The Gospel of John: John 19.1-42

Read and meditate on John 19.8-16.
Pilate finally acquiesces in the demand of the Jewish leaders, and turns Jesus over to them for crucifixion. He spares himself having to make that decision, but he does not avoid responsibility for the injustice done.

                                         ⁸Now more afraid
than ever, ⁹Pilate went again into
the court, and said to Jesus, “Where are You
from?” Jesus answered not a word. ¹⁰And so
then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not know
that I have power to crucify or to
release You? Yet You are not speaking to
me?” ¹¹Jesus answered, “You could wield no power
against me, had it not been in this hour
bestowed on you from above. And therefore he
who has delivered Me to you will be
more harshly judged.” ¹²From then on, Pilate sought
to let Him go. The Jews said though, “You ought
to know that if You let this Man go, you
are not a friend of Caesar. This Man Who
declares Himself our king, defies the king.”
¹³Then Pilate, hearing this, said they should bring
Jesus to the judgment seat – the place
they call The Pavement, but the Hebrew race
calls Gabbatha. ¹⁴It was the sixth hour then,
the day before the Feast. He said to them,
“Behold your King!” ¹⁵But they cried out, “Away
with Him!” and “Crucify Him!” “Do you say,”
he asked, “that I should crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered then, “We have no king
but Caesar!” ¹⁶Therefore he delivered Him
for crucifixion, and the Jews took Him
and led Him from that place.

- John 19.8-16

Reflect
1.  John mentions that Pilate was becoming increasingly afraid. Afraid of what? Should we allow such fear to affect our relationship with Jesus? Explain. Complete this prayer: Father, I would fear only You, and no man, so…

2.  Pilate prolonged his interrogation of Jesus by trying to discover where He was from, which part of the country was His place of origin or residence. He may have been hoping to pass Him off to some other civil authority. We know from Luke 24.6ff that he sent Jesus to Herod, who was ruler over Galilee, only to have Jesus returned to him. Pilate was torn because he could not find a way to condemn Jesus under Roman law, but he couldn’t afford to let Him go. He appears to have been getting a little agitated. How can you see this in verses 9 and 10? What can happen when we allow irritation with someone to get the best of us? Lord, give me grace and patience with those who deny or oppose You, and keep me…

3.  How should we understand Jesus’ response to Pilate in verse 11? What was He saying about civil authority? Why did the religious leaders of Israel bear greater responsibility and sin than Pilate? Father, thank You that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, and that the powers and authorities who rule and govern on earth are…

4.  The religious leaders were shrewd. They knew what he was struggling with, and so they shifted the focus of their clamoring from Jesus’ claim to be a king according to their law, to the implications of that claim according to Roman law. They surfaced Pilate’s great fear in verse 12, and from that point, the trial was over. Why? Was Pilate seeking to preserve the integrity and authority of Rome? Or something else? Explain. The fear of man can throttle my witness, Lord, so please…

5. Now Pilate saw His out. He deftly changed the charges, which had begun as religious charges, but which the Jews were trying to make civil charges, back to the original religious charges: Note how he says, “Behold your King” (v. 14). He flatly asked the Jews if he should crucify their King (v. 15), but then handed Jesus over to them to carry out their own law and judgment (v. 16). It was a Roman governor’s prerogative to determine how far local religious laws should be allowed to function within Roman law, and Pilate was walking the thin line as adroitly as he could. Did his turning Jesus over to them free him from responsibility? Explain. Can you see how people today try to keep Jesus a spiritual issue, rather than one that has implications for our mundane existence? Are they only doing a version of what Pilate did? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote from questions 1-4.

Summary
“Pilate ought therefore to have accurately inquired whether Jesus had aimed at sovereignty and set his hand to expel Caesar from the kingdom. But he makes no such exact inquiry, and therefore Christ answered him nothing, because he knew that he asked all the questions idly. Besides, since his works bore witness to him, he would not prevail by word or compose any defense, showing that he came voluntarily to this condition.… Pilate, thinking that he might now incur some danger if he were to overlook these words, comes forth as though to inquire into the matter (for the ‘sitting down’ showed this), but without making any inquiry, he gave Jesus up to them, thinking to shame them.” John Chrysostom (344-407 AD)

Whether by equivocation, avoidance, or outright hostility, some people will always want to be done with Jesus, to wash their hands of Him, as it were. How should we relate to such people, when we encounter them in our Personal Mission Field?

Closing Prayer
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the LORD
In the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my haste,
“All men are liars.”
What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits toward me?
I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
Now in the presence of all His people.

Psalm 116.5-14

Psalm 116.4-14 (Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God Who Reigns Above)
I called to God, “O Lord, I pray, my soul redeem with favor!”
The Lord is gracious in His way, and righteous is our Savior.
His mercy to the simple flies; He lifted me up to the skies –
I rest in Him forever!

Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
And dwell with them forever.

Afflicted, I believe His Word, though lying men would undo me.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His blessings to me?
Salvation’s cup I lift above and call upon the God of love
And pay my vows most truly.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.