John 18:28-32

John 18:28-32 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law. “But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

Jesus continues his journey through the valley of suffering, knowing his pathway ends in death. We see him now in the hands of sinful men. God's glorious pronouncement on the Mount of Transfiguration no longer resounds in the people's ears: This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! (Matthew 17:5) A thirst for execution replaces the exaltations from the mouths of the crowd who spread their cloaks before Jesus when He entered Jerusalem triumphantly with people shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Mark 11:9) Instead of blessing Christ as they did such as short time ago because they believed He would reestablish the kingdom of their father David and restore power to God's chosen ones, the people now bring him before Pilate as a criminal to face the judgment of death at the hands of this Roman ruler. They cannot exact such a punishment under their own Jewish law. Soon the sound waves will carry a harsh noise across the land as the people of God gathered before Pilate all call out repeatedly, Crucify him! Kill him, strike him down, even though you find no fault in him. (See Mark 27) Jesus the perfect Son of God will go to the cross as an innocent lamb, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) In silent fortitude and total obedience, Jesus will travel to hang on a cruel cross on Golgotha to do the will of the Father. He will fulfill the plan formed in the heart of God from the beginning of time to save sinners and to bring them into fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Who brought Jesus to be judged, to be killed? The religious elite decided Jesus deserved death. The outwardly pious, self-satisfied rulers from the temple courts brought Jesus to Pilate that He might be crucified. They hated Jesus and his teaching because He represented a threat to their standing in the community, their authority as the head of the Jewish religion and their place in the established culture. His presence brought light into the world directly from God, light that exposed the darkness in their souls and the lack of true spirituality in their motivations and dealings. Jesus was harsh in his judgments of these leaders throughout his ministry. He warned his disciples: Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1) Once when Jesus was speaking to the crowds, He told them to obey the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees but not to follow their example because they did not practice what they preached. Jesus expressed displeasure with these leaders because God gave them holy responsibilities; yet they settled for less: You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. (Matthew Chapters 22 and 23) He rightly discerned they loved the praises of men more than the praises of God. On this awful night in the hands of evil men, Jesus could have condemned every person in his presence to death. Instead Jesus foresaw a new and better way to eviscerate sin's death grip on God's creation: the cross beckoned him onward. God chose Jesus, his perfect grace gift to mankind. Love so amazing, so freely given to all who believe!

With his divinity set aside, Jesus knew his journey to the cross would fulfill many Old Testament prophecies including these precious words: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him [Christ Jesus] the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Knowing those He died to save would reject him, knowing his closest companions would not understand what He was doing until the Holy Spirit enlightened their hearts and minds, Christ died for the ungodly. A loving and merciful God manifested His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6 & 8) While we were yet rejecting him and turning from him, God placed the sins of all people on Jesus, for all creation was birthed with an inclination to do wrong, to follow the paths we choose, and to think we do not have to give an account to anyone including God. Nonetheless, Jesus allows the soldiers to take him away to stand before Pilate where He purposes to endure the cross that his death, burial, and resurrection might turn the world upside down. No longer will sin and death hold mankind captive to the grave as the just punishment for sin.

We know Christ's perfect sacrifice brings mercy and grace. Jesus, Light of the world, shines HIS LIGHT and LIFE upon all who call upon his name through the power of his cleansing blood, bringing new life to a fallen creation without hope of restoration. Pilate's meeting with the Jews on this early morning was not the beginning of eternal darkness. No, never: this day was the dawning of a new day of light and life forevermore! God's light always exposes the foolish inclinations of wayward human beings. His light reveals a critical spirit, a judgmental mindset, a pharisaical attitude, a gossipy approach to communicating--all cloaked in the guise of religion. Christ's presence exposes our lack of loving kindness and tender mercies toward our brothers and sisters in Christ and to those less fortunate or to those who have stumbled in the darkness and lost their way. Jesus said, Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. He went on to explain that we try to take specks of sawdust out of the eyes of our brothers and sisters when we have huge planks in our own eyes. (See Matthew 7:1-5) Paul gives a long list of instructions to the church at Ephesus about how to walk in Christ, how to grow up in the faith. He says, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8) Jesus stood there in the morning ready to take a difficult walk that we who were once darkness might walk as children of light! Let's be light!