read ch 18
For a minute I want us to view the last few
weeks from above. Here is a map of Jerusalem> Jesus met with his disciples
in the upper Room and then walks out through the city to the garden of
Gethsemane which is on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Because it was
festival time, Jerusalem was an open city so they were free to come and go.
Bethany was over the hill so it was their probable way back to where they were
staying with Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
The
Kidron Valley runs down the Eastern side of Jerusalem, to the South is the
Valley of Hinnon, where the rubbish pits were and was called Gehenna. Which way
Jesus went we don’t know.
What
we do know is that whereas the other gospels refer to this journey in two
verses, John has recorded the whole conversation and prayer of Jesus.
This
brings me to my first point, John chooses what he records for a reason. This is
not the full story, even if John is an actual witness.
He makes no mention of
ü The bread
and wine and its significance
ü Praying in
the garden
ü Content of
trial before Caiaphas
ü The formal
post-dawn trial
ü Suicide of
Judas
ü The hearing
before Herod
The soldiers mocking Jesus
And yet , unlike the other gospels tells of a hearing with Annas, the ex-High Priest.
But
this is not a biography, it is a gospel and John chooses what he records for a
purpose, which he spells out in ch 20:31
But these are
written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of
God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
This is a book
with a purpose. And therefore John has selected some key parts to tell us about
Jesus and encouraging us to believe in him.
So John’s story is in two parts. First the
arrest and trial by the Jews, second
the trial before Pilate.
So what do we
observe?
First, Jesus leads the way. Jesus is making
choices. He is primarily in Gethsemane
to meet Judas. The desperate prayer time is important but not as important to
John that we understand that Jesus, the way is walking into a trap, consciously
and freely. It is Jesus that takes the initiative. He identifies himself and
seeks release for the disciples. Even his captors are floored by his readiness
to surrender. He has a destiny to die on a cross. He will be glorified as he said,
by being lifted up on a cross.
Peter, is the exemplar disciple and we see a
lot of him at this point. He still has not understood what Jesus has been
saying all evening. They brought two swords so lets use them! But Jesus is not going to win our salvation
through a sword fight. He is going to the cross. The way is not a way of power
and control. The gospel was never spread by domination or armies. The crusades
and all battles on the basis of winning souls are false. We believe we can
defend ourselves but never use force to persuade others to follow Jesus.
We then get some useful fill in information.
Annas was
father-in-law to Caiaphas who was priest that year and Annas had been High
Priest. Even Caiaphas, although spiritually blind had been prophetic about
Jesus. To John it important to remind us that Jesus is here to die for us.
John and Peter follow the militia. John
has a free entry permit as he was known
to the High Priest.
Peter is left
outside until John can fetch him in. Peter is in a crowd alone, fearful and the
girl at the door simply makes conversation. Peter fails Jesus as do all the
disciples. As will you. But Peter we will find discovers forgiveness and peace.
You will let Jesus down but for those who choose to seek forgiveness in
repentance and faith there is healing and restoration.
Now we move on to Annas. And we must listen
to Jesus. What is he saying at this hearing? His challenge is that he did
nothing in secret. His religion is not a power religion where secrecy is used
to control others. There are no secret rituals, no hidden magical things. Jesus
taught openly, in places where he could be challenged. The last chapters where he taught his
disciples alone are unusual. He normally taught in the open. Unlike Annas who
had secret meetings with other leaders and with Judas to decide how to handle
Jesus. If you want a deal, Annas,
forget it. There are plenty of witnesses who know everything I have said. Bring
them to any trial and you will not convict me. That is why the meeting with
Annas is here. Before Caiaphas we get all the manipulating to get a charge that
will stick. Here it is plain and simple. The world knows what I have said, but
you will not find one person whose evidence will stand up in court. That is a
challenge to us. What are we known for? Does our community know what we are? Or
does it see us as some strange group that turns up on a Sunday morning and
sings strange songs and goes away again?
Are we known for being anti-homosexual and anti-abortion or for salvation
by faith and eternal life? If you were
on trial for being a Christian is there enough evidence to convict you?
Followers of Jesus have to speak openly the world.
And we move on. This time to
another private exchange. Now clearly neither interview was actually in private
but they were out of the public sight. This time Pilate meets Jesus without the
accusers as they would not want to defile themselves for the Passover, which
was in full swing. That is ironic. Jesus is the Passover lamb. John has
declared him the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They are
happy to spill his blood or at least get the Romans to do it but they want the
rituals to go ahead without being challenged by the real event. That will
happen over Easter, eggs and bunnies , cards and celebrations are OK but few
will stop and think about a Saviour who died for them and rose again for them
that they might know eternal life. In fact I expect some will protest about the
BBC showing the Passion Story at Easter. It will offend! They did it to Jesus,
do not be surprised they do to today.
With Pilate the issue is truth, rather than kingship. You see Pilate asks is Jesus a king but Jesus goes back one step and says the issue is about truth. Pilate is out of his depth. His ‘What is truth?’ is set in the confusion of politics where truth is defined by how to stay in favour with Caesar. In the Passion of Jesus Christ Pilate says to his wife “How do I know what the truth is?" In the last century, science was seen as the way to find the truth. Now we want to reach out to a more feelings oriented search for truth.
This is one of those occasions that the
question is answered before it is asked. Listen to Jesus. You are right in saying I am
a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the
world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to
me."
Jesus said I am the way the Truth and the life, only hours ago to his disciples. Now he says virtually the same to Pilate. Truth is revelation. I am the revelation of God. That is why I was born, that is why I came in to the world. I am the truth, Pilate, now make your choice, are you on my side or not. This is the same challenge that Joshua had at Jericho. God is the truth and on nobodies side. You have to choose to accept him as boss or you give up on truth and live a lie.
What
is Truth?
I
am the truth
or
The
truth is what you want it to be.
Those
are the stark choices. For Jesus it leads directly to his death and resurrection.
For Pilate the misery of endless best guesses and hope I got it right.
I
don’t think Pilate made a choice and that is why he is victim of the crowd.
He steps out of the quiet of his Judgement
Hall into the morning to face a crowd, whipped up to shout him down. He tries
to use the release a prisoner on the feast offer to get round the problem but
he is no longer in control the High Priest is manipulating him through the
crowd. So Pilate’s indecision was a vote
against Jesus. There is no sitting on the fence.
From
now on justice is no longer the issue, truth is irrelevant, from now on Jesus
is to suffer as a criminal for your sin and mine.
Then
Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.