The sermon, titled 'The King Delivered to Gentiles,' focuses on John 18:28-40, where Jesus is led from Caiaphas to Pilate. The speaker, Jason Dohm, emphasizes the difference between the external religious practices of the Jewish leaders and the internal reality of Jesus as the Passover Lamb. The sermon explores the unique perspective of John's Gospel, which omits certain details found in the synoptic Gospels to focus on new truths. Pilate's questioning of Jesus centers on accusations of rebellion against Caesar. Jesus explains that His kingdom is not of this world, indicating a spiritual realm rather than a political threat. The sermon highlights the Jews’ demand to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas, underscoring the contrast between injustice and divine justice. Jesus’ crucifixion is explained as the fulfillment of Scripture, bearing the curse of sin for humanity. Dohm urges listeners to seek a new heart beyond mere external religion, emphasizing the necessity of being born again and recognizing Jesus as the curse bearer for all who repent and believe.

Our sermon text today is John chapter 18 verses 28 through 40. Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? They answered and said to him, If he were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him up to you.

Then Pilate said to them, you take him and judge him according to your law. Therefore, the Jews said to him, it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke signifying by what death he would die. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again called Jesus and said to him, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, are you speaking for yourself about this?

Or did others tell you this concerning me? Pilate answered, am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews.

But now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to him, are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.

Pilate said to him, what is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to him, I find no fault in him at all, But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" Then they all cried again, saying, "'Not this man, but Barabbas.'" Now Barabbas was a robber." The title of the sermon this morning is The King Delivered to the Gentiles. Of course the King is Jesus and of course the Gentiles are represented by Pilate, the governor of Israel during the time of the account that we are studying here in the Gospel of John. Jesus is being tried so that he will be crucified for sinners.

Here is the flow of our chapter. In verse 12, Jesus is arrested. In verse 13 we read, and they led him away to Annas first, Annas being the father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest that year. He is questioned by Anas. And then in verse 24 we read, then Anas sent him down to Caiaphas the high priest.

This point in the chapter we go back to Peter and his denials and then we come to verse 28 which says, then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. If you are familiar with the other gospels, you immediately recognize that John doesn't give us anything about what happened when Jesus was before Caiaphas. The other three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, speak extensively of Jesus' questioning before the Sanhedrin, which is presided over by Caiaphas the High Priest. John doesn't give us one single word of that. It just skips right to Jesus being taken to the Praetorium, where he will stand before Pilate, the Roman governor.

I continue to say and continue to believe with all my heart that's because John was by far the latest Gospel written. That he understood that Matthew, Mark, and Luke were in wide circulation amongst the Lord's people. And one of his great objectives in his gospels is to give us precious truths that have not been related in Matthew, Mark, and Luke without restating much of what is given in those other gospels. So that's been our experience. The whole time of working through John is finding time after time, hey things that are in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are missing here and the things that John recounts are missing in the other gospels.

I think that is the explanation for that. So let's get right to the text as we come to the text. So ask the Lord to help us. Oh Jesus, how you humbled yourself. We know from the Gospel of Matthew that if you had desired it you could have called down twelve legions of the heavenly host to defend you against any who wiped off every living thing on this earth so that you wouldn't have to go through any of this on behalf of sinners.

You so willingly have laid down your life for sinners. Thank you. I pray that you would use our working, our way through these texts about you being judged and then crucified to give us such a joy and love for the Lord Jesus in our hearts. Oh, cause our love for you to expand in these texts, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen. We'll be subdividing As usual, starting with verses 18-32.

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? They answered and said to him, If he were not an evildoer, we would have not delivered him up to you. And Pilate said to them, You take him and judge him according to your law.

Therefore the Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke, signifying by what death he would die." In this section we have religion which is fundamentally external on display. So if you are taking notes on the handout and filling in blanks, external fills out the blank here on the handout. Religion which is fundamentally external on display. This is the billboard for external religion. You might think it odd that the Jews would disturb their governor early in the morning.

Two things for you to consider here. One, the Jews had an overwhelming military force of Roman soldiers when they arrested the Lord Jesus. So there has obviously been some level of coordination between the Jewish leaders and the Roman governor. An overwhelming force of Roman soldiers would not have been dispatched without the knowledge of Pilate. Secondly, many Roman officials started their work days very early and finished before noon.

