WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:01.919 Morning, church. 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:05.440 The word of the true and living God, Mark 15, 1 to 5. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:12.080 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priest held a consultation with the elders and scribes in the whole council. 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:16.160 And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.160 And Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.199 And he answered him, You have said so. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:26.160 And the chief priest accused him of many things. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.760 And Pilate again asked him, Have you no answer to make? 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.079 See how many charges they bring against you. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.520 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:36.640 This is the word of the Lord. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:37.920 You may be seated. 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:41.280 Good morning. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:47.520 Thanks for joining us this morning, especially this morning. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.119 You made it. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:04.400 So yeah, if I'm, you know, we'll hopefully, you know, we're all tired. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.879 So we can, but we can do this, even though we're all tired. 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:17.280 Today we are continuing going through Mark's gospel, and we are at uh the time where Jesus comes before Pilate. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.120 Uh so let's pray, and then we'll move into our text for the day. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:27.599 Holy Father, you are Lord of time. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:32.239 And you work all things together exactly as you desire them. 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:38.400 Lord, you control all aspects of existence and creation. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.040 You work in our hearts. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:47.840 Not a speck of dust is out of place from exactly where you would desire it to be. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:57.760 Lord, we trust your sovereignty and we come to you to celebrate your sovereign grace, Lord, to thank you for redeeming us. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:07.519 Lord, I pray that you would open our hearts that we might be amazed in the way that Pilate was amazed at you, although an amazement that leads to glory, not just shock. 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:25.599 Lord, help us to wonder and see the confession that you make before Pilate, the silent confession of your actions, to not make a defense for yourself, so that you would go to the cross where you would make a defense for us. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.960 Lord Jesus, we praise you for that and lift us up in Jesus' name. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:29.759 Amen. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:38.639 So Mark's recounting of Jesus before Pilate is distilled to its most essential components. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:50.400 In John's Gospel, we get a whole dialogue recounted of Jesus and Pilate, where Pilate the whole time is trying to not have to make a judgment on Jesus. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:57.199 And we we get that interaction where Pilate asks Jesus, Who is he the king of the Jews? 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:01.360 As we'll see in Mark, and Jesus responds and explains that his kingdom is not of this world. 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:07.439 If his kingdom were of this world, his people would have risen to his defense, but his kingdom is not of this world. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:16.319 And also in that interaction, as relayed in John's Gospel, we get that famous reply from Pilate where he says, What is truth? 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:19.280 But in Mark's gospel, we don't get any of those things. 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:31.199 Instead, all that's relayed is just the most essential components of this interaction between Jesus and Pilate, where Pilate asks him, Are you king of the Jews? 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:36.240 And he receives an ambiguous answer from Jesus. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.919 Then he calls for further defense of Jesus, and Jesus gives him silence. 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:48.319 This shows us that Pilate, with Jesus, he's left with no clear answer. 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:53.759 His hand is not being forced one way or the other as he would like it to be. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.759 Instead, Pilate has to make a decision. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.560 Pilate must make a judgment. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:07.840 And so this question by Jesus' response is thrust upon Pilate, which is, how will you judge me? 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.879 By what standard will you judge the Christ? 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:27.839 Another way that this question could be posed is, is there any standard by which you could judge me that is above the kingdoms of this world? 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:33.759 And we'll see that Pilate has no such standard. 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:45.279 He has no standard outside of just the pragmatism that he operates in, outside of just what he could conclude would lead to the best outcome. 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.600 But it has nothing to do with the truth. 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:57.839 And Pilate will make a judgment, not based on the standard of the kingdom of heaven, not based on the standard of truth, but based on the standard of pragmatism. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:04.800 And Pilate's name will be one of the most famous names in history because he makes this wrong judgment. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:10.800 So we'll look at this interaction with Jesus and we'll see this question that is thrust upon us. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:13.199 How will you judge the Christ? 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:26.480 In Mark 15, 1, it says, And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:44.399 So morning has dawned, and that overnight gathering together of the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, this first trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin has taken place, and they've arrived at a conviction, and the conviction is blasphemy. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:49.120 And so with blasphemy charges, they decide to bring him to death. 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:54.800 But they reconvene in the morning after some short recess of some kind. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:59.040 They reconvene in the morning so that they are able to sentence Jesus. