FHBC Sermon Notes

John 18:33-40

At the start of this story, the priests are concerned about ceremonnial cleanliness. They did not want to go into the home of a gentile. Some commentaries point to the belief that the Gentiles had a drain to dispose of aborted children in the home. This may have been what they were concerned about. Yet there is great deal of hypocrisy in this concern. Here they were concerned about being able to celebrate the passover when they were delivering an innocent man to his death. The one who they wanted to kill being the very Passover lamb that God had sent. In what ways does our own cultural Christianity mirror this?

As always really great discussion tonight on that question.

Pilate was known as a weak, but also cruel leader. He was in a very tenuous situation. His concern, even his annoyance, is evident in his initial response to them. The roman soldiers had participate in the arrest, so the issue appears to be about authority. What court is condemning this man to die? The Jews in their response also seem annoyed by the fact that Pilate will not simply judge him. It then becomes clearer that the issue is capital punishment. Pilate finds Jesus not guilty though, so they represent it as a treason.

Now John makes the point that Jesus predicted his type of death. If the Jews had had the authority to kill him, he would have been stoned outside the city. This would not have been a blood sacrifice, which is needed for atonement. Very interesting.