May 7, 2023 - John 18:28-40
May 3, 2023
Gospel of John 18:28-40
Lessons Learned
by Wayne Gaeddert
1. The six trials of Jesus.
1. Annas—Father-in-law to the high priest. John 18:19-24
2. Caiaphas the high priest and the Jewish supreme court. John 18:24-27
(According to Matthew 26:57-68 & Matthew 27:1 these two trials were illegal trials at night.)
3. Caiaphas and the Jewish supreme court at daylight—the legal trial. Matthew 18:24-27
4. Pilate John 18:29-38
5. Herod Luke 23:7-11
6. Pilate John 18:38-19:16; Luke 23:13-25
2. Three Blunders of Pilate. https://billpetro.com/history-of-pontius-pilate
1. In what came to be called “the affair of the Roman standards,” Pilate’s troops once marched into Jerusalem carrying medallions with the emperor’s image or bust among their regimental standards. This provoked a five-day demonstration by the Jews at the Provincial capital, Caesarea, which protested these effigies violating Jewish law concerning engraved images. Though Pilate had his soldiers threaten them with death, he finally relented and ordered the offensive standards removed.
2. Later, he built an aqueduct from cisterns near Bethlehem to improve Jerusalem’s water supply but paid for it with funds from the Temple treasury. Josephus records that this sparked another riot, which was put down only after bloodshed by Roman auxiliaries, despite Pilate cautioning his troops against excessive force.
3. On another occasion, Pilate set up several golden shields in his Jerusalem residence that, unlike the standards, bore no images, only a bare inscription of dedication to Tiberius. Nevertheless, the citizens protested, but Pilate refused to remove them this time. The Jews, with the help of Herod Antipas, formally protested to Tiberius. In a very testy letter, the writer Philo reported that the emperor ordered Pilate to transfer the shields to a temple in Caesarea and rebuked him “for his audacious violation of precedent” concerning his Jewish subjects. This last episode occurred just five months before Good Friday.
3. In the Greek the ‘you’ in verse 33 “Are you the king of the Jews?” is emphatic.
4. The religious crowd pronounced Jesus guilty, He must die.
5. The government verdict was, He is not guilty.
6. Pilate was encouraging the Jews to Kill Jesus without evolving him in the process. See John 19:6.
7. Jesus is the King of Truth—every word He spoke was true.
8. Had the Jews stoned Jesus, then Jesus would not have told the truth in John 12:32.
9. Deuteronomy 21:23 provides a motive for the Jews insisting that Pilate crucify Jesus.
10. Application:
Jesus told His followers that the world hated Him before it hated them in John 15:18. Therefore, just as Jesus was falsely accused, even by religious people, you can expect to have false accusations made against you.
Jesus was without guilt.
a) Pilate’s verdict. John 18:38; 19:4,6;
b) Herod and Pilate agree that Jesus had not done anything that deserved death.
c) Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
d) 1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
Jesus is the King of Truth.