What do we do with Jesus the Christ?

John Ch. 18 :29- 19:16

JESUS STANDS TRIAL BEFORE PILATE

Prof. KALANEETHY CHRISTOPHER

The Bible passage given above narrates the encounter Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor had with Lord Jesus Christ, the dawn after the night when Judas betrayed Him. As Jesus himself had told the disciples earlier, the Jewish religious leaders handed Him over to the gentiles for trial. The blogger traces the various levels of interaction between Pilate and Jesus in Pilate’s palace.

Pilate appeared to be sincere in his attempt to release Jesus but the desire to please the Jews and to be loyal to Caesar dominated him and he got away from his responsibility in an irresponsible manner. His conviction that Jesus was ‘not guilty’ of the accusations of the Jews did not take him any further. His reaction was very superficial as far as the trial of Jesus was concerned. He asked a series of questions to Jesus, nothing at the spirit level, these were all at the head level. He was only curious to listen to what Jesus would say .

As we read through this portion carefully, we can identify Pilate’s questions at various levels and the answers given by our Lord Jesus and the Jews sometime. After reading through the blogpost, the readers may locate their own level of relationship / interaction with Jesus. An introspection during this season of Lent would edify the readers spiritually. Would we fully understand that Jesus was ‘never proved guilty’ and will never be proved guilty at any point in time. Will we His followers get the same verdict when the world tries us based on accusations levelled against the Church of Christ? Let us examine our lives both social and personal. Are we working for the liberation of lives from the devil’s clutches?

Questions of Pilate and Answers by Jesus:

1. V.29 ‘What accusations do you bring against this man?’  Pilate asked the Jews.

v. 30 ‘He is a criminal’ was their answer. The ‘religious’ leaders of the Jews viewed Jesus with jealousy. They could not accept him since He differed much from their empty religiosity that was dead. Jesus walked in God’s ways that were different from theirs and they started plotting to do away with Him. Jesus had always been telling them that they interpret Him wrongly since they do not search or understand the prophecies and scriptures concerning Hi m. (Matt.22:29, Jn5:29, Isa 53:3,4) .

v.31 Pilate tried to disengage himself from the scenario and asked the Jews to deal with Jesus themselves. He wanted nothing personally to do with Jesus. The Jewish leaders anyhow did not allow him to get away like that.

Many times we do not comprehend when God is working not in the fashion we know. Let us expect Him in the ordinary working out the extraordinary. To increase our faith we need to hear the Word of God often and meditate upon it. (Rom.10:16,17). This only will strengthen our faith walk in Christ. Otherwise in our own little ways we will be making Jesus stand before the world as ‘accused’.

2. V.33 ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

All the four gospels mention this question in a similar fashion only.

v. 34 ‘Do you ask this on your own?’ said Jesus.

Probably this was meant to simply clarify whether or not the accusations levelled against Jesus were having any basis at all. It might have been satirical since the Jews were under the Roman bondage at that time. ‘’It may also mean ‘are you a rebel?’’

[Source : NIV study Bible 1995 edn., Zondervan Publishing House] Even that satire never provoked deep thoughts among the leaders. They surely were ‘misleading leaders’!!

3. v. 35 ‘I am not a Jew. Am I?’ ……’What have you done?’

v.36 Jesus said ‘my kingdom is not from this world’.

Pilate makes it clear that he is not of Jesus’ clan. He belonged to a ‘superior’ Roman race. Jews themselves were despising Him, why should it bother ‘others’ ? Was Pilate trying to tell Jesus, he was not to be blamed?! In his opinion Jesus was meant for ‘other people’. He had nothing to do with Him. Pilate’s enquiry was a diplomatic, matter of fact dealing.

How many times we the ‘believers’ feel that Christ’s ways are not meant for us, but for someone else. God’s truth many times is bypassed because the world never sees Jesus as a Saviour for humanity. He in its opinion, guided only by intellect, is an alien ‘Saviour, meant for someone very different from them.