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:02.160 After having arrived at the conviction, they now must decide the sentencing. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:04.800 And the sentencing is one of death. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:10.079 This is what brings them to Pilate, because they do not have the authority to put anybody to death. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:15.839 So they have to go to their Gentile rulers who have the authority of capital punishment. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:34.160 Now they reconvene in the morning because technically they are not able to pronounce a sentence of death with the same meeting that arrives at the conviction of the crime. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:46.160 So they are reconvening to try and paint this veneer of an actual just proceeding. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:51.680 But we recognize that they truly are what they're doing is some sort of fake legality. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:55.439 They're trying to demonstrate some legal process. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:02.399 But the legal process that they're demonstrating is not there to ensure that they arrive at the truth. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:09.680 The legal process that they're moving in is there to hide that they are not seeking the truth at all. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:35.519 And so they're attending to their own processes, not as a means of self-correction or not to engage in some checks and balances, but as a means to hide the deceit that they are doing, both, I think, from themselves, so they can pretend they aren't making a real decision, but that their hands were forced, and from the crowds, so that they can make it look like some genuine proceeding of justice has taken place. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.399 Now, it was technically illegal to sentence a man the day that they had convicted him. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:49.839 Now, this is still really the same day, but they wait until the morning and they reconvene. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:08:00.800 Likewise, by their own law, it was technically illegal to have a trial concerning death at night, but they had already done that. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:08.399 And according to their own law, according to their own law, it was illegal to sentence a man to death during a feast. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:11.519 But they will do that. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:22.480 So they have this process in place, and they're partially adhering to it, but it's important to recognize that the process is just there as a disguise. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:28.800 Because even if they were to hold themselves to their own process truly, they are violating it. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:47.279 So once they have this false trial to not safeguard but disguise, they arrive at the sentence of death, and they are not able to execute someone, so they have to bring him to their current occupiers, the Romans. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:52.879 The Romans have the civil authority, and they are the ones that are able to execute capital punishment. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.159 So it's important to note that Pilate does not seek out the judgment of Jesus. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:09.519 You know, Pilate gets immortalized in the Creed, but Pilate is not the one who is accredited with the most guilt for convicting Jesus. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.600 It's the Sanhedrin, the Jews gathered together who are more guilty. 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:23.200 Jesus himself says this in John, where he says that the ones who handed you, who handed me over to you are more guilty than you. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.799 So Pilate doesn't seek out the judgment of Jesus. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:29.919 It's thrust upon him just by the very nature of his office. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:31.840 He is the governor of Judea. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:41.360 And like probably any politician, when you look back through the historical record, you can basically conclude almost anything that you wanted about him, depending on who you're reading. 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:45.600 So some people you read, and he is he is the worst man who ever lived. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:54.240 He is whoever they called Hitler, if there's somebody before them, whatever that reference was for them, there are people who describe him like that. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:03.200 And likewise, there are others who he assisted, and he is the greatest leader who ever lived, he's the best possible leader you could ever possibly imagine. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:08.799 So what do we conclude about Pilate from those varying uh assertions? 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:14.639 I think ordinary politician, I think is what we conclude. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:20.320 That's the that's the role you should think of him as, is like, okay, this it depends. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:21.360 It depends. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:28.159 But in terms of pinning him down to any system of values, now this is more difficult. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:35.919 As we see through the text, his his system of values is not uh is not one that can be that can be pinned down. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.679 It moves with the wind. 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.559 So he is he is there because he can accomplish the death penalty. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:11:02.720 And when the chief priests bring Jesus to him, it's during a feast, and they don't want to make themselves unclean during the feast, and so they send Jesus to Pilate, into Pilate's house, but they themselves will not enter Pilate's house, because to enter the house of a Gentile would make them unclean, and then they wouldn't be able to participate in the feast. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:23.600 So you see how strange their relationship with their own laws is, and how their understanding of their own righteousness has become so upside down and confused, and that every mechanism that they use to demonstrate their own righteousness is only to hide true righteousness from them. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.159 This is the this is true Phariseaism. 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.480 You know, this is the true wickedness. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:36.720 It is not that they love the law too much, which we often describe Pharisees as doing. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:37.919 That's not it. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:44.159 It's that they use the law as a mechanism to hide their own unrighteousness even from themselves. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:52.159 And so that's what they're doing here, this feigned righteousness, while they wrongfully convict someone and send him to death. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.799 They consider themselves righteous. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:59.360 Now, it's early in the morning, like this. 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.080 Pilate probably felt, you know, like this. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:10.879 And as he uh uh so he he's not particularly interested in dealing with this. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:24.240 Uh Pilate wouldn't have lived in Judea all the time, but he would have been in town because this is the feast day, and his role was keep peace during this festival. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:30.559 Tensions between the occupied Jews and the Roman occupiers were always tense. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:37.840 And these feast days had been opportunities in the past for zealous uprisings to try and overthrow their Roman occupiers. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.799 And so his main job here is just keep the peace. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:42.399 That's the thing that he cares about. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:50.159 Make sure nothing goes too sideways, because then you know who appointed me as governor can say, okay, fine, we're still fine over there. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:13:00.399 So he has to be presented with a reason to uh approach this hearing from Jesus. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:03.840 There has to be something uh that's given to him that's meaningful. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.080 And you remember that the charge that Jesus received was a charge of blasphemy. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:17.279 And if they were to come up to Pilate and say he blasphemed our God, sentence him to death, Pilate would say, Okay, he blasphemed your God. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:19.360 I'm sure that's pretty rough for you guys. 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:23.360 I'm gonna go eat breakfast. 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:27.519 This is not something that a Gentile governor would care about, that sort of charge. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:34.159 So Luke tells us the charges that they actually brought against Jesus to Pilate. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:49.360 Luke 23, 2 it says, and they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:54.559 Notice they even have to sort of translate the word Christ for him. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:55.679 He's Christ. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.279 Uh what's the way you would understand? 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:58.240 A king. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:13:59.840 He's a king. 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:01.679 This is what he's claiming. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:03.679 So there's three claims here. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:07.200 The claim is one that he's misleading our nation. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:14.720 Now, to Pilate, the implication would be he's he's trying to gather people towards a Roman uprising. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:17.840 He's uh he's a zealot, like you've seen before. 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:23.279 And then the second one is he is forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:26.399 See, he's preventing people from paying their taxes. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:28.399 And this will be an issue for you. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:29.840 This is the way that they frame this. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:34.639 Remember, moments ago it was blasphemy, what the charges were. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:37.120 Now it's tax evasion. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:40.159 You know, they always get you on tax evasion. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.679 It's never the thing, but they get you on tax evasion. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.440 You gotta look out for that. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:56.480 And finally, the one that matters most of all, the truly important one, is that he is claiming to be king. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:02.399 Now, the claim to be king is the only claim that Pilate questions him about. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:18.720 And I think it's because it's the only one that seems valid to Pilate regarding both a threat to him and his position, and a reasonable threat to the chief priests and their position. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:23.279 Because Pilate understands who the chief priests are. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.720 He knows that they are not trustworthy. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:32.480 And so what he's trying to consider is what is what is meaningful here? 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:41.200 Is there something that would be meaningful to both me and them and potential and potentially disruptive to the crowds? 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:50.000 Now, what's so what he's trying to consider, I think, is what would be meaningful to the chief priests? 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:53.919 That he is misleading the nation. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:16:01.120 I think Pilate would think, okay, so you're worried about him cultivating uh some sort of an uprising. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:06.320 Later, just moments later, there will be a person who's involved with an uprising and they don't mind at all. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:13.919 You know, there's a uh uh if they could overthrow the Roman occupation, Pilate knows they would. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:19.039 So I think Pilate would hear that and think, yeah, I would care about that. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:21.120 You know that I would care about that. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:23.519 I don't believe you would care about that. 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:26.320 Tax evasion. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:36.080 Perhaps, chief priests, I know this would be a big concern of yours if they were, if he was teaching people to neglect paying tribute in the temple. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:43.759 But since it's not rendering tribute to Caesar, I don't think that that's something you would actually care about. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.519 See how he's sifting what it is that they would care about. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:56.720 But if he really is claiming to be king, well, chief priests, I know you like to think of yourselves like you're the kings. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:06.319 And I know that I work for a king and that he would not like there being somebody here claiming to be king. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:08.799 This is the only one that would matter to both of us. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:18.559 The Venn diagram of things that matter to Pontius Pilate and the chief priests is a but you gotta zoom in to find the overlap. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:22.720 But somebody claiming to be king, the overlap is there. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:28.559 And so this is the only thing that Pilate questions Jesus about. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:38.079 Because it's the only thing I think that he could imagine both the chief priests actually caring about and he himself being threatened by. 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:50.319 If he can resolve this issue, then he can determine what decision to be made, and the decision will simply present it to himself. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:52.480 Present itself to him. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:58.640 So Mark 15, 2, and Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.440 And he answered him, you have said so. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:08.559 See, Mark really distills this conversation to its most essential components. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:14.079 All Pilate needs to know is summed up in that question, are you king of the Jews? 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:18.799 And you hear the subtext, are you actually a threat to them? 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:27.839 And if you are actually a threat to them, the chief priests, then are you actually a threat to me and the peace that I am trying to maintain here? 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:42.160 If the answer that he all Pilate needs here is just a clear answer, if he says, Yes, I am king of the Jews, then he it's plainly treason. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:46.400 And he doesn't have to make a decision, the decision is thrust upon him. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:51.200 He must simply say, Okay, well, turns out the chief priests were right. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.880 We're will, we've guys said, let me check my crucifixion calendar. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:59.599 We've got some space later this afternoon, we've got a couple of guys already booked, it's no big deal to hook up another cross. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:02.559 And he would go through with it. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:13.519 If the answer is no, then Pilate gets to do what he really wants to do, which is go back to the chief priests and say, sorry guys, nothing here. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:14.960 Once again, nothing here. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:16.640 I'm going to go back to doing nothing. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:20.079 You guys, if you could do me a favor, also go back to doing nothing. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:25.279 We'll all have a wonderful Passover and all get to say that peace was maintained here. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.000 Pilate wants to do nothing. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.920 He wants to not have to make a judgment on Jesus. 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.240 He wants the judgment to be thrust upon him by circumstances. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:40.960 And so all he needs is a clear yes or a clear no. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.880 And what he gets from Jesus is, you have said so. 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:56.960 Now, if you read uh several of the modern commentators that I've read say this really is an affirmative answer. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:00.559 The answer that Jesus gives here is yes. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.519 You know, actually, you have said so just means yes. 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:05.359 I am king of the Jews. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:10.960 I don't think that's what you have said so means. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.880 You have said so. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:25.200 The reason that I think modern commentators typically give this answer is because there's been a critique of Jesus in the Gospels, and it's a it's a modern critique, which is that Jesus never claims to be the Christ. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:27.119 Now that's absurd. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:30.160 It's like all Jesus ever does. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:52.160 He does it in all kinds of ways by by telling whether to stop, by forgiving sins, by later on, if you keep reading the book, you'll notice uh shortly after he was crucified, he comes back to life, which is another good evidence of his authority and power. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:56.319 So Jesus is not fearful of providing direct answers. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:05.839 And I don't think that we need to uh coax his indirect answers into being direct answers to answer people's questions that are illegitimate questions in the first place. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:10.400 If we learn anything from Jesus during his trial, it's don't answer illegitimate questions. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:14.480 Just say, no, you're an illegitimate question. 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.920 It was one way to handle those situations. 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:20.880 Jesus says, You have said so. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:24.720 To Pilate, it's the most wrong answer he could receive. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:27.759 I need a yes or I need a no. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:33.519 I need to go back to the chief priest and say, I find no guilt in him, which he'll try. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:37.759 Or I just need a yes, and then okay, he's a king. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:45.519 Either way, my hand is forced, and I can just say, Look, uh it was my hand was forced, here's here's what I had to do. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:59.680 Instead, Jesus is putting him into this position where Pilate himself, based on the information that he has and his experience with Christ, must make a judgment. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.440 Jesus is saying, I'm not going to let you out of this. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:11.680 You have to make a judgment, and for your judgment, you will be accountable. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:17.839 This is often the situation that Jesus puts us in. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.559 We want our hand to be forced. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.440 You can hear this. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:32.000 Sometimes you can hear this when when people say, you'll hear people say, like, I would like to believe in God, but I just, there's no proof. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:39.119 I just say maybe if something, if something incredible happened, then it would prove to me that God existed. 