Road Trippin With Rachael

I’m a planner. If you were to ask me what my Myers-Briggs Personality Type is, I’d be an INTJ-A aka the Architect. I want to know what is coming my way, and how I can plan for the bad things. I want to know that there are alternative plans for how to respond to the things that are happening around me. Not possible in every situation, but when it is I like having the back up.

But when we look to John 18, there is no back-up plan. Jesus had spend time praying; praying for himself, his disciples, and for the Church that was to come. There was no back-up plan for the cross. Jesus knew that the starting line was here now for what was to come. Over the course of the next 24 hours, Jesus is going to be passed between Jewish and Roman officials, until there is a conclusion for who has the authority to condemn him to death. As we go through this chapter, we will be looking at the betrayals as and trials of Jesus, his conversation with Pilate, and the choice that gets made by the people.

Betrayal

Jesus is with disciples in a place that he frequented for prayer whenever he was in Jerusalem – the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas Iscariot knew this and takes the soldiers and officials to the garden. This wasn’t a party that was out to have a good time, not with officials and soldiers a part of the group. Judas shows up with a mob and they are prepared for a fight. Why? In everything that we have read, Jesus never encouraged violence for his own protection. In fact, Jesus had a way of disappearing whenever someone wanted to do him harm. I image he had that option here, too, but that isn’t want he chooses to do.

But Jesus didn’t put up a fight. He agrees to go quietly – 1. This will fulfill that none of the disciples were going to be killed at this time, but 2. It denied the Pharisees the scene that they probably wanted – a man who is accused of blasphemy fighting for his life. However, for whatever reason, Peter has a sword with him. He probably had it the same way people carry pocket knives; and let’s not forget that they were in Jerusalem for the Passover – a perfect time for pickpockets. It could also be that he had it because it wasn’t a secret that the Pharisees didn’t care all that much for Jesus. Either way, or for some reason we do not know, he used it to cut off one of the servant’s ears. .  He ends up with a “Tsk-tsk!” from Jesus for this, while Jesus reattaches the ear. He showed the servant kindness and care while this servant was a part of the group out to

Trial 1 (18: 12-14, 19-24)

Two important Jewish leaders are brought up here.

1. Annas – former high priest
2. Caiaphas – Current High Priest. He is the one who suggested that one man die for the sake of the people. This was a prophecy we discussed in John 11.

They are looking for a valid reason to put Jesus to death during this trial – which was illegal. Trials were to take place during the day and not in secret. They begin with questions about Jesus has been teaching. In a nutshell, Jesus gives this response: “I’ve been public with everything that I have been teaching. I have taught in the temple and the local synagogues. Nothing has been taught in secret.” All of this was true. As we think about on all the times that Jesus has taught, it has always been public. Even when he was with only his disciples – there were a lot of disciples – someone was bound to have noticed if there was something off color Jesus was teaching. Afterall, John 1:47 speaks to how well Nathanael knew the scriptures. The Pharisees/Sanhedrin did not like his answer, so they send him to Caiaphas, the High Priest. This would be what they call in the business world, escalating the issue.  

Peter’s Denial (18: 15-18, 25-27)

Two disciples chose to follow Jesus when He was taken away by the soldiers: Peter and another disciples . The other one apparently knows the High Priest and his family well enough that he is able to get them into the family’s courtyard. There is a lot of speculation about who the other disciple is – many believe that it is John because the author doesn’t name himself in his Gospel. It also gives pause to who exactly John and James are, that they have connections to the high priest. 

Both, Peter and the other disciple, are recognized as being followers of Jesus by one of the servant girls as they are in the courtyard around a fire. Since scripture does not indicate that this servant was known to the disciples, it eludes to the disciples (specifically the twelve that are the most well known today) being well known even in their day. Well enough known, that even the servants recognize them; which also indicates that they were out in public enough to be immediately recognized. Although not a part of Jesus’ trial, it does indicate, once again, that Jesus’ ministry was public. We are not told about this other disciples’ response to being recognized at this moment, but Peter denies it.

Later as he (Peter) is warming himself, again others ask if he is one of the disciples. To which, Peter once again denies. Later still, a man who was in the garden when Peter took the ear off a servant also identifies Peter as a disciple. This man was close enough to that particular action that he saw what Peter did. Also, this means that he saw Jesus reattach the ear – I’m not going to speculate on what that mans about the guilt this man may have faced when it the crucifixion comes. Peter denies his relation to Jesus a 3rd time.  Immediately, a rooster crowed (John 18:27).  If you will remember, in John 13:38, Jesus tells Peter that he is going to deny Him three times before the rooster crows. Peter was so determined to prove that he was going to stand by Jesus. And yet Jesus reminded Peter of his own frail heart. I don’t know if I can imagine what was going through Peter’s head in that moment.