I didn't know that. I sort of had envisioned this text all along as Pilate wiping the sleep from his eyes as he's rousted out of bed by the Jews bringing Jesus. In all likelihood that's not the case at all. It was customary for Roman officials to start their work before the sun was up and to be done by noon. And so this was probably quite a common occurrence that Pilate, so to speak, would be open for business even early in the morning.

A praetorium was simply a headquarters for the highest ranking Roman. Normally, Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean was the headquarters or the praetorium of the Roman governor. But during the feasts, in order to make sure that good order was maintained when all of Israel converged on Jerusalem, the Roman governor would shift his headquarters from Caesarea on the Mediterranean to Jerusalem for those weeks and then he would go back to his normal headquarters. There's a debate about what the praetorium or the headquarters of the Roman governor would have been at this time. There's a couple of different locations.

It doesn't matter. The text doesn't say. Now, to remain ceremonially clean for the Passover, to be able to participate in the ongoing feasts of the Passover. Remember that the Passover proper, the killing of the Passover lamb was really sort of the kickoff to a week of feasts and celebration that would last eight days from start to finish. All eight days having certain celebrations in order to remain ceremonially clean for the events of the week.

You could not go into a house with leaven. It's the feast of unleavened bread. All Jewish homes had to purge their homes of leaven. And you couldn't go into the home of a Gentile. Undoubtedly, the Praetorium was both.

Definitely the home of a Gentile. The Roman governor probably full of leaven. Here was the rule. You couldn't come under the roof, but you could be in the courtyard. If you came under the roof of a house with 11, or the house of a Gentile, if you came under the roof, you were ceremonially unclean and for a period of time you couldn't participate in the events of the week.

But if you were to come into the courtyard not under a roof, you could maintain your status as ceremonially clean. This is what we see in our text. We see Pilate accommodating these religious sensitivities. In other words, he comes out to them so that they won't be under his roof and they can remain ceremonially clean. Then he goes back in to talk to Jesus, then he comes out to him, this is going to happen well into chapter 9.

In out, in out, this is Pilate accommodating these religious sensitivities. Now think of this, Michael has already mentioned it, but just pause to consider what is happening. These Jews are literally committing the greatest crime ever committed in the history of the human race. They are conspiring to murder the Son of God and their Messiah. Think of all the great crimes you've ever read about, studied, heard of, this crime is greater.

And at the same time, they are very, very precise about their observance of the external requirements of the Passover. Jesus is the reality of the Passover. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the Passover lamb, but they don't want to come under His roof so that they won't be defiled and miss a meal during Passover week. Jesus condemned the Jewish leaders for this in Matthew 23 verse 23.

Just listen to Matthew 23 verse 23. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. You are tithing down to the garden spices.

But you have no place in your religion for justice and mercy and faith. You're swallowing camels and straining out gnats. This is exactly what we see here. This isn't a condemnation of anything external in religion. He says, these you ought to have done.

You ought to tithe. You ought to give and comply with what the law says about giving. But that external thing shouldn't have been done leaving undone. The weightier matters. The things that matter so much more than tithing the garden spices.

Ryle quotes a commentator who says essentially, if Pilate had only known he would not have let these wicked men defile his courtyard. That the wrong party was worried about defilement. They're worried, we'll come into a house with 11. We'll come into the home of a Gentile and be defiled and not be able to participate in the meals of the week. It should have been Pilate worried that the pavers in his courtyard were being stained with the sins of these wicked men who were killing their Messiah.

Pilate wants to know their accusation against Jesus. The Jews want nothing to do with this inquiry. They have already determined that Jesus must die. They are only here seeking permission to do what they cannot do without the permission which is to put Jesus to death. The Romans would only let conquered people self-govern up to a point, but never to executing prisoners.

The Jews assure Pilate that Jesus' guilt has already been determined, that he is an evildoer. So Pilate says, you take him and judge him according to your law then. This is the beginning of a pattern we will see develop. Pilate wants out. This is just the first installment of a pattern pilot wants out He wants to dismiss them right now to just handle things according to their law and leave him out of this.

Finally in verse 32 we see this, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke signifying by what death he would die. These things are playing out according to the plan of God. According to the Jews, why does Jesus have to die? If you go back to Matthew, Mark, and Luke and look at Jesus before the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas presiding, you find that they get him to claim that he is the Christ, that he is the Son of God, and they say you must die for that. So that's why they're really here.

