Who is on the stand?

22 November 2009

John 18:33-37

It was William Shakespeare who wrote, ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ As Jesus’ ministry in John’s gospel draws to a conclusion, people were bound to ask, ‘Who is he?’ Of course, we stand the other side of the events of the cross and resurrection … but, as Jesus is brought to Pilate’s judgement seat, he has been charged with treason. His enemies claim him to be the King of the Jews. That he is great is indisputable, but what kind of greatness?

Pilate asks Jesus if he believes himself to be a king. His answer could be considered ambiguous – ‘Is that your idea or did others talk to you about me?’ (v.34).

There are a number of things we might helpfully note:-

The setting is inside, enabling a private conversation – v.33.
The tension has been building for some time – 11:48.
Jesus is asked directly if he is King of the Jews – v.33.
Yet it is Jesus who takes the lead – v.34.
Pilate, once again, is on the defensive and says that the question is at the suggestion of others – v.35.

Text: John 18:36 –
‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’

Jesus is brought by Pilate for judgement, but who is really in the hot seat? Who is the freer of the two – and, put another way, who is on the stand?

Pilate tries to get Jesus to implicate himself, but Jesus just will not do it. He is king … but he does not go along with the thought of being King of the Jews. The subtle distinction puts Pilate in a somewhat difficult position.

Here in the Wesley Theatre, we are in the last week of the church year and it is a long-held tradition to celebrate the fact that Christ is King. A triumphant but not triumphalist theme emerges. The universal reign of God flows through many of the set readings of today – Psalm 132 speaks of the remarkable piety of a king, and the opening chapter of Revelation talks about the timeless nature of God’s rule in Christ: “… who is and who was, and who is to come.” (Revelation 1:8)

Let me respond to the question ‘Who is on the stand?’ by at least addressing the answer in three ways:-

Pilate is on the stand

Pilate represents the kingdoms of this world. Who was this man? Let us move beyond the narrow constraints of this particular incident and suggest that Pilate typifies the person who, when presented with a decision to make, moves in exactly the opposite direction to one that they would wish to take. He was employed to uphold the most advanced legal system the world had ever known and yet he chooses expediency rather than truth.

Pilate is on the stand because he fails to administer Roman justice. He makes the mistake of allowing his own position to dominate everything. He feels sorry for himself and wants to interpret everything from his own perspective. He turns every argument into a defence. He is:-

A person of mixed feelings

Pilate very likely had mixed feelings about his actual appointment as the Governor of Judea, but he accepted the position. He would be well aware that it was one of the most difficult places to govern and not least because of the religious sensitivities of the Jews.

No doubt he had his eyes on some future appointment. At least if he did a good job, avoided causing too many conflicts, he could be assured of some plum appointment within the foreign service of Rome.

His whole life might have been dominated by mixed feelings. Pilate’s greatest claim to fame, when all is said and done, is that he is forever part of the great Christian creed and his name has been recited by billions of people as they say, ‘Crucified under Pontius Pilate’ in the Apostles’ Creed. His name is secured in history!

A person who would try all ways to extend his power

From the outset almost everything went wrong for Pilate. At first he tried the strong-arm approach with fanatical Jews who hated the Roman government with a passion. In an attempt to force Rome upon the people, he ordered his soldiers to parade and set up images of Caesar in the Jewish Temple. This challenged their sensitivities … images were forbidden in the Ten Commandments themselves.

This caused an instant response. Caiaphas, the High Priest, immediately retaliated by ordering two thousand praying Jews to surround Pilate’s palace for six days and nights. The Governor threatened to massacre them and, in defiance, they knelt before him and dared him to do it. They had called his bluff. Enraged and humiliated, he ordered the images which had been erected in the Temple to be taken down.

The next approach for Pilate appears more benevolent. Jerusalem needed a fresh water supply, so he agreed to build an aqueduct. This was no mean achievement, but again he makes a mistake – he chose to finance this capital improvement from the Temple Treasury, which caused a riot. Soldiers were called in to quell the disturbance, people were killed and Pilate received a scathing rebuke from Rome. This helps us to understand why Pilate approached the incident with Jesus with a degree of fear and the need to protect his own reputation.

A person who had lost control

Pilate had lost control. Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest, and the Council had Pilate ‘over a barrel’. So by the time the Jesus incident arose, we have a very frightened man; insecure, knowing well that he could not afford to make another mistake. No doubt this would make him one of the most cautious political leaders of the day.

