Study Focus: John 18:28–38, John 18:38–19:5, John 19:30, John 17:4, John 20:1–10
We find a clear contrast between Pilate’s worldview and that of Christ. The Roman governor’s worldview found its basis in a temporary king and kingdom, but Jesus’ worldview was founded on a spiritual and eternal kingdom. Yet, it was apparent that Pilate perceived the Man in front of him as someone different from anyone else. He certainly did not view Him as did the Jewish leaders and the mob, as one deserving a cruel execution.
In the brief but significant interaction between the two, Jesus told Pilate that He had come to this world to “ ‘bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ ” (John 18:37, NKJV). The vacillating Pilate had never heard anyone talk about the truth in such a certain and authoritative manner. In response, Pilate then asked this timeless question: “ ‘What is truth?’ ” (John 18:38). Pilate, however, did not wait for Jesus’ answer to that crucial question. We can only imagine what Christ’s answer might have been if He had had the opportunity to answer.
Could it be that we emulate Pilate’s impatience? We ask God some good questions, but we frequently do not wait for His answers. How different our lives would be if we would listen more to what God has to say. Unfortunately, we are too often self-focused and not Christ-centered. Imagine all the helpful insights God might give us if we would simply be still and listen to Him more.
It is interesting to note that the Crucifixion, the most shameful and humiliating death, is presented by John as a most glorious event. By His death Jesus, as the Second Adam, defeated Satan, accomplishing the mission of saving sinful humanity. With Jesus’ mission of salvation accomplished, His Father accepted His sacrifice and made it possible for all who believed in His Son to be saved.
Part II: Commentary
What Is Truth? (John 18:28–38)
In asking his question, “What is truth?” and then turning away without waiting for the answer, Pilate missed hearing about the truth from the Truth Himself, standing in the flesh before him. His question about truth is particularly relevant today because our world is replete with truth that has been abandoned or forsaken. The darkness of untruth and its consequent confusion is rampant everywhere. Today, dodging the truth, beating around it, and doublespeak have become acceptable and normalized. This degradation of the truth occurs so often that people are impelled to ask the same question as Pilate: “What is truth?”
When we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, He helps us to become truthtellers. Jesus does not merely tell the truth; He Himself is the truth. After all, He testified: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). May our witness pull others up from the darkness of evil and into the bright light of Christ’s truth. May we let others know that the truth can still be found in Christ and His followers.
Behold the Man! (John 18:38–19:5)
Pontius Pilate is to be pitied for his vacillation and compromise toward what he knew to be truth. He tried to please all, but, as a result, he pleased none. He was hated by both the Jews and the Roman power. The emperor exiled him to Gaul and stripped him of all his honors. Shortly after, he died in exile by taking his own life. Pilate tried to appeal to the Jewish leaders’ sense of justice and sympathy, but they were bent on seeing Jesus die on the cross. By ordering His flogging, Pilate hoped to elicit the sympathy of His people.
In a last-ditch attempt to save Jesus, Pilate then offered the religious leaders a choice between two prisoners, as was the custom. Whom should Pilate release: Christ or Barabbas? The Jews chose Barabbas, the vilest criminal, a true representative of Satan. Sad to say, when Pilate finally realized that the leaders were adamant about crucifying Jesus, he reluctantly caved to their wishes. A little compromise led him to bigger compromises until he crossed the threshold of no return. Yet, during this process, Pilate impugned himself and the injustice of the court proceedings by declaring three times that Jesus was indeed innocent and then going on to condemn Him to death.
What a tragic figure Pilate was! Yet, as a heathen, he tried to save a Jew from His people while they clamored for His death. All these things transpired at Passover.
Jesus’ mission was to be sacrificed as the Paschal Lamb, slain from the foundations of the world. He was born to die, but His death did not need to be at the hands of Pilate. Pilate’s final words to the crowd were “ ‘Behold the Man!’ ” (John 19:5, NKJV). Inadvertently, Pilate summed up, in these seemingly simple words, the depths and breadth of salvation and what, in essence, it was all about. By beholding Jesus, we become changed. And in the language of John the Baptist: “ ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV). Let us behold the Son of man and be saved. Let us look to Him and live.
“ ‘It Is Finished!’ ” (John 19:30, John 17:4)
In John 17:4, Jesus tells His Father: “ ‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’ ” (NKJV). On whose behalf had Jesus finished working? The context for this declaration was Jesus’ high priestly prayer on behalf of His disciples. Jesus mentions them 40 times in the course of the prayer. He indeed glorified His Father in the training of His disciples.