Jesus owns being the Son of God. Jesus owns being the Messiah sent by God. What should he be for that? If he is not really the Son of God, if he is not really the Messiah, what should happen to him? He should be stoned for blasphemy.

Jesus has said these things, Matthew 20, 17-19. Now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, behold we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes. And they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify and the third day he will rise again." Or Matthew 26 verse 2. Jesus says, You know that after two days is the Passover and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.

Jesus knew that He wouldn't be stoned, that He would be crucified, He said as much. Or John 3 verse 14, these texts that I just read in Matthew are in chapter 20, chapter 26, late in Jesus' ministry. In John, this theme of him being crucified begins early in his ministry. John chapter 3, Jesus speaking to Nicodemus, he says in John 3 verse 14, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Jesus is going to be lifted up on the cross as the sign of cursing, of the wrath of God against sin. This use of the phrase lifted up is explicitly clarified in John chapter 12 verses 32 and 33.

Jesus says, And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself. And then this next verse, John the Gospel writer clarifies, this he said signifying by what death he would die. The lifting up signifies by what death he would die. The Apostle Paul drives the essential point home in Galatians 3. Turn to Galatians 3.

I want you to see this. You say, Jesus dies for sinners. Why does it matter why Jesus dies for sinners? God set this up from the beginning. And Paul drives the point home in Galatians chapter 3.

Follow along as I read Galatians chapter 3, verses 10-14. Galatians chapter 3 verses 10 through 14. Paul writes this, Galatians 3, 10, for as many as are of the Works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith. Yet the law is not a faith but the man who does them shall live by them.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Paul quotes Deuteronomy 21, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.

And he points to Jesus and said, that's what's happening on the cross. It's a curse bearer on the cross. And he's saying, you deserve the curse. If you want to be justified by law, works, righteousness, you have to continue in all the things which are written in the law. All the law, all the time, for a lifetime.

It's the only way to be righteous in God's sight by the works of the law. Continuing in all of the law, all the time. That's why the just shall live by faith. Only one person in all of human history can say, from my first breath to my last, I have continued in all of the law all of that time. It is Jesus.

It qualifies Him to hang on the cross to be a substitute, to trade places with me. I haven't had a sinless day or hour in a long life. I have not continued in all the law. I deserve the curse. Jesus has been made a curse for me.

I deserve to hang on the tree, but Jesus goes to the tree to hang on the tree. Remember what we've been saying, there are two tracks here. The gross injustice of sinless Jesus being treated in such a scandalous way, and the other parallel track, the track of the substitute, justice actually being rendered, gross injustice and justice rendered, because Jesus is willing to place himself to bear the anger of God against the sin of the sinner. Here he is as the substitute. He must die on the cross because cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree.

And he has come to bear the curse for his people. So there will be no more curse left for his people. No more curse. The next section. Verses 33 through 33-38.

Back to John 18 verses 33-38. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to him, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Are you speaking for yourself about this? Or did others tell you this concerning me?" Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me.

What have you done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to him, Are you a king then?

Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, What is truth? When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault in him at all. In this section we have the Kingdom of Christ and those who will not be his subjects.

You're filling in blanks on the handout, taking notes that way. Kingdom and subjects fills in the blanks. The kingdom of Christ and those who will not be his subjects. The Gospel of John implies that the Jews are charging Jesus with rebellion against Caesar, setting himself up as a rival king to Caesar, to displace Caesar. This is actually explicit in the Gospel of Luke.

Listen to The Gospel of Luke chapter 23 verses 2 and 3. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king. Then Pilate asked him, saying, Are you the king of the Jews? He answered him and said, It is as you say." So you can see how these two passages come together. What is implied in John is explicit in Luke.

They accused him of perverting the nation, saying that you shouldn't pay taxes, setting himself up as a rival king to displace Caesar as king. So when Pilate begins to question Jesus, this is the line of questioning. Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus asks Pilate to say whether he himself is accusing Jesus of rebellion against Caesar or if he is only taking up the accusations of others. Now, what is the immediate historical backdrop?

