When Eternity Knocks
by Rev. Kirby Williams
The Jews of the Sanhedrin take Jesus to Pilate's door as the Roman trial begins.
Text: John 18:28-32
Date: 05/10/2020, the Combined service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 176
Description:
Early on Friday morning-- shortly after dawn, April 7th, in the year 30AD (if that date is accurate) a knock came to the door of a man named Pontius Pilate. He wasn't really a significant man, certainly of no historical importance. He was just a government bureaucrat in an obscure part of the Roman Empire. As Pilate rose from sleep that fateful morning, and prepared for his day-- it seemed to be a day like any other day. But on that morning-- eternity knocked! We will study the events surrounding the early-morning arrival of the Sanhedrin at Pilate's door to request Jesus' Crucifixion. We will analyze the beliefs held by both Pilate and the Jews that dictated their faulty decisions concerning Jesus, and led both of them to collude in one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in human history. We will then carefully look at our own lives and beliefs to see if we will fare any better-- when eternity knocks!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 18:28-32.
A. Context
B. Overview
1. Two trials and two laws.
a. The trial under God's Law.
b. The trial under man's law.
2. Two presuppositions.
a. Pilate had pre-knowledge of Jesus' arrest.
b. Pilate was superstitious, Matt. 27:19.
3. Pilate's behavior.
C. Stage one of the Roman trial.
1. The trek to Pilate's house, vs. 28.
a. The Jewish trial concluded.
b. Where the trial took place, Luke 23:7.
c. Determining the time of day.
d. Refusing to enter the Roman house.
e. Harmonizing the Gospels.
i. The wrong solution, John 13:1.
ii. Theories on the right solution.
• The Passover week.
• Two ways of telling time.
• Just too busy.
f. The irony of it all, Matt. 23:24.
2. Introducing Pilate, vs. 29a.
a. Pilate's history.
i. Background
ii. The governor of Judea.
b. Trouble with the Jews.
i. A dramatic "sit-in".
ii. A protest to Caesar.
iii. Pillaging the temple.
iv. Murdering worshipers, Luke 13:1.
3. A tense dialog, vs. 29b-31.
a. Pilate's question, vs. 29b.
i. The "back and forth" of the dialog.
ii. A surprising request.
b. The impudent answer, vs. 30.
i. Analyzing the reason.
ii. An "ad hominem" accusation.
c. Pilate's shrewd response, vs. 31a, Matt. 27:18.
d. The Jew's counter-move, vs. 31b.
4. Prophet, Priest and King, vs. 32.
a. The Sanhedrin's perspective, Deut. 21:23, Gal. 3:13.
b. The Christ's perspective.
i. The prophecy, John 3:14, 12:31-32.
ii. Prophet, Priest, and King, Deut. 18:18-19.
III. Application
A. Beliefs that will not save you.
1. Superstition will not save you.
2. Intellectual curiosity will not save you.
3. Legalism will not save you, John 19:11.
B. The Only One Who Can Save You, John 14:6, Acts 4:12.
IV. Conclusion
