Fresh insights into one of the most important of the closing scenes of Jesus life.

<p>Fresh insights into one of the most important of the closing scenes of Jesus life.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Pagosa Springs SDA

Skip Dodson

Jesus and Pilate

Father in heaven, we are grateful for the privilege that we have of asking for your Holy Spirit, and you have given us the promise that if we ask for your Holy Spirit, we will receive.

Oh Lord, we're grateful for this promise, And we need your Holy Spirit today.

Oh, please, Lord, send your Spirit to this congregation.

Open my mouth to speak the words that will be edifying, encouraging, challenging.

Open my lips, Lord, that I might speak the truth of the 1 who referred to himself as the way, the truth, and the life.

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.

You've read this statement before, I'm assuming many of you.

It comes from Ellen White's beautiful, classic, inspired book on the life of Jesus called The Desire of Ages, page 83.

I'm going to finish that paragraph and read the paragraph that comes later.

She says we should take it point by point and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones.

As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with his spirit.

If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.

Now here's the next paragraph that follows it.

As we associate together, we may be a blessing to 1 another.

If we are Christ's, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him.

We shall love to talk of him, and as we speak to 1 another of his love, our hearts will be softened by divine influences.

Beholding the beauty of his character, we shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory.

We need to experience that transformation.

That kind of transformation in our hearts will bring about a revival in God's Church and a revival in this community.

This morning's message is an effort, partial, to facilitate such a change.

And this morning we will, by God's grace, examine 1 of the great closing scenes of Jesus' life, this interaction that he had with a man named Pontius Pilate.

It is a striking episode, I think you will agree.

Is this just something that we study and then we say, okay, yeah, Jesus did that.

Can we by beholding the Savior be changed into his likeness?

Is his interaction with this man, does it give us any cues, any dictates as to how we should handle ourselves in this present generation?

Come with me to that praetorium and observe and be changed.

John 18, we'll begin with verse 28, our scripture reading.

I actually would like to read it 1 more time for the benefit of your ears and the benefit of my eyes." John chapter 18, verse 28.

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium, and it was early morning.

But they themselves did not go into the praetorium lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover Pilate then went out to them and said what accusation do you bring against this man?' They answered and said to him, If he were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him up to you.

Then Pilate said to them, You take him and judge him according to your law.

Therefore the Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying by what death he would die.

Then Pilate entered the praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, Are you the king of the Jews?

Jesus answered him, Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning me?" Pilate answered, "'Am I a Jew?

Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me.

What have you done?" Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from here." Pilate therefore said to him, "'Are you a king then?' Jesus answered, "'You say rightly that I am a king.

For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, "'What is truth?' And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault in him at all.

Now we'll only be able to consider a part of the fuller story of Jesus' trial and crucifixion this morning.

You recognize, don't you, that Jesus said more to Pontius Pilate on the day of his trial and crucifixion than he did to anyone else.

There was an extended dialogue with Pilate.

And let's see where we are as it relates to the story.

Verses 28 through 32, we see Pilate interacting with the Jews first.

And what is obvious in this short passage is the hypocrisy and artful dissembling of the Jews in the process of committing murder but careful to avoid ritual defilement.

Friends, let's make 1 point very clear this morning.

A profession of religion does not protect anyone against committing grievous and dark sins.

People may profess religion, you can profess religion all you want to.

That does not prevent you or stop you from committing things as grievous as what the Jews were doing here.

They had already murdered Jesus in their hearts and they were carrying through with the actual fact of the thing as we look in on the story.

This situation shows exactly where their priorities were.

They would not give a straight answer when asked by Pilate about the charges against Christ.

And this situation nearly derailed their plans.

Pilate normally had the reputation of being somebody who was a rubber stamper, right?

But here, Pilate all of a sudden gets inquisitive.

And the Jews all of a sudden start to tremble because they recognize that their plans, well laid as they were, could potentially go down the drain if Pilate asked too many questions.

Pilate smelled a rat from the beginning here, but he allowed himself to get drawn into what was obviously a legal and spiritual mess.

Either way, there's a great lesson here for people in leadership.

Sometimes others will encourage you to get involved in something that would appear to be under your purview, but would better be left alone.

Too many leaders become enamored with their own importance and are too ready to get into the weeds of situations for which there are no positive outcomes." You know how it went for the for Pilate on this thing, right?

Over and over again he tried to find angles by which he could acquit Jesus and make everybody happy and over and over again he failed.

Even to the point of bringing in that wicked man Barabbas.

He thought for sure if I just bring Barabbas out and stand him next to Jesus, everybody will choose Jesus to be released instead of Barabbas, what happened?

By the way, once the devil gets involved in something, don't think you can outsmart him.

Woe be to that man who does not stop and think.

I'm talking about people in leadership now.

Woe be to that leader who does not stop and think before he acts.

There are no-win scenarios in leadership that are conjured up by men and even by the devil himself.

In this case, what should Pilate have done in this case?

I'll ask you this question before I answer it myself.

He should have said, he should have told the Jews to go pound sand.

I'm not good, I'm not getting involved in this thing.

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Jesus and Pilate

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