Pilate Caves In

Making decisions can be difficult, especially if there are people all around us who are voicing differing opinions. So imagine being Pontius Pilate.

His instinct was to release Jesus but shouts from an angry crowd were demanding otherwise. Today on Truth for Life. We continue our study in Luke chapter 23 Alastair beg invites us to make our own choice pilot must decide can put it all trying to sidestep it as he's been doing, but frankly, he's been quite unsuccessful in my going to do with Jesus of Nazareth I did I end up in this position, he must've said to himself. He certainly talked it over with his wife. His wife, and various comments to make.

As a Roman and the Romans have given us many of our laws. He would have had a Roman dislike for gross injustice, and since he didn't like injustice that would kind of point towards letting Jesus go to try as best you can to put yourself in his position for a moment. Here he is confronted by this crowd. Religious officials he is presiding over a territory he is responsible for its jurisdiction for the maintaining of order and the quelling of any kind of civil disruption. Justice speaks in his mind and says release Jesus conscience speaks to him and says Jesus should not die his gut.

If you like it might say so just says release and when he presses this group and asks them asked, blessedly, what crime has he committed all their able to do shout them down and the reason they shout them down is because they know that Jesus is innocent. Pilot knows that he's innocent, but he just can't commit himself to do the right New York Times this week carried a piece on the resurgence of surfing in the world as the ultimate extreme sport was an interesting article, but I was intrigued by just one quote which I made note that came from one of the top professional female surfers in the world, an American girl.

She said this to be on the peak make the draw and commit your face all your fears. That's exactly what pilot was he's on the peak is going to make the draw and commit what is pilot going to do.

Had he ever been confronted with such an individual. This Jesus of Nazareth. Surely, he probably never been confronted by such a crowd, a car that was driven by blind hatred.

A crowd that was being from the death of an innocent man she's on the horns of a dial-in and he's about to lose the battle in five you lose the battle right in the beginning I don't think he loses the battle down here in verse 23 when Luke finally tells us that he rolled over the cave. Then I think you lost the battle in the first encounter.

You have three little sections here known to the first of them is between 13 to 19 where they come and making their first cry for the death of Jesus amen makes a mistake. At that point, I think this is crucial mistake. He capitulated there and he was done, it was only a matter of time before he rolled over because he declared in verse 13 and 14 that I have examined this man in your presence and have found no basis for your charges. Secondly, said as you can see verse 15. He has done nothing to deserve death and how they must've waited as he said, therefore, now he's going to pronounce the action that is going to take no basis for the charge against him. Nothing to deserve death.

Therefore, they couldn't believe their ears.

Therefore, I will punish him and then releasing issue said. Therefore, I'm about to dismiss.

Therefore, I'm about to throw out the charges. Therefore, I'm about to clear my courtroom and send Jesus out into the morning sunlight of a Jerusalem skyline but no, he lost the battle at this point. Instead of following through. He allows himself to get into a discussion into a discussion with these bloodthirsty wily persecutors and so verse 18 the cry again like one gigantic creature shouting out a way with this man. Why don't you release Barabbas to us. If you know the parallel passages in Matthew you know that Matthew tells us there that it was customary in the time of the feast for the governor to release a prisoner and pilot probably saw that this was another mechanism that he could use for discharging his responsibility to Jesus it's feast time and I can release a prisoner to a why don't I just release Jesus of Nazareth. They stayed to listen if you want to release somebody if you have it in your mind to release someone why don't you release Barabbas, Barabbas in verse 19 explains, Barabbas was in the jail because he was an insurrectionist and he was in the jail, having been found guilty of murder so versus 20 and 21.

Summarize pilot second attempt to have Jesus released. Notice the phrase wanting to release Jesus. I have a tremendous amount of sympathy along the lines here for pilot I felt very sympathetic towards pilot.