Jesus equipped them to carry forth His finished work of redemption. “Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men. And He said: ‘I am glorified in them.’ ”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 24. The finishing of Christ’s work in training His disciples was to be followed thereafter with the finishing of His work of salvation. In John 19:30, we read: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (NKJV).
Christ’s perfect sacrifice signifies that we should not add or subtract from His work but simply embrace it. Salvation is a gift of grace. We receive this gift by faith and, through faith in Christ’s righteousness, we are empowered to live an obedient and victorious life.
The Empty Tomb (John 20:1–10)
The resurrection of Christ from the tomb very early on the first day of the week was indispensable to the faith of His followers. Christ must rise from the grave as He had said and as the Old Testament predicted. No evil power could keep Him in the ground. At His Father’s mighty command to rise, the forces of evil were totally vanquished. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:17, states, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (NKJV). Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 15:19, he continues, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (NKJV).
Why “most pitiable”? Because the glorious hope of the resurrection would not be possible, and the dead in Christ would not be raised to life, if not for the Resurrection. But the Resurrection took place on the morning of the first day of the week, and the empty tomb was witnessed by Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John. The Roman soldiers witnessed Christ’s coming forth from the tomb a short time before that, and they fell to the ground as dead men at the appearance of His dazzling glory. In fact, the soldiers were so amazed at what they witnessed with their own eyes that they rushed to the religious leaders to tell them what had occurred.
But the leaders were so set against Jesus that they completely dismissed any clear evidence of His glorious resurrection. The leaders, however, knew for sure that Christ was resurrected; otherwise, why bribe the soldiers with money? Matthew describes what actually happened: “When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure’ ” (Matt. 28:12–14, NKJV).
Therefore, it is abundantly clear that the leaders were perpetuating a definite lie opposing the evidence before them. Roman soldiers—all of them—were conveniently sleeping at one time, enabling the disciples to steal Christ’s body? Impossible! Neither robbers nor Christ’s disciples stole His body. The Savior rose gloriously from the grave. Even His facecloth was neatly folded and set aside, showing that there was no evidence of grave tampering or hurried theft.
Jesus and Mary (John 20:11–17)
Mary had the unique privilege, prior to any of the disciples, of seeing the empty tomb. She also was the first one to see and hear the risen Jesus. As she lingered near the empty tomb, reluctant to leave, she entered inside and unexpectantly saw two angels sitting where Christ’s risen body had been. They asked her why she was weeping.
As she turned around, she came face-to-face with a man whom she thought was the gardener, not realizing that He was the risen Lord. Seeing her weeping, Jesus asked her, “ ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ ” (John 20:15, NKJV). Mary’s attention was utterly focused on the missing body of Jesus, until Jesus said her name. Upon hearing Him, she suddenly realized who He was and called Him “Rabboni.”
Mary rushed to the disciples and told them the good news that she had seen the Lord. Jesus had appeared to her in His humanity, just as He later appeared to the disciples when He prepared breakfast for them and when He allowed Thomas to touch His scars. For our sake, Jesus will retain His humanity forever, linking us with Him by a bond that will never be broken.
Part III: Life Application
Think about and answer the following questions:
It is true that Jesus had to die to save sinful humanity. But why did He have to die in such a cruel way? Why was a “regular” death not enough?
More than ever before, people ask the same question that Pilate asked Jesus: “What is truth?” Why do you think the truth is being cast aside in our day? What are some of the contributing societal factors?
React to these statements: Look up and live, look down and die. Never give up, but always look up and see light in the face of Jesus. In what practical ways can you “behold the Man”?
What is the significance of Jesus’ finishing His work of training the disciples to share the gospel, just before He finished His work of redemption on the cross? What work do you think He still has to finish in your life? Explain.
What practical lessons may we learn from Mary’s experience? She was so caught up in her grief and tears that, at first, she could not recognize the risen Jesus. In what ways are we sometimes so weighed down with our heavy burdens that we do not discern the presence of Jesus in our lives? How can we remedy this situation?
Reflect for a moment on the tragic end of Pilate’s life. What lessons can we learn from the way he conducted himself, especially in how he related to the Jews, the Roman authorities, and to Jesus?
