John 18:28-40
Jesus Before Pilate
28Then 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. 29So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"
30"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."
31Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."
"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. 32This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
33Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
34"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
35"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
36Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
38"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"
40They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
The Jews take Jesus from the high priest Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor, Pilate...He was arrested in the night, and now it was morning...The Jews wanted to eat the Passover meal...He was arrested on a Friday night...The Sabbath lasts through sunset the next day...So the Jews wanted to stay clean according to their Law and could not enter the Gentiles palace (or home)...Pilate heard the commotion and came out...He ask the crowd, "What charges are you holding this Man?"...The Jews do not answer this question about specific charges, but say, "If He were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you."...Pilate told them to take Him and judge Him by their own laws...The Jews said they have no right to execute anyone...Pilate went back into his palace and summoned Jesus to come to him...Pilate ask Him if He is King of the Jews...Jesus asks a question back to Pilate and asks him, if that is his question or did the question come from the Jews...Pilate replies, "Am I a Jew?...What is it that You have done?"...Jesus tells Pilate that "My kingdom is not of this world...If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews."... Pilate says, "You are a King then?"...Jesus replies "You are right in saying that I AM a King...In fact, for this reason, I was born, and for this I can into this world, to testify to the truth...Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me."...Pilate asks "What is truth."...With this reply, Pilate goes out and tells the Jews, he has no basis for any charges, but it is the custom of the Jews for the governor to release a prisoner at the time of the Passover...Pilate asks "Do you want me to release the King of the Jews?"...The Jews say give us Barabbas...Barabbas had been part of a rebellion...
The Jews had no charges against Him...They just wanted Him gone...They did not like His teachings...He talked as if He were God...He was forgiving sins and offenses to other men who weren't even around, like God would...The charge they had is blaspheme (if He is not the Son of God or God)...If the Jews had used their laws to accuse Him, He would have been stoned and not crucified (remember Stephen was stoned to death in the Acts 7)...They also say they do not have the right to execute anyone (how about Stephen)...Crucifixion was not something the Jews did...The Jews were not looking to give Jesus a fair trial, they were looking to execute Him...Jesus fulfills His own prophesy by dying on the cross...
Jesus tells Pilate that He is a King of a Kingdom that is not of this world...And that He testifies to the truth and that is the reason He was born...So, those who believe in Jesus and that He speaks only the truth, then you believe that He has a kingdom not in this world, but in another world, which is heaven...The reason He was born, was to testify to these truths...Pilate did not seem to believe that He was the truth or a king...Pilate may just have been so focused on the earthly, material things and did not care about this...Regardless, Pilate found not basis to charge Jesus...
Pilate ask Jesus "What is Truth?"...Jesus is the One who said He is Truth...He said God's Word is Truth...He said the when you know the Truth, the Truth shall set you free...He said everyone on the side of Truth listens to Him...And He tells us that He came to the world to testify to the Truth...
Many of us still believe, like Pilate, when we find out, hear, read about Him that we have other things on our minds...Family, job, and the daily busyness and struggles of our daily lives get in the way...We don't take the time to think about the truth...How important is the truth and heaven to us...Some of us put these two things, truth and heaven, below job, family, and our possessions...
Pilate did not seek God...He was evidently preoccupied with other things...He may have had another faith or belief system...If we do not seek Him, we will not find Him...If are hearts are not open, then we will not find Him...You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13)...God is not far from us...He made the world and everything in it...From one man, named Abraham, He made every nation of men...He is not served by human hands, because it is He Himself who gives life to all men, and that we shall inhabit the earth...He determines the exact places we should live...God did this so that man would seek Him, though He is not far from any of us...For in Him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:24-38)...
When we seek Him with our minds and hearts, we can find Him...Pilate had the power to save Jesus, we have the power to seek Him, find Him and then believe in Him...