I must confess until this week, but the more I live with pilot, the more I dabbed and flowed with them. The more I try to get inside his head and inside his heart, you find that this is not just some scurrilous character, but this is an individual on the horns of a dilemma. He wants to release energy because he knows that he should release Jesus but he wants to duplicate the crowd and he does know what to do about his wife and all of this motion is surging within him and his second attempt doesn't work either. So verse 22 for the third time he came back and then now he appears just to be weakening why he says what what crime is this man committed. Of course, is no answer to that. And then he says I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. While this is a slight move from there is no basis to your charges to while you shouldn't die if he equivocating here is a sink will you know maybe he's guilty of something. Maybe we can find them guilty of something. I don't want to suggest that dead judges and prosecutors do this, but there is something about plea-bargaining but how can we all get out of here and get home for our lunch. Surely we can do something here. Can we say he did something or somebody did something let's somebody admit to something for goodness sake let's all go home, come on now, let's get something separate here is not guilty of the death penalty. Therefore, why don't I just punish him and release him. You need to understand what pilot is saying here. Are you may misinterpret the impact you not say why don't I slap Jesus on the wrist. Why don't I allow him to admit is aware to a misdemeanor. It really will go against him in his file. Why don't we just do something a mechanism get them out of here and on our way know what he says is, why don't I send them away to be flogged to be scourged and then to be released. I wonder what he's thinking is eating perhaps the scourging will induce sympathy on the part of the gathered crowd and that they may then capitulated separate from the influence of their leaders send save this Jesus of Nazareth from this horrible death and, perhaps, but unlikely. Probably what he seeking to do is maintain favor with these troublesome creatures and all this frenzied throng. I know you're looking for something here so why don't we scourged him and let him go. Still, with loud shouts they come back at him and then the situs phrase of all. In verse 23, there shouts prevailed there.

Shouts prevailed. Pilot caves in seem to be going pretty well for a wee while dignity, trying his best, but in the end the insistent demands of this frenzied throng overwhelmed any last vestiges of courage or of conscience that remain in this Roman character in verse 25 cards. His actions he release the man had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder. The one they asked for and surrendered Jesus to their will and deny capitulation. He wrote himself into the history books but I don't dehumanize pilot.

He was a real person there all real people. This is history. When reading here is not mythology, it is not stories invented by the early church to titillate the minds of people who don't know what else to do on a Sunday morning on the inside of Cleveland.

This is factual read secular history. You will read of this character point yeah mom and dad. He was born, his parents would be proud of them and said you know he tries some significant cases they hear him. He's on the day on a par with that of the kings and the rulers of the world but is not remembered for any of that in history is immortalized. Sadly in the apostles Creed is across the world today congregations as ourselves have stood and affirmed our faith and said Jesus suffered under Pontius pilot.

Otherwise, he would need me a footnote in history.

Otherwise, you can even go on finding in a history book is you have to search in the small print for a long time, but here he stands bold on the pages of history.

Why because he was on the peak.

He couldn't or he wouldn't make the draw and commit to what he knew must be done well then what's the point why do we have this item on this passage since I can remember even being able to read. I wonder how many sermons I've heard on Pontius Pilate and the scope of my lifetime quite a lot and I think all of them finally ended here Pontius Pilate was a vasodilator you shouldn't vacillate. Pontius Pilate couldn't make up his mind and when he did he made it up in the wrong way. Therefore, you better hurry up and make up your mind and make sure you don't make it up the way pilot made it up. That was kind of the story there usually a lot of illustrations but it seemed to me that that that that was so depressingly obvious that I wasn't sure that I was exactly how to come to terms with this narrative about a lot this week I thought, why did the Holy Spirit put this section, any or was it simply to make the most obvious point that pilot was in equivocating and people shouldn't equivocate in the art to get on the game. Well, maybe it was a legitimate application is somewhere you already been making application in your mind because that's exactly where your you're just unprepared to take the drop you're unprepared to side with Jesus you're unprepared to make a commitment to Christ, you have come to a position of belief you are intellectually convinced Bible there is enough of rising throng around you. Where is in your officer and your family are not your friends are in your athletic club, you're just not ready.

On the peak as you find yourself to make the drop to commit so it's a good application and I hope you haven't missed, but I don't think it gets to the heart of the matter. Imaginable we have in this narrative.

Here's a painting. Imagine that it always words form up as a picture and were standing around looking at the picture and somebody says you know I think I sleep we stand a little further back from this we may be able to put it all in perspective.

You stand back from a just a few chapters buying from it in terms of Luke's gospel and you realize that it is really quite straightforward. Jesus had told his disciples they didn't grasp it in Luke chapter 9 verse 22. He told his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the teachers the law and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. It's that word must that is such a nuisance is, why must well do you know first Peter chapter 3 verse 18 for Christ died for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God, so we look at the narrative and we say what in the world is happening here and Peter says I'll tell you what's happening here. Christ is about to die for sins, he must suffer, and he must die. The righteous for unrighteous people because unrighteous people are alienated from God and is going to take the righteous one to close the gap. So when we stand in front of bag from the picture and we look at this and our sensibilities are absolutely troubled by in our ears. We can hear the jailer turn the key and say to Barabbas you can go Barabbas. I mean if you think that he stood there and he said while I why is this taking place. Can you give me some kind of explanation all now they said you can go the doors open. He's gone out, gone three. The guilty has gone free the innocent is about to die. What's wrong with this picture to see you see how we would get off Scott free.

