Reflective Bible Study

Of all the gospel writers to include Jesus’ trial, John’s perspective on these events is more unique from the other three gospel writers. In John’s gospel, we get to peek into Jesus’ conversation with Pilate that happened behind closed doors, and we also get a glimpse of the actual charge the religious leaders give to Pilate for their demands of death.

Part way through the trial, John tells us that the religious leaders give their real reason for demanding Jesus’ death. After Pilate restates that he found no fault in Jesus, the Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.” (v. 7)

When Pilate heard this, John says that he was even more afraid. He brings Jesus back into the palace and asks Him, “Where do you come from?” (v. 9)

But Jesus remains silent, which both confuses and angers Pilate. Pilate continues with another question, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.” (v. 10)

It is then that Jesus gave an answer, and His answer is amazing given the circumstances. Jesus replied, “You were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (v. 11)

Jesus reminds Pilate of something that Pilate already knows, but Jesus frames it in a different way. Jesus essentially reminds Pilate that everything he has been given as governor of Judea is because of God. Pilate may believe in the Roman collection of gods, but the same truth is present: Pilate is in the position he is in because he gained favor from a higher authority.

In this response, Jesus acknowledges Pilate’s position, but He frames it as not being number one. Jesus frames the Highest Authority in heaven as giving Pilate the power to decide Jesus’ fate. While Pilate initially claimed to have the power, Jesus reminded him that the power he is referring to is really a gift from God.

But Jesus subtly minimizes Pilate’s role in how He concludes. Jesus tells Pilate that because of the power given to him from Heaven for this event and decision, he will be guilty of sin for this, but “the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (v. 11)

Pilate was one of the few people who really got the picture of who Jesus was, and it scared him. Jesus was different from all the others that he had sentenced to death. It was like Jesus expected it, even though nothing said that He deserved it. Perhaps this is because Jesus kept His focus on what would happen after the cross and after His death – and maybe on even what His death would ultimately accomplish.

Jesus faced death knowing that it meant opening the way for our salvation. Those who judged Jesus as guilty were themselves guilty of sin, but Jesus was willing to look past their actions to what their actions would accomplish. When we ultimately face death, we too can look past it and see the future life Jesus has accomplished for each of us!

Often, when reading though the gospels, I come across a passage I had never really paid much attention to before, but something in it jumps out and shows me something new about Jesus.

As I read this journal entry’s passage, which is one I had often skimmed over before, I found a great reminder of how Jesus was intentionally counter cultural – and this realization is directly related to a faulty assumption that Jesus’ own siblings make about who He is.

In verse 4, in the middle of Jesus’ brothers scolding Him for avoiding the spotlight, they give away their motives: “For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

The first incorrect assumption Jesus’ brothers make is that Jesus is seeking to be known publicly. By this point in Jesus’ ministry, He has been gaining popularity, but His brothers incorrectly assume that fame is the goal. They reveal their motives in this request: they want to ride on Jesus’ momentum and be famous alongside Him as His brothers.

Nowhere in the gospels do I see Jesus seeking fame or attention onto Himself. He is repeatedly tempted to do so, but He never caves into the temptation.

The second incorrect assumption Jesus’ brothers make is that Jesus’ desire is to show Himself to the world. While in one sense, this is Jesus’ purpose in life, the context is completely different. Jesus’ brothers want Jesus to declare Himself as the Savior of the world when He is popular, and in a position of strength. Jesus’ purpose is instead to reveal Himself to the world when He is hated, rejected, and in a position of weakness.

Jesus disciples assume Jesus has pride in His heart. Pride desires attention and people’s focus. Jesus’ brothers want the status and attention, but Jesus isn’t interested. Everything Jesus did while on earth focused on helping the individual person, showing God’s love to those who society had rejected, and to give glory to the Father.

Jesus reveals this contrast in His response to His brothers, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.” (verses 6b-7)

Jesus came to reveal how big the gap is between God and us. He came to show us that even when we are at our best, we are still not able to return to God. Jesus’ life and ministry speaks out against a world that says we can make it on our own. His ministry, from start to finish, reveals how we need God’s help, and how He came to meet that need.

But even with Jesus knowing His key role, He wants the fame to go to the Father. Jesus ministry was designed to make God famous. Everything in His ministry was focused on this one point.

During Jesus’ last conversation with His disciples before being arrested and crucified, He shares with them a big picture idea that can help us frame God’s perspective on our world. When trying to help the disciples see past what was about to happen, Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (v. 20-22)

The idea I find very interesting in this is while the world is rejoicing, Jesus’ disciples and followers will be mourning. This tells me that the world had a different goal than Jesus’ or God did – or did it?

While Jesus was in the grave, part of me wonders what was happening in heaven. Was heaven filled with joy over Jesus’ completion of His salvation sacrifice, or was heaven filled with sadness over Jesus’ death on the cross? While the world was rejoicing over Jesus’ death and the disciples were sad, was heaven rejoicing with the world, or shedding tears with the disciples?

I am inclined to believe that both joy and sadness were present in heaven on that Sabbath that Jesus rested in the grave. I think that day was a day with mixed emotions unlike heaven had ever experienced up to that point.

But the perspective Jesus shares here in these words to His disciples is a much bigger, broader perspective then the immediate moment. Jesus tells His followers that the world looks at the immediate moment for its emotions, but they are to give equal or greater weight to the perspective that looks at the ultimate end. This means that whatever comes our way, whether we experience things that cause us joy or events that bring tears, we can find joy when looking at the big, big picture that reminds us that Jesus returns, and when history has ended, Jesus will stand victorious!

During Jesus’ response to a challenge some Jewish leaders brought Him regarding something He did on the Sabbath, we find a fascinating way that Jesus frames the scriptures. The scriptures Jesus was referring to was the Old Testament, because that is what had been written at that time. Many of us living today would also bring the New Testament under the heading of scriptures because we can see evidence of how God has preserved these writings throughout history like He has preserved the Old Testament writings.

We could even broaden the term scripture to mean anything that God (i.e. The Holy Spirit) has inspired a person to write regardless of whether it was included in the Bible. The way Jesus frames this term can equally be applied to all these different ways of understanding what people have written that was inspired, but in the context of the statement, only the Old Testament was considered Scripture to those present.

Jesus challenges these Jewish leaders by saying, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (v. 39-40)

The idea Jesus is sharing with these leaders is that knowledge does not lead to life. Knowledge can only direct someone to where they can receive life. Words written on a page are at the most basic level sets of marks that mean something to those who can understand them. The words themselves only have the power we let them have. If we don’t internalize the message a group of words shares enough to change our lives, then the words are really useless.

At some level, this is the same with the words that make up the Bible. If someone chooses to read them and they don’t impact his/her life, then the words are not worth anything. Knowledge that is not applied is not worth much.

The Jewish leaders had placed a heavy emphasis on studying and knowing the scriptures, but they had missed the point of what was being said. The goal of the scriptures was to point to Jesus.

According to Jesus, reading the Bible does not lead one to eternal life. Only those who come to Jesus and choose to believe in Him, which is another way of saying having faith in Him, trusting Him, and following His leadership and direction ultimately gain this reward. When we believe, follow, and obey Jesus, then we are walking along the path the scriptures have pointed us towards – and when this is the case, the scriptures have fulfilled their intended task.