SERMON: “How to Reject Jesus” (John 19:8–16)
“How to Reject
Jesus” (John 19:8–16)
Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name” #100 Text: John 19:8–16
By: Shaun Marksbury Date:
April
20, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
Rejection isn’t something that people who grow up in church
set out to do. Sometimes, though, as
kids mature and begin considering the world around them, they find that their
hold on the faith isn’t as firm as it seems to be in others. Perhaps it’s because of internal or external
temptations, but as young adults, they begin to wander. Perhaps you know that as someone who wandered
away but are coming back, or maybe you’ve known the pain of seeing someone who
has. Maybe you never even grew up in
church, but now you are considering why you’ve been in antithesis with Jesus
all these years. What is it that causes people
to ultimately reject the Lord?
This might seem like a strange sermon for Easter morning. Some of you are here for the first time and
might have expected something different.
However, we’ve been walking through the Book of John, and it would be
awkward to skip over the crucifixion of Jesus to focus solely on the resurrection. We will get there soon enough, but this
morning, we want to see how God’s Word challenges our faith in Jesus — or perhaps,
lack thereof. The fact is that Jesus is
Risen, but many choose to reject Him still.
As we read about Jesus’s condemnation in the Roman trial, we’ll
see how political fear, religious hypocrisy, and human rebellion converge. Because of this, we’ll see four ways modeled
for us as to how we can reject Jesus: We can reject Jesus with superstition (vv.
8–9), through pride (vv. 10–11), out of fear of man (vv. 12–13), and by
blasphemy (vv. 14–15). Yet, despite all
this, we’ll see how this unjust condemnation contrasts the plan of the true
King under God’s sovereign plan. Let’s
consider the first point:
II.
First, Reject Jesus with Superstition (vv. 8–9)
Therefore when
Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the
Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
This trial has just reached its climax. Remember that the Jewish leaders just accused
Jesus of claiming to be the Son of God (v. 7).
Of course, that is true, but it’s a charge that shifts the conversation
from political rebellion to divine identity. We might think that Pilate, the Roman governor,
would be wholly uninterested in this Jewish concern.
However, steeped in Greco-Roman paganism, we read that he hears
this and becomes “even more afraid.” The Greek word for fear, phobos,
indicates a deep, visceral reaction. To
him, the title “Son of God” evokes images of divine beings or “divine men” with
supernatural powers, as noted in the MacArthur Study Bible.[1] Perhaps he had heard of the
miracle worker and never gave it much credence, but he’s connecting the dots
now.
Those dots would include Pilate’s concern over what he had
already done. He had unjustly scourged Jesus (v. 1); now, he
wonders if he’s provoked a deity capable of cursing him.[2] His wife had also sent him a warning earlier,
prompted by a troubling dream she had (Matt. 27:19).[3] Thus, Pilate is more uneasy than ever.
This means that much of what Pilate did that day was
motivated by fear. He was afraid of the crowd
turning into a riotous mob. Now, though,
he was afraid of the man before him. We
might think this is good fear; as one study notes, “Perhaps the solemn majesty
of Jesus with His claims of truth
began to convict his conscience.”[4]
So, in v. 9, Pilate retreats to the Praetorium, the
governor’s residence. He questions Jesus
privately there, away from the Jewish leaders. His question, “Where are You from?” is not
about Jesus’ earthly hometown — Pilate already knows He’s from Galilee (Luke
23:6–7).[5] Instead, he’s probing Jesus’s ultimate
origin, wondering if He’s a god or a divine being. Something about this is not sitting right with
Pilate.
Jesus, however, remains silent. Why?
Perhaps He is continuing to fulfill Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed and
He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth.” He was offering Himself willingly for our
sins.
Still, it’s not that Jesus hadn’t said anything until this
point. Remember, He had already declared
His heavenly origin to Pilate (John 18:36–37), but Pilate responded with hardened
skepticism. As one study notes, “If he
had really wanted to know the truth, he would have believed what Jesus had
already told him (18:37).”[6] Matthew Henry notes, “Christ left nothing
undone of what was necessary to make a lawful confession, but he kept silence
as to asking an acquittal. Besides,
there was some danger that Pilate would acquit Christ as one of the pretended
gods, as Tiberius wished to rank him among the gods of the Romans. Justly, therefore, does Christ, by his
silence, frown on this foolish superstition.”[7] Pilate’s superstitious fear, rather than
leading to faith, paralyzes him, illustrating the first way to reject Jesus.
Superstition rejects Jesus by reducing Him to a mystical
figure rather than the Savior. Today,
people may approach Jesus with curiosity about His miracles or teachings, but
then they shy away from submitting to Him as Lord. Like Pilate, they sense His uniqueness but
refuse to trust Him fully. So, are you
dabbling in spiritual curiosity without committing to Christ? Superstition can’t save — only faith in the
risen Lord can.
