John Bible Study - Lesson 47

John Bible Study - Lesson 47

Read the passage below using the 2 different Bible translations:

John 18:28-40 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Before Pilate

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶ Jesus said, “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.”

³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

John 18:28-40 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

²⁸ Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor.^[a] His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

³⁰ “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

³¹ “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. ³² (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.^[b])

³³ Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

³⁶ Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

 ³⁷ Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. ³⁹ But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Note:

Here are the 3 questions for you to answer. I have given some basic answers below the questions to help you understand the passage. Answer the questions first yourself before you look at my answers. Take a moment before you begin and ask God to help you understand what you are reading.

3 questions to answer:

1.    Content: What is this passage about?

2.    Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

3.    Application: How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

Answers to the questions above and some background:

Content: What is this passage about?

·        Jesus was sent to Pilate after His trial before the high priest Caiaphas.

·        Jesus’ accusers did not go inside of the Roman headquarters because going inside would make them unclean and unable to celebrate the Passover.

·        Pilate questions Jesus’ accusers about the charge against Jesus.

·        The Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of being a criminal.

·        Pilate tells Jewish leaders to judge Jesus by their own law.

·        The Jewish leaders responded by saying that they had no right to execute anyone. (Jesus predicted that He would be executed)

·        Pilate takes Jesus into the palace to question Him.

·        Jesus answers Pilate with spiritual truth and reveals to him His mission, purpose and identity.

·        Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence and wants to release Jesus as it was custom to free a prisoner each year at the Passover.

·        The people decided to free Barabbas.

Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

·        After the being on trial with the high priest Caiaphas, Jesus is sent to Pilate in order to get Him put to death.

·        The Jewish leaders were plotting to kill Jesus:

Matthew 26:1-5 (ERV)

The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus

After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers,² “You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies to be killed on a cross.”

³ Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest’s name was Caiaphas. ⁴ In the meeting they tried to find a way to arrest and kill Jesus without anyone knowing what they were doing. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. ⁵ They said, “We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don’t want the people to become angry and cause a riot.”

·        Jesus’ accusers did not go inside of the Roman headquarters because going inside would make them unclean and unable to celebrate the Passover. The Jewish leaders followed the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. That is why Jesus call them hypocrites: Luke 11:37-54

Here is an example of how the Pharisees concealed God’s truth to the people:

Luke 11:52 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁵² “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”

·        By falsely accusing Jesus of Blasphemy, the Jewish leaders attempted to kill God’s Messiah. Ironically, Jesus was the one sent to save them, but by concealing God’s truth, they themselves were blinded by their own deception and therefore would pay the price for their rejection of Jesus.

Here is more detail on Jesus’s trial before Caiaphas the high priest:

Matthew 26:57-68 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a]

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

(Also, Mark 14:53-65 and Luke 22:66-71 contain details about this trial)

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was accused of 3 crimes under Roman law:

1.     Subversion

2.     Opposing tax payments to Caesar

3.     Claiming to be a king

Luke 23:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. ² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

·        Pilate questions Jesus asking Him if He is the King of the Jews.

Jesus responds:  “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.” ³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

So, we learn that:

·        Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world:

John 17:14-16  (ERV)

¹⁴ I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.

¹⁵ “I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. ¹⁶ They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world.

John 16:28 (ERV)

I came from the Father into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Mark 16:19 New International Version (NIV)

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

Acts 1:9-11New International Version (NIV)

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

·        Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth

John 14:6 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 8:31-32 New International Version (NIV)

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Ephesians 1:13-14 (ERV)

¹³ It is the same with you. You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised. ¹⁴ The Spirit is the first payment that guarantees we will get all that God has for us. Then we will enjoy complete freedom as people who belong to him. The goal for all of us is the praise of God in all his glory.

·        Everyone who believes in God’s truth listens to Jesus

John 10:27-30 New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

John 14:23 New International Version (NIV)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

John 8:51New International Version (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

The truth is, Jesus commands us to follow Him:

Matthew 16:24-27 New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

When people truly follow Jesus, they die to the old self and allow the new self to define their transformation in Christ:

Ephesians 4:22-24 New International Version (NIV)

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Here is some great instruction on how to put on the new self and live as a follower of Jesus:

Colossians 3New International Version (NIV)

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

·        Pilate finds no charge against Jesus and offers to release Him, yet the crowd asked for Barabbas to be freed.

·        God’s plan for Jesus to be the once and for all sacrifice is going to be fulfilled:

Hebrews 7:27 New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

Hebrews 10:11-18 Living Bible (TLB)

¹¹ Under the old agreement the priests stood before the altar day after day offering sacrifices that could never take away our sins. ¹² But Christ gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time and then sat down in the place of highest honor at God’s right hand, ¹³ waiting for his enemies to be laid under his feet. ¹⁴ For by that one offering he made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom he is making holy.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit testifies that this is so, for he has said, ¹⁶ “This is the agreement I will make with the people of Israel, though they broke their first agreement: I will write my laws into their minds so that they will always know my will, and I will put my laws in their hearts so that they will want to obey them.” ¹⁷ And then he adds, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”

¹⁸ Now, when sins have once been forever forgiven and forgotten, there is no need to offer more sacrifices to get rid of them.

·        We see God’s amazing plan unfolding and we should take to heart what God has done for us:

John 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Remember: Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be arrested in order to save God’s people from the consequences of sin that leads to spiritual death.

Application: How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

·        Remember what God’s Word says about how you will be saved.

·        Thank God for saving you.

·        Live in the world but continue to maintain an eternal perspective while sharing the hope you have with others.

·        Be careful of those who will lead you astray.

·        Test everything with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

·        Remember it is Jesus’ work that saves you. You cannot earn your salvation.

Don’t forget:

John’s main purpose in writing this Gospel:

·        To tell the world that Jesus is the Messiah for the Jews and Gentiles

·        The events were recorded so that we might believe and have eternal life

John 20:30-31 New International Version (NIV)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Questions to ponder:

·        Jesus’ trial was unjust. How do you respond to injustice?

·        Will you speak truth and maintain your character while others try to accuse you?

·        Do you understand that the life of a follower of Jesus will not be comfortable?

·        Will you trust God in times of trouble?

Have a great week…………….Dave