Rev. David Holwick M PALM SUNDAY
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
April 9, 1995
John 19:7-16
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I. Plotting to please.
A. You can't please everyone.
A rabbinical student went to observe a famous rabbi's
counseling technique.
"Rabbi, I am dumbfounded. When Mrs. Birnbaum came to you
complaining about her husband, you listened.
When she finished, you told her, 'I agree with you,
Mrs. Birnbaum.
Your husband is impossible, and you are doing everything
expected of a wife.'
This afternoon, Mr. Birnbaum came to see you and complained
about his wife.
You listened and told him, 'Mr. Birnbaum, you are right.
You are married to an impossible woman.
You are doing everything expected of a husband.'"
"That is ridiculous," the young man complained.
"Either the husband or the wife has to be doing something
wrong.
They BOTH can't be totally right!"
The rabbi thought about the accusation as he stroked his
beard.
"You know, my son," the wise old fellow finally said,
"you are right; you are right."
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B. Pilate was a people-pleaser.
1) Ended up pleasing no one.
2) Ended up on the wrong side of truth, for all eternity.
C. Will we please Jesus?
1) We are for him, or against him.
2) If we are for him, we must live by his principles.
II. Pilate's character.
A. Ingrained attitude of contempt. "Am I a Jew?" 18:35
1) When Pilate first visited Jerusalem, he let his soldiers
keep the image on top of their military standard.
To Jews, this was an idol, and previous rulers had always
removed it before entering the city.
Pilate did not.
2) In another incident, he raided the Temple treasury to
build a public works project.
3) Pilate was one who put sign on cross: "Jesus, King of the
Jews." He was mocking both Jews and Jesus.
B. Expedient: he tried to wheedle out of dilemma four ways:
1) He tried to pass the buck (lay responsibility on Jews). 18:31
2) He tried to escape by offering to free a prisoner. 18:39
3) He tried to compromise by having Jesus flogged. 19:1
4) He tried to appeal to the people:
a) "Shall I crucify your king?" 19:15
b) What if Jesus really was the Messiah?
C. Worldly, short-sighted perspective.
1) Afraid of rival king.
a) Most of his questions to Jesus addresses kingship.
b) Pilate was concerned about political status in Rome.
c) Jews played upon it. 19:12
2) Cynical of universal truth. "What is truth?" 18:38
III. The courage to make the right decision and do the right thing.
A. Pilate doesn't come across as hostile, but wishy-washy.
In his sermon "Take Your Best Shot," Gordon MacDonald talks about
the two major forms of evil that erupt out of human experience.
The crucifixion highlights both of them.
One is the crowd's irrational, angry, brutal resistance against
God, his purposes, and his people.
The other is Pilate's saying, 'I don't want to be identified
with it.'
In silence and complicity, he backs off, washes his hands, and
decides it would be better to do nothing.
"What bothers me most is my strong suspicion that I could have
been in the crowd....
I can see the possibility of being so defiant against God that
I would have joined the crowd saying, 'Crucify him!'
and self-righteously justifying myself.
I can also see myself as Pontius Pilate saying, 'I don't want
anything to do with this,' and letting it happen."
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1) Jesus actually becomes the judge, asks all the questions.
2) Pilate leans toward Jesus, but is more worried about saving
face.
B. Ended up known as one who would not stand up for truth, and Jesus.
IV. What Jesus is all about.
A. Truth is essential.
1) Our lives must be based on convictions.
a) "Whatever works" isn't good enough.
b) Due to multitude of claims, many figure, "Why bother?"
c) (Meet with couple this week, have drifted from faith
because too many other religions to be only way.)
2) Know what you believe.
a) Is Jesus right? Is the gospel true?
3) Know why it matters.
a) (Gingrich and faith in Contract as example of conviction)
b) Christians must also apply the gospel to where we live.
B. Don't compromise. Please God, not people.
1) Men-pleasers, or God-pleasers. Gal 1:10
a) Controlled by sin, cannot please God. Rom 8:8
b) Seek to please him, because he will judge us. 2 Cor 5:9f
2) Examples of courageous, no-compromise people.
a) (Serpico, NYC dirty cops, "Dirty Thirty.")
b) (Tony Campolo, service projects in inner city.)
3) Application to us.
a) What do you do when everyone around you is compromising?
b) Do we come to church to please family, or because we
want to know God?
c) Do we take a stand on moral principles that count?
C. Jesus' kingdom has different standards.
1) Politics has not changed in 2,000 years.
a) Leaders still want to be loved by everyone, and avoid
the tough decisions.
b) Force is the key to power.
1> If you doubt it, don't pay your taxes this year...
2) Jesus has also not changed in 2,000 years.
a) His kingdom is not so much a place, as a mindset.
1> Wherever Jesus is obeyed, his kingdom exists.
b) The key to power is love and service.
1> Not power-hungry, people-devouring.
c) He cannot be served by violence. 18:36
1> (Christian history notwithstanding)
D. Christians must have a different lifestyle, in a good way.
1) In world, but not "of it."
2) Loving, affirming.
3) How different are you.
V. Jesus really is a king.
A. World has power to harm, but Jesus has ultimate power. 19:11
1) He deserves our obedience.
2) Each of us will answer to him.
B. As you confront Jesus, what is your decision about him?
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Barclay
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I. Three historical episodes that reveal Pilate.
II. Four ways Pilate tried to wheedle out of his dilemma:
A. He tried to pass the buck (lay responsibility on Jews).
B. He tried to escape by offering to free a prisoner.
C. He tried to compromise by having Jesus scourged.
D. He tried to appeal to the people: "Shall I crucify your king?"
III. He did not have the courage to make the right decision and do the
right thing.
IV. Pilate's character:
A. Ingrained attitude of contempt. "Am I a Jew?"
B. A kind of superstitious curiosity.
C. A wistful longing. "What is truth?"
1) When Jesus came into his life, Pilate saw all that he had
missed.
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