The triumphal entry. Within the past week, Jesus has entered Jerusalem to the acclaim of the multitudes. Flip back to John chapter 12. I just want to read two verses from John chapter 12 to remind you of what has happened this week in our text. John chapter 12 verses 12 and 13.

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him and cried out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. So within the week, within Jerusalem, a multitude, probably hundreds of thousands of people, remember there are millions coming to the Passover. Probably hundreds of thousands of people are thronging, cheering, acclaiming, saying, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. If you think that the Roman coming to Jerusalem, extra force coming to Jerusalem, to make sure that the feast comes and goes under good order. Pilate the governor himself coming from Caesarea, more troops coming into Jerusalem were oblivious to this.

You're crazy. Troops were there for this. Pilate heard of this. Can you prove it with chapter and verse? No.

I think Pilate heard of this. I think Pilate heard this. And yet, Jesus forces Pilate to consider whether or not he has seen any evidence that Jesus is a threat to either the power or the revenue of Rome? This is what he is asking here. Have you seen any evidence that I am a threat to the power of Rome?

Though I came into Jerusalem with maybe hundreds of thousands proclaiming me king, have you seen any evidence that I am a threat to the power of Rome? Have you seen any evidence that I am a threat to the coffers of Rome, the revenue of Rome. Have you ever heard of me saying that people shouldn't pay their taxes? The pilot is not about to be cross-examined by the prisoner. He says this in verse 35, Am I a Jew?

Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done? It's not my people who have drug you before me. It's not Romans who have brought you before me. It's Jews.

It's the leaders of the Jews who have brought you here. Your own people have turned you over to the occupying governor. What have you done? But his question, what have you done, actually answers Jesus' question. Is this your accusation or does it come from others?

What have you done? He has no first person knowledge of Jesus threatening Caesar, his authority over the Jews, or his ability to tax the Jews. His own question answers Jesus' question. Jesus responds not denying that he is a king with the kingdom, but by explaining the nature of his kingdom. Look at verse 36.

My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here." Jesus is the kingdom that is not derived from the world. The world did not create his kingdom. The world did not bestow this kingdom.

The world does not maintain this kingdom with its armies. The world cannot revoke this kingdom. The world cannot judge this kingdom in any meaningful sense. The world cannot overthrow this kingdom, even by hanging this king on a cross. Jesus says this in Luke 17 verse 21.

Listen to Luke 17 verse 21. Nor will they say, see here or see there, for indeed the kingdom of God is within you." He's talking about the coming, the advancement of the kingdom, and he's saying Don't wait for people to say, see it here with your eyes, see it there with your eyes, because the Kingdom of Heaven is a Kingdom that advances heart by heart, imperceptibly to the human eye. It crosses the borders of earthly kingdoms. No earthly kingdom can keep it out. It doesn't matter who pays for it, or how high you make it.

No border wall keeps this kingdom out. It's a different kind of kingdom. Jesus' kingdom isn't defended with armies, and it doesn't collect taxes. Jesus had already refused such a kingdom from a multitude of Jews. In John chapter 6, he feeds 5, 000 people.

And then in John chapter 6 verse 15 we read this. John chapter 6 verse 15, Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he departed again to the mountain by himself alone. He had to flee accepting a kingdom like this. They wanted him, the multitude, when he fed the multitude, they wanted him to have a king defended by armies that levied taxes. Jesus was having none of it.

He fled that. Had Jesus accepted that kind of kingdom, his servants would fight. He did not accept that kind of kingdom. They would not fight. Jesus never told people not to pay their taxes.

He never told anyone to take up arms against the civil government. Now, I'm acknowledging that at this point in the sermon I am going to move on and I am leaving aside a whole category which could be explored at this point, which is how do the kingdoms of the world and Jesus' kingdom relate. I am acknowledging that is a big category that our text touches on and I'm just going to move right beyond it. Because other passages deal with that, deal more comprehensively, deal more specifically with it. I'm not preaching on those passages today.

But I will say this, don't draw conclusions from this text which end with those two kinds of kingdoms having no relationship. In other words, don't take what Jesus says here to say that the kingdoms of the world and the kingdoms of our Christ have no relationship at all. Never the two shall meet. Here's what J.C. Ryle says, Christ's kingdom can get on very well without them, but they cannot get on very well without Christ's kingdom.