Jesus’s silence here amazes Pilate (Matt. 27:14). This turns to irritation, though, “in spite
of his fears.”[8] That brings us to our next point:
III.
Second, Reject Jesus through Pride (vv. 10–11)
So Pilate said to
Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release
You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority
over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who
delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
Pilate, irritated by Jesus’ silence, lashes out in pride. In the Greek text, he emphasizes his
indignation with two extra pronouns, as if to say, “How dare you ignore me?”
Pilate boasts of his authority here,
claiming the power to crucify or acquit Jesus. His rhetorical question, “Do You not know?” also
drips with arrogance, as if Jesus is ignorant of His present situation —
ironically questioning the knowledge of the Son of God!
As one commentary notes,
This shows that the dread with
which Pilate had been suddenly seized was transitory, and had no solid root;
for now, forgetting all fear, he breaks out into haughty and monstrous contempt
of God. He threatens Christ, as if there
had not been a Judge in heaven; but this must always happen with irreligious
men, that, shaking off the fear of God, they quickly return to their natural
disposition. Hence also we infer, that
it is not without good reason that the
heart of man is called deceitful,
(Jer. 17:9;) for, though some fear of God dwells in it, there likewise comes
from it mere impiety. Whoever, then, is
not regenerated by the Spirit of God, though he pretend for a time to reverence
the majesty of God, will quickly show, by opposite facts, that this fear was
hypocritical.[9]
Jesus breaks His silence in v. 11 to deliver a humbling
truth: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from
above.” This statement echoes Romans
13:1, which declares that all authority is derived from God. All those with authority, from kings to
governors to judges, must answer to God as to how they use that authority.
Pilate’s power is not absolute but delegated, subject to
God’s sovereign will. As In fact, as
another study notes, “Since Jesus is one with the Father, He also is claiming
that Pilate’s authority is from Him.”[10] Pilate, though morally responsible, is operating
according to God’s sovereign, redemptive purposes.
Jesus adds, “For this reason he who delivered Me to you has
the greater sin.” Jesus might have Judas
in mind, who betrayed or handed Jesus over (though to the Jewish authorities). He’s more likely referring to Caiaphas here,
the high priest who orchestrated Jesus’ arrest and trial (John 18:24, 28);
[11] as
a religious leader, had greater exposure to the Scriptures and should have
recognized the Messiah, making his sin more culpable. Yet, Jesus’ words imply that Pilate is not
sinless — his prideful refusal to act justly implicates him as well.
Pride rejects Jesus by either religious confusion or exalting
oneself over divine sovereignty. We see
this today when people cling to their own wisdom, achievements, status, or false
religion, refusing to bow to Christ. Pilate’s
boast mirrors the heart that says, “I don’t need a Savior.” Yet, Jesus’ words remind us that all power is
God’s, and pride leads only to judgment. Humble yourself before Christ, acknowledging
His lordship, and find grace.
Some will not do this, though. They are afraid of what people will think of
them. This brings us to the third point:
IV.
Third, Reject Jesus out of Fear of Man (vv.
12–13)
As a result of
this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you
release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to
be a king opposes Caesar.” Therefore
when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the
judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Jesus’s words seem to have stirred Pilate’s conscience.
[12] The phrase “as a result of this” indicates
that Pilate, moved by Jesus’s declaration, seeks to release Him. The verb here suggests Pilates ongoing
attempts. As 1 Corinthians 2:8 notes, if
the rulers of this age had understood, “they would not have crucified the Lord
of glory;” well, Pilate seems to glimpse some glory at this moment.
However, he lacks the courage to act. Just as before, Pilate fails at his efforts. Ultimately, the fear of man weighed heavier in
his heart than the fear of the Lord, and that was because he didn’t fully grasp
who Jesus was.
The Jewish leaders, sensing Pilate’s hesitation, shift
tactics. They say, “If you release this
Man, you are no friend of Caesar,” accusing him of disloyalty to Caesar. This is ironic, of course; the Jews themselves
despised Roman rule.[13] Yet,
as one study notes, “The Jews shifted their focus from the religious charge (v.
7) to the political charge (18:33), which they backed up with an appeal to
Caesar’s own political interest. This
new plea forced Pilate to choose between yielding to an indefinite sense of
right or escaping the danger of an accusation at Rome.”[14] They weaponize Caesar’s name to manipulate
Pilate.
So, Pilate, fearing a report to the paranoid Emperor
Tiberius, capitulates.[15] We read in v. 13 that he leads Jesus outside
of the Praetorium and sits once again on the bēma or “judgment seat.” This is a place where he’s been addressing
the crowd called The Pavement, or in Aramaic, Gabbatha, meaning “elevated
place.” This stone-paved court is where
Pilate renders his verdict. [16]
Ironically, this is the seat of judgment by which Pilate
will choose injustice, to execute an innocent man. There is an eternal judgment seat one day for
unbelievers (Rev. 20:11–15). As Romans
14:10 says, we “will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” Pilate himself will one day face the bēma
seat of Christ.
