April 15, 2014
Pilate Meets Jesus
Mark 15:1-20
I Are You King of the Jews? 15:1-5
II What Will You do With Jesus? 15:6-15
III Hail! King of the Jews 15:16-20
On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence ship, was hijacked by N. Korean patrol boats, in international waters, off the coast of N.Korea. The incident provoked a tense, diplomatic and military stand-off for eleven months. The eighty-two surviving crew-members were taken into captivity.
In one particular instance, thirteen of the men were required to sit in a rigid manner around a table, for a very long time. After several hours, the door was flung open, and the man in the first chair was brutally beaten. On the 2nd and 3rd days, it happened again to the very same man.
Knowing the man could not survive another beating----the next day, another young sailor took his place. When the door was thrown open, the guard automatically beat the new victim senseless. For weeks, a new man stepped forward each day to sit in that horrible chair, knowing full well what would happen.
At last the guards gave up in exasperation. They were unable to overcome that kind of sacrificial love.
Every single one of us should be sitting in that first chair, but instead of just just getting beaten, we deserve to die. Knowing this, Jesus traded places with us and took the death blows, that were intended for us.
No one has ever suffered more than Jesus----and no one has ever loved us more than Jesus----- and that love is why He was willing to suffer, and sacrifice all that He did for us.
I “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Years ago, I witnessed an incredible exchange, between, the then,
early-morning journalist, Charlie Gibson and Billy Graham….Dr. Graham was hitting all the morning shows, promoting the Franklin Graham Crusade. And I just happened to see one of them…I thought Charlie was acting so smug as he asked Dr. Graham leading questions trying to trip him up----and with each of the smarty questions that Charlie asked, Dr. Graham, would just say ,“Jesus said…”and then, he would quote the scripture---this happened, probably 10 times----and Charlie, got more and more agitated and Dr. Graham was as cool as a cucumber---. The interview ended with Charlie sitting back in his chair with an expression on his face, that looked like, he knew he had been bested by the master, and Dr. Graham’s expression was just as serene, as it could be, like he knew that Charlie had been bested by the master too----- not him, as the master, but Jesus, Himself. And that is exactly what happened to Pontius Pilate----he was bested by the master…
We‘ve all heard the phrase, ”power corrupts”, but even more powerful is the phrase, “absolute power, corrupts absolutely…” and the Sanhedrin was absolutely corrupt------because, Instead of the Sanhedrin using its power and position to give Jesus a fair trial, they used corruption, and abuse of their power, to condemn Him. They knew that the trial they had had during the night, had been illegal, so they convened again in the early morning while it was still dark, to condemn Jesus to death legally----and to come up with a strategy to get Pilate, the Roman governor, in the area , to sentence Jesus to death, and to actually kill Him, because, only the Roman government, had the authority to put a person to death, for any crime…
The Jewish Leaders had to convince Pilate that Jesus was guilty of a capitol crime against Rome, and worthy of death----And even though, the Jewish leaders considered blasphemy against God to be a crime, punishable, by death, the Romans could have cared less, that meant nothing to them,….so…..the Sanhedrin came up with 3 reasons that they could use against Jesus to convince Pilate to execute Him----1.) inciting the Jewish people to rebel against Rome; 2.) instructing the Jewish people to refuse to pay taxes to Rome; 3.) declaring Himself king, in opposition to Caesar, the emperor of Rome…all of which, amounted to High Treason------the ironic thing is, the people wanted Jesus to lead them in doing those 3 things, and He refused to, but wound being tried for them anyway….
Pontius Pilate was in charge of the army, collecting the taxes for Rome and keeping the peace. In addition to holding the power of life and death over his subjects, he also appointed the high priests and decided the capitol punishment cases…
Pilate was a true corrupt politician----he usually made decisions based on what would would increase his stature and favor with Rome….The Jewish people’s desires and well-being was secondary to him…he was fickle, weak in character and a coward…He had made some bad decisions in his governing of Judea---he had offended some Jewish customs and he couldn’t control difficult situations, so there had been some rebellion against his Roman authority….. and some bad reports had been sent to Rome about him, so he was a little intimidated at having Jesus in his courtroom----scholars believe that this made him wishy-washy, in his dealings with Jesus-----which he certainly was.
Mark’s account of this trial, was the briefest one, of all the Gospel accounts-----apparently, according to Mark, Pilate had already heard the charges against Jesus, because he immediately asked him the most important question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” And Jesus’ response was so perfect….when He said, “It is as you say…” The master had bested the governor----Jesus was in effect saying, “yes, I am.”
John, gives a little more insight into how Jesus explained himself when Pilate questioned Him further----in john 18:36, Jesus said, “My kingship is not of this world, if my kingship were of this world, then my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders; but my kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus made it very clear to Pilate that He was not a threat to Rome.