That just skims the surface, but I'm going to leave it at that. Jesus doesn't need the kingdoms of the world. They don't create His kingdom, they don't maintain His kingdom, they could never take His kingdom away from Him. But the Kingdoms of the world need the kingdom of Christ very much. Go to Psalm 2 where the psalmist says, kiss the Son, lest he be angry with you, to the kings of the earth.

Pilate seeks to confirm his understanding. Are you a king then? I think I'm hearing you say you're a king. Is that correct? Jesus embraces the title.

You say rightly that I am a king, and he speaks about his mission. This is more on the nature of his kingdom and his nature as the king of this kingdom. Look at the red letters in verse 37. You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.

Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. J.C. Ryle says this, He came armed with no other weapon but truth, to testify to fallen man the truth about God, about sin, about the need of a Redeemer, about the nature of holiness. To declare and to lift up before man's eyes this long lost and buried truth was one great purpose of his ministry.

Jesus came to convince us of the bad news. All true. All the bad news that he gives us about the holiness of his father and how defiled we are is all true. He came to convince us that all that is true. And to deliver the good news that he was sent from heaven to wipe away the anger of God against anyone who would repent and believe the Gospel.

Anyone can be free from the anger of God against their sins. It can be as if they were as white as snow. They can be made as white as snow by His blood. By the way, this is our example. This is our example.

Our great weapon is truth. I praise God for the money that we've raised to send people to Turkey to preach Christ. Our great weapon is not the money. It is truth. It is what Jesus said about God, and about man, and about His Son, and about this all demanding a response that we repent and believe the Gospel.

We could do it with so much less money. We could never do it without that message. Jesus advanced his kingdom by truth. And when we feel the urge to act like a kingdom of the world, in our approach to force, or money, or any number of different things, we need to revert. Our greatest weapon is truth.

We have it in hand. It doesn't mean that money and order don't have a place in God's economy. It means that the priority is the message. We are people of the message. Jesus is saying He was that.

We following him are that. Finally, Pilate pours contempt on objective truth as a legitimate category. He scoffs at truth, objective truth, as a legitimate category. He says, what is truth? And then he doesn't wait a second for an answer, he moves on.

It's not an honest question seeking an answer. He had the truth before Him. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. He stood as far as I am from you, from the truth. He asked what is truth.

He didn't wait for an answer. Jesus had just said, everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. And Pilate promptly proves that he is not one of that number. Friends, can't you see that this is the favorite shift, the favorite dodge, the favorite evasion of every unbeliever? Oh please, enough of your truth claims.

The Muslims say they have the truth. The Hindus say they have the truth. The Buddhists say they have the truth. Atheists say they have the truth. You Christians say you have the truth.

And even then Catholics say this and Protestants say that. Calvinists say this and Armenians say that. All the claims are the same. How Is anyone supposed to discern which is right or if all are wrong? What does Jesus say?

And when the Holy Spirit has come, He will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. What does Paul say? What may be known about the eternal attributes of God are clearly shown, but people suppress the truth in unrighteousness. It's not that the eternal attributes of God can't be known or aren't known, it's that people love unrighteousness. They love their sin, Romans 1.

It is all just a shift, a dodge, an evasion. It is willful blindness. There is no excuse. Blindness. There is no excuse.

No one will stand before God when they are judged for their thoughts and their words and deeds and will be able to say, how was I to know? The Muslims said they had truth and the Buddhists and the Hindus and the atheists and there were all kinds of Christians I just couldn't sort it out. God will say you have no Excuse. Pilate doesn't wait for an answer. It wasn't an honest question.

He doesn't want an answer. Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness because their deeds were evil." John 3. History says that a few years from now, Pilate will be recalled to Rome. He will be convicted for slaughtering Samaritans. He will commit suicide.

He will take his own life in his sins. He was from Me to you, from Jesus, and there was life in him. The last two verses, verses 39 and 40. Pilate says, but you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?

Then they all cried again, saying, Not this man, Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. These verses we have the demand to kill the king and free the murderer. If you're taking notes on the handout, kill and free, fill in the blanks. The demand to kill the king and free the murderer.

If you're taking notes on the handout, kill and free, fill in the blanks. The demand to kill the king and free the murderer. Pilate has found The custom is to free a prisoner as a sign of goodwill to the governed to give a prisoner back. He can condemn Jesus to appease the Jewish leaders, but still release Jesus in response to the will of the people. He knows that Jesus is the darling of the people.

