First with the high priests, now with Pilate, Christ is being placed outside the sphere of the Mosaic law. On this Passover day, Jesus will be excluded from the feast.

John doesn't say who "they" are, but "they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover." We know from the other gospels that "they" are the Sanhedrin, the chief priests together with the rulers of the Jews. But here it is simply "they." "Those people"-identified with Annas, the patriarch of the high priestly family, and Caiaphas, his son-in-law, the reigning high priest. By doing this John highlights the contrast: they are unwilling to defile themselves by coming into a Gentile's house, but they are willing to condemn an innocent man to death. Meanwhile Jesus will become defiled. He will go into Pilate's house and be reckoned unclean. He will be taken outside the camp, removed from the protection of the law-both ceremonial and civil, and will die the cursed death of the cross. What was the point of the Passover? What was the point of the moral purity laws that they are observing? We looked at this last fall in our series on Leviticus. The point was Christ. The purity laws and the sacrifices were shadows of Christ, as Paul says in Colossians 2. They are living in the shadows, but they have so distorted those shadows, that when Jesus comes, the body that cast those shadows back into the OT, they cannot recognize him. What, after all, from the OT, would forbid you from going into a Gentile's house during Passover? Nothing. But the Jews had reasoned that if you were not supposed to have any leaven in your house during Passover, then that meant that you could not go into any house that did have leaven, and since Gentiles' houses usually had leaven in them, therefore you could not enter a Gentile's house during Passover. They stand at the threshold of Pilate's house, and push Jesus through the door. They will make him unclean-unfit to participate in the rest of the Passover.

But, you may say, didn't Jesus already celebrate the Passover with his disciples? Why does John say that they wished to "eat the Passover"? There are two possibilities: one is that Jesus and his disciples ate the Passover a day early (which often happened since each lamb had to be slaughtered by the priests), the other, which is perhaps more likely, is that John is here referring to the rest of the Passover, which, including the feast of unleavened bread, was 7 days long. It was important to remain clean throughout the whole of the seven-day feast.

But as Jesus is declared ceremonially unclean, as he is cast outside the bounds of the Mosaic Law, we also see that he will be exalted above the Mosaic Law.

Pilate, respecting the traditions of the Jews, came out to them and asked what accusation they had against Jesus. They reply, "if this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." Smelling a rat, Pilate responds, "take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." But the Law of God is not sufficient for them. They need the Law of Rome to do their dirty work for them. "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." John tells us that this was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

Jesus had said in 12:32-33 that he would be lifted up in death, signifying that he would die on a cross. Only the Romans could crucify, so this all happened in order that he might die on a cross. Since only the Romans could execute they need Pilate to sign on. But they don't give him much to go on. Pilate urged them to conduct the trial. Judge him according to your law-and then bring him to me. But they refuse. They need a scapegoat. If the crowds rally to Jesus' defense, they need to be able to point to Pilate as the culprit. All they say is that they have good reasons for believing that he is worthy of death. And then they leave.

And John says that all of this happened to fulfill the word of Jesus. If the Jews had tried him and sentenced him to death (even with Pilate's concurrence), he would have been stoned to death. But Jesus must be crucified. He must be lifted up in his death-exalted to heaven even as he endures the wrath of God.

Why must Jesus be crucified? There several reasons. Paul will add more in Galatians 2-3, But John focuses on two: 1) if the Jews stoned him to death, then the Jews alone would be responsible for it. But Jew and Gentile alike work together to crucify the Lord of Glory. No one can rightly say that the Jews alone are guilty of the death of Jesus. The Gentiles had the opportunity to deliver Jesus. Pilate could have set him free. But the whole world conspired against the Son of God. Therefore he is rightly declared the Savior of the World as well. 2) as the serpent was raised in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be raised up before the world. (John 3) To be stoned is to be covered up. To be crucified is to be openly displayed to the world. "Moses raised the brazen serpent on a rod in order that a whole people, a whole community of those who were wrapped in death's folds, might see it." The lifting up of Christ is a sign of redemption to all who look to the cross in faith The crucifixion, then, is not only the nadir of Christ's humiliation, it is also the pinnacle of his exaltation. The Jews may cast him out of the temple, the synagogue, the realm of Moses, but God had them do this so that he might be exalted far above Moses, as the faithful Son. The earthly temple was but a shadow of Christ, the heavenly temple; the earthly temple was a place where earth and heaven met. The glory of God dwelt in a house of wood and stone. But now, in Jesus, the glory of God dwelt in human flesh. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.

And now he has been handed over to Pilate. He has left the realm of Moses and has now entered the sphere of Roman authority. This is no longer a purely Jewish story. It is our story.

Pilate knows a thing or two about this Jesus. So he cannot simply ignore him. Jesus has been accused of fomenting rebellion against Rome, and of teaching people not to pay taxes to Caesar. These charges are false, but a Roman governor cannot ignore the public furor that surrounds Jesus. If Jesus is guilty, he must act swiftly, but he must be careful not to incite public hostility. After all, just 20 years ago Judas the Galilean had led a revolt against Roman authority. Now another Galilean stands before him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" A simple yes or no question. But Jesus is not going to give him the answer he wants. "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" In other words, Jesus is making the same reply to Pilate that he made to Annas. "I have said nothing in secret." I have taught openly. As Roman governor you would know if I had proclaimed myself king. This is a false charge-and you know it. If you want to know about my kingship, ask me. Pilate answered (verse 35) You must be here for some reason. Why are you here? This is the question Jesus wanted. Yes, Pilate, I am a king. But my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. This is dangerous. By admitting that he is a king, Jesus has opened himself up to a guilty verdict. But Jesus' kingdom is not of this world.

What does it mean that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world? Gallons of ink, and, I fear, gallons of blood, have been poured out over this question. It is always a perversion of the kingdom of Christ when the cross is emblazoned upon an army's banner. Jesus' kingdom never foments rebellion against the state. "It carries no sword of steel, but it holds in its hand the two-edged sword of the Spirit." (2.327) The kingdom of God seeks reformation and renewal. It calls all men to repentance-even Pilate when he sits in judgment. Jesus demonstrates for us our proper attitude toward the state as he stands before Pilate. He is not cowed by the authority of Rome. He wields a greater authority by far. Indeed, you begin to wonder who is really on trial! Pilate is beginning to see what Jesus is getting at. "So you are a king? he asks. You are a king-but of a different order. "You say that I am a king," replies Jesus. "For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world-to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Jesus' kingdom is a kingdom of truth.

Long before Michel Foucault popularized the phrase, Jesus of Nazareth taught that knowledge is power. There is a kingdom whose authority is not based on brute force, but upon the Word. And those who know that Word-those who believe on his name- wield a power beyond the comprehension of the world- to them he gave power to be sons of God.

Do you want to know what it means to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's? Look to Jesus. Standing before Caesar's governor, the Lord of Glory yields due honor to this politician. His kingdom will never seek the overthrow of Rome. He speaks plainly, answering Pilate's questions. He tells him openly about his kingdom, and quietly submits himself to Pilate's judgment. He respects the God-given authority of Pilate, and speaks the truth, calling even Pilate to listen to his voice. If you, O Roman governor, are of the truth, then you will listen to my voice.

It is not at all clear what is Pilate's tone of voice here. Is it sarcastic? "What is truth?" Is it in earnest? "What is truth?" But whatever the tone, Pilate does not expect an answer. He does not think that this Jewish radical has any answer worth his time. Whether he is a seeker or a skeptic, Pilate is not of the truth. He does not listen to Jesus' voice. Because John's point is not about Pilate. It is about Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory! The incarnate Son of God stands before this Roman judge, but Pilate cannot see.

Jesus has endured the judgment of Caiaphas and the judgment of Pilate. The high priest sits upon the mountain of Jerusalem in the temple. The governor sits upon the mountain of Rome in his palace. Caiaphas speaks on behalf of the Jews; Pilate speaks for the Gentiles. Humanity has refused to listen to him. The Jewish officer strikes him rather than prove him wrong.

Now Pilate goes back out to the Jews. He declares to them that he can find no guilt in Jesus. Jesus may be a nut-case, but he is no threat to Rome. So he offers to release him. This is not a verdict, but a test. Pilate wants to see how serious the priests are. "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" In reply, the Jews scream out, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" John says that Barabbas was a robber. Acts 3 says that he was a murderer, and Luke says that he was guilty of insurrection and murder. In other words, Barabbas is truly guilty of plotting against Rome. The priests are making their claim that Jesus is a worse criminal than Barabbas. And there is a sense in which they are right. Because in a sense, Jesus will do far greater damage to the Roman world than Barabbas ever did. The Roman world will be turned upside down by a bloodless revolution. Did I say bloodless? No, not bloodless. Because the kingdom of God is based on the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus can only revolutionize the Roman empire if he is lifted up on the cross. Only if Pilate and the priests conspire together can the kingdom of God reform Rome.

But even that way of speaking makes it sound as though the object of the kingdom is secular reform. Christ's kingdom is not of this world. It does not use the weapons of this world. It does not have the agenda of this world. It is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of God is not an alternative political party, but an alternative politics. It reorients your focus so that you do not seek worldly power, but again, as John puts it in his prologue, to those who believe, he gave the power to be sons of God. The heavenly kingdom comes through the preaching of the Word. The heavenly kingdom comes through the communion of saints. The heavenly kingdom comes through the church living as the people of God in the midst of this present evil age. In other words, as Christ stood before Pilate, so do we stand before the world. A godly society is not the goal and purpose of the church, but it is the byproduct of the kingdom. And every time the church has turned its focus towards building a godly society, the church has evaporated into the world. Rather the church is to live as the kingdom of God in the midst of this evil age.

I look at the debauchery of our culture, and I am not nearly as pessimistic as many. What else would you expect from godless pagans? But I also see the Reformed churches growing. My entire ministry has been spent preaching in churches less than ten years old. I have served as pastor or pulpit supply for six churches in Indiana, Michigan and Virginia. All of them were loaded with young families looking for a church that would combine faithful preaching, substantial worship, and a godly community that would embody the kingdom of God in their town.

Copyright © 2004 Peter J. Wallace