Things from Above for the Lord (Jn. 19:1-16)
The title of today’s message is, “Things from Above for the Lord.” Today happens to be the Passion Week, and the scripture passages have been flowing in the same stream. This actually happened last year as well, we were reading the book of Matthew and the timing aligned with Easter. It may seem like the Word of God is just a text, but actually, God is moving it in reality, in real-time, according to His time schedule.
1. Pilate of Rome
Before Jesus Christ gets crucified, there are two parties who are arguing, it is the Romans led by Pilate and the Jewish leaders.
1) No basis for a charge against him (Jn. 19:4)
(1) Flogged Jesus (Jn. 19:1)
Pontius Pilate could not discover any reason to charge Jesus Christ, no matter how much he questioned Him, so in Jn. 19:1, Pilate had Jesus flogged so he could placate the Jewish leaders.
(2) Crown of thorns, Purple robe (Jn. 19:2)
Because Jesus Christ claimed to be the King of the Jews, the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and they put a purple robe on Him, which symbolizes royalty, so they are mocking Jesus in front of the Jews.
(3) Slapped him in the face (Jn. 19:3)
Then, the Romans soldiers go and slap Jesus across the face and say, “Hail, King of the Jews.” The reason why Pilate is doing this in front of the Jewish people is so that he could placate their hearts and maybe make them feel better, but in the end, he says, “I cannot find a basis to charge against Him.”
2) Jews
(1) Crucify (Jn. 19:6)
When Pilate brings Jesus in front of the Jewish crowd, the Chief Priests and the officials are shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” and then Pilate answers, “You take Him and crucify Him, as for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
(2) Jesus – Son of God (Jn. 19:7)
(3) Law of the Jews – Blasphemes the name of the Lord (Lev. 24:16)
In Jn. 19:7, the Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law,” and that law is referring to Leviticus 24:16, which says, “Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death,” and they said, “On this basis, we have to crucify Him, but we don’t have the right to execute anyone. This Jesus is claiming to be the Son of God, and that’s blasphemy, so we must put Him to death.”
3) Pilate’s reaction
(1) When he heard this, he was more afraid (Jn. 19:8)
Jn. 19:8 says that when Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.
(2) Roman emperor – Son of sun god
If you know the background of Roman and Greek mythology, then you’ll know that many people believed that the emperor of Rome was actually the descendant of a god. There is a strong foundation of Greek mythology and Roman mythology that believes that gods would come to earth, mate with humans, and have demigods among humans, so they believed that God could take the form of a human. So, when Pilate looks at this, he is afraid that this may be a god in the form of a man, because when he questioned Jesus, the way that Jesus responds is not in an average man’s way. Now that the Jewish people are saying He is the Son of God, he is even more afraid.
(3) Pilate’s wife – Dream an uneasy omen
On top of everything, Pilate’s wife had a nightmare the night before and said, “This man is innocent and you must not crucify Him.”
2. Word of Jesus Christ
1) Pilate’s question
(1) Where do you come from? (Jn. 19:9)
(2) Jesus doesn’t reply (Jn. 19:9)
So, after he heard this, Pilate went back inside and asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” He is asking, “Did you really come from heaven?” But Jesus gave him no answer. This is actually a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53 that Jesus Christ was taken like a lamb to the slaughter and did not open His mouth. Jesus could abundantly explain Himself, but this was actually the fulfillment of a prophecy that was given long ago. Pilate later on ultimately gives Jesus Christ to be crucified on the cross so he could preserve his own life. The Jewish leaders are crucifying Jesus Christ in order to maintain their own power structure, given to them by the laws of their religion, so these are the two groups who are killing Jesus and the gospel.
But today’s message is telling you that you cannot see yourself as different from the Jews or the Romans. For us, just like the Romans and just like Pilate, we have the inner nature of opposing the gospel if it challenges our physical success. There’s also an inner nature that looks down on the gospel because I want to elevate my own righteousness and good actions first. So, Christ must be the King inside of our hearts, but the Word of God is telling us that inside of us, we have the inner nature that will deny the gospel, just like the Romans and Jews. So, we shouldn’t look at this and think, “The Romans and the Jews are bad,” because God is saying this about us, and God is telling us that, if we lived 2000 years ago, we would have been part of one of those two groups. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, I did not receive salvation because I am something special, I am actually the one who crucified Jesus Christ.
(3) Power – Free or crucify (Jn. 19:10)
Then, Pilate says to Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have the power to either crucify you or to free you?”
2) Jesus
(1) Power given from above (Jn. 19:11)
To this, Jesus replied, “You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above.” So, this is aligned with the title of today’s message, where do we get our power from? It is from above. Right now, Pontius Pilate is in a position of authority, but even that authority was given to him by heaven, so that he could maintain the physical world, however, if you use that authority given to you by God to maintain your own power and your own benefit, then that is sin.