Fear of man rejects Jesus by valuing human approval over
God’s. Today, this manifests when we
compromise our faith to avoid ridicule, rejection, or loss of status. Pilate’s fear led him to betray justice; our
fear can lead us to betray Christ. Proverbs
29:25 warns, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord
will be exalted.” Trust Christ, even
when it costs you, for He is worth it.
Sadly, some place other things above Christ. We see that with our final point:
V.
Fourth, Reject Jesus by Blasphemy (vv. 14–16)
Now it was the day
of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him,
crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief
priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he then handed Him over to them to be
crucified.
John sets the scene we must consider. He describes this as the “day of preparation
for the Passover,” a point of debate. This
is likely Friday of Passover week, preparing for the Sabbath (John 19:31, 42). Matthew, though, says this is “after the day
of preparation” (Matthew 27:62). If this
means Thursday, when the lambs were being slaughtered, meaning that the meal
Jesus ate with His disciples was not the Passover meal. One commentary notes that the term “Preparation”
regularly refers to Friday preparations for the Sabbath,[17] and that Passover here can
refer “the entire Passover week.”[18] John probably mention this, then, to set up
the need to get Jesus off the cross quickly in vv. 31–37).[19] This is, in short, why we remember the
crucifixion as a Friday event.
He also mentions that this is the “sixth hour.” This would have been around 6 a.m. Roman time. However, people of this era, before clocks
and watches, sometimes rounded up or down to the nearest three-hour marker of
the day,[20] so
it’s hard to be precise here.[21]
Pilate, still mocking the Jews, echoes his earlier “Behold,
the Man!” (v. 5) by saying “Behold, your King!”
In one sense, he blasphemes Christ by not taking Christ’s kingship seriously,
though he is targeting the Jews with this jab.[22] Of course, through his sarcasm, Pilate
unwittingly proclaims Jesus’ true identity.
The Jews respond with fury, chanting, “Away with Him, away
with Him, crucify Him!” Their double cry
of fulfills Isaiah 53:3, where we learned the Messiah would be “despised and
forsaken of men.” Yet, Pilate, still goading
them,[23]
asks, “Shall I crucify your King?” The
chief priests’ reply is staggering: “We have no king but Caesar.”
This is amazing blasphemy on their part. They unwittingly renounce God as Israel’s
true King (1 Sam. 12:12; Psa. 10:16), with the words now as well as their
actions. Their declaration is a self-damning
statement, as they trade their Messiah for a pagan emperor.
Blasphemy rejects Jesus by denying His rightful place as
King. Today, this occurs when people
pledge allegiance to worldly systems, ideologies, or self over Christ. The cry “no king but Caesar” mirrors hearts
that want autonomous self-rule or the idolatry of exalting someone or something
above Christ. The question is whether we
will crown Christ King in our hearts or reject Him for a lesser lord.
This ultimately leads to Jesus’s crucifixion, as we see in
v. 16. Let’s consider that thought as we
close.
VI.
Conclusion
It may appear that the forces of evil in this world have won
at this point. The unbelieving Jewish
leadership wanted Jesus dead, and the Romans have capitulated. They send this innocent man to His
death.
But this is all taking place according to the will of God,
and it will amount to a victory over sin, death, the devil, and the world. What seems to end in crucifixion will turn
into the literal, bodily resurrection of our Lord, when He proves nothing has
ultimate power over Him!
What about us? We may
likewise face hardships in this life, but we can be sure that, in Christ,
Sunday is coming. We may struggle with overcoming
sin, but we can know we have forgiveness in Him, and that Sunday is coming. But you will have no hope if you reject
Jesus, so don’t allow superstition, pride, fear of man, or blasphemy to reign
in your heart. Turn it all over to
Christ, who paid for even these sins on the cross.
[1] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1623.
[2] John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago, IL: Moody
Publishers, 2008), 340.
[3] A. T. Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jn
19:8.
[4] Edwin A. Blum, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 338.
[5] Robertson, Jn 19:9.
[6] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Jn 19:9.
[7] John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, (Bellingham, WA: Logos
Bible Software, 2010), 2:219–220.
[8] Robertson, Jn 19:9.
[9] Calvin, 2:220.
[10] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 19:11.
[11] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible,
(Biblical Studies Press, 2005).
[12] Edwin A. Blum, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 338.
[13] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible, 1623.
[14] Radmacher, et. al., Jn 19:12.
[15] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible, 1623.
[16] Biblical Studies Press.
[17] D. A. Carson, The
Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Leicester,
England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 603.
[18] Ibid., 604.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The
Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith,
(Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1612.
[21] Carson, 605.
[22] Robertson, Jn 19:14.
[23] Blum, 339.