By simply moralizing you know pilot equivocated. Make sure you don't equivocate good application misses the point. What is happening here is that according to the eternal counsel of God's will.

The plan of salvation is unfolding in a moment in time and God's purpose and to save men and women. The righteous is about to die for the unrighteous in order that he might bring us to God. You see, that is something far deeper and far more significant then you know I think it's about time I made up my mind or it is about time you made up your mind that I want you to make up your mind on the basis of information not to make up your mind on the basis of some kind of compulsion that has to do more with eating pizza last night and how you're feeling about things than it has to do that you driven by the conviction of your mind. This is the explanation. Jesus was not dying for his own crimes, but for the crimes of others. It was not dying for his own sin, but for the sins of others.

He was not dying for himself. He was dying us and just in case we might be tempted to view this as a kind of arm's-length theological notion it unfolds to us in this wonderful flesh and blood picture. He released the murder, and he surrendered the innocent to their will. Now my question is I finished up my studies this week was. I wonder if Barabbas got this. There were three crosses right Jesus when he is finally crucified, is in the middle.

There's a thief on his right and another one on his left. There's no way of knowing whether there was only going to be three on this particular occasion, and there's certainly no way of knowing whether the third cross was for the third guy, but certainly a cross was for Barabbas.

He knew that his next stat was his final stand, and as he scuffled off, out into the streets pause perhaps to ponder his freedom don't you think it's at least possible that he got himself back onto the fringes of the Calvary crowd back in his journey to the hill called a scowl.

Do you think it would be possible for him. A tall to look on that scene without it dawning on them with absolute clarity. That was my cross that was what I deserved. That nine is innocent. That man has die in my place I loved ones listen to me clearly as I finish it is in this dawning awareness that a man or a woman moves from giving simple intellectual assent to the truth that we've been able to process and our minds to the response of our hearts and our wills to the glory of what is happened upon the cross so that we find ourselves saying with the hymn writer, my Lord, what love is. This that page so dearly that I the guilty one may go free when Paul gets to the heart of this in first Corinthians in these talking on the cross is fabulous.

He says you know, Corinthians, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.

You want to know whether you're converted or not take attached. If you regard this story as some kind of theological arm's-length notion of ultimate falling, you remain unconvinced and you need to buy what you need to Christ, but it in your heart, at whatever level the childlike faith, the stirrings the rumblings the longings the awareness in your heart.

You see, that's exactly right. That is exactly right the innocent die's that I've been guilty might live. That's it is my only hope in life. My only hope and and if yours is another. It is a false hope in the classiest of times. Why would Jesus ever have died upon the cross. If user were good enough to go to heaven on your own congresses die.

There is an example of selflessness.

He who was totally innocent, became totally guilty in order that we who are totally guilty might be declared completely in us. There is no other message like this in the whole wide believe it and received rejected and remain lost to be on the peak to make the draw to commit face all your fears stare them down and trust Christ a compelling challenge from Alastair beg, commit your life to Christ. This is Truth for Life. If today's message has made you stop and think about your need for salvation.

If you begun to understand that Jesus died for you put it like to know more about what that means we want to invite you to visit Truth for Life.org/the story there you'll find a helpful video presentation that explains more about trusting Christ the death and resurrection of Jesus are the most pivotal events in all of human history. So today is the first opportunity I have to tell you about a new book were recommending that explores what God accomplished through Jesus sacrifice.

It's called the cross in four words. This book looks at how the cross brings freedom, forgiveness, justification and purpose to all who believe this is a book that can be read in one sitting. And yet it's lessons are profound because they unpacked the depth of God's redemptive plan from the beginning of creation quester copy of the cross in the four words when you give a gift of any amount you can go to our website Truth for Life.org/donate or call us at 888-588-7884 about the pain can join us again tomorrow as Alastair explains the futility of a Christianity that removes the cross of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaching of Alastair beg is furnished by Truth for Life where the learning is prolific