Pontius Pilate-Caesars Friend (Part A)

He miscalculated, they weren't interested in mercy and kindness.

They wanted full blown power.

They were in Satan's care. It took this one time for Pilate to violate his conscience to cause the shameful reputation that he has forever. The did violate his own. Connie pronounced the medicines when Jesus said that they had come for truth.

What is Pilate's response what is truth become jaded. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the Gospel of John chapter 19 as he begins his message Pontius Pilate Caesar's friend been a Wednesday night that Jesus would have been shuffled through these kangaroo courts there in Jerusalem. There was Anna's father-in-law, the high priest there was Caiaphas there was Herod Antipas and then Pilate. Pilate had two separate audiences and that they were interrupted by a visit with Herod and then back to Pilate. Now you could do several series on Pilate. The interactions things surrounding what took place on that night.

Our text is found in the Gospel of John. In the 19th chapter, condense part of the text and then will go back in discuss various things that come out of it but there in John 19 verses 12 and 13, then verse 16 we read the Jews cried out, saying, if you let this man go you are not friend. Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the pavement, but in the Hebrew Kabbalah. Then he delivered him to them to be crucified.

Then they took Jesus and led him away again. The condensed account of Pilate's greatest mistake. The greatest mistake of his life now sources for the man Pilate, and there were those who there are those, and have been those who live to dispute the accuracy and authenticity of the Scripture. All that's been the way it is been since Eden there was no written Scripture, but there was a spoken word of God and man knew it, but our sources for Pilate's existence are sevenfold. There is the four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John. And then there is Philo of Alexandria, historian, there is task CS who briefly mentions Pilate and then there is the Pilate stone and that is a stone found at Caesarea merit team that is by the sea, that had his name on when they founded in 1961 it was seated been demoted.

It was being used as a step on a stair stairwell, but they are the archaeologist and Italian archaeologist finds the stone and reads the inscription realizes what it is and it is to this day in the museum and in Jerusalem and I've seen the stone and the subject stone with stuff I can't read on it, but that is the seventh witness is interesting. Before that stone was found. Up until that point that stone was found there were those that were saying Pilate never existed with no record of him who you have no record of him that it must not be right. And then of course the archaeologist find the stone and in that argument went away and he was governor in that area of Israel in Judea from 26 A.D. two 3680 about 10 years and he was recalled to Rome and then drops out of history we don't know what happened to him after that. But on this particular night, the Jews are coming to Pilate and they use their secret weapon. It was not there nuclear option their nuclear option would've been if you don't crucify him will kill it would've said that that's what they would've done precedents that will get to in a moment, but the secret weapon is if you do not kill him. You're not Caesar's friend.

You know what that means.

Pilate Caesar finds out you're not his friend. That's it for you and Pilate knew that's what they meant and that is what brought about the the end of the debate in the attempt to compromise. That really began the end of it all. That accusation of his friendship with Caesar in the book of acts. For example, when the apostle Paul was being brought up on charges. Also of causing a riot bringing a Gentile into the, the Jewish sector of the Temple Mount. While Paul was going through the processes of trial. We read in acts 23 verse 12 and when it was day. Some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an old saying that they would neither eat or drink till they had killed Paul now there were more than 40 who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders and said we have found ourselves under great great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Of course they sanctioned it. They rubberstamp that right through her. Yeah, that's what we're waiting for you.

What took you so long as my point is, they even though chronologically that takes place after Christ.

Not that much for father along had Pilate not crucified him. The Jews would have killed him. But of course God the father was in control of all of this. These were the religious and the national leaders who were very meticulous and following religious ritual while murdering the innocent at the same time.

Not only was he innocent he was also righteous. Not only was he righteous he was beneficial go else was was here going around daily walking hospital and successful will the hundred percent cure rate walking around just blowing away, disease and death and anything else that reeked of sin just by a touch or a word or a thought is will no one else you can be innocent and unrighteous yachting.

I didn't steal it, and that could be true but you could be universal and something else. This one-hour Lord, of course, was innocent and righteous and beneficial and they were unrighteous meticulous and not beneficial and dangerous violently so and we read about this in chapter 18 of John's gospel chapter 18 verse 29 verse 28 then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorian. That's the headquarters of Pilate, and it was early morning, but they themselves did not go into the praetorian list. They should defile be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. I just we don't want to violate any of the rules murderers what they were. And so there's this whole drama drama going between Pilate and in the Sanhedrin, which is good with the priest and the religious leaders together.

Luke is very clear about that. That is not only the priestess and eater, but other leaders of the Jews were in on this also. And there are the lessons for us.

