Caught Between Two Worlds

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 100
• Hymn — All People That on Earth Do Dwell
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Nicene Creed
• Scripture Reading — Joshua 10:1-15
• Hymn — I Sing the Mighty Power of God
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — O Sacred Head Now Wounded
• Sermon
• Hymn — Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Caught Between Two Worlds

Scripture: John 18:38–19:16

I. Pilate's Appeal to the Reason of This World

A. Pilate presents Barabbas alongside Jesus, hoping the crowd will choose to release Jesus rather than a notorious criminal

1. Barabbas was an insurrectionist and murderer — despised even among the Jewish people, as his movement threatened the liberties Rome had granted them
2. Pilate's reasoning: surely the crowd would prefer releasing this pitiful Miracle Worker over releasing a violent criminal
3. The crowd cries out for Barabbas instead — when it comes to hatred of Christ, all reason goes out the window

B. Barabbas illustrates the substitutionary nature of the cross

1. A condemned man goes free because an innocent man stands in his place
2. We are all Barabbas — freed from just condemnation only because Christ stood condemned in our place
3. We ought to hope to see Barabbas in heaven, because our own salvation was no less impossible apart from grace

II. Pilate's Appeasement of the Ruthlessness of This World

A. Pilate has Jesus flogged, hoping to satisfy the crowd's bloodlust and secure Jesus's release

1. Three forms of Roman flogging — the fustigation (lightest), the flagellatio (more severe), and the verberatio (most severe, associated with crucifixion)
2. Jesus likely receives both the least and most severe forms — possibly explaining why he dies so quickly on the cross
3. Soldiers twist a crown of thorns and place it on his head; long spikes pierce the skull, causing blood to gush and the face to be distorted; a purple robe mocks his claim to kingship; he is struck in the face — fulfilling Isaiah 50:6

B. Why does God allow this cruelty before the crucifixion?

1. The fall of Adam brings not only the wrath of God but the wrath of man — Genesis 3 shows sin immediately producing cruelty and blame
2. In the Psalms of David (Psalm 52–60), David describes his pursuers as ravenous dogs, vipers, and bloodthirsty slanderers — but David always eludes them; not so for the Son of David
3. Jesus must drink not only the cup of God's wrath but the full cup of man's wrath as well — physical, mental, and spiritual abuse unleashed all at once
4. An aspect of hell is human depravity fully unrestrained; as the Father turns his face away, Jesus tastes both divine and human wrath — John 8 identifies the persecutors as sons of the devil

III. Pilate's Acquiescence to the Rulership of This World

A. Pilate brings Jesus out and declares "Behold the man" — intending to show the crowd a pitiful, harmless figure, yet unwittingly echoing John the Baptist's proclamation of the Lamb of God (John 1:29)

B. The charge of blasphemy — that Jesus made himself the Son of God — unsettles Pilate in the context of Greco-Roman belief in gods appearing in human form

1. Pilate's wife has warned him through a troubling dream to have nothing to do with this innocent man (Matthew 27:19)
2. Pilate questions Jesus privately: "Where are you from?" — Jesus gives no answer
3. Pilate asserts his authority; Jesus replies that all authority comes from above and that the greater sin belongs to those who handed him over (John 19:11)
4. Pilate is intrigued — Jesus's composure and resolve are impressive; he seeks all the more to release him

C. The chief priests play their final trump card: "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend"

1. The threat is to Pilate's very life — to aid a rival king is to be counted an enemy of Caesar
2. Pilate asks one final time, "Shall I crucify your king?" — the chief priests answer, "We have no king but Caesar"
3. Pilate acquiesces and delivers Jesus over to be crucified

D. Pilate represents all fallen humanity — every person is caught between two worlds when Christ comes to the door

1. To fully embrace Christ requires a willingness to die to this world
2. Two choices face every person: pick up your cross and follow Christ, or place Christ on the cross daily by clinging to the things of this world
3. Pilate's excuse — being trapped and duped — cannot be allowed, or it excuses all unbelief; Luke 9:23 — Christ calls us to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him
4. Christ is risen and will come again — choose wisely