(2) Handing Jesus over to Pilate is a greater sin (Jn. 19:11)
The High Priest Caiaphas is using the power given to him by God to persecute the gospel to protect his own power and authority, so yes, it is a sin that Pontius Pilate is using his authority to preserve his own success, but the High Priest Caiaphas, who was using his God-given authority to crucify Jesus and maintain his own church and position, is guilty of a greater sin. There are many situations where judges and legal professionals will be bribed by people to give an unjust ruling, and so the people of the nations are so angry about that. But there’s no reason for us to get so upset, because the authority given to the judges and legal officials is given by God, and if they use it for their own corrupt desires, then God is the One Who will pay back their sins. But if we don’t trust in God to do that, then we are so angry.
(3) Authority, Power, Wisdom, Possessions given by God
God is the God of all Gods and He is the King and the Lord of Lords. He knows all things and is interceding in all things. The characteristic example is David, he received the authority of the King, but he killed one of his people and took his wife, Bathsheba. God gave David the authority of the King so that he could reign over Israel on God’s behalf, but if he uses that authority for his own benefit, God will not leave him alone. God killed David’s son because if we commit an act of sin on purpose, God does not just let that go. However, if we repent and turn back to God, God will forgive us and use us again. There are a lot of sins we commit where we’re not even aware it’s a sin, but it comes from our weakness and scars. The Lord knows this and so He continues to wait for us. He continuously gives us His Word and His grace, but if we remain stubborn until the end without changing, that’s when He strikes us, but when He hits us, that is for discipline so that we may go down the correct path.
In the Old Testament, there was the priest Eli, and his two sons were so corrupt that they were stealing from the Temple and raping women inside the Temple. God does not ever let that go; He will not allow someone to use the power God gave them for their own benefit, so He kills the two sons and even kills the father Eli for causing that, for God is the Judge. Yes, there is eternal judgment where nonbelievers go to hell when they die, but God is also judging people alive on earth. So, that’s what it means that the greatest of all wisdom is fear of the LORD. Most of us will fall because of our weakness; the Lord knows this and gives us grace. He continuously gives us grace, but if you continue to ignore that, He will not leave you alone. This is the discipline of love from God.
Even after Apostle Paul received salvation and ran his ministry for a long time, he said there are two laws that are at war inside. He said there is always a battle inside of him, one is the law of his own righteousness that is fighting for his righteousness, and the other is the law of God’s grace and gospel. So, he was suffering so much because of this internal war. When is he set free from this war? He makes this confession that, “The Law of the Spirit of Life has set me free from the law of sin and death.” Before he made that confession, he said, “I don’t have the strength to fulfill the Law.”
Inside of us, there are two laws present. We listen to the law so we know it, and we know we have to evangelize as well. “I know I should do this, but on the other side of me, there is something else.” God is not saying that’s bad, because God already knows you have no other choice. That’s why Romans 8:4 says that we must receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and only then can the law be fulfilled. When you listen to the Word of God, you know the reason we go to work is to establish God’s Kingdom there, but you’ll discover as soon as you go out into the field, that you immediately live for your success and your living, and that inner conflict was something Paul had as well.
When are we set free from that? “That’s right, I can’t do it, it’s the Holy Spirit within me. I must receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit,” that is our walk of faith. There are two sides of me that are always at war, myself wanting to be Lord, and my wanting Christ to be my Lord. If I am my own lord, I will always look down on the gospel of the cross, that’s exactly what was happening to Pilate and the Chief Priest. If you think that these two groups are irrelevant to you, you are receiving God’s Word incorrectly. You might think that this is irrelevant to you, because you’re holding onto your own righteousness. Not only does God give us authority, but God gives us wisdom and God wants to use that God-given wisdom for the Lord. God has given us and shared with us His power to be athletic or physically strong, God has given to us His ability to make money and financial gain. What is sin? It is using these God-given things for your benefit, and God is saying, “That is what I will repay.” Even before you die and receive eternal judgment, God will repay you for your sins while you’re alive.
So, if there is a pastor or anointed church officer inside of the church, that is an authority given by God. Are you using that church position for the gospel and for the church? That’s what God is saying. Especially for pastors like myself, I have an authority that was given to me by God, and if I use it for myself, God will never let that slide. This is what it means for us all to stand before God. There is nothing that is unfair, but God will take care of it and He moves. The laws of the world might be unfair; however, God is our God and He is controlling all of creation, and there is no unfairness in God. God is looking at the righteous, and He is controlling all of creation. There is no unfairness in God. God is looking at the righteous, He is listening to the righteous, and He is also looking at the faces of the wicked.
3) Pilate – Wanted to set Jesus free (Jn. 19:12)
(1) Let go – No friend of Caesar (19:12)
(2) Anyone who claims to be king – Opposes Caesar (19:12)
(3) Handed Jesus over to be crucified (19:16)
3. Death of Jesus Christ
1) Day of Preparation of the Passover (Jn. 19:14)
It says here in the scripture that this happened on the day of preparation for the Passover. What is the Passover? All the Egyptians and Israelites had to die because of the 10 disasters; however, on the 10th disaster, they applied the blood of the young lamb on the doorpost, and the angel of death passed over them and saved them; it is representing the blood of Jesus Christ.
(1) Young lamb of the Passover – Jesus
The reality of the Passover Lamb is Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, but on the day they are preparing for the Passover, they are mocking and flogging Jesus. Jesus Christ is the reality of the Passover lamb, and He is here, but all of these people are rebuking the gospel and persecuting the gospel for what they desire and what they believe is right. When you look at this, you must be able to see that God allowed every incident that happened, centered on proclaiming the gospel. Even right now, it’s the same. There might be two sides at war, one side says they are correct and the other side says they are correct, but through all of this, God is using it to proclaim the gospel. If there is a Christian whose eyes are opened to see this, then you will see what God desires and what He is doing now, and through today’s main scripture, I hope you will receive that wisdom. Because during the times of the passage, God is using all sorts of things happening to proclaim the gospel, and He is doing the same thing today. I might be like the “Romans or Jews who are persecuting the gospel for my own benefit,” but even that proclaims the gospel.
The perfect example of this is Paul’s confession when he was stuck in prison. Because he was in prison, the people who hated him said, “See, Paul is in prison, he must’ve been wrong and we are right, so now we must proclaim the gospel with more fervor,” and the people who supported Paul said, “Paul is in prison so now we must proclaim the gospel with more fervor,” and Paul said, “Either way, the gospel is being proclaimed, so this is good.” The entire Bible is centered on the stream that is centered on Christ and testifying of Christ. All of the scars and experiences of my past were allowed by God to testify of the gospel now, so all of the pain of my past is healed by the gospel and God guides me to heal other people who have experienced a similar path. May today be a time of blessing where your spiritual eyes are opened to see this. Just going to church does not mean your spiritual eyes will open, right? So, through these worships, if your spiritual eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit, you will see what God desires and what work He is doing.
(2) Despised for us, took up our pain (Is. 53:3,4)
Again, Jesus Christ is being flogged, He is being slapped, mocked and ridiculed, and Pilate is only doing that to placate the Jews, but that is actually a fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah 43. It says in Isaiah 53:3-4 that He was despised and rejected, and He was struck for our sins.
(3) Our suffering, transgressions, iniquities – Peace, healing (Is. 53:5)
In Isaiah 53:5, He received our sadness from our behalf, He was pierced for our transgressions on our behalf, and by that punishment, we are able to enjoy peace. These are all the words of Isaiah 53 being fulfilled.
(4) Bear the iniquity of us all, Did not open his mouth (Is. 53:6,7)
He was oppressed and afflicted yet He did not open His mouth, He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. The gospel is not just about Jesus Christ’s death on the cross; it is about my death with Him. Then, what is the new “me”? There are two different “Adam”’s in Genesis, the first “Adam,” the original Adam, believed in and followed God’s Word and lived with God, but the second Adam did not believe God’s Word, and instead, followed Satan’s words and wanted to be his own god.
So, the “you” who was crucified on the cross with Jesus is the “you” that does not believe in God’s Word, wants to be your own god, living for your own physical desires and thoughts. If that is the “you” that was crucified, then the new “you” is the Lord Jesus Christ Who was resurrected, living within you as your Lord and being reigned by Him. So, what is the gospel? It is enjoying that I am a changed human being, and living in that faith. Now, I am no longer living according to my own thoughts and emotions like I did in the past, but because I believe that Christ is my Lord and He is alive, I live following His Word. When you face a problem, those two “you”s will rise to the surface. The old “you” that lived without God, with your thoughts, will come out when you face a problem. Then your reaction will be, “This is a big problem. Oh no, I’m stressed; how can I solve this?” That’s you coming back to life.