If not for us personally for us to use in delivering the gospel and I think one of the best ways and one of the best deliveries of our messages to quote Scripture we see the unbeliever is not likely to go read on their own where the ones that have to bring the word to them in the way we do that as we quote Scripture when they hear this something is happening. The unleashed unleashing if I can borrow that expression in this application without any irreverence. The unleashing of the power of the Holy Spirit then kicks into another gear is a virgin versus 29 through 18 northern chapter 18*29 and 30.

We read 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 in evildoer, we would not have delivered him up to you now were talking about Pilate and the Sanhedrin is a bunch of wiseguys is the governor is the controlling authority. He has a lot of authority.

This is the 10th Legion of Rome is right there in Syria. The snap of his fingers in her right there in Judea and he says what's the charges and they were spray respond.

If it mean if he wasn't guilty we would bring them here.

Stop wasting our time and kill. That's the idea that he lets them get away with this I think reflects or speaks of the delicate situate the volatile and delicate situation that he had found himself in and so these are the ones that brought Jesus Christ to Pilate. These are the ones that gave Pilate his first look at the face of Jesus's spies without question had already been passing intelligence to Pilate about him any time in that area. You have mobs of people surrounding one individual. The spies are going to be on their the job in the going to report the going to say things like, well, he was challenged about taxes and he said give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar goes around doing good healing people and and that's the report by the newly was an innocent man, but that's not enough.

It's not enough to know that Jesus is good that he was innocent.

Who is he and what your response to who he is.

That's what it all comes down to Jesus himself will tell Pilate towards the end of this the last words from Jesus to Pilate, is that the Jews have the greater sin in this whole thing that you Pilate gives you not innocent, but they have a greater sin. 19. John 19 verse 11 bottom of the verse. Therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin.

And so when people debate who crucified Christ according to Jesus, the most guilty in the group with the Sanhedrin, the great pressure to crucify Messiah, their own Messiah came from the most unlikely group on earth or lease one of the most unlikely groups on earth. The religious leaders. Those who were entrusted with the scrolls for oracles the word of God. They were leading the charge to destroy their own Savior.

The supposed power to do it. Pilate thought came from him not. Make no mistake, Pilate was capable of much violence in the gospel of Luke in the 13th chapter. There were present at that season. Some who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Evidently there were those Galileans who were considering an uprising or doing something against Roman rule and mixing it with their religious rights and Pilate swooped down on them releases. Many gave the order and kill them in the midst of their sacrifice. Ergo, the mingling of their blood with their own sacrifices my pointers. Pilate was D. Indeed, capable, and he himself supposed that he had the power to execute the Christ. He tells the Lord that again verse 11 of chapter 19 verse 10 is as Pilate said to him, are you not speaking to me. Do you not know that I have power to crucify you the power to release you all according to man's law that is absolutely accurate and so that's correct. What it's not man's law were concerned with God is spoken is what God's law is acts chapter 2. This again is Peter the apostle and we are greatly amazed. This is a man that you know the Galileans they were not educated like that, the Jew, the Judean and the Jerusalem Jews were, and for that they were looked down upon. That did not mean for one moment that they were less or incapable. They were as capable and here Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit now says men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know they were there.

They knew about the crucifixion they knew about the life of Christ. He continues him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death powerful God cut the channel. He directed the course of anything that was going to move and he used the dark and hearts of the human beings who were willing to be dark in their actions, to do it.

He never violated anyone's free will. Pilate had made his decision that Caesar was his man. The Sanhedrin had made the decision that power was what they were about. And God just honored their decision and used it to fulfill the prophecy that he knew was going to happen long before time began. That's how far back it goes further than that. If you will, because God is never learned anything he doesn't need to. And so it was this group of sinister clerics. Pilate allowed himself to be entangled with because of his friendship with Caesar it backfired. That's our text where again the Jews cried out, saying, if you let this man go you are not Caesar's friend and he's gotta be saying.

How did I let myself lead these crazy zealots corner me like this. He knows they've got him. He knows Christ is innocent. He wants to execute justice or the Sanhedrin. It would love to crucify them instead of Jesus, but is cornered and he's done it all himself is cornered because of his own ambitions.

Again, John 19 verse 12. From then on, Pilate sought to release him.

But the Jews cried out, saying, if you let this man go you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself King speaks against Caesar didn't see that coming. When he got out of bed that morning and that's how it is for the wickedness and how it is for all of us at times when especially when you're not right with God because the difference between Pilate being a corrupt judge which I'm not at the present time, accusing him of being though in the end that's what it is.

The difference between him being Pilate and some other judge somewhere else being corrupt.

Would somebody else's. This happens to be God the son and the whole world should've known whole world not want to know it and so now we move from our discussion of Pilate in the Sanhedrin and we discussed Pilate and his judgment because I think that this is still how the impenitent man thinks the person who is not right with Christ and let me tell you there are Christians who are inching away from God and they are becoming again. Worse, they are becoming that that backslide is leading to an apostasy. And when someone has fallen away from Christ as an apostate, they turn on him is to just abandon him.

