3/30/60

Scripture: John 18: 28 - John 19: 16.

In our series of Lenten sermons on “Hours of Decision” we come now to the “Hour of Judgment.” Earlier in this service, we have heard read the account of the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor, Pilate. The Scripture lesson was from the gospel according to John. John tells us very little about the examination of Jesus by Annas and Caiaphas. The reason may be that the trial before the Sanhedrin was ineffective, anyway, until the decision was ratified by governor Pilate. And so John concentrates on the civil trial.

Now, of course, there was a trial before the Sanhedrin. It took place during the night or in the very early morning hours. It was hardly a real trial at all. For the Jewish leaders had already decided that Jesus must die. Caiaphas was not only a religious leader, but was an unscrupulous sort of politician as well. He suspected that it would not take many more of these zealot uprisings to bring down the real tyranny of Rome on the Jewish nation. The very existence of their Palestinian homeland, as well as the prestige of the priestly class, was at stake in the popularity of this Galilean named Jesus. He was just plain dangerous, and they had to get rid of him!

It took some plotting. First, Jesus must be taken when it could be done without a big popular protest, or possibly even a riot. They had finally managed that! Then he must be found guilty of transgressing against their religious laws. Everything must appear proper. They would see to that. In fact Jesus was, in effect, prejudged by them. All they had to do was to trip him up in some cross-examining questions. It could be arranged.

He is invited to give some account of his doctrines. It should not be difficult to find a fault line, for they were the experts on ecclesiastical law and doctrine. But when he was invited to talk on this subject, Jesus took the position that it was not for him, arraigned and bound here as a dangerous prisoner, to testify against himself. Thousands had heard him speak in the open. He had taught in the most public places he could find --- even in the Temple, from which no good Jew was excluded. All they had to do was ask some of those hearers -- learned teachers among them -- what he had taught.

Well, Annas lost that round, and was not a little mortified in it. But they got near enough to what they wanted in order to be able to take the prisoner to Pilate for civil judgment, with demand for the death penalty. It would have been easier, if they could just have carried out sentence themselves according to Jewish law and customs. But, while they were ruled by Rome, no one could impose the death penalty except Roman authority. They did not dare risk any other course.

This being the Passover season, the city of Jerusalem was crowded with Jewish pilgrims. Every space where a tent could be pitched was taken. Religious fervor and patriotic fever ran high. For this reason, Pilate had made it a point to be on hand to keep a firm control on things and to direct soldiers to the scene of any trouble. So he could not be by-passed.

Just as soon as it was near enough morning to be at all a reasonable time for his rising, the Jewish leaders took their prisoner to Pilate’s quarters. Since it was the dwelling place of a Gentile, they could not enter without defiling themselves. That would never do, since they had already gone through a process of religious purification in preparation for the Passover. So here they were, pure and spotless and blameless and altogether “righteous” men, staying carefully outside the gate of Pilate’s quarters, uttering their blood-thirsty demand for Jesus’ crucifixion to the governor when he came out to ascertain their demands.

The setting for this judgment scene is most striking, is it not? Pilate, with scornful allowance for their religious scruples, coming out to meet them; the religiously elite cream of the Hebrews, quality plus, if you please -- scrupulously preserving themselves from contracting any pollution that might incapacitate them from eating the Passover, yet full of cruelty and blood-thirst for the accused; and a prisoner entirely innocent of any crime except having incurred the fearful hatred of his accusers.

The Jewish leaders were confident. They had Pilate on the spot where they wanted him. To those who had feared that it might be difficult to convict one so innocent of known crime as the Galilean, Caiaphas had said, with supreme contempt, “You know nothing at all! Don’t you see that we have an opportunity of showing zeal for the Roman government by sacrificing this man who claims to be ‘King of the Jews?’ And he is a Galilean of no consequence. He is not even connected with any good family which might rise in vengeance.”

So here they are. And it is Pilate’s duty to make a decision and to pronounce judgment. Pilate, used to reading the faces of criminals, detected no evidence of crime in the eyes of Jesus. He apparently intended to reopen the case. First of all they must make a clear statement of their accusation against the prisoner. Caiaphas was resentful. “We would not have brought him here if he had not been a malefactor.”