Pilate was actually the Procurator of Judea and he must bear some responsibility for what he permitted on his watch. He cannot hide behind the Roman justice system that he administered. He lasted ten years in the role and such a long tenure would be due in part to the distance from Rome … and also the Jewish reputation for trouble-making, which would ensure there was no queue for the job.

Pilate’s dramatic washing of his hands in public is a futile gesture because he cannot repudiate all responsibility. The weak vacillation is as clear as the innocence of Jesus Christ.

The huge dilemmas for Pilate are further demonstrated when Pilate’s wife tells of suffering ‘a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ (Matthew 27:19) She is, of course, referring to Jesus.

We are on the stand

There is a sense in which Pilate represents us – for he is not the only one who wants to pass on responsibility to others.

A man was skeptical of his son’s new-found determination to build muscles … and his desire that his father buy him the latest weightlifting gear. ‘Please Dad, I’ll use them every day’ was his plea. ‘They’re not cheap,’ his father said.

Finally won over, they went to buy the equipment; father paid for it and headed for the door. After a few steps, he heard his son say, ‘You mean I have to carry them to the car?’

We are on the stand and cannot avoid the responsibility of bearing witness to the truth, no matter how tough it is.

We love to shift the blame onto others

Passing the blame is nothing new – and one with which we can all identify, to a greater or lesser extent. Sanders and Mastin rightly suggest that Pilate, in some sense, recognises Jesus’ claim, but ‘will not commit himself further’. There are countless stories of everyday life which demonstrate the fact that we like to shift the blame.

In March 2006, a city refuse disposal truck in the City of Lodi, California, backed into Curtis Gokey’s car. The car was badly damaged and so Gokey sued the City.

Why is this story interesting? Curtis Gokey was driving the city dump truck at the time! It was his own personal car that he crunched. He even admitted the accident was his fault. The case was dropped because it was stated that Gokey could not sue himself.

Like Gokey, we are often our own worst enemies. Rather than shifting the blame for the damage we do, we do well to acknowledge our part and humbly accept whatever the consequences turn out to be.

The example of Pilate reminds us we are all in a place of power. Like him, each of us is in a position where we must give an answer for our actions.

We like to hold onto the initiative

Pilate is certainly one who has to have the last word. I am sure, like me, you have observed those chat shows where a host seeks to hold together two differing perspectives but is often the person who has the last word – and that word is often decisive for the viewer.

Such an attitude will make a person the kind that will not let an issue drop! Power always lies with the one who is hurt. At the very heart of the Christian message of the cross is the reality of reconciliation. At the cross, the power is not held by the Roman authorities. Nor is it held by the Jews that conspired with them – or for that matter is it held by the crowd that gathered. It is held in the disfigured life and body of Jesus Christ.

There is no doubt that the question of kingship holds challenges for the vast majority of people in the world, and for whom it holds little if any relevance. Perhaps ‘king’ isn’t a helpful way of talking about Jesus. But on this Sunday, we think of the One who really has the last word … the final and ultimate authority.

In this gospel account, we see two powers locked in combat – and one takes the aggressive high ground and wrestles all the time to gain the upper hand. The other, the actual authority, is the One who will always hold the initiative, even when they crucify him.

We listen too readily to the call of the many kingdoms

Jesus and Pilate represent two very different ways of looking at power and authority in this world. Jesus represents one kingdom and Pilate represents a very different kind of kingdom. Both claim divine authority: Jesus through his way of humility, and Pilate through the power of Caesar.

Both these models of kingdom involve space: one is clearly territorial; the other is in the hearts and minds of people. That is why the kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world. In John’s gospel, and especially in Jesus’ trial before Pilate, we see two kings and their kingdoms in collision. In the final analysis, only One can be King … only One can have the last word.

One kingdom exists by the power of the sword; and the other by the power of love. One is driven to accumulate wealth – and there will never be enough; the other announces ‘Blessed are the poor …’ and speaks of those who are poor as examples of his kingdom.

One kingdom decided that the weak must serve the strong; and the other said the last shall be first … and, more controversially, that the first shall be last. One demanded that everyone must get what they deserve; and the other chose mercy and forgiveness as a better way than the constant desire to ‘get even’.

Two authorities and two ways of seeing a kingdom: Every day we are confronted with challenges and we must make our choice as to which direction we shall go.

It is far too easy to choose a kingdom which is less than the best to live by.

