Is it Jesus Before Pilate, or Pilate Before Jesus?

How the Kingdom Works

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Transcript

TITLE: Is it Jesus Before Pilate, or Pilate Before Jesus?

SUBTITLE: How the Kingdom Works

MARKETING: May we eat the kind of bread that others drop on the floor.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076577/episodes/16869183

#GospelAccordingToTheRock

Is it Jesus Before Pilate, or Pilate Before Jesus?

by Eric Engelmann

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC

We're close to 30 AD in Jerusalem. Hours after Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples.

We're going to look at John 18 and 19 but read it talking about how Jesus treated Pilate. It's customary to emphasize how Pilate treated Jesus -- but when you see how dutifully Jesus treated Pilate, some of Pilate's actions make more sense. It's true that Jesus appeared before Pilate. It's also true, Pilate appeared before Jesus.

We're also going to look at a spiritual blunder that Pilate makes in his appearance before Jesus. We're going to ask Jesus to please save us from that error. 

BY WAY OF BACKGROUND

Close to a thousand years ago, Psalm 118 talked about the stone which the builders rejected having become the chief cornerstone.

After Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, Jesus has had a rough night. He's been punched out by the guards after his Jewish trial and found guilty of blasphemy. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem aren't allowed to put Jesus to death. That's why the mob is appealing to Pilate to have Jesus crucified. Pilate is going to be amazed at the rejection of Jesus.

SCRIPTURE

John 18

Verse 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

NOTE: This distinction is very important to Jesus. Jesus is making a distinction concerning people who are called to be in His kingdom. Jesus will have a lot of interactions with Pilate, and He needs to be clear with Pilate if He's talking about Pilate's own spiritual case or just the disposition of Jesus' earthly case?

Verse 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

NOTE: I think Pilate's answer here sets the tone for the rest of Jesus' interactions. Pilate wants to dispose of Jesus' case. Jesus is now going to admit that He is a king.

Verse 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

NOTE: Please notice what is coming up. Jesus will bear witness to the truth and find out who listens to Him. I will exaggerate the next few Scriptures.

Continuing verse 37: Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth *hears My voice*.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, *he went out again*...

NOTE: Pilate just did something that may have been good for his career, but not good for his soul. Jesus  just said, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate didn't stay and listen to Jesus. Pilate didn't want truth for his soul from Jesus. Pilate just wanted information that would resolve the problem of Jesus' case.

Continuing verse 38 about Pilate: And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all."

39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

Chapter 19

Verse 1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

NOTE: Another way of saying this in social media lingo is, "Can't you see what you're doing?"

Verse 6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

NOTE: I think Pilate was afraid of a riot. He didn't want to punish someone known as the King of the Jews without a good reason. My guess is normally any heavy-handedness toward any Jew would create resentment in the rest of the Jews. Pilate was amazed that in this case, heavy-handedness toward this Jew -- Jesus -- was happily welcomed.

Verse 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

NOTE: Jesus is about to talk about Pilate's case before God.

Verse 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”

The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

END of Passage

IN THE FUTURE

Pilate will write a sign saying "The King of the Jews" in three languages. He'll continue to distance himself from the insanity of the Jewish leadership by saying, "What *I* have written, *I* have written."

FURTHER IN THE FUTURE,

There will be amazing rejection and insanity in the 21st century. Many voices will talk about it -- not all of them will care for their own souls. So, I'm going to pray: "Lord, May my listeners take the time to plead for their own well being in front of you before whom all people will appear. Ba Shem Yeshua; In Jesus' Name. Amen."

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC