By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Asbury Free Methodist Church
March 30, 2025 – John 18:28-19:16
Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. We have been journeying with Jesus to the cross. Last week, we looked at Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was betrayed by Judas. Apprehended by the temple guard and taken to Caiaphas, the High Priest. When Jesus declared he was the Messiah, they convicted him of blasphemy.
Because Israel was occupied by the Romans, this august counsel did not have the power to sentence Jesus to death. That power lay solely in the hands of the Romans. So, they took Jesus and brought him before Pilate, the Roman governor of the time. This is where we pick up our story. Today, we are going to stand beside Jesus as he was tried by Pilate.
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Compromise. That is a dirty word to some. But it all depends on the context. If you are in business, making a deal – often both sides have to compromise. If you are in politics and you want something to happen, often both sides have to compromise. If you are married, then you know that in order to have a healthy relationship, you have to learn to compromise. If one spouse is getting their way all the time, then there is something wrong with the relationship.
However, there are times when compromise is a dirty word and a bad thing to do. When people try to get you to do what you know is wrong. That is not the time to compromise. When people try to get you to call good bad and bad good – it is unlikely that that is the time to compromise.
Have you ever been there? You feel peer pressure to do what you know is wrong. You feel pressure to pretend you believe in something you don’t. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time to keep silent. You don’t have to confront everything you don’t believe in. Some people who work in government are forced to use their pronouns. He/she/them/ etc. That comes out of an ideology that you probably don’t agree with. But you don’t have to confront everything you don’t believe in.
But occasionally, there comes a time when you just can’t compromise. Last week I talked about the early Christians who were compelled to offer incense at a temple and worship Ceasar by saying, “Ceasar is Lord.” By saying Ceasar is Lord, they were saying that Jesus wasn’t. They could not compromise on this. So, some were thrown to the lions, and others were burnt at the stake. There comes a time when you just can’t compromise.
There are a number of places in Africa where being a Christian can put you in real danger. There are more Christians on the continent of Africa than any other continent. But if you live in some parts of Nigeria and you don’t convert to Islam – then it can be horrible. Many believers have been killed, or their homes have been destroyed, and their livelihoods have been taken away. They could not compromise. Their conscience and their faith would not allow it. Some have paid a very dear price.
Thankfully, we are not that far gone in our country. However, as I articulated last week – faith is being forced out of the public square. We have the freedom to believe what we want. We don’t necessarily have the freedom to practice what we believe.
This morning, as we look at the trial of Jesus, we are going to see Pilate’s slide towards compromise. We are also going to see how Jesus stood gently and uncompromisingly. I am hoping that we can learn from both of them.
When we get to this morning’s story, the relationship between Pilate and the Jewish people was already strained. Pilate had confiscated money donated to the temple to build twenty-five miles of aqueducts so that Jerusalem could have water. Taking the money caused a riot, which Pilate put down by force. A considerable number of Jewish lives were taken.
But Pilate, having governed in Israel for a while, understood the Jewish people. It was early morning, the morning of the day before Passover. If a Jew went into the home of a Gentile, they would be ceremonially unclean and thus unable to celebrate Passover. So, the Jewish leaders asked the Pilate to meet them outside. He granted their request.
John 18:29–31 (NIV)
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.” (That is sarcasm in case you missed it.)
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.
The relationship was strained, but Pilate understood what was happening. Matthew records,
Matthew 27:18 (NLT)
He (Pilate) knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.
He understood that they were handing Jesus over to him, not because they believed he was a criminal. They believed he was a heretic but not a criminal. Pilate understood that.
Watch Jesus’ reaction to being labelled a criminal and an imposter.
John 18:33–38 (NLT)
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.
Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?” But he knows one truth; Jesus is innocent. He knows the people accusing Jesus are doing so because of self-serving motives.
But this is where the problem begins. When you know something to be true, and it contradicts what others want you to say is true, then you get put in the same dilemma as Pilate.
You will have people who want you to agree with them that “All religions are equally valid”. “All roads lead to heaven”. “If you really believe it, then it’s true.”
I’m sure you can make a longer list of the things that you are asked to say that are true and that you know are not.
Look at how Jesus speaks with Pilate. He states very plainly that he is not a king, as his accuser meant the word. His kingdom is not of this world. But I do have some truth to tell you. If you will listen to me, you will hear it.
He didn’t rant. He didn’t get offended. He gently stated the truth about who he was. That is so different from some people I know, who get all riled up when their beliefs are called into question. People, when you are asked to compromise, and you can’t, be like Jesus. Take on his posture. Not one of combat but one of grace.