But God’s plan had to go forward, Jesus had to go to the cross, and He had to get there somehow----so, even though they didn’t know that their dastardly plan was part of God’s plan---the chief priests understood that their charges might not stick, since Jesus had made it clear that He wasn’t a threat to Rome, and Pilate was waffling about his intentions were….so they hurled all kinds of trumped-up accusations against Jesus----and Pilate tried to get Him to either defend Himself or incriminate Himself----but it was to no avail----Jesus just stood there, unflinching, waiting for what was to come.
Jesus stood in front of a man who could condemn Him and a mob who wanted to kill Him, and He was totally composed and completely at peace. Pilate was so amazed by Jesus, that he didn’t know what to do, with Him, he wanted to let Jesus go, but he couldn’t, because the Jewish leaders would have blackmailed him, with a scathing report to Rome…
So, Pilate was stuck----he was selfish in his reasoning and in his decision, but God used it for our salvation---Genesis 50:20 says, “what man means for evil, God uses for good.”
The example, that Jesus has given for us to emulate, in this instance, is one of grace under fire-----our composure and calmness in the midst of the trials of life gives great witness, to those around us, as to how much we trust the Lord’s sovereignty; and ,to how much we believe in His ability to give us peace, no matter what comes our way. That calm peace in a storm, is one of the ways that you will always be able to recognize a fellow believer.
II “What Will You Do With Jesus?” 15:6-15
‘There was a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. They both had a disease that the little boy had recovered from 2 years before. The little girl’s only chance of recovery was to get a transfusion from someone who had the antibodies built up in their blood stream, from having had and recovered from the disease. The little boy shared his sister’s same rare blood type, so he was the ideal donor.
“Would you give your blood to Mary?” the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, “sure, for my sister.” Soon the 2 children were wheeled into the hospital room---Mary, pale and lisless; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither child spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned at her.
As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. When the ordeal was almost over, Johnny’s voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence, “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated when he was asked, to give Mary some blood---and why his lip had trembled even while he was agreeing. He had thought that giving his blood, meant giving his life-----in that brief moment of fear, he had made his lifetime decision, and gave all he had to give. That is love…… Johnny was willing to be the substitute for his sister, ready to take her place in death, so that she could live-----that what Jesus did for us-----he took the place of Barabbas on the cross, so that He could be our substitute, and die in our place, so that we could live…That is love…..
According to Luke, Pilate deferred his decision about Jesus’ fate, and passed the buck to Herod, the half-Jewish ruler of Galilee, hoping that Herod would handle it so well, that Pilate wouldn’t have to get his hands dirty. But Herod was no help to Pilate, he just mocked Jesus and asked for Him to entertain him, and his court, by performing a miracle for them.
Then Jesus, was sent back to Pilate for his final trial….It is clear that Pilate didn’t believe that Jesus was guilty, but he knew he had to deal with the hostile Jewish leadership and the ever-growing rowdy crowds. He decided, rather than just letting Jesus go, that he would put it into the hands of the people---he would pass the buck again, and let them choose. And he figured that nobody would care, since it was a Roman custom to release a prisoner, during Passover week, as a sign of good-will between Rome and the conquered people of Judea, anyway.
According to Dr. Luke, there had been an uprising in Jerusalem led by an insurrectionist, whose last name was Barabbas. He and his followers had been thrown into prison for rebellion against Rome, coupled with murder charges. It’s believed that he was part of the revolutionary group, “the Zealots.” These people resented the Romans so badly that they would have done anything to get rid of them. Some scholars believe that Barabbas was a “bible-days Robin Hood----the bain of existence to the government, and a hero, to the people….
The crowd had to make a choice between 2 men….the one who sought solutions by force and the one who ruled by love and was ready to sacrifice Himself. And they chose the one they thought would free them….little did they know, how right they chose----because Barabbas, could only fight for earthly freedom, while Jesus, could guarantee, eternal freedom,------Again, what man intends for evil, God will use for good.
Pilate knew that jealousy and fear were the motivating factors behind the Sanhedrin’s desire to kill Jesus, so he tried to undermine, the chief priests’ desires, by offering the release Jesus, the King of the Jews, to them, not Jesus Barabbas, the would-be king. But the chief priests were adamant-----they were determined, obviously, by hook or crook, to get rid of Jesus----and God the Father, and Jesus the Son, allowed it to happen, because there was no other way----so the priests stirred up the crowd so that their sheer numbers and mob mentality would force Pilate to release Barabbas and to execute Jesus.
Pilate didn’t want to condemn Jesus, but he didn’t want his own lynching either------so he asked again if the crowd was sure what they wanted to do with Jesus ----and he must have been shocked when they yelled “Crucify Him!” He seemed bewildered by their vehemence and even defended Jesus, when he asked them to tell him what Jesus’ crime was. But by this point the crowd was crazed and just kept yelling, “crucify Him!” “crucify Him!” no matter what Pilate said.
