Yesterday our elder, Cal, shared on John 18-19. These two chapters in John make up the crucifixion narrative of Jesus. You can hear Cal’s message here. Starting with Judas leading the mob to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene, it follows through to his burial in the borrowed tomb at the end of ch. 19. There are a lot of details with which we can expound in these two chapters. Today, I’d like to reflect on three significant statements. First, when Jesus was approached by the mob, he asked who they were seeking. When they said, Jesus of Nazareth, his reply was “I am he.” Second, when Jesus was asked by Pilate whether he was a king, Jesus said he came to testify to the truth. Pilate asks, “What is truth?” Third, When the Jewish leaders were clamoring for Jesus’ death, they hurled at Pilate the phrase, “He makes himself to be the Son of God.”
These three phrases are full of meaning. The longest phrase is seven words long, yet all three are profoundly significant to the fulfillment of God’s kingdom on earth. They also hold linguistic and social force in the time they were spoken.
I am he 18:6,8
If you read this section of the passage, something seems a bit odd. When they answer they are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the passage says Jesus’ reply was “I am he.” When he says it, the mob falls down. I’ve heard some speakers explain that they were just shocked and took a step back because it wasn’t the kind of response they were expecting. It’s hard to imagine a mob bent on violence falling to the ground when a man says “It’s me.” Yet John, who was there, found it notable enough to mention the mob falling down. Why would this be? Here is my reflection in bullet points:
- The mob (guards, pharisees, and Judas) was sent by the religious leaders. This means the group was pretty much all Jewish, with all the cultural and linguistic subtexts that go with a Jewish group.
- The earliest documents we have are written in Greek. Yet most likely, this conversation either took place in Aramaic or Hebrew (Semitically related language akin to Spanish and Italian)
- Most English translations read “I am he” throughout the passage
- Original Greek reads “I am” with an emphasis on I. “I am” in Greek would have been the translation of YHWH from the Hebrew or Aramaic.
- The Hebrew rules for religious observation forbid anyone from using the name of God “YHWH” for fear of taking it in vain.
- Jesus’ use of the term “YHWH” had powerful social, cultural, and religious weight to it
Here is my conclusion. A. When Jesus said “I am” he was stating an eternal truth about his identity. He is God. He is confessing in truth to this crowd that he is God. Such a self disclosure does produce awe. Think Moses, the first person to experience God’s self-disclosure as YHWH. Think Elijah when the still small voice came to him. B. Apart from the idea of the mob falling to the ground as a result of divine power in Jesus’ words, they could have fallen to the ground at the self-disclosure out of shock. These were Jewish men, well versed in the taboos regarding the tetragrammaton (YHWH). To hear a word so forbidden on the lips of anyone to be spoken is a major occasion. Even the Torah forbid the use of the word in vain, the violation of which meant death. That why everyone was afraid of it, using Adonai as a substitute.
Whether it is from divine power in the confession that knocked the mob down, or the major shock of Jesus using the term so unapologetically, it remains that at Jesus’ confession of who he is, using the term “YWHW,” the mob fell to the ground. This is not a normal occurrence. It is significant to note. Personally, I side with point A. Though nothing can be stated conclusively about this.
What is Truth? 18:38
When Jesus is being interrogated by Pilate, the governor asks Jesus if he is a king, like the Jewish leaders were saying. Jesus doesn’t give a straight yes or no answer. He simply states that he came to speak the truth and those who recognize it would follow him. Pilate ends the interrogation with the question “What is truth?”
The Roman Empire covered the mediterranean. It engulfed numerous people groups, religions, philosophies. In many ways, truth was relative. For one, each people group had their own genesis story. Each had their own beliefs about science. Each had their own beliefs about their god(s).
However, Pilate, being a polytheist and operating in a this-worldly form of authority, wouldn’t have known about the depth of Jesus’ statement.
The truth Jesus spoke about was a divine, eternal truth. Jesus talked about the entirety of truth. It included all truth in the seen world and truth in the unseen world. As the old Evangelical phrase states, “All truth is God’s truth.” For those of us limited to our physical senses and own rationale, we often neglect or are blind to the spiritual truths that influence and affect our world. Pilate was such a person that was blind to all this.
Jesus’ spoke of all truth, which culminates in his real identity, God. Sure Pilate had the ability to kill a physical body. However, Jesus as God wouldn’t cease to be at the death of his body. He is eternal. His power and authority are eternal. It is unmatched in every way. Therefore, those that know this truth–follow Jesus. It didn’t matter what Pilate said or did. It didn’t matter what the Jewish leaders, priests, and pharisees did. People who knew the truth will follow Jesus.
He makes himself the Son of God 19:7
One final reflection. After Pilate’s conversation with Jesus, he was convinced of the man’s innocence. He knew Jesus was a thorn in the side of the religious leaders, a manipulating group he didn’t have much love for to begin with.
Whether the leaders knew the underpinnings of Roman polytheism or not, their statement about Jesus making himself to be the Son of God was a startling claim for a polytheist. Roman and Greek mythologies are littered with demi-gods. The offsprings from unions with gods and humans. These were powerful beings that are not to be trifled with. So on a religious level, when Pilate hears this charge, he has every reason to avoid killing Jesus.
Additionally, Son of God was a newly coined political term (newly as in the past 50 years or so). To the Jews a son of God would be equal with God himself. Any human making that claim would be blaspheming. Yet in the Roman world, the Caesars from the time of Augustus took on the title Son of God. This was due to the deification of Julius Caesar during his funeral rites. Augustus, being the adopted son of Julius Caesar (now a god), became Divi Filius, Son of God. So on a political level, Jesus claiming to be the Son of God (Divi Filius) indicated he was claiming a title that belonged to Caesar.
In the end, Pilate couldn’t win either way. Either he faced caving in and executing a real life demi-god and incurring the wrath of Jesus’ divine parentage. Or he faced the wrath of Caesar by sparing a dissident who was claiming a title that belonged to Caesar, which would likely result in another Jewish revolt–the first of which got Pilate in hot water with the Emperor to begin with. What was this governor to do. He took the safest course of action he could think of–wash his hands of the whole mess. First by trying to pass Jesus off to Herod. Then by putting the consequences on the Jews for his death.
As we can see, a reflection on these three phrases in John 18-19 gives us a deeper nuanced understanding of the parts in play leading to Jesus’ crucifixion.
An initial reading of the narrative gives us the idea that Jesus offended the Jewish leaders, they conspired to kill him to get him out of the way. His death served as the substitutionary atonement for our sins.
The deeper nuances help us answer questions like:
- Why did the mob fall down when Jesus answered “I am?”
- Why did Pilate end his interrogation with Jesus with a philosophical question about truth?
- Why was Pilate so reluctant to crucify Jesus when he had a history of slaughtering Jews en masse?
- Why was Pilate afraid when the Jews referred to Jesus as Son of God?
- Why did Pilate want to wash his hands of Jesus’ blood guilt?
So this week, I leave you with these thoughts to ponder. I hope as you dig deeper into the Bible, you get to know this God who loves us in greater and deeper ways. I also hope this post has helped you in one way or another experience our Lord’s
Presence. Love. Power.