"At Pontius Pilate's Palace... "

Sermon on John 19:12-16

Saint Mark's, Watertown

Pastor Karl Walther

April 5, 2000

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Amen.

The Word of the Lord to continue our Lenten Midweek series on the Places of Jesus' Passion is on page sixteen-eighty-four of your pew Bibles. It is John chapter nineteen, verses twelve through sixteen. On page sixteen-eighty-four, then, is the culmination of John's account of Jesus' judicial proceedings in the presence of Pilate:

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.

"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"

"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.

"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

This is God's Spirit-inspired Word of Jesus Christ.

Introduction: Pontius Pilate's Palace

Dear fellow Christians-- who have now followed Jesus up to Pontius Pilate's palace:

Last week we left Jesus in the meeting of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council consisting of seventy men. Every indication is that messengers had gathered them from the various parts of Jerusalem to the mansion of Caiaphas, the high priest. Every indication is, as well, that this mansion lay just southwest of the several-square-block, towering temple complex. There Jesus remained until shortly after the crack of dawn.

Now the chief priests and the Jewish leaders drag Jesus still in substantial darkness along four city blocks across Jerusalem to the west. They come to Pilate's temporary residence in Jerusalem. Although Pontius Pilate's permanent domicile was on the seacoast in Caesarea about fifty-five miles to the northwest, he often visited the capital city of his captive people: Jerusalem. And when he did so, he stayed in the Fortress of Herod.

The Fortress of Herod -- Pilate's "palace", if you will -- was on the western wall of Jerusalem. It was an imposing structure. Herod the Great had originally built it over forty years earlier. Its walls enclosed an area a couple hundred yards long by a hundred or so yards wide. The three towers that guarded the northern ramparts of the structure loomed hundreds of feet in the air-- each even had its own name. Apart from the temple complex itself, the fortress was quite easily the largest structure in Jerusalem.

Theme: At Pontius Pilate's Palace, It Was Jesus' Skin For Our Sin

It was there and it was then that Jesus stood trial before Pontius Pilate. Then and there, as we'll find out today: AT PONTIUS PILATE'S PALACE: IT WAS JESUS' SKIN FOR OUR SIN. And we'll find that Pilate and the Jewish leaders are apt illustrations of that.

God's Word: End Of Jesus' Trial Before Pontius Pilate

Already, as you well know, the Jewish leaders in the presence of Pilate had accused Christ of claiming to be an earthly king. Upon discovering that Jesus claimed only to be the King of Truth, Pilate declared him innocent. Then when Pilate learned that Jesus had come from Galilee, he sent him back toward the temple-- to Herod, the ruler of Galilee. But Herod sent him back.

Next, Pilate offered to the Jews innocent Jesus or wicked Barabbas. But the Jewish leaders persuaded their rabble to ask for Barabbas. Then Pilate had Jesus mocked, whipped, and beaten in an effort to gain the sympathy of the Jews. That didn't work either. Finally, the Jews admitted they were seeking the death penalty for some supposed blasphemy on Jesus' part.

Convinced of Jesus' innocence, and now probably concerned over Jesus' claim that he really was God, the Great King-- we pick up the end of the account. It says: From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. And in the Greek, it actually says: Pilate kept trying repeatedly to set Jesus free. Can't you just see that Pilate was sure Jesus was innocent? Can't you just see that Jesus really was innocent-- not only of crime, but also of sin?

But the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar." And Caesar, the emperor in Rome: at this point, in particular, it was Tiberius Caesar-- he really did have a "friends club". He had a list of his friends, for whom he did favors. And Pilate, who came from the neighborhood of the city of Rome, was no doubt on this "friends of Caesar" list: a position which, however, he would forfeit -- the Jews would make sure of it! -- if he let this Jesus free. For: "Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

So, we read: When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus outside -- where the Jews were: in order to avoid the ceremonial uncleanness of daring to enter a Gentile home. And Pilate sat down on the judge's seat-- the official judicial bench: a raised platform, mounted by steps, and furnished with a seat. It was at a place -- a special outdoor courtyard -- known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).