So, Pilate the politician, not Pilate, the man of compassion and justice, took over at this point----and caved to the whim of the crowd---he knew he couldn’t win, and he didn’t want bad reports going back to Rome about a mob scene in his jurisdiction---he knew that if he botched the situation, he could kiss his political career good-by------but, he didn’t believe Jesus was guilty of treason and Matthew 27:19 tells us that Pilate’s wife had sent him a message telling him to have nothing to do with Jesus, because she had been warned about him, in a dream-----so that. maybe made him think more deeply about Jesus than he would have done, otherwise------So he released Barabbas and ordered Jesus to be flogged.
Now, according to Roman custom, people didn’t necessarily get flogged before they were crucified, so why Pilate did it, we don’t really know----but it’s been speculated that maybe Pilate hoped that if Jesus were flogged and then presented to the people, and they saw what bad shape he was in, that they would relent and let Pilate release him-----it might have been Pilate’s one last ditch effort, to set Jesus free.
But, Pilate, who seemed to want to do the right thing, chose the coward’s way out, and Matt. 27:24 tells us that he washed his hands of the whole thing and then turned Jesus over to the guards.
And Barabbas-----do we know what happened to him? Did he follow Jesus to the courtyard and watch as he took his place under the whip’s lashes? Did he follow him up the Via Della Rosa, to Calvary, and watch as he was nailed to the cross, with spikes, that were meant for him? Did he stand and watch as Jesus breathed His last breath and then help take Him down and help Joseph of Arimithea carry Him to the tomb, which should have been his? Was he with the disciples when they walked and talked with Jesus after His resurrection? Did he recognize the sacrifice that had been made for him, when Jesus substituted Himself to take Barabbas’ deserved punishment? Did Barabbas turn over his life to the Lord Jesus, and start rallying people with love, instead of sedition? Was he there in the Upper Room. on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, and filled every man, woman and child’s heart, who would believe.
We don’t know what happened to Barabbas, it’s a mystery-------but I hope he realized, that the sacrifice that was made for him, was done freely and in love-----and that he accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as a free gift and a priceless treasure----- and my prayer is that each one of us has realized the same thing, and have received the free gift of God’s unlimited grace.
III “Hail! King of the Jews” 15:16-20
When I was in the 9th grade in high-school, I was asked to the Jr-Sr
Prom, which was a thrill. The boy who asked me wasn’t particularly cute and he wasn’t particularly smart and he wasn’t particularly boyfriend material, but he was in my study hall, and he was as nice as he could be, and most importantly, he was a senior….
I was so excited----I still can’t believe that my grandparents let me go, because I was still only 15, and the dating rule was 16---- but I think they viewed the dance differently than a date, for some reason….plus, my grandfather’s rule was to say yes when he could and no when he had to and to pick his no’s very carefully….
This was 1973, so the styles for Prom that year, were long halter dresses, long straight hair parted in the middle with a tiny bit of hair on each side pulled back from the face with a single clip and wedge sandals….my dress was white eyelet and I thought it was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen----I was all set for it to be a magical night---but, unfortunately, I made a few tactical errors, in the two days, preceding Prom night, that contributed to what turned out to be one of my most humiliating moments, I can remember, in my whole life…
1st of all, I needed a suntan for that white dress----we didn’t have good self-tanners in those days, and I didn’t lay out daily, for a week, which would have been the sensible thing to do, I laid out the day before, and got burned, so that I looked like a lobster---and my swimsuit was not a halter one, so I had big fat lovely tan lines on my shoulders;
then, since we got out of school half a day on the day of the Prom, I went go-cart riding, on the road, with the boys in the neighborhood----going as fast as I could, I skidded on some loose gravel, flipped the go cart and landed on my left side---tore my face, and arm and knee up---I was a sight for the pictures, you can imagine….
And then, we didn’t go out to dinner, we just went to the dance---I was so nervous, that I hadn’t eaten anything, so I got sick on the car ride to school and threw up as soon as we got to the parking lot-----my poor date was nothing but a gentleman----he totally ignored my embarrassment and my wounds, and sweetly escorted me into the dance.
We had been there for about an hour, and I was having a great time,,,
I thought that I was really making an impression on all those juniors and seniors, and that they loved me ,until I had to go to the bathroom------and then, my heartbreak began...
I was in the stall when 5 junior girls came in----I could tell who they were by their voices----the queen of the school with her handmaidens---I almost opened the door so I could speak to them, because I was feeling pretty full of myself----but thank goodness I didn’t because they started talking fast and furiously, ripping into some poor freshman, who had the same dress on, as the queen, heaven forbid; was sun-burned red as a lobster; had hideous red scabs on her face and shoulder----and was acting like she owned the place---who did she think she was?
