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This sermon – Pilate’s Bane – was originally preached 2013.04.21 by Jerrill Schrock.

Passages used: John 18:28-41, John 19, Philippians 2.

Pilate’s Bane

Pilate discerned something different about Jesus. He sensed that there was a very unusual person here in his presence.

Pilate asked Jesus where he had come from, he wanted to know who exactly who he was dealing with. In a lot of ways he was insecure in his position here. Especially when Jesus told him that he had no power except the power that was given to him from God.

Pilate tried to set Jesus free. If Jesus had responded the way a “normal” human being would have Pilate would have probably had the opposite affect.

The final straw came when the Jews brought Pilate’s future into the equation. Pilate was brought to the point where he had to choose between Jesus and the mob. He chose the mob because the mob seemed to have the upper hand.

Pilates final will, in a legal sense, had to be in place before Jesus could be crucified.

The people around this situation responded and acted in many different ways. Here are a few of them.

• The disciples deserted Jesus.
• The Sanhedrin held a “kangaroo court…”
• The soldiers whipped Jesus and mocked his claim of Kingship.
• The Jewish Hierarchy stirred the mob to call for Jesus blood.
• Pilate tried to release Jesus. Pilate wrestled to try to keep Jesus from being crucified. He was afraid of Jesus. Ultimately though he gave in to the mob, “Shall I crucify your king?”

In a sense Jesus is in our “judgement hall” we must choose what we will do with Him.

What will you do with Jesus? Will you recognize Him as who He is? We must either take Him for who He says He is or we will deny Him.

Is Jesus only a hero in our lives? Or is He the Lord and Master of our lives?