They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced

"They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced" - John 18:28-40 The death of the Son of God was being plotted. (Augustine) Oh, impious blindness! They considered themselves polluted by a home that belonged to another, and not contaminated by a crime of their own. They were afraid of being defiled by the praetorium (court) of a foreign judge, and they were not afraid of being contaminated by the blood of an innocent brother. Such is insincerity.

I. (Hall comments): Woe to you, priests, scribes, elders, hypocrites! Can there be any root so impure as that of your own deeds? It is not Pilate's walls, but your own hearts that are unclean.

A. God will strike you whitewashed walls!

1. Do you long to be stained with the blood of God?

2. They were worried about being tainted by Pilate.

3. They were to eat Passover, great hypocrisy!

4. Pilate, being mediocre, yielded to the Jews’ religious scruples (hesitation that a person has if a thing is acceptable, or not according to morals) and went out to them.

5. (29) The trial begins by asking them to state the "accusation" against this Prisoner.

6. (30) A bold and rude response.

7. They had already tried the case and found Him guilty.

8. What they wanted from Pilate was to pronounce the sentence.

9. "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed Him over to you."

10. (31) Pilate tried to evade his responsibility and return it to the Jews.

11. If they had already tried Jesus and found Him guilty, then why didn't they sentence Him according to their law?

12. They were not an independent nation, and we have no authority to "put anyone to death."

13. Very typical of those who do not accept their guilt and want to transfer the death of Jesus to Pilate.

14. (Psalm 22:16) Pierce (perforate through from one side to the other).

15. (32) The Jews used stoning (pelt with stones); the Romans employed crucifixion.

16. Thus, by refusing to apply the death penalty, the Jews unknowingly fulfilled these two prophecies concerning the Messiah.

17. (33) Pilate now took Jesus into the "praetorium" (general's tent) for a private interview and asked Him directly: Are you the king of the Jews?

18. (34) Jesus said to him, "As governor, have you ever heard of me trying to destroy the power of Rome?"

19. It was like saying to him, "Have you ever been told that I proclaimed myself King in order to undermine Caesar's empire?" Is this an accusation that you know from personal experience, or is it simply what you have heard these Jews say?

20. (35) There was real contempt in Pilate's question: Am I a Jew?

21. Such a question implied that he was too important to worry about local Jewish problems.

22. Perhaps it could be an admission that he did not know of an accusation against Jesus at all.

23. He only knew what the rulers of the Jews had told him.

24. (36) The Lord then confessed that He was King.

25. Not the kind of king the Jews accused Him of being.

26. And not the class that was going to threaten Rome.

27. Christ's "kingdom" is not propelled by human weapons.

28. Otherwise, His disciples would "fight" to prevent His capture by the Jews.

29. The kingdom "of Christ is not of here," that is, it is not of this world.

30. He does not receive His power and authority from the world; Its aims and objectives are not carnal.

31. (37) When Pilate asked Him if He was a "king," Jesus answered, "You say so; I am a king."

32. But His kingdom is about truth, not swords and shields.

33. He had come into the world to "bear witness to the truth."

34. "Truth" here means the truth about God, Christ Himself, the Holy Spirit, man, sin, salvation, and all the great doctrines of Christianity.

35. Everyone who truly is hears His voice, and this is how His empire grows.

36. "He went through all this for us."

37. (38) What is truth?

38. He didn't want to hear the answer: it wasn't that he knew that the "Incarnate Truth" was in front of him and that he didn't want to acknowledge it: What about you?

39. Pilate now hastened to go to the Jews with the admission that he found "no sin in Him."

40. (39) It was customary "among the Jews at the Passover" to ask for the release of a Jewish prisoner held by the Romans.

41. Pilate resorted to this custom in an effort to please the Jews while also "letting go" of Jesus.

42. His plan failed. (40).

43. The Jews didn't want Jesus; they wanted Barabbas.

44. "And Barabbas was a thief."

45. The wicked heart of man preferred a robber to the Creator.

46. Look: can you see all the decisions you've made in your life?

47. Appreciate how much Jesus has done for our lives: His self-giving, sacrifice, death with passion, step by step takes us; don't be lukewarm, thank Him for how much He has loved you. Amen.