E Stanley Jones once wrote, ‘I saw as in a flash that all human kingdoms are shakeable. The kingdom of communism is shakeable. They hold it together by purges, by force; they cannot relax that force or it will fall apart (and we have seen that). The kingdom of capitalism is shakeable (and we have also seen this). The kingdom of self is shakeable. Centre yourself on yourself as the centre of your kingdom and the self will sour and go to pieces. The kingdom of health is shakeable. Radio and TV blare constantly with supposed health remedies to hold this physical life together, but in the end the grim reaper gets us all. Everything is shakeable except one – the Kingdom of God, the one and only unshakable kingdom.’

Jesus is on the stand

The third perspective is the fact that Jesus is on the stand. He is on the stand for me and for you. As we arrive at these final chapters in John, we find ourselves confronted by the growing sense of opposition, plotting and planning against Jesus. Why is he on the stand?:-

He is on the stand because his kingdom is challenging the power seen in this world

We need to interpret carefully what Jesus is saying when he describes his power as ‘not of this world’. Some might suggest he is saying his kingship belongs to another realm of time and space, but not in this world. Such an explanation would show Jesus abdicating power in this world.

A much better alternative is offered by Russell Anderson, who says, ‘Jesus is drawing a distinction between the manner in which the kings of this world rule – and the way he rules. The kings of the world employ force, armies, threats and the like to impose their will on others. The strength of Jesus’ rule stems from being grounded in divine truth which transcends this world.’

He is on the stand to show a new way of kingdom

Jesus’ way of kingdom is ‘not of this world’. This is not to imply that we have no role to play in this world … for we must still:–

Engage in the struggle for justice
Play our part in seeking the way of peace
Offer meaningful alternatives of how to live

What Jesus offers is so radically different from the power that Pilate represents.

In the last century, C H Dodd wrote words which have stood the test of time: ‘To accept his kingdom and enter in brings blessedness, because the best conceivable thing is that we should be in obedience to the will of God.’

He is on the stand for our sakes

When this scene in the Praetorium came to an end, the answer appeared to be clear as to who had the final word. All that Jesus had taught and represented appears to have been defeated. His talk of love, mercy and forgiveness seem to be falling apart before people’s eyes.

Yet, from the cross, two things are clear: First, there will be the final insult: a sign will be posted over his head ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’, intended to describe him as ‘the great pretender’. But, from the cross, there is the ultimate gift of mercy and love for the world.

Two years ago, we travelled to Turkey to film our special study on the Seven Churches in Revelation. We stayed in Istanbul for part of the time. This was the famous Constantinople, the great city of churches. The Turks and the power of the Ottoman Empire radically changed all of that. Many of the Christians plastered over the images of Christ in their churches and cathedrals to preserve them for the future.

This reminded me of an invitation Carol and I received to lunch in the House of Lords in London. We went along and one of the Peers took us below to a small chapel, often used today for weddings and so on. This chapel was seconded by Oliver Cromwell to stable his horses and, because he resented any kind of Christian imagery, he whitewashed the walls and made it suitable for the horses. Hundreds of years later, the whitewash was removed and the restoration work completed in the chapel. Experts working on this project declared that Cromwell probably ensured that the artwork was preserved!

Pilate may have thought that his actions would bring to an end the trouble that Jesus clearly presents. But in point of fact the One who dies on the cross brings life and hope to the world for all time!

People often ask what happened to Pilate. Eventually he was recalled to Rome to answer for further brutality. It is suggested that he was only saved from trial by the death of Tiberius Caesar … and he died in lonely exile.
What about the choice we must make: the powerful Pilate, whose reward is there for all to see … or the One who treads his way to the cross and who will be King forever.

Notably Pilate asks, ‘What is truth?’ when Jesus turns to the issue of truth. For Pilate and many in our contemporary world, the idea of objective truth is laughable. But truth always threatens, and particularly so when the One in the midst is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ (John 14:6)

In his early days, a famous evangelist, Brownlow North, had lived a life that was anything but Christian. Once, just before he was to enter the pulpit in a church in Aberdeen, Scotland, he received a letter that recalled a shameful series of events he had been engaged in. And North’s stomach turned. It concluded by saying, ‘If you have the gall to preach tonight, I’ll stand and expose you.’

North took that letter and went to his knees. A few minutes later, he was in the pulpit. He began his message by reading the letter from start to finish. And he said, ‘I want to make it clear that this letter is perfectly true. I am ashamed of what I have read and what I have done. And I come tonight, not as one who is perfect, but as one who is forgiven.’ God used that letter and the balance of his ministry almost as a magnet to bring people to Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus has been on that stand for us, we can face the future knowing forgiveness and grace gives life meaning … for now and eternity.

Christian Life