He came into town to Hosanna, blessed is the King of the Jews, a week earlier. The other Gospels say that the chief priests stirred up the people to reject Jesus, cry out for Barabbas. And this is what happens. They didn't realize how strong the grip of the chief priests over the people was. He knows that it's wrong to condemn Jesus, but he doesn't have the courage to do what is right.

There is a whole sermon on pragmatism here, which I shall not preach now. John calls Barabbas a robber. Don't get the wrong idea. This is no pickpocket. You don't get crucified for being a pickpocket.

Think about the parable of the good Samaritan. A Jew is on his way to Jericho and robbers fall upon him and they rob him and beat him and leave him for dead. Now that's the robber. A brigand would be someone who would fall upon you with violence to take your stuff and maybe your life. That's the word.

Mark 15 verse 7 says, And there was one named Barabbas who was chained with his fellow rebels. They had committed murder in the rebellion. Luke says that it actually happened in Jerusalem. There had been a rebellion, an uprising in Jerusalem, and a group had murdered, Barabbas was one of them, probably the leader of them. He was being held to be crucified for real rebellion against Caesar and murder.

Now back to our two tracks. Injustice, the murderer clamored for. The innocent rejected. Injustice, and yet on the other track, justice. It's symbolic.

What is happening with Jesus and Barabbas is offered to you. Think if you were Barabbas. You have hours left. They're crucifying today. He's guilty.

He's in the hands of the Romans. He is down to a few hours. Jesus takes his place on the cross. Jesus takes his place on the cross. He walks free.

What luck, not luck. Not luck. Justice. Diverted. Not luck.

Justice. Diverted. Three applications. Number one, make sure you have a new heart, not just a robust external religion. Make sure you have a new heart.

You must be born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, Nicodemus was nicer than all these guys combined. Jesus said you must be born again. You have such a robust external religion. You must be born again.

None of it will save you. It will save you. Your heart can be so black and you be so respectable to Everyone around you. Do you know that? Your heart can be black as soot from the fireflies.

And everyone around you thinks you're the nicest guy, thinks you'll be first to heaven. You must be born again. His blood must wash away your sins and make you white. Make sure you have a new heart. Number two.

I want you to consider a word from the end of verse thirty-six. Jesus says, from the end of verse 36. Jesus says, but now my kingdom is not from here. Pilate, now my kingdom is not from here. John's gospel is describing his first coming.

His coming in humility to die for sinners. There's a second coming. He is coming back as a very different kind of king, the kind of king that really would threaten Caesar, that really would displace Caesar in every way. To judge and render. Number three, Unless you are born again, you are the murderer on death row.

There is a curse bearer. There is a curse bearer. Everyone around you might think that all is well, but you are counting on works, grace, righteousness, and that only works if you continue in all the things of the law You know you haven't. In fact, if God were to show you every stain, you'd be shocked and appalled. Like He is.

Like He is! Shocked and appalled at all the stains. He's not left you in that state without hope. He sent His Son to bear the curse. Cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree.

Jesus hung on the tree for all who will repent and believe, all who will own what the Bible says about them, and the reality of their hearts. If you'll own that and flee to Christ, forsaking every other hope, He'll save you. No one comes to Christ and gets turned away. He receives all who come to Him. Truly come to Him.

We know there are fakers. We know there are ways to fake all of this. God's not fooled. We know that too. Run to the curse bearer.

Let him bear the curse that you deserve. Why would you cling to your curse When a curse bearer has been sent, has laid down his life for you, offers terms of peace, terms all in your favor, What will you give up? What will you give up? You'll learn to despise those things that you give up actually. Curse bearing Savior, we thank you for making a way for sinners to be cleaned, to be forgiven, to be reconciled, to be brought into your home as sons and daughters.

Our knee-jerk reaction is to say it's too good to be true, it can't be true, and yet we cling to your word. Say this is a book of great and precious promises, every word true, every word yes and amen, and your son Jesus. We have no other hope in this world. Thank you for leaving us hope in this world. We know we're sinners.

We know we deserve to hang on that tree. We thank you that there is one who is righteous who can bear our sins. Thank you, in Jesus' name, Amen.