April 6, 2011 - 5th Wednesday Lent Service by Pastor Paul G. Eckert, based on Matthew 27:11-4 and John 19:11-16

April 6, 2011, 5th Wednesday Lent Service - by Pastor Paul G. Eckert Sermon texts - Matthew 27:11-24 and John 19:11-16 Matthew 27:11-24 11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. 15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 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." 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. 22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" 23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" 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 19:11-16 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, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 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 Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "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. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ What do we know about Pontius Pilate? We know that his name is mentioned in history books and over 60 times in God’s book the Bible. He is mentioned in both the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds which we regularly speak together in our Sunday/Monday services. Just about all of the references to Pilate deal with Jesus’ trial. Another reference, in Luke 13:1, tells us of a time when Pilate mixed the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. In other words he definitely made use of his position as an official of the Roman government to use killing force. What else do we know? Pilate later apparently was recalled to Rome. We don’t know for sure what happened to him after that, but some tradition says that he ended up committing suicide. Now let’s get to our sermon title: PILATE, THE THINKER. That makes me think of what is known as one of the world’s best known sculptures, dating back to 1902, called "the Thinker statue." I have a picture of that here. Perhaps you’ll recall it when I describe it. It shows a man sitting on a rock, leaning forward with his left arm on his left leg and his right elbow on his right leg and his arm up with his chin on his hand. It sure looks like that man is thinking. About what, that we don’t know. But the statue made me think of our theme and Pontius Pilate. What was Pilate thinking? Looking at how he dealt with Jesus’ trial, I could come up with a theme other than PILATE, THE THINKER. If you permit me to say it, I could make the theme PILATE, THE STINKER. But maybe I better stick with PILATE, THE THINKER and make the full theme: PILATE, THE THINKER - WHAT WAS HE THINKING? I ABOUT WHO JESUS WAS (Mt. 27:11-14) 1. He received input from Jesus (11) Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. a) Pilate was stationed in Caesarea, was in Jerusalem at this time and must have heard much that made him ask this question b) without hesitation Jesus told him who He was: He was indeed the promised descendant of King David, the descendant who had come not for an earthly kingdom but as the promised eternal King with a heavenly kingdom to win for His people 2. Pilate had also heard from the people (12-13) When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" a) many false and invalid charges had been brought against Jesus at an earlier church trial b) here too Pilate no doubt heard many false charges 3. What did Pilate think, what do we think? (14) But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. a) Jesus did not answer to false charges b) what did Pilate think? - he was amazed, but not convinced c) what do we think? - thank God that we know, that we can be amazed because of the amazing grace found in Jesus II ABOUT HIS OWN RESPONSIBILITY (15-18,20-22) 1. Pilate tried to avoid his responsibility (15-18) Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. a) Pilate knew the charges against Jesus were not valid b) instead of acting on that, he clearly tried to shift responsibility 2. And then he caved in completely (20-21) But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. a) maybe he thought he could avoid an unpopular decision by trying to make the people responsible for setting Jesus free b) but it backfired; they chose an obviously dangerous criminal 3. What did Pilate think, what do we think? (22) "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" a) Pilate did not think enough to choose to do what was right b) what is the Barabbas in our lives that we are tempted to choose ahead of Jesus? - is it money, pleasure, the world’s sinful lifestyle - and do we set Jesus aside for that? c) if that is how we think, then we are stinkers too III ABOUT INPUT FROM HIS WIFE (19) 1. Pilate heard from his wife (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." a) she must have heard much about Jesus b) now she had a dream and gave her advice to her husband 2. What did he think about that? a) while basing something on a dream may not be wise b) yet here is a husband who should have listened to his wife 3. What do we think about advice? a) it can be good or bad, and dreams are questionable b) but what about advice that clearly comes from God’s will, like parents telling their children to be careful about the company they keep, the movies and TV they watch, the temptations to treat sex like a safe toy to have fun with, to think there is nothing wrong with the abuse of alcohol and drugs? c) God help us, husbands and wives and children, to follow good advice, to accept God-pleasing input IV ABOUT HIS ACCOUNTABILITY (23-24) 1. Pilate abdicated his accountability (23-24a) "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, ---. a) Pilate had concluded that Jesus clearly was not guilty b) but he gave in like a coward and abdicated his accountability 2. He tried to shift not only accountability but also blame (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!" a) he may have thought that this would make an impression b) but water could neither excuse nor wash away what he did 3. What did Pilate think, what do we think? a) Pilate and we could scrub our hands raw b) but our rubbing, our washing, our efforts of any type, cannot remove any guilty stain c) yet how often do we try to excuse ourselves for doing wrong of some type or another, try to justify ourselves? V ABOUT POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS (24a and 19:ll-12) 1. Pilate was concerned about the people (24a, 19:12) When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, ---. From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." a) he didn’t want a riot starting that would hurt him b) he didn’t want repercussions from Rome because of trouble 2. He should have been concerned about God (19:11) 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." a) Jesus here reminded Pilate that God was really in control b) also when there was more than enough sin to go around 3. What do we think of repercussions? a) are we concerned about doing what is right in God’s eyes? b) or, if we do what is wrong, is our concern mainly to avoid any repercussions, to avoid getting caught, to be able to get away with it and not get into trouble? c) and if we do get away with it with people, what about God? VI ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT JESUS (13-16) 1. The decision about Jesus was reached (13-15) 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). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. 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. a) in a court of justice gross injustice took place b) but God was greater; the evil of the people would be forced to serve God’s saving purpose: the Passover Lamb of God would be killed, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world 2. And now Pilate the thinker handed Jesus over (16) Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. a) Pilate had a major role in this, together with many others b) do we, our thinking, our sin, have a role in this? definitely! 3. What did Pilate think, what do we think? a) I don’t know for sure what Pilate thought or felt now b) I do know that we Christians don’t think of Pilate favorably c) but I also do know that in faith we Christians know what to do with Jesus: Pilate handed Him over, but we’ll hand over to Jesus our sins, the sins for which Jesus was crucified, the sins for which He paid with His innocent death so that you and I might be forgiven, God’s justice satisfied, heaven our home Concluding this sermon now, do you think we could call Pilate the stinker instead of the thinker? If so, don’t forget that God could look at you and me and because of our sins very often could say to us, "You stinkers, you." Earlier I said some tradition refers to Pilate committing suicide. Some also says he became a believer. I hope the latter is true, that Pilate eventually saw Jesus, whom he had sentenced to crucifixion, as his Savior from all of his sins. If that would be the case, how great that would be to see Pilate the thinker-stinker in heaven with all of us stinkers who have been made clean of our sins not by washing our hands with water, but by being washed clean by the precious blood of our Savior.