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Study Focus: John 18:28–38, John 18:38–19:5, John 19:30, John 17:4, John 20:1–10
We find a clear contrast between Pilate’s worldview and that of Christ. The Roman governor’s worldview found its basis in a temporary king and kingdom, but Jesus’ worldview was founded on a spiritual and eternal kingdom. Yet, it was apparent that Pilate perceived the Man in front of him as someone different from anyone else. He certainly did not view Him as did the Jewish leaders and the mob, as one deserving a cruel execution.
In the brief but significant interaction between the two, Jesus told Pilate that He had come to this world to “ ‘bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ ” (John 18:37, NKJV). The vacillating Pilate had never heard anyone talk about the truth in such a certain and authoritative manner. In response, Pilate then asked this timeless question: “ ‘What is truth?’ ” (John 18:38). Pilate, however, did not wait for Jesus’ answer to that crucial question. We can only imagine what Christ’s answer might have been if He had had the opportunity to answer.
Could it be that we emulate Pilate’s impatience? We ask God some good questions, but we frequently do not wait for His answers. How different our lives would be if we would listen more to what God has to say. Unfortunately, we are too often self-focused and not Christ-centered. Imagine all the helpful insights God might give us if we would simply be still and listen to Him more.
It is interesting to note that the Crucifixion, the most shameful and humiliating death, is presented by John as a most glorious event. By His death Jesus, as the Second Adam, defeated Satan, accomplishing the mission of saving sinful humanity. With Jesus’ mission of salvation accomplished, His Father accepted His sacrifice and made it possible for all who believed in His Son to be saved.
Part II: Commentary
What Is Truth? (John 18:28–38)
In asking his question, “What is truth?” and then turning away without waiting for the answer, Pilate missed hearing about the truth from the Truth Himself, standing in the flesh before him. His question about truth is particularly relevant today because our world is replete with truth that has been abandoned or forsaken. The darkness of untruth and its consequent confusion is rampant everywhere. Today, dodging the truth, beating around it, and doublespeak have become acceptable and normalized. This degradation of the truth occurs so often that people are impelled to ask the same question as Pilate: “What is truth?”
When we follow in Jesus’ footsteps, He helps us to become truthtellers. Jesus does not merely tell the truth; He Himself is the truth. After all, He testified: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). May our witness pull others up from the darkness of evil and into the bright light of Christ’s truth. May we let others know that the truth can still be found in Christ and His followers.
Behold the Man! (John 18:38–19:5)
Pontius Pilate is to be pitied for his vacillation and compromise toward what he knew to be truth. He tried to please all, but, as a result, he pleased none. He was hated by both the Jews and the Roman power. The emperor exiled him to Gaul and stripped him of all his honors. Shortly after, he died in exile by taking his own life. Pilate tried to appeal to the Jewish leaders’ sense of justice and sympathy, but they were bent on seeing Jesus die on the cross. By ordering His flogging, Pilate hoped to elicit the sympathy of His people.
In a last-ditch attempt to save Jesus, Pilate then offered the religious leaders a choice between two prisoners, as was the custom. Whom should Pilate release: Christ or Barabbas? The Jews chose Barabbas, the vilest criminal, a true representative of Satan. Sad to say, when Pilate finally realized that the leaders were adamant about crucifying Jesus, he reluctantly caved to their wishes. A little compromise led him to bigger compromises until he crossed the threshold of no return. Yet, during this process, Pilate impugned himself and the injustice of the court proceedings by declaring three times that Jesus was indeed innocent and then going on to condemn Him to death.
What a tragic figure Pilate was! Yet, as a heathen, he tried to save a Jew from His people while they clamored for His death. All these things transpired at Passover.
Jesus’ mission was to be sacrificed as the Paschal Lamb, slain from the foundations of the world. He was born to die, but His death did not need to be at the hands of Pilate. Pilate’s final words to the crowd were “ ‘Behold the Man!’ ” (John 19:5, NKJV). Inadvertently, Pilate summed up, in these seemingly simple words, the depths and breadth of salvation and what, in essence, it was all about. By beholding Jesus, we become changed. And in the language of John the Baptist: “ ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV). Let us behold the Son of man and be saved. Let us look to Him and live.