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Now, Pilate’s tactic for dealing with this was misdirection.
John 18:39 (NLT)
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’?”
He knew Jesus to be innocent. He shouldn’t have been released because of custom. He should have been released because there was no basis for the charges. But if he could get the Jewish leaders to agree to his plan, then he figured it was a win-win situation. Jesus would be released. But because he was released this way, he would not be seen to be innocent.
This is the first step down a slippery slope. Trying to fudge the truth you know.
The crowd wanted nothing to do with his plan. They shouted for the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus.
John 19:1 (NIV)
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
If he couldn’t fudge the truth, then he would try to diminish the truth. He didn’t want to kill Jesus, but maybe if he hurt him, that would satisfy the people.
That is one step further in compromise. Let’s diminish the truth.
John 19:4–6 (NLT)
4 Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”
6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
Pilate again affirms Jesus’ innocence. But now he behaves in a way that he doesn’t believe. He abandons the truth. In our vernacular, he holds up his hand and says – Whatever.
You go do what you want. Here, he abdicates his own power. He could have said no. But there was a cost to saying no. He goes from misdirection from the truth to diminishing the truth to abandoning the truth.
John 19:7–8 (NLT)
7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law, he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.
We are not told why Pilate was frightened. He was already in conflict with Jewish leaders, so I don’t think that was it – although obviously, he did like the outcome if he went against them.
But I think that Pilate might have had a glimpse into who Jesus was. He had heard Jesus say, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Now, he hears that he claims to be the “Son of God.” The man standing before me could be more than a man. I may have just had the Son of God flogged.
Meanwhile, Matthew’s gospel tells us that while this trial is going on Pilate gets a message from his wife.
Matthew 27:19 (NIV)
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Pilate starts to put everything together and now he is really afraid.
John 19:8–12 (NIV)
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, …
“Where do you come from?” Pilate wasn’t asking about Nazareth.
Look at what Jesus does. He says nothing. Jesus knew that Pilate knew the truth. There was nothing more to say. Sometimes, the right thing to say is to say nothing.
In the face of silent Jesus, Pilate tries to exert his power. Don’t you know I have the power to free or crucify you?
Jesus doesn’t defend himself. He offers a different perspective to Pilate. Your power over me is from heaven. But Jesus goes further. He tells Pilate that the ones who handed me over to you are guilty of a greater sin. Again, when a person can judge the degree of sin – maybe this person is no ordinary person.
John 19:12 (NIV)
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
The problem was that Pilate had walked so far down this road of compromise that it was hard to walk it back.
John 19:13–15 (NIV)
13 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). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
15 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.
I find it interesting that while these people are trying to get Jesus to compromise, they are compromising themselves. Remember, these are the same people who despise tax collectors because they cooperate with the Roman government. Now, they are boldly declaring that they have no king but Ceasar.
That is often the way. People who are compromised will try to get you to compromise. People who drink alcohol to excess will sometimes try to get you to drink alcohol to excess. People who involve themselves in shady business deals will sometimes try to get you involved in shady business deals.
So, what is Pilate to do. Here is what Matthew records as happening.
Matthew 27:24 (NIV)
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
John simply records,
John 19:16 (NIV)
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
There was a fourth-century historian called Eusebius who said that Pilate ended up committing suicide because he was racked with guilt. Other traditions have Pilate, from that time on, obsessively washing his hands, trying to remove his guilt. A few traditions have Pilate becoming a follower of Jesus.
We don’t know what the real story is. But I do know that in the face of compromise, we often find ourselves dealing with guilt. The cross is by far the best way to deal with guilt because Jesus died for our sin. But sometimes people just harden their hearts.
I don’t know what the future will bring. I am thankful that we have the freedom of faith that we have. Our brothers and sisters in China, in Malaysia, in Algeria, in Nigeria, have it far worse than us. They know what it means to suffer for the gospel and be uncompromising.
If the past few years teach us anything, it is that the world can change extremely fast. Culture can be reshaped quickly. We may not always have the status of freedom that we have now.
There are times and places to compromise. But there are many times when we will be called to stand firm. When you are pressured to compromise, be like Jesus. You don’t have to give in to the pressure that is placed upon you. You don’t need to be obnoxious when you are standing firm.
Jesus didn’t compromise, and he was crucified. It is not an easy place to be if you are feeling the pressure to compromise. But this world is not all that there is. Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the pressure. Have this attitude in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Wisdom in pressure
- Talk your situation through with a trusted believer.
- Check your own heart – is it clear before God.
- Find a promise that you can hold on to.
- Pray!