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:50.079 And what they're actually saying is, I would like to be able to make the decision in such a way that I will not be accountable for the decision that I'm making. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.920 But there is no such thing. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:01.920 There is no such thing as asserting a truth claim that you are not accountable for adhering to. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:14.240 All of your assertions of truth, they are not merely thrust upon you, that you receive with some blind certainty that you, it's just, well, I must, I must conclude this. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:22.799 You must interpret, you're forced to interpret the world, and you are accountable for your interpretations. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:28.240 And Jesus puts Pilate in precisely this situation. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:36.480 And there's a question beneath it, which is if you're going to judge Jesus, by what standard are you going to judge him? 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:42.640 Are you going to judge him by the standard of truth? 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:46.400 There's someone here to be sentenced. 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:47.759 There's a claim. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:52.400 Now, what does that mean? 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.400 Is this something that Pilate, what he ought to do? 00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:04.960 We know that the right thing for this judge to do is to say, okay, I'm going to ask further questions, I'm going to try and figure out what is true here. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.799 And then I will make a judgment based on the truth. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.759 But Pilate doesn't do that. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:20.319 The standard by which Pilate judges does not understand that there is a reality above his power. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:39.119 All he sees is cause, effect, situations that he can control based on whatever he does, that there is no truth above him which will make itself known no matter what he does. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:43.839 Pilate only believes in the kingdoms of this world. 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:48.160 And the kingdoms of this world are just power dynamics. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:50.559 They are only might makes right. 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:51.519 That is it. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:54.559 That is the nature of the kingdoms of this world. 00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:59.680 But there is a power above all of these kingdoms. 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.960 One way to understand it is the truth. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:12.160 That there is a truth, that there is real justice that will make itself known. 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:15.519 Pilate doesn't understand that. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:24.000 So Mark 15, 3, it says, and the chief priests accused him of many things. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:36.960 Now Mark just does this in that phrase, but when we look, when we piece this together with the other gospels, what we see is what happens is after this initial interaction, Pilate goes out to the chief priest and he says, I don't find any guilt in him. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:40.559 And the chief priests are like, Okay, we can work with that. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:43.920 Here's some other stuff that that he did. 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:46.000 And there was probably they reiterated their thing. 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:48.240 Did you not hear that he claimed to be king? 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:50.640 Yeah, sure, he's not doing that with you. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:55.359 He's saying some kingdoms not of this world and trying to cast some spell on you. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:56.799 Pilate, wake up, wake up. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:58.000 Come on, you're a shrewd man. 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:00.480 You're not going to let somebody talk circles around you like this. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.720 And but didn't we mention the taxes thing? 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:08.640 How's the budget this you guys think you're gonna hit budget in Judea this year? 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:11.200 They started saying. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.920 And so they're just they're just trying. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:18.960 They're just trying to force his hand in some way. 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:34.960 But the I think the question that this raises is why is it not why you know, a standard that we see throughout scripture is that if two people come as witnesses, this is a this is a valid testimony. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:39.200 We've got lots of people that seem to be presenting this sort of testimony. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:48.000 Why is this not sufficient for Pilate to simply say, okay, I believe you will condemn him? 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:52.799 And the reason is because he knows that they're liars. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:27:02.079 And he knows that they do not represent the people whom they claim to represent. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:13.519 They do not represent the crowds, the crowds of gathered worshipers of the Jewish people who had gathered together to worship during this Passover. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:23.359 These chief priests say that they are over them and that they rule over them, that they are the authorities in this world over the Jewish people, but Pilate knows they're not. 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:31.119 He knows that they aren't trustworthy because he knows that they are just like him. 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:34.000 Now, how does he know that? 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:45.119 Because they are more than willing to violate their own proclaimed standards in order to maintain their position of authority. 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:48.480 And that's just like Pilate. 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:53.519 The only thing Pilate's a little better, because what are Pilate's proclaimed standards? 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:57.119 What works for Rome right now? 00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:05.119 In Romans 2, 23 through 24, I think Paul describes the dynamic that is happening here. 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:10.960 It says, You who boast in the law, dishonor God by breaking the law. 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:17.119 For as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:26.480 So he uh Pilate is able to look out and say, Yes, this God that you so value and worship and is over all things. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:30.720 Well, I notice that you are dancing on the edge of a Gentile's house. 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:35.359 Don't you yourselves not put someone to death on a feast day? 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:44.720 I know I've heard something like that, and yet here you are, willing to compromise these very principles that you say that you uphold. 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:47.440 So what's really going on here? 00:28:49.119 --> 00:29:07.440 Now, why that would be dangerous and why he can't just make a decision to appease them is because he understands that if he makes a decision to appease them, there's a possibility that there might be an uproar from the crowds, whom he knows these people don't actually represent. 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:12.160 So what's happening here throughout this whole dynamic is not a pursuit of the truth. 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:16.319 There is no truth above the political dynamic. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:19.359 That's what's taking place here. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:22.559 So they're just negotiating a political dynamic. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:25.920 There's no pursuit of truth in the midst of it. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:35.039 Pilate knows that the chief priest's allegiance to God is as real as his belief that Caesar is Lord. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:43.519 It is a pragmatic deal that he has made, which allows him to keep the position of authority which he has acquired for himself. 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:48.960 So too is the chief priest's confession of the true God. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:57.519 It is a pragmatic deal that they have made, which allows them to maintain the position of authority that they have acquired for themselves. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:10.079 It's evident the name of God is blasphemed among among them, among the Gentiles, because they boast in the law, but dishonor God by breaking the law. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:19.519 Now, I think that there are careers that are made of pastors that are just always punching at the church and the state of the church. 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:21.440 And I don't like that. 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:22.319 I don't like that. 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:24.319 It feels like a way to fit in with everybody else. 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:33.359 The way that I like to preach, and if you've heard me, you'll you'll hear me often say, you know, those people in the church that you don't like, you're more like them than you are like the world. 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:34.799 And I like to talk like that. 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:48.480 But it's important to recognize here that this critique that is offered in Romans, which uh clearly applies to the pattern of the Jewish people throughout their time, also applies to us as a church. 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:58.880 And that we have a responsibility as the ones who claim to love and cherish the law of God, to love and cherish the law of God. 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:00.880 Now, you think, well, this is impossible. 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:03.359 I can't live up to the standard of the law. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:09.200 Yeah, but uh but we understand that the thing that we proclaim is the gospel itself. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.799 And so you are not proclaiming that you are the one that holds up the standard of the law. 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:20.960 Your fundamental proclamation is that you can't, but that Jesus is the one who did on your behalf. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:29.680 And that the law that he calls you back to to see the goodness in, that you would say, it is good, it is glorious. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:36.000 So this is an important lesson for us as a church as well. 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:39.440 Mark 15, four. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.759 So he goes out back out to the chief priests. 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:45.279 The chief priests say, all these other accusations. 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:50.240 He comes back in, he's still distrustful of them, and he's like, okay. 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:51.440 Mark 15, 4. 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:54.559 And Pilate asked him, Have you no answer to make? 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:59.599 See how many charges, see how many charges they bring against you? 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:08.000 This is one more attempt to get Jesus to finally provide a true answer to the question, yes or no? 00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:09.200 Are you king of the Jews? 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:09.920 Yes or no? 00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:11.440 Are these charges valid? 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:12.640 Yes or no? 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.440 Make this decision for me. 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:20.240 Convince me, like they are trying to convince me. 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.920 Fight for your life. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.319 Don't you understand the stakes here? 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:39.599 Now, you may remember it was just two weeks ago, Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, the first trial at night, the high priest Caiaphas asks this exact same question. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:42.319 Have you no answer to make? 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:45.279 See how many charges they bring against you. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:47.839 Caiaphas asks that same question. 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:52.720 The point that we are being shown here is that they are the same. 00:32:54.240 --> 00:33:01.839 The Jew and the Gentile are operating in exactly the same fashion towards Jesus. 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:05.599 Neither are saying there is something. 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:10.480 There is such a thing as the truth. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:17.119 And if we adhere to the truth, then we are adhering to God. 00:33:18.240 --> 00:33:25.519 And God is the one who fundamentally controls and orders all things, and justice is in his hands. 00:33:25.680 --> 00:34:00.160 And when we cannot pragmatically draw a line that we will that we think will ensure peace, or will keep us safe and secure, or will keep us in control of the situation, when we know that adherence to the truth will only lead to difficulty and more pain and no and more suffering, we understand that it will be worth it because all things are in the hand of the Lord, that he cares for us, he loves us, that he has vengeance in his hands, and he will perfectly accomplish his justice. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:12.320 So if we stay close to him, the one who is the true king, the one who is king over all kings, then we are in the protection of his true authority. 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:19.679 But instead, both the Jew and the Gentile show us they do not believe in such a king of kings. 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:28.800 The only authority they believe in is the one that they can see given to themselves right now in the power that they have. 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:39.679 And the truth is just some story to be manipulated that they can use to accomplish whatever ends that they desire to accomplish. 00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:41.760 Well, they will they will discover that they are wrong. 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:43.039 There is a king above them. 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:50.480 And so Jesus, when Pilate asks the same question that Caiaphas asks, have you no answer to make? 00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:53.760 See how many charges they bring against you. 00:34:54.159 --> 00:35:01.119 Mark 15, 5, it says, But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:08.000 Tell me what to do here. 00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:11.039 Make the decision for me. 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:19.760 Jesus, in a sense, says, judge me and be accountable for how you judge me. 00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:28.320 Pilate stands amazed that Jesus provides no defense for himself. 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:32.320 You know, he could have. 00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:14.800 And then I came and I rose him from the dead. 00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:18.159 It's caused a bit of a hubbub around here. 00:36:18.480 --> 00:36:22.000 Folks have been listening to my teaching because of it. 00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:25.119 And I think the chief priests are getting a little anxious. 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:28.639 Why don't we both go outside and see if we can't calm down together? 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:33.519 He had plenty of defenses that he could have made. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:41.119 Jesus could, especially in the state that Pilate is in where he doesn't want to do this. 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:45.679 Jesus could have just grabbed. 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:49.199 I mean, he could have just explained. 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:52.400 Yes, I'm a king. 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:54.719 It's a different type of king than you're thinking. 00:36:56.400 --> 00:36:59.440 Trust me, this isn't going to be an issue. 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:03.760 But he doesn't. 00:37:05.440 --> 00:37:08.639 He remains silent before the accusation of Pilate. 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:11.440 And Pilate is amazed. 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:14.000 Why is he amazed? 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:22.480 Because on the other side of a ki of a guilty conviction is the cross. 00:37:24.559 --> 00:37:34.719 Pilate is staring at a man, and he knows, they both know, that if he doesn't defend himself quickly, then soon his beard will be torn out. 00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:40.000 And a crown of thorns will be placed upon his head. 00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:44.239 And he'll be beaten and stripped. 00:37:45.039 --> 00:38:09.360 And just moments from now, if he doesn't make a defense of himself, if he doesn't use his words now to defend himself, then his arms will be spread out, and nails will be driven through his hands, and his feet will be bound together, and a nail will be driven through his feet, and he will be hung up naked for everyone to see, as he suffocates to death. 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:13.920 Why won't he speak? 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:18.400 Why won't he say anything? 00:38:18.559 --> 00:38:30.880 Doesn't he doesn't he know that he can he's a player in this too, like we all are, and we're all playing just this you know political game. 00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:36.960 Why don't why not advocate for yourself? 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:44.559 Jesus is the only one who knows that there is a court of appeal beyond the kingdoms of this world. 00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:49.920 And Jesus is headed to make his appeal there. 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:55.760 He does not advocate for himself because he is the true king. 00:38:56.159 --> 00:39:04.880 He knows that there is a standard by which we will all be judged that is on the other side of death. 00:39:07.119 --> 00:39:16.880 And he knows that this standard that is on the other side of death is a judgment more complete and more awful than the judgment of death itself. 00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:37.119 Because this judgment is doled out not by earthly kings, but by the king of kings, by the one who is righteous and just and true, and who shows no partiality, who is not a respecter of persons. 00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:42.480 He does not consider the political realities in his judgments, he is not fearful of them at all. 00:39:42.639 --> 00:39:51.599 He is in control of all things, and he will judge you in accordance with his law and say whether or not you were righteous according to him. 00:39:52.079 --> 00:40:01.519 Now Jesus has lived his whole life fearing, perfectly fearing this judge. 00:40:04.079 --> 00:40:08.719 And because of that, he has no fear of any lesser judges. 00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:26.719 And because he himself has perfectly honored the one who will truly judge all persons, and because he knows him and loves him and trusts him, he has no fear of this higher judge. 00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:29.519 He will appeal to him. 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:31.840 It is a silent appeal. 00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:35.599 One that you look on and see is just amazed. 00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:41.199 But he doesn't defend himself because he knows the judge that he is going to. 00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:48.079 Jesus, in answer to the question, you know, there's an obvious answer. 00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:49.360 Are you the king of the Jews? 00:40:49.599 --> 00:40:50.079 Yes. 00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:51.840 Much more than that. 00:40:54.559 --> 00:41:02.559 Westminster shorter catechism, question number twenty-six says, How doth Christ execute the office of a king? 00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:04.320 Good question. 00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:24.400 Christ executeth the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. 00:41:26.719 --> 00:41:30.719 Jesus does not make an appeal for himself. 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:45.440