“ ‘It Is Finished!’ ” (John 19:30, John 17:4)
In John 17:4, Jesus tells His Father: “ ‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’ ” (NKJV). On whose behalf had Jesus finished working? The context for this declaration was Jesus’ high priestly prayer on behalf of His disciples. Jesus mentions them 40 times in the course of the prayer. He indeed glorified His Father in the training of His disciples.
Jesus equipped them to carry forth His finished work of redemption. “Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men. And He said: ‘I am glorified in them.’ ”—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 24. The finishing of Christ’s work in training His disciples was to be followed thereafter with the finishing of His work of salvation. In John 19:30, we read: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (NKJV).
Christ’s perfect sacrifice signifies that we should not add or subtract from His work but simply embrace it. Salvation is a gift of grace. We receive this gift by faith and, through faith in Christ’s righteousness, we are empowered to live an obedient and victorious life.
The Empty Tomb (John 20:1–10)
The resurrection of Christ from the tomb very early on the first day of the week was indispensable to the faith of His followers. Christ must rise from the grave as He had said and as the Old Testament predicted. No evil power could keep Him in the ground. At His Father’s mighty command to rise, the forces of evil were totally vanquished. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:17, states, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” (NKJV). Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 15:19, he continues, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (NKJV).
Why “most pitiable”? Because the glorious hope of the resurrection would not be possible, and the dead in Christ would not be raised to life, if not for the Resurrection. But the Resurrection took place on the morning of the first day of the week, and the empty tomb was witnessed by Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John. The Roman soldiers witnessed Christ’s coming forth from the tomb a short time before that, and they fell to the ground as dead men at the appearance of His dazzling glory. In fact, the soldiers were so amazed at what they witnessed with their own eyes that they rushed to the religious leaders to tell them what had occurred.
But the leaders were so set against Jesus that they completely dismissed any clear evidence of His glorious resurrection. The leaders, however, knew for sure that Christ was resurrected; otherwise, why bribe the soldiers with money? Matthew describes what actually happened: “When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure’ ” (Matt. 28:12–14, NKJV).
Therefore, it is abundantly clear that the leaders were perpetuating a definite lie opposing the evidence before them. Roman soldiers—all of them—were conveniently sleeping at one time, enabling the disciples to steal Christ’s body? Impossible! Neither robbers nor Christ’s disciples stole His body. The Savior rose gloriously from the grave. Even His facecloth was neatly folded and set aside, showing that there was no evidence of grave tampering or hurried theft.
Jesus and Mary (John 20:11–17)
Mary had the unique privilege, prior to any of the disciples, of seeing the empty tomb. She also was the first one to see and hear the risen Jesus. As she lingered near the empty tomb, reluctant to leave, she entered inside and unexpectantly saw two angels sitting where Christ’s risen body had been. They asked her why she was weeping.
As she turned around, she came face-to-face with a man whom she thought was the gardener, not realizing that He was the risen Lord. Seeing her weeping, Jesus asked her, “ ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ ” (John 20:15, NKJV). Mary’s attention was utterly focused on the missing body of Jesus, until Jesus said her name. Upon hearing Him, she suddenly realized who He was and called Him “Rabboni.”
Mary rushed to the disciples and told them the good news that she had seen the Lord. Jesus had appeared to her in His humanity, just as He later appeared to the disciples when He prepared breakfast for them and when He allowed Thomas to touch His scars. For our sake, Jesus will retain His humanity forever, linking us with Him by a bond that will never be broken.
Part III: Life Application
Think about and answer the following questions:
It is true that Jesus had to die to save sinful humanity. But why did He have to die in such a cruel way? Why was a “regular” death not enough?
More than ever before, people ask the same question that Pilate asked Jesus: “What is truth?” Why do you think the truth is being cast aside in our day? What are some of the contributing societal factors?
React to these statements: Look up and live, look down and die. Never give up, but always look up and see light in the face of Jesus. In what practical ways can you “behold the Man”?
What is the significance of Jesus’ finishing His work of training the disciples to share the gospel, just before He finished His work of redemption on the cross? What work do you think He still has to finish in your life? Explain.
What practical lessons may we learn from Mary’s experience? She was so caught up in her grief and tears that, at first, she could not recognize the risen Jesus. In what ways are we sometimes so weighed down with our heavy burdens that we do not discern the presence of Jesus in our lives? How can we remedy this situation?
Reflect for a moment on the tragic end of Pilate’s life. What lessons can we learn from the way he conducted himself, especially in how he related to the Jews, the Roman authorities, and to Jesus?