31). Immediately we see their ultimate aim and goal. They do not want Jesus found guilty and jailed; they want him found guilty and killed. They want him dead. But they want him dead in a particular way. Though they did not have the authority to execute a man, if they had tried him by their laws and found him guilty, they would have stoned him. But if the Romans tried, convicted, and executed him, then it would serve as a public shaming on Jesus and his teaching for "Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse" (Deut 21:23).

The Jewish religious leaders see this as an opportunity to kill three birds with one stone. They see an opportunity to kill Jesus, to show him and his teaching as cursed, and to absolve themselves from the responsibility and any backlash for his death. As George Beasley-Murray puts it, "The chief priests clearly wished to ensure that Jesus was not viewed as a martyr for God's cause, but as an impostor who died under the curse of God." (3) However, what they desired, God providentially orchestrated (John 18:32). For Jesus became a curse for the cursed so that the cursed would no longer be condemned (Gal 3:13).

PILATE WANTS THE TRUTH BUT MISSES THE KING OF TRUTH STANDING BEFORE HIM The primary charge in the Sanhedrin, according to the other Gospel writers, is that Jesus claimed to be God, which is blasphemous and punishable by death (Matt 26:65; Lk 22:66-71). This is attested by the crowds in John 19:7 when they say, "We have a law, and according to that law, he ought to die because he has made himself the ." Yet religious objections would never suffice before the Roman governor. For this reason, Luke records, the religious leaders shifted the charge to insurrection and treason (Lk 23:1-2). This was done to persuade Pilate to take up the case and find Jesus guilty. This is clearly articulated by the crowds later in John 19:12 when they say, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar."

Therefore, Pilate immediately asks, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate wants to understand why there has been a rush to judgment, why there is so much pressure to execute Jesus, why there is such an uproar about Jesus, and what Jesus has done to cause such chaos. Pilate wants the truth but misses the King of Truth standing before him.

In the other three Gospels, Jesus simply and immediately replied to Pilate, "You have said so" (Mk 15:2; Matt 27:11; Lk 23:3) Yet, in John's Gospel, we get an elaborated explanation regarding the nature of Jesus' kingdom. This is undoubtedly one of the overarching points John intends for his readers to hear in his recounting of Jesus' trial before Pilate.

In response, Jesus questions Pilate, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" (John 18:34). Jesus is asking if Pilate is inquiring personally or simply out of duty. As he so often does, Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter, investigating Pilate's ultimate motives." The prisoner," Carson notes, "has become the judge."(4) Pilate response is telling. He asks defiantly, "Am I a Jew?" In other words, "Do I answer to you? Do I care about religious matters?"

Pilate's primary concern is "what have you done?" rather than "Who are you?" (John 18:35). Pilate wants to know why Jesus' own nation was so insistent on having him executed. Pilate wants to know clearly if Jesus is claiming to be a king and lead an insurrection against Rome. What Pilate and the reader learn is that Jesus is the King of Truth, ruling over a greater kingdom, and leading an insurrection against a greater enemy.

JESUS IS THE TRUE KING OF A GREATER KINGDOM AND WORTHY OF WORSHIP John's narrative of Jesus before Pilate shifts at the question, "What have you done?" (John 18:35). Rather than go further, answering the question, "Are you the king?" John provides Jesus' explanation of the nature of his kingdom and his followers. In doing so, he gives evidence that his kingdom is supernaturally different, alien to this world, even preceding and superseding all the kingdoms of the world. For this reason, Jesus is the True King of a greater kingdom and worthy of all worship.

Jesus makes it clear; his kingdom is no rival or equal with Israel or Rome; it precedes and supersedes them both. Nor is Jesus' kingdom of the same nature as the kingdoms of Israel or Rome. Jesus' kingdom is supernatural and alien to the driving principles of the kingdoms of the world. Jesus makes the case and presents evidence for Pilate to consider. If his kingdom operated as the world's kingdoms, Jesus' "servants would have been fighting, that [he] might not be delivered over to the Jews."

The reason Jesus' followers are so radically different is because their king and his kingdom are so radically different. Jesus' kingdom does not derive "from the world" (John 18:36). Jesus already made clear in the Garden of that he could easily call down twelve legions of from his Heavenly Father if he wanted to wield his power over man (Matt 26:53). On multiple occasions, he spoke of the kingdom of God and rejected the efforts of anyone who sought to make him an earthly king (:3, 5; 6:15; 18:10-11).(5)

In contrast to the kingdoms of the world, Jesus did not come to wield his power over man; Jesus came to wield his power on behalf of man. In replying to Pilate, Jesus says, "You say that a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth." (Jn 18:37). Jesus is the True King, and he was born to make that truth evident; to call all men to repent before the king and believe the good news of the gospel (Mk 1:14-15).

The problem with man is that he has been deceived into believing he is king, that he can question God, that he can stand in judgment over God, and that he is innocent before God. Yet, when compared to the perfectly innocent Savior, it becomes abundantly clear that man stands defiled before God. Furthermore, when the infinite Sovereign King of the universe is seen, it becomes abundantly clear that man stands finite and condemned before a holy God.

Even still, when the Kingdom of God and its King are rightly understood, we see that he did not come in crushing power as he should; instead, he came to be crushed on our behalf. Jesus does not rule with an iron scepter, but with a towel (:1-5). He "came not to be served but to serve," particularly giving "his life as a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28; Mk 10:45). This is why Jesus questions Pilate and concludes saying to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice" (Jn 18:37). Jesus, "the imprisoned, offers his judge true freedom." (6)

Unfortunately, Pilate walks away just as confused as he began (:38). John's hope for his audience, however, is that they not do the same. By recounting this scene, John desires for his reader to see the Truth, know the Truth, believe in the Truth, bow before the King of Truth, and hope in the Truth of who Jesus is.

Discussion Questions: 1. Why did the Jewish religious leaders not want to enter Pilate's house? What does call Jesus in John 1:29? What does Paul call Jesus in 1 Cor 5:7? What irony is found in verse 28b? How does religion tend to blind us from seeing God's only means of cleansing us? 2. How are the religious leaders seeking to be clean before God? What are they simultaneously rejecting? 3. What is at least one reason the Jews want Jesus executed by Roman crucifixion according to Deut 21:23? Despite this, what good news does Paul celebrate in Gal 3:13? 4. Based on John 18:32, who does John see as ultimately in control? (See also :32, 33; Matt. 20:19; 26:2; Mark 10:33; :32 and Acts 2:23) 5. In the Gospel of John, the Jews use their power to manipulate and retain power while the Romans exercise their power over others to make a profit and keep order. How are Jesus' power and kingdom different from the world's, according to John 18:36-37? How does Jesus use his power according to :4-8? How are the followers of Christ intended to use their power, influence, and resources? 6. So what? What have you learned in this text regarding attitudes and actions that may need to change in your own life?

Footnotes: 1. Daniel R. Schwartz, “Pontius Pilate (Person),” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 397. 2. Bruce Milne, of John. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 1993). 264. 3. George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1999), 328. 4. D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter- Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 593. 5. Colin G. Kruse, John, Revised edition. (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2017). 354. 6. Milne, The Message of John. 267.