Lukan account of the Saviour’s birth clearly projects Jesus as a Saviour of the whole world. So long as one does not take hold of this fact, Jesus is still outside his or her fold and has nothing to do with . St Paul reiterates that ‘there is no Jew nor Greek’ in Christ Jesus. (Gal.3:28) no east nor west. The Christian Church is responsible for any misunderstanding of Christ by the world.

Pilate blamed the divided Jewish people for misrepresenting Jesus. What would people say today? Are we not guilty of presenting a divided Christ to world? People want to see Christ as a whole and not in bits and pieces. Let not the people around us see us bickering over petty doctrines and issues! Church, it is time Christians stand united to spread the redeeming sacrificial love of Christ Jesus, remaining united under the ‘banner of the Cross’, failing which the world will still want to look at Jesus as a ‘teacher par excellence’ only. ‘Thus far and no further’ will be the attitude of humanity. Let us Christians make efforts not to misrepresent Christ to the world.

The answer by Jesus meant that He has not come to establish a political reign and His ‘kingdom need not stand on military power’ [Source : NIV study Bible 1995 edn., Zondervan Publishing House]. God’s reign is eternal while Pilate kept his mind all the time on temporal reign. St.Paul mentions that we ‘look for the things that are unseen, for those are eternal’.(II Cor.4:18). Jesus said to Nicodemus that a man should be born of the Spirit to enter into God’s kingdom.(Jn.3:5). Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God is spirit and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. (Jn.4:24)

4. v.37 ‘So you are a king?’

Jesus replied that He came to testify to the truth.

John 1:14 tells us that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The second important message John brings is TRUTH apart from LOVE, the Godly love, ‘agapao’ that takes supreme importance in his writings. Jn.14:6 presents Jesus as ‘the way and the truth and the life’.

The worldly thinking of the Roman governor was challenged by Jesus in presenting the eternal as substitute for the temporary.

What for do we believe in Jesus? Is it for this worldly blessings and life alone or for the eternal life that starts in the here and now?

5. V.38 ‘What is truth?’

Jesus gave no answer since He knew at that moment Pilate would not understand this. [Source : NIV study Bible 1995 edn., Zondervan Publishing House]

6. Jn.19:9 ‘Where are you from?’ Jesus gave him no answer.

This question was raised by Pilate since the Jews told him that Jesus claimed He was the Son of God and according to Jewish laws he must die. When he heard this he was very scared and wanted Jesus to answer him. Jesus by this time was well into the trial and getting ready for the final hours, He made no effort to answer. He knew who He was, and where He was going very well. (Jn.13:3) No human ruler needs to ratify that.

Any believer in Christ knows that Jesus is the only Son of God, in whom all the power of Godhead rests. There should be no doubt about this. He is not one among the many sons, but the ‘only begotten Son of God’.

7. V.10 ‘Are you refusing to speak to me ? Do you not know that I have the power to release you and power to crucify you?’

Jesus declares that unless the power is given to Pilate from above, he has no authority over Him.

Pilate considered Jesus as a Roman subject, hardly realising it is all divinely planned ‘even before the foundation of the world’. Verse 16 ends with Pilate handing Jesus over to be crucified.

If Jews would have condemned Jesus finally they would stone Him to death. The scriptures state that Jesus became ‘curse’ for us, the whole of humanity, which is possible only if He was crucified by the Romans, the then rulers.

 II Cor.5:21 indicates the ‘double substitution’ made by the Son of God, so that in Him the world would be made righteous. What a wonderful sacrifice, blameless and holy, made by our Saviour that by faith we can have access to the redemptive power of God! Let everyone who believes in Jesus Christ come to His cross and be made whole!! He has taken our negatives in every area of life, body, soul and spirit, and has given to those who believe in Him, everything positive and holy. A wholesome redemption!! 

Pilate was so close to this salvation and yet lost it since he wanted to be a people- pleaser. May those who read this strive to be God-pleasers and not imitate Pilate who though knew what he was doing, wilfully decided to treat Jesus the way he did !!

How do we treat Jesus the Son of God who gave His life as a ransom for many? Does He stand before us as ‘the accused’ or the ‘redeemer kin’?