So it was one of those things. Well, one must be not only firm, but adroit as well, with these people. So Pilate says, “If you are not going to make charges against him, go and take care of the matter according to your own law.” Their answer, of course was, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die. But by Roman law we can’t put anyone to death.” They knew the law all right. So Pilate went back into the judgment hall and had the prisoner brought in before him, while the Jewish leaders waited outside the gate. He conducted his own examination. “Are you the King of the Jews?” To which Jesus replied, “Do you ask this yourself, or did someone tell you to ask it of me?”

“Am I a Jew?” counters Pilate. “Your own people have brought you here. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My Kingdom is not of this world. I do not rely upon the government of force and armed might. If I did, my people would be fighting to keep me from being turned over to these men.” Then Pilate: “Are you a king, then?” And Jesus: “You have said that I am a king. This is the reason that I was born, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” And then Pilate assumes the air of a philosopher: “What is truth?” Anyway, there is nothing criminal about this man or his position. So Pilate goes out to the crowd with his opinion: “I find no fault at all” in this man.

As a man of Roman justice, Pilate had formed this judgment. The man was innocent. If he had been decisive about it, Pilate could have decreed from his official judgment seat, that the prisoner was innocent of any crime as charged, and could have set him free, then and there. But Pilate was a practical politician. He had to be! These Jews were a difficult people to rule, and they could make no end of trouble. He would try to free the prisoner, all right. But he must control the situation with reference to these Jewish leaders also.

He really made several attempts to free Jesus. He made his first move carefully. “You have a custom, at your feast time, that I should release a prisoner to you. Shall I release to you this King of the Jews?” No, it was the wrong move. They checked him almost immediately by asking for the release of a condemned robber named Barabbas.

One can not help but speculate on that man Barabbas. Did he fade out of sight as quickly as possible, glad to stay alive, unpunished for his wrongdoing? Or did he mingle later with that crowd out on a hill where the man Jesus hung, anguished and dying, literally in his place? One may wonder, further, where are all of the rest of us Barabbases, redeemed from our sins by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, suffering in our stead? “It’s so nice to be in church today. Wonder what the fishing is going to be like this season?” Or are we so filled with gratitude for our salvation that we wait at the foot of that cross and the feet of that Savior, to see whatever we can do --- to become, like John, a son to his Mother; a brother to his brethren in the giving of a cup of cold water and a life of concerned understanding. Are all of “us Barrabbases” worth our salvation?

Well, it’s Pilate’s next move. This time it will be a rough one. Maybe a dose of Roman severity will make its impression. He had Jesus scourged. The gospel writer mercifully omits details. For Roman scourging was quite an ordeal. The several lashes of the whip were weighted and tipped with metal or chips of bone, or both. Every stroke of the whip tore and lacerated the flesh. Victims fainted, or even died, during the ordeal. Maybe we better not say any more about it than John’s gospel does.

The soldiers had their grim fun out of it, too. What was it these Jewish people had said of the prisoner -- something about claiming to be a king? King! Why sure! Get that old tunic that looks a little purplish. Put that on him for his robe! Here! This will make a royal kind of crown. These thorns will stick up like its points -- or downward to make a snug fit -- no matter. Put it on tight. Hit him a few times. They had more fun with that prisoner that they could tell about in the Roman barracks wherever they were stationed for years to come!

It was a sorry looking “king” that Pilate led out to the crowd. Guess he had had enough. And they would have enough, too, when they could see him. “Behold the man!” says Pilate.

But ---- wrong move again! You just can’t tell about these Jews! They got as excited as a pack of dogs after a wounded fox. This time they really yelled, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves, and crucify him. I see no fault in him,” says Pilate. But that was an irresponsible kind of retort. They already knew, and he knew, who had the sole power to do that! This time the Jews stated their position a little more freely: “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

Well! What can a governor do with a crowd like that! But he tried one more move. Pilate took the prisoner in to the Judgment Hall again. This time he asks; “Where are you from?” It was now clear to everyone that Pilate was making a losing retreat. Jesus did not answer. “Don’t you know?” blustered Pilate, “that I have the power either to release you or to crucify you?” To which the suffering Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me at all if it had not been given you from above you. So he who turned me over to you has the greater sin.”

