Pilate's Verdict

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John 18:38

Pilate said to him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them…

I. THE FIRST ACCUSATION WAS THAT HE WAS A MALEFACTOR (ver. 30).

1. This was a novel charge. For when He stood before Caiaphas nothing was said of any evil that He had done, but only of evil that He had spoken. This had broken down, and they did not venture upon it a second time, because they knew that Pilate did not care what the man had said. The Romans were a practical people, and so Pilate asked, "What hast Thou done?" For this reason the priests brought forward this newly-invented accusation, which might mean little or much, as the hearer chose to interpret it — malice is seldom specific in its charges.

2. It was a charge which they did not attempt to sustain. How craftily they evaded the task of supplying proof I Their suborned perjurers were left behind. "If He were not a malefactor," &c., "You must take it for granted that He is guilty, or we would not say so." This style of argument we hear now: we are expected to give up the faith because scientists condemn it, and they are such eminent persons that we ought to accept their dicta without further delay. I confess I am not prepared to accept their infallibility any more than that which hails from Rome. The Roman governor was not to be overridden by priests, neither are we to be led by the nose by prentendedly learned men.

3. They could not have sustained the charge, and so far they were wise in not attempting the impossible. They might be foolhardy enough to wrest His words, but they hesitated before the task of attacking His deeds. Before His awful holiness they were for the moment out of heart, and knew not what slander to invent.

4. This charge was never denied by Christ. It was useless to deny it before the priests. He had already challenged them to find fault with His life, saying, "I spake openly," &c. But there might have been some use, one would think, in His answering to Pilate, for Pilate was evidently very favourably impressed with his prisoner. But our Lord had come on earth on purpose to be "numbered with the transgressors." He says nothing because, though in Him is no sin, He has taken our sin upon Himself. Yet further, our Lord willed that by being counted as a transgressor by Pilate He might die the death appointed for malefactors by the Roman law. If the Jews had put our Lord to death for blasphemy, it would have been by stoning; but then, none of the prophecies predicted this. The death ordained for Him was crucifixion. Call Him not malefactor, but benefactor. What a benefactor must He be who in order to benefit us allows Himself to be branded as a "malefactor"! Should not this sweeten every title of reproach that can ever fall upon us?

II. THE SECOND CHARGE WAS THAT OF CLAIMING TO BE A KING.

1. This charge, in the sense in which they intended it, was utterly false, for when the multitude would have made Him a king, He hid Himself: and ever declined to usurp judicial functions.

2. This charge did not come from the governing power. When Pilate asked, "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" the wise reply was, "Sayest thou this of thyself?" &c. As the governor of this nation you have to watch carefully, for the people are seditious; have you ever seen or heard anything of Me that looks like an attack upon your authority?

3. It was a frivolous charge on the very face of it. How could that harmless, forsaken Man be a peril to Caesar? Moreover, it would seem a strange thing that the Jewish people should bring before the Roman governor their own king. Is this the way that subjects treat their monarchs?

4. The Lord never denied this charge in the sense in which he chose to understand it.

(1) He explained what He meant by being a king, and notice carefully that He did not explain it away.

(2) Having explained His meaning, He confessed that He was a King.

III. THE ACQUITTAL WHICH PILATE GAVE TO JESUS. This verdict is that of all who have ever —

1. Examined Christ. Some have examined Him with an unfriendly eye, but in proportion as they have been candid, they have been struck with His life and spirit. No character like that of Jesus is to be seen in history, nay, not even in romance. If any one says the four Gospels are forgeries, let him try to write a fifth which shall be like the other four.

2. Associated with Christ. One disciple who was with Christ betrayed Him, but he spoke nothing against Him. Nay, his last witness is. "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." If there had been a fault in Jesus. the traitor would have spied it out; his unquiet conscience would have been glad enough to find therein a sedative. "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" is the challenge of Jesus, to which there is no reply.

3. Lived with Christ spiritually. In the course of His providence He has brought some of us very low. What is the verdict? "I find no fault at all in Him." He is everything that is lovely. He is all my salvation and all my desire. Out of so many believers surely some one or other, when they came to die, would have told us if He is not all that He professes to be.

4. Of every one some day. If any of you reject Christ, when you shall stand at His judgment-seat, you shall then be obliged to say, "I find no fault at all in Him." There was no failure in His blood, the failure was in my want of faith; no failure in His Spirit — the failure was in my obstinate will. Conclusion:

1. Beware of an external religion, for the men who falsely accused Christ were very religious people, and would not go into Pilate's hall for fear of polluting themselves.

2. Shun all proud worldliness like that of Pilate.

3. Submit to Jesus the King.

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