I was mortified----it was me, they were talking about----those girls may as well as have been flogging me with a whip, with the way they beat me up with their words, and their derision and their scorn----it was the worst---I still shudder when I think about it----
It was a very subdued little girl that rejoined her date, after she had sobbed her heart out, when those “mean girls” left the bathroom----and thank goodness, my curfew was 10:00 and we left soon after that. And, even though the next year, I made Varsity cheerleading and spent time with those girls, I never, ever trusted them, and I kept a very low profile around them….
Think of a time when you felt so humiliated and persecuted, that you wanted to retaliate, and make the person hurting you, pay for the pain you they were causing you……but we need to realize that the worst thing we can imagine, collectively, can be put together, on the head of a pin, compared to the way the Lord Jesus felt, when those soldiers flogged him, almost to the point of death.
There are many dimensions, to the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus. One of the most important ones being, that He was fully identifying with us and was experiencing, to a much greater degree, what we go though as human beings----but I truly believe, that if we were to ask Him, He would say, just like sin is sin is sin, no matter how trivial or how heinous it is----trouble is trouble is trouble----no matter how trifling and no matter how heartbreaking, it’s all level at the cross…
He knows what it is to feel small, to be attacked mentally and emotionally and to be physically abused. Matthew, John and Mark, all tell us, to varying degrees, about the suffering and humiliation that Jesus experienced at the hands of the Roman soldiers. Jesus was led from Pilate’s palace into its courtyard, and was stripped naked in front of the whole company of soldiers----probably around 600 of them. They mocked Him and spat on Him, crowned Him with thorns, they probably forced Him to bend over a pole , to which He was strapped with His hands tied down, and they flogged him with a cat-o-nine tail whip, with rocks and bones tied to the ends of it, which flayed His back into a raw, pulpy mess.
And Jesus just stood there naked, accepting the meanness, the hate and the cruelty.----looking at them with loving pity, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 50:6 which says, “I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard, I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.”
We, can not imagine the brutality of the way Jesus was scourged and ridiculed by these men. Two or more men would have been responsible for the flogging----and the Roman way, was to keep up a steady pace---one would strike and then the other would wind up and strike, taking turns until they had achieved 40 lashes----sometimes 39 and sometimes 41, but always somewhere near that number. One historian from the 3rd century wrote that, “the sufferers veins were laid bare and the very muscles, tendons and bowels of the victim were open to exposure. “
And He did it, purposely, because He loves us so much----Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises are we healed”
The Creator of the world, who gives breath and life to all living things, volunteered to take upon Himself, the punishment that belongs to each one of us. That’s amazing love!!!
Jesus could have destroyed them all, with one word, but instead He chose to bear the shame and humiliation, so that we could be saved by the costliness of God’s grace. Jesus transformed the barbaric, Roman method of torture, into an example of endurance, patience and obedience.
Jesus’ suffering, is the story of what human beings did when God walked among them----it isn’t difficult, if we look hard enough, we can see ourselves in this story too,, the things we do to each other, are just as bad as what was done to Jesus. If not for the Holy Spirit, no one would be left alive, we would all destroy each other., with our pride and petty jealousies. We are broken and in need of a Savior who can forgive us.
It’s easy for us to look down on the Sanhedrin, and Pilate and the soldiers and judge them, even if the ugly words and ugly attitudes and cold shoulders and quarrels and the back-biting wasn’t as cruel as what they did to Jesus----we are just as guilty…
Jesus’ suffering and death, is a mirror held up to our souls----a reminder of the jealousies, pettiness, self-centeredness, spiritual blindness and darkness that lurks there-------but it is also a mirror, held up to our souls, that reflects the love of Jesus, and how far He was willing to go to save the ones that He loves, and how He transforms us, when we accept Him into our hearts.
Are we living our faith in such a way, that our lives are different from the crowd and the mean, insufferable bullies, that others are touched , changed and served by what we do.
For every child who has ever been picked on, taunted, humiliated, or bullied, Jesus stood there for them.
For every man or woman who has ever been made to feel small and worthless and used, Jesus stood there for them.
For every victim of abuse, torture, murder, or rape; for everyone falsely condemned; and for all who carry a heavy burden, Jesus stood there for them.
And for all those who have done the hitting, the mocking, the harassing, the abusing, the bullying, the hating----Jesus also stood there for them that early morning…
“Due to an unjust ruling He was taken away….like someone from whom people hid their faces…He was despised….It was certainly our sickness that He carried, and our sufferings that He bore, but we thought Him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented….He was pierced because of our rebellions and crushed because of our crimes. He bore the punishment that made us whole, and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-6 Praise God from whom all blessings flow….
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