They turn spiritual when you turn away from things that you nice like that restaurant are likely more but you nothing but burning it down and I think that speaks of the spiritual nature of what we are engaged in as Christians.

The greatest power to crucify among men came from Pilate God in control all the time but when Pilate made those words to Jesus again verse 10 do you not know that I have power to crucify you the power to release you. He missed the sermon that was recently preached by the Lord on this very thing. John chapter 10 verse 18 no one takes him takes it from me. Speaking of his life. The Lord Jesus speaking. I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father and that was fulfilled because when he died he gave up the spirit. No one killed him. They could've stabbed him and poked him and nailed him all day long if he wasn't ready to go to a grotesque picture but it makes the point.

No man killed him. And that's why Pilate was amazed when word came back that he's already dead issue he just died at will command none of us can do this God in his genius is made, how are the critical organs function involuntarily hard beats without us helping me.

Of course we can messed that all up but got to know if if I let them controls thing and be like a bad puppeteer I'm you just pick up debris would last a minute and that would be it, so no one takes his life a message Pilate missed. Well, what about our nonsale neighbors because that makes it easy, that those guilt onto you at your preaching to your neighbors. They don't want to hear it, but when the opportunity does come for us to preach to anybody and I've used preaching the sense of the Greek the Herald to say make way for the king. He's coming again. Are you going to me the way you will stand before him a message is got to be like this, we gotta get the message to the impenitent before they entangled themselves in a situation where they cannot get out of. Would've been nice if someone could've gotten to Pilate these words. No one takes his life from it from him but he lays it down of the cell. He's gotten this is got this power and is nothing you can do about it. Pilate and so in the midst of this dialogue between he and Pilate. At one moment of Jesus has been abused throughout the night. Unfortunately, the apostles Creed which we should get to shortly. It it does speak that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, but he also suffered under the Sanhedrin and Herod to suffer there in the garden of Gethsemane when Judas Iscariot, who was entrusted with so much through it all away for a few pieces of silver. He was convinced that the Lord who claim to be king in the realm of truth was no threat to Caesar. Pilate knew this and that should have been the end of it all. Verse 37 of John 18, Pilate therefore said to him, are you a king, then the words are you a king then as you been, is, as has been said about you.

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 was Pilate doing with that. What was he thinking at that time I get to that moment three separate times this night Pilate will pronounce the Lord innocent.

These are official verdicts of a judge empowered by Caesar in verse 38. I find no fault in him. In verse four, I find no fault in him. In verse six, I find no fault in him the strength of two or three witnesses, and there is but he underestimated the bloodlust of the religious the religious Jews and that's all they were. They had no relationship with Christ. Yet Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea and perhaps others were not in this group. The ones that were they had bloodlust. John chapter 19 verse five then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and a purple robe and Pilate said, behold, the man they had beaten him already. Verse 19 again. Pilate left the crown on him with the blood are not going to try to dramatize this is unnecessary. Apostles don't do it. I'm not either.

The idea behind this was to look.

Is this enough for you, hasn't he suffered enough. He's harmless, let it go. That's why he parades the Lord before them, but he miscalculated. They weren't interested in mercy, kindness. They wanted full blown power. They were in Satan's care. It took this one time for Pilate to violate his conscience to cause the shameful reputation that he has forever. He did violate his own country pronounce them innocent.

When Jesus said that they had come for truth. What is Pilate's response what is true become jaded. Listen to all of the philosophers. It was common discussion at the Roman gatherings with the wind and the servants, and all the grapes you know you can have Romans without grapes and he had heard it all and made up his mind was better for him to look out for himself, be a friend of Caesar. Caesar in that sense, it become his God.

Innocence took second seat to that justice. These things that happened long ago, the Caesars, the Romans who boasted about such a civility and truth in order that was only for them it wasn't for the people they conquered wasn't for their slaves and to this day, the court systems in the aristocracy of the world applaud the Romans are many people who go around for the Roman army was awesome. I wish I could live back then on what side the people whom they came to conquer and enslave or is one of the enslaved soldiers was no way to live. History romanticize is this the stuff was awful. So what it comes down to this one violation. This critical moment of violation of conscience was.

He is innocent as my official decision not kill. That's, you know, the cut and dry that you Jesus was that way. Not forming or against you is not against you don't get any more cut and dry than that in here that I don't oversimplify that or the complex either. That is what it comes down to is innocent. Now you can kill move you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast is teaching is available free of charge at our website. Just visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you can do so@crossreferenceradio.com or search for cross reference in your favorite podcast app store. That's all for today. Join Pastor Rick for more character study right here on the cross reference or a