What can one do with a fellow like that? Pilate still insisted that he should release the prisoner. But having “checked” Pilate, the Jews were now ready to make it “checkmate” in this chess game. “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar’s. This man has made himself a king. Everyone who makes himself a king, sets himself against Caesar.” Pilate inwardly winced over that one.

This governorship had become exceedingly touchy. Pilate’s corruption, insolence, his habit of insulting people, his cruelty, even to the point of political murders, had so incensed his subjects that they had dared to go over his head with an appeal to Tiberius Caesar in Rome. The Caesar was a terrifying tyrant, all right. But he was more interested in maintaining the Hebrew states as a reasonably productive, tribute-paying, tax-delivering territory than he was in killing off the goose that laid that particular golden egg. So the job of his governor was to keep order. If things got out of hand -- there would be a new governor!

Actually, in history, the very thing Pilate feared happened to him. Six years after he sacrificed the life of our Lord, complaints came to the Emperor; governor Pilate was deposed, stripped of his authority and all else that made life endurable to him; and he died by his own hand. Though he was judge in that court of appeal, he, the judge, lost the case!

The Jews of the Sanhedrin had already lost their souls before they got the prisoner to Pilate. The prisoner lost his life. But the soul that was given up from the bruised and beaten and tortured body of Jesus was still perfect in every dimension with an honor that we mortals can adore, and only God can fathom.

And Pilate -- how we should tremble to stand in his shoes! And yet that is just where we do stand! For each of us must make his judgment upon that Galilean teacher. and we can no more wash our hands of the responsibility than could Pilate, pompously dipping his hands in the basin and telling the others to go ahead and see to it!

Pilate was in a bad spot. It is just possible that he could have saved his shaking regime a little longer if he had made a firm decision at the very beginning of that trial. He knew Roman justice and he was almost immediately convinced that the prisoner was innocent. If he had rendered firm judgment, at the outset, with no equivocation or compromise, freed the prisoner, and then even called out the army to preserve order in case the Jews got obstreperous, he might have stood on solid enough ground to survive. But Pilate was of several minds -- too many minds, in fact, to reach a sound judgment.

Years ago James M. Barrie wrote a story called “Sentimental Tommy.” At one point in the story, the Scotch girl, Grizel, almost screams at Tommy, “But ye must decide!” “I needna,” he stammered, “‘till we’re at Tilliedrum. Let’s speak about some other thing.” She rocked her arms, saying, “It’s so easy to make up your mind.” “It’s easy to you that has just one mind,” he retorted with spirit, “but if you had as many minds as I have--!”

Pilate had too many minds. And his indecision finds him helplessly exclaiming to the crafty mob, “What shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?” Nothing could save Pilate from the responsibility attaching to his connection with Jesus. And nothing can save us from the responsibility of determining what judgment we are to pronounce upon this same Person.

We may feel in an unfortunate predicament. We may inwardly protest that human life can be obstructed and disturbed by our choices. But it comes to be our turn, as it came to be Pilate’s, to decide upon Christ’s claim, and to act upon our decision. --- to recognize that we people have to do not with pleasure and place, rewards and acclaim, so much as with the truth illuminated for us in Christ’s person and speaking to us through his lips and his Holy Spirit.

The one figure who passed through this pathetic and humbling ordeal of judgment, alone self-possessed while all around him were beside themselves, was Jesus. Beside him, Pilate knew his own guilt in giving him over to the Jews. And the hypocrisy of Jesus’ captors has proclaimed itself through the centuries.

And we Pilates here present --- when no further step seems visible; when all the waves and billows of our world’s ungodliness seem ready to snuff out what little good we cherish; then we can remember this calm, majestic Prisoner, bound and bleeding in the midst of a frantic and bloodthirsty mob, yet master over its evil, because He was living in God.

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids (Union Lenten Service), March 30, 1960.

Waioli Hiuia Church, March 24, 1974.