What is the new “you”? “The Lord is the Lord of this problem, so I must receive His guidance,” that is the new “you.” So, what is the new “you” and what is the life of the gospel and faith? It means you believe in this new “you” and you live with Him as your Lord in this physical world, but the reason you get confused is because the two “you”s fight back and forth. That is why you need to continuously root down in this gospel, so we can live with more assurance in the new “me” in faith. Jesus said in His Word, “You will place your hands on the sick and they will get well,” but you don’t believe that. Jesus Christ took all of our sicknesses on the cross for us, and now He is our Lord, so when we believe in the new “me” and place our hands and pray in faith, He will heal. When does the healing take place? It is not written. But what we must do in faith is take what was promised to us by God and pray in faith until it is fulfilled.
2) High priests
(1) Crucify him (Jn. 19:15)
Again, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, saying, “There is no basis,” and what do the Jewish leaders say in response? They say, “We have no king but Caesar.” The Jewish leaders are actually threatening Pilate right now, they are saying, “This Jesus claims to be the king of the Israelites, but our king is Caesar, so if we tell Caesar that we have another king, that’s your head that will be on the line.” So because Pilate does not want to be risked being killed by the Jewish emperor, he crucified Jesus and that is sin. Two years later, Pilate is killed by Caesar anyway because God did say that he had sinned. The High Priest Caiaphas has a greater sin, so God moves all of that forward. There’s no reason for you to feel wronged or treated unfairly, because God will take care of it. If I am my own master, then yes, I will feel slighted because things didn’t go my way. But if God is my Lord, then God will take care of it. He reigns over the church and He reigns over the entire world. Satan is just being used for the Kingdom of God, for the gospel.
(2) We have no king but Caesar (Jn. 19:15)
Then, the fact that the Chief Priests themselves answer, “We have no king but Caesar,” is confessing that they don’t believe that God is their king.
(3) Do not believe God (Jn. 8:44)
This is the evidence that the Jewish people never believed in God, and it’s coming out now. That’s the reason why, in Jn. 8:44, Jesus Christ looked at them and said, “You belong to your father the devil.” Right now, they are trying everything to obey the Sabbath and the Passover, but they don’t believe. We might believe like that, too. We go to church, we go to worship and do everything, but in reality, do we believe? We might think that we believe just like the Jews did. In the end, they confess that “Christ is not my king, my only king is Caesar.” They’re completely nonbelievers then, and that’s what God is saying.
3) All people (Rom. 3:23)
(1) Everyone did as they saw fit (Jud. 21:25)
In Judges 21:25, the last verse of Judges, and the Judges were those who decided what was right and wrong, it says, “Everyone did as they saw fit.” Pilate did what he thought was right; the High Priest did what he thought was right. If the Word of God does not reign over me as my standard, then I make the decision based on what I think is right. That’s why it says that when Jesus was taken to the cross, everybody went their own way.
(2) Cravings of the flesh and heart’s desire (Eph. 2:3)
Eph. 2:2-3 says that the ruler of the kingdom of the air, Satan, controls people by making them follow the cravings of their sinful nature and flesh, following its desires or thoughts, making us objects of wrath.
(3) Reject the Gospel when I live (Gal. 2:20)
Through today’s main scripture, we must also look at ourselves. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I believing in Jesus as my Lord and my King, or am I living, believing in and living for something else? Whatever I think is right?” Every day, we must go into the reign of the Lord. More so than the physical things, we must be ruled over by the Kingdom of Christ. We must set our plans so that every single day, we may live to establish God’s Kingdom in our fields and in the world.
Conclusion
1. Every day the Lord rules over me
Because even Apostle Paul confessed he could not do this, that’s why we just ask for the Holy Spirit. Every morning, you must receive strength. Don’t try to receive strength by watching some kind of drama or show; instead, receive strength by being ruled over and filled with the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Do not be discouraged by your life, you have no choice but to be discouraged, but instead, pray for the Lord to completely take over your life.
2. Every day raise God’s kingdom in the world
When you look out into the world, don’t say, “It’s wicked, it’s terrible,” but instead, pray for the working of the Holy Spirit to break down the forces of Satan, and establish God’s Kingdom there.
3. Every day filling of the Holy Spirit within me, Field – Works, Fruits
That is why God promised to give us the filling of the Holy Spirit. Throughout this week, may you have the grace to realize that everything comes from above, and it is God’s grace to use it for the Lord.
Message Prayer
Let us pray holding onto the Word that we have received.
Announcements
1. Online zoom early morning prayer (Mon.-Fri. 5:30, Sat. 6AM) – Raise the bartizan of prayer
2. Easter preparation: today at 1PM, Mon&Th at 6-7:15PM, Sat. at 5PM / Young adult at 5PM.
3. Church meeting at 12:30PM in Church officer’s room.
4. Missions Conference, 4/23-27
5. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, guidance, fellowship, and filling of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants who believe that everything is given to them from above, and want to use it for the Lord, be with them from now until forevermore always, amen.