Further heightening the drama, John notes: It was the day of Preparation: preparation for the Sabbath on Saturday, hence it was Friday. It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week (likely April Seventh, Thirty ad), about the sixth hour: six in the morning, still just about sunrise.

That sets the dramatic scene for Pilate's final words and his verdict. "Here is your king" -- "tired, bruised, bloody, mocked, whipped, and beaten: hasn't he had enough?" -- Pilate said to the Jews.

But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "the way you Romans do."

"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "Don't I understand that you have religiously hoped for a king-- some Messiah?" "Don't I understand that you consider yourselves to have no allegiance to a foreign earthly king?"

"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests laughably answered-- words from which, in their patriotism, Jews would otherwise have demurred.

And then we read that: Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. "It's my neck or his," Pilate reasoned. "Either I risk my career as a governmental official to do what's right for this probably misguided, but admittedly innocent fellow-- or I go ahead, pronounce him guilty, and forget about it: by the end of the day or at least the end of the week. Besides, it would apparently make a lot of people happy." And so, Pilate says: "Okay! He's 'guilty' of being the King of the Jews. Go crucify him...."

Application: It Was Jesus' Skin For Our Sin

And of course, you and I take a look at Pilate and we say: "What a terrible guy! Didn't he know that he had the responsibility to carry out justice, no matter what the cost? Couldn't he have seen, for that matter, that Jesus really was the Christ: his Savior?" And then we add: "Boy, I'm glad I'm not like him!"

Well, my friends: Not so fast! Put yourself in the place of Pontius Pilate....

Kids: you've done something bad. You've ridiculed your brother or sister. Or you've slugged your sister or brother-- or a fellow student. Or you and a relative or a friend were playing, and you busted something. And you know you've got a choice: own up to your sin and face the punishment, or say: "It was his fault! It was her fault!"-- knowing that you can probably get away with it.

Have you always made the right choice?

You young people: you know the rules of the road, but your friends challenge your car to a race. You know drinking is illegal for you, but you're at a party and all your friends are doing it. You know full well -- you even believe it -- that pornography is dangerous and God wants all sex saved for marriage, but it's so available. You're at work, you know you should be doing something for your boss or your business, but they'll never know that you had some free time you used to goof off.

You young people, have you always made the right choice in those situations?

And how about you adults? New neighbors move in, or relatives move back to town, or you gain a new co-worker on the job -- and you know it's a perfect opportunity to invite that individual to your church. But you don't! do you? And often, neither have I. Or you face a crisis: the death of a loved one, or a sickness yourself, or a surgery, or a sudden loss of money -- and you know it's the perfect opportunity to let your Christian faith shine by telling others that Christ will see you through. But you don't! do you? And often, neither have I.

In every case, it was our skin or Jesus' skin. And Jesus took it on the chin.

But let me tell you something, my friends: Jesus really did take it on the chin for us! Jesus literally did give his skin for our sin! Kids, for your every sin -- even those you have failed to own up to! -- Jesus gave his skin. Young people, for your every disobedience -- even those times you broken not only God's law but also America's law! -- Jesus took it on the chin. And adults, for your every failure -- your every failure to confess Christ! your every failure to confide in Christ! -- Jesus gave his skin for your sin.

And it means that, as far as God is concerned, you have never ever sinned. In fact, as far as God is concerned, you've lived Christ's life and you get Christ's reward-- eternal paradise, without so much as the smell of hell.

Conclusion: Now Christians Exercise Courage Contrary to Pontius Pilate

Wow! With an inheritance like that, can't we muster up courage contrary to Pontius Pilate? So: how about owning up to our sins? How about facing down peer pressure, and doing what's right, and maybe even influencing others to follow your good example? How about making your lives shining and unashamed examples of the way faithful servants confide in and confess Christ no matter what the cost? Even if the cost is death, for us the reward -- think of it! -- is eternal life!!! Amen.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Amen.