Trial 2 (18:28-38)

The Jewish officials take Jesus to the governor’s house after their meeting in the Sanhedrin. The governor would have been the Roman official who was appointed by Caesar to be his representative in a given area. In the case of Judea, this was Pilate. John gives what I read as a sarcastic comment: “They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover” (18:28b). They wanted to make certain that they weren’t ceremonially unclean, otherwise they would not be able to participate in the Passover activities – a celebration that took place with the whole family. The cynical side of me sees this as they were willing to hold a trial in the middle of the night to try and condemn an innocent man, but they still wanted to go to the dinner, done in remembrance of what God had done to set their people free from slavery. Peak Hypocrisy. 

Reasonably, Pilate wants to know why the Jewish leaders are coming to him. As a general rule, the Roman government didn’t interfere with the disputes of the peoples they ruled over. They only got involved if it meant that there was going to rebellion, uprising, or if something violated Roman law – in which case, Roman justice was fast and deadly.  

Pilate:What are the charges that he would need to be tried by a Roman representative?

Officials: if he weren’t a criminal we wouldn’t be bringing him before you. (If you are reading along, you’ll see that this doesn’t answer the question).

Pilate: Judge him according to your laws

Officials: We can’t put anyone to death

**They could under the correct circumstances, It has to be irrefutable and it was by stoning – incredibly personal for those who were involved. They knew that they couldn’t do this with Jesus. Rome, known for its cruelty, was much more lax in its rationale for killing, but it still had to be justifiable cause – specifically, attempting to usurp Roman rule or someone declaring themselves king (a no, no for Rome).

A Conversation Between Jesus & Pilate

Pilate is required to do his due diligence based on what they Jewish Officials have said and insinuated. He could not condemn someone because they wanted him killed; there had to be a reason that he was going to put a man to death – it needed to be more than “we don’t like him.”

Pilate flatly asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews. This would be justifiable to pronounce a sentence of crucifixion. However, Jesus doesn’t make this easy on Pilate. Although Jesus knows what the outcome is going to be, he also forces those who are involved to confront their part in what is happening. “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?” (John 18:34). Pilate basically tells Jesus that he isn’t Jewish and has no interest in being involved in their politics, but he wants to know why Jesus’ own people and their religious leaders are willing to hand him over for with the accusation insinuated of something that would ensure his death. 

Jesus says that he is a king – but he is not a king that has an earthly kingdom (John 18:36). In other words, he isn’t denying his kingship, but is also saying that Caesar has no reason to fear him politically. If his kingdom was on earth at that moment, his followers would never allow him to be handed over in the first place.  Jesus was here for a purpose, and that purpose required that his people (who are covenanted with God through Abraham) kill the one person that they have been waiting for, praying for, and hoping for. The one who was promised. Their savior. Those who listen are able to hear the truth of who Jesus is.

“What is truth?” – Pilate (John 18:38) I think we could probably have a whole series surrounding this philosophical question. We do see these same ideas play out in modern thought, but that is for the discussion questions. In this moment what Pilate was asking is a hypothetical question; one that implies several accepted social ideas:

• Perception is believed to be the truth. An insinuation is just as damaging as saying something outright. 
• Those in power decide what is true. There is no king but Caesar – anyone who Caesar deems as a threat is a threat.
• What keeps the peace is understood to be truth. If this prevents a riot and keeps Rome in the public’s good opinion, it is truth.

We Choose Barabbas

Pilate recognizes that there is no good option for him. Either he falls in public Hebrew opinion which will cause riots and hurt the peace of the region, or he takes an innocent life by condemning him. I think that Pilate did have a conscience;  but I also think he was a politician who knew how to put the burden on the people. It would be the people who would make the decision, and so he does what any good politicians does.

He gives the Jewish community a choice: Jesus or Barabbas. An innocent man or a revolutionary who was causing riots and his actions were leading to Roman soldiers doing what soldiers do to suppress them. One who taught about the love of God, or one who lead others to their deaths. One who was law abiding, or one who broke laws. The choice was for the people to make, and one that they would have to live with.

Discussion Questions

1. Are you a Peter? Do you speak one way, and then when it counts do you hide in the corner?
2. Have you ever found yourself refusing to do something because it would be in the public eye, but being willing to do something you know is wrong in secret?
3. What is truth? Pilate asked Jesus this question and I gave a few short thoughts on what he may have been getting at, but in our world today where truth is considered relative – what is truth?