Good Friday – Jesus was So Good to His Prosecutors and Judges
34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “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.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. 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.”
John 18:34–37 ESV Read More
It’s Good Friday so we are reading parts of Christ’s trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. In this section, Jesus is being questioned by Pilate. This would probably be the first time Pilate heard of Jesus specifically, and certainly the first time they were able to talk to each other.
Jesus has a lot at stake. He knows that the Jews are trying to get Him killed and that Pilate is the one to make the decision. He could talk to Pilate about all of the good things He has done: healed the sick, fed the hungry, taught wisdom in the streets, etc. Instead, Jesus gives Pilate himself a chance at faith in the Father. You can almost hear Jesus saying, “Have some wisdom Pilate, they called me the king of the Jews, but would you take the time to consider who I am?”
The dialogue of Pilate that is recorded here is pretty short and shallow. Even actors in the Jesus movies tend to play the Pilate part as a grump that talks too fast and mumbles. The fact is, Pilate seems to be the one with absolute power and Jesus seems to have none at all, not even over His own life. Jesus had sorrow over that fact the night before in a garden, but today He is committed and submitted to His course. Instead of defense or self-justifying, He is reaching out to everyone in His path so that they would come to believe in Him.
“If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Jesus said to the high priest’s guard when the guard punched Him. Jesus didn’t defend Himself, he gave that guy something to consider that would bring him to believe.
“Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Jesus didn’t argue with Pilate but walked him through the process of really considering who Jesus might be.
“You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” Jesus has a last chance to convince Pilate, but all He tries to convey is that someone more powerful than Pilate is in charge, and He will make the right decisions about sin.
May we see the love and compassion to save in Christ as He goes to, hangs on, and has victory over the cross. May we point all of our conversation to guide people to faith in Him, even when the odds are against us. And on this Good Friday, may we consider and embrace that He didn’t defend Himself so that He could be with each of us today.
Good Friday!
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