We are going through this discourse in the glorious Gospel of John. And we saw last week how Jesus is brought out after He's beaten. After He is scourged and beaten with a cat of nine tails and clothed in purple and He's brought out. And it was Christ now that said, Behold the man. He presented Himself. And we're going to read tonight, we're going to read verses 6. Down through verse 15 tonight, we're going to get a picture of what exactly went on there at the Bema. The reason I call it the Bema, you'll see this here just in a minute, it's the Bema. That's where Jesus was judged at. He was judged at Pilate's Bema, which is the Bema seat. But imagine that. One day we are going to stand at the Bema, the Bema seat. You say, what's the Bema? The Bema is the finish line, the end. And how Caesar used to stand there at the Olympics and he used to, well, when they, what is now the Olympics, they didn't call them the Olympics back then, but he would stand there and he would look at all of the victors there that had engaged in the race, and he would, of course, present the awards. And can you all remember some of the things we've talked about that the Roman emperor would present? He would present a laurel wreath, a Stephanos, which is not a victor's crown, a Stephanos. And he would also present a what? A white stone. A white stone. And that white stone had that person's name on it. And that white stone would be entrance in to the big supper that they would have later on with the emperor. Folks, all of those will be fulfilled one day when we stand before the Bema Seat judgment of Christ. He will give us a Stephanos, a victor's crown, and he will present us with a new name and a white stone, which is admittance in to the marriage supper of the Lamb. But we're the bride anyway. Think of that, folks. This is the beautiful picture here. But we're not going to talk about this tonight. We're not going to talk about that tonight. We're going to talk about actually one key verse here in John 19. But look at verse 6. Well, let's go back and read the beginning. Our text tonight, of course, is going to be verse 6 through verse 15. But let's read the first five verses. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put upon him a purple robe and said, Hail, King of the Jews. And they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again and said unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in him. Now, when Pilate went back out in verse four, what's going on with Jesus in the foreground? He's being scourged. He's being beaten. OK, and Pilate comes out and he tells the crowd, he said, I've come back out here to let you know I'm about to bring him back out here and I'm going to let you know I find no fault with him. Then, look at verse 5, Then came Jesus forth, wearing a crown of thorns, and a purple robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man. Folks, Pilate don't belong in there. Let's read that without the italics. Then came Jesus forth, wearing a crown of thorns, and a purple robe, and the Greek in a linear Bible says, And as he came, or as he was walking, saying, Behold the man. Now our text tonight. Jesus presents himself as the man. I'm talking about the man. The one that the Old Testament painted a beautiful picture of. The one who said who would come. Look at verse 6. When the chief priest therefore came, therefore, the chief priest therefore and the officer saw him, they cried out saying, crucify him, crucify him. Now he just said behold the man. He told the chief priests, the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadducees, the members of the Sanhedrin, Jews and Gentiles alike. He said, Behold the man. I'm the one that your Old Testament has spoken of. And what do they say? Crucify him. Crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take him and crucify him. For I find no fault in him. That's the third time he's pronounced his innocence. And the Jews answered him. We have a law, and by our law, he ought to die, because he made himself the son of God. Uh-oh. By his law, by Jewish law, they're saying, Pilate, we have that right, but your government has said that we can't take a life. That didn't stop them with Stephen, did it? They could have took him out and stoned him. That would have been Jewish custom, Jewish culture. Now when Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid. Imagine being the most powerful man in the Middle East. Imagine being the most powerful man in the Middle East at the time. You could pretty much do whatever you wanted to. You only answered to one person and one person only. And he was all the way up. He was almost 1,500 miles away in Rome. You didn't have anything to worry about. You had legions at your disposal. You can do whatever you wanted to. And now all of a sudden you hear this. You become even more afraid. And he went again to the judgment hall and said unto Jesus, what art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Stop right there. Look up here. Jesus spoke. Many times, did he not? When he was confronted by Pilate. And then there's these fruitcakes out there that say, see, the Bible contradicts itself. Turn with me, keep your place here, turn with me to Isaiah 53. Turn with me over to Isaiah chapter 53. Let me tell you what, nowhere at all in any shape, form or fashion does this book ever contradict itself. Nowhere. You say, well, the Bible says that he was led like a lamb to the slaughter. Opened not his mouth. That's exactly right. Let's look at Isaiah 53. It's actually down in verse number 7. But let's read verse 1. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely, I don't know if you all write in your Bibles, but buddy, I sure do. Surely he hath borne, I've got our underline, our griefs and carried Our sorrows, I've got that underlined. And you know, I told some of you all a while back, I said, just underline those, just underline those pronouns there, and on top of all those ours, just write mine. Or my. Let's read that like that, okay? Surely he hath borne my griefs, and carried my sorrows, and yet I did esteem him spittin'. stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But he was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. The chastisement of my peace was upon him. And with his stripes, I am healed. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. Right there is your passage fulfilled in John 19. It wasn't through the whole trial that he opened, not his mouth. Because the Bible doesn't contradict itself. Because there's many times that Jesus answered Pilate. There's many times that Jesus spoke. Right here is fulfilled in John 19. When Pilate asked him, he says, hey, hey, do you hear me? Do you hear what I'm saying to you? and he opened not his mouth. Let's read that. And he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. We know that He spoke and answered some of Pilate's questions. So we know it couldn't have been talking about that. So where was this fulfilled? Not through the whole trial. Not through the whole trial and the crucifixion. But in one specific segment of the trial. Let's go back to John 19.9. This is in the judgment hall. and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer, he opened not his mouth." That was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53-7 right there. There's no contradiction there, but at that moment, Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled. Oh my goodness. Oh, let's keep on reading now. Look at verse 10. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? I bet you that's how he said it too. Only in Latin or Greek, whatever Pilate spoke. He spoke Greek. He probably read and wrote and spoke Latin as well, too. But he's probably talking to Jesus in Koine Greek. All right. And Pilate, more than likely, he said, Speak thou not unto me. Do you know who I am? And you're going to stand there and not answer me? I'm Pilate. I'm the most powerful man in the Middle East. I have legions at my disposal. I can do whatsoever I will. Oh, you think so, big boy? You think so? Well, let's keep reading. Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee? You really think so, Pilate? Are you that deceived? Are you that strange to think that you have power over the sovereign God of all creation? Turn to John 7.30. Turn to John 7.30. Look at verse 25 before we get down to verse 30. This is Jesus. He is speaking at the feast of the tabernacles or the feast of the booths. And Jesus is speaking to the great multitude here. And this folks, I'm just going to give you one occasion of this. This happened again and again and again. This happened many times throughout the Bible. Look at verse 25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, is not this he whom they seek to kill? But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Well, I could preach a sermon just on that one word right there, Christ. You think about, is this, don't they know that this is indeed the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man, whence he is, but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. And then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, ye both know me, and ye know whence I am. And I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him, for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Look at verse 30. Then they sought to Take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. They wanted to kill him right then in John 7. They sought to kill him. They sought to take him. They sought to lay hands on him, to kill him. And folks, this isn't the only occasion. Do you not know Jesus? That I have power to crucify thee and I have power to release thee. Now go to John 18. Look at John chapter 18. Because Jesus is about to throw on the emergency brake for old Pilate here. And He's about to let him know something. Look at John 18 verses 2 through 9. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place, for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and of officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. omniscience. He knows all things. He is all powerful. It should come upon him. Went forth and said unto him, Whom seek ye? Who are you looking for, boys? He knew who they were looking for. Why? Because he knows all things. Amen? Look at verse 5. And they answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am. Notice, he's been added to there. Just like Pilate in 1905. He didn't say, I am he. He said, you know what he said? He said the same thing he said when he talked down to the burning bush. He said, I am. I am. He said, that's my name. I am. I am the great. I am. Amen. I am. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon as he had said unto them, I am. Notice he's been at it. I am. They went backward. and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, boys, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and whom seek ye? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am. He toned it down on that one. He didn't want to knock them down again, Brother Larry. He turned the volume down on that one. Boys, I told you once already, you big dummies, I am. Alright? Now notice they didn't fall backwards on that one because he turned the volume down just a tad. And he said, I am. Notice he's been added there too. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way. Boy, they could have arrested all the other ones too, right there. Didn't have to worry about Judas. He'd already fell in with the wrong crowd. Why? Because there are many that are among you that are not of you. For if they were of you, they would have continued with you, but they went out from you so that it might be known that they were not all of you. 1 John chapter 2. Jesus answered and said, I've told you that I am he. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their way. that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake of them which thou gavest me, I have lost none. Now when was that spoken? A chapter earlier, he just got finished praying that. He just got finished praying that. Now, the Pharisees and these Roman soldiers and the chief priests that cometh with their lanterns and cometh with their weapons, we would think, oh my goodness, the Lord is done for and the disciples are done for. But no. Jesus said, You boys really don't have the power that you think you have. And that's exactly what he said in John 7, John 18, and then he reiterates it again here in John 1911 to old Pilate. Pilate says in 1910, he said, knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee? Do you really know who you're talking to? No, you don't. Because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned. Pilate, you don't have a clue who stands before you. would have known this. And now you look at the sovereign God of all creation and say, don't you know I have power to release you or power to crucify you? And then look at what Jesus said. Jesus answered, thou couldest have no power at all against me. except it were given thee from above." Stop right there. Let's not read the rest of that. Folks, we've got an election coming up. You know that? There are corrupt people in Washington, D.C. right now. That whole left side and right side is corrupt. But let me tell you something. It's not about politics, okay? It's not about party. It's about, my friend, it's about who God puts in that office. There are people in this world that have a problem with government. The things that went on in Dallas, Texas about people raising up against law enforcement and about people raising up against the government. My friend, their problem is not with man. Their problem is with God. Read Romans chapter number 13 verses 1 through 7. Paul said, if you fear God and you obey God, you will obey the laws of man because you know that God has put that God has put them in power, you will obey those laws. But if you totally, blatantly, flat out disobey the laws of man and you fear the police, you fear the government, you fear the laws that are... Your problem's not with man, your problem's with God. God's the one that put those people there. Whether it be for good or for bad. And people say, well now you just don't understand what our government's doing. That doesn't matter. God still raises up kings and puts kings in office and raises up princes and sets princes down. It's God who puts them there. And we, we may not like it, but do you know what? We're commanded to obey. And we're commanded to obey as long as those laws do not violate the Word of God and the principles of the morality of the moral law that God gave His people. We are commanded to obey. Now there are some Christians that don't like that. Well tough, get over it. There's a lot of things I don't like about my government. But I've got to understand, when I disobey that government, I disobey God, because God is ultimately in charge of all government. Did you know that God, hold on if I can remember this, from class, God sanctioned an established marriage between a husband and a wife, and let me break that down for you, There was no transgenders back then. All right. It was male and female. It was Adam and Eve. So that's number one, marriage. What do you think number two is? Boy, we way off course, ain't we? What do you think number two is? Number one was marriage because God only done four things. He only instituted. Now, I'm not talking about the ordinances for the church. I'm not talking about the ordinances for the church. I'm talking about basic human development. God instituted four establishments for the human race. And number one is marriage. Between a man and a woman. Why? So that you might be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. So number two must have been what? The family. submissive unto her godly husband, the family. Number one is marriage. Oh my goodness, what is our government trying to do to that? What is society, secular humanism, and the liberals trying to do to that? They're trying to destroy the fundamental root of the family which is marriage. And then they're trying to destroy what? They're trying to destroy the family. The second institution instituted by God. Well what do you think number three was? Number three, human government. God established and ordained human government. God sets up leaders. God sets up rulers. That's number three. And let me tell you what, there was an old There was an old politician one time who said that when the government becomes the tyrant over the people, it is time that the people raise up and reestablish a new government. You say, who said that, Brother Doug? Thomas Jefferson, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Number three was human government. And the fourth institution that God established was the church. That's it, folks. Marriage, family, human government and the church. And, you know, Jesus gives us a perfect example here of how to deal with this. Boy, you know what? Some people would have said, boy, it seems like it seems like he was just beaten, bruised and battered. And he was totally he had totally lost control of the situation. Not at one point in this whole chapter of 19, not one point in this whole Bible, not one point in all of eternity has Christ ever lost control of the situation. He is in complete control. And He doesn't react with a brazen attitude, with a rebellious nature. He just speaks truth. He said, Pilate, you can have no power at all against me. except it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that hath delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Now this is a message within itself right here. Because you've heard this and I've heard this. And there is a side of the coin where this is true. Sin is sin. That's one side of the coin. But if you flip it over and look at the other side of the coin, you'll see that there are some sins that God just considers are greater. And what did Jesus say here? He that hath delivered me unto you. Pilate, you're about to sin, but know this. He that hath delivered me unto you for this judgment, he hath the greater sin. What does Proverbs say? There are seven things that God abhors and hates. All right. Folks, there are some things that God looks down on. And He shakes His head twice instead of once. Alright? That being said, you know, kind of comically, that being said to get you to understand that sin is sin in the eyes of God. It is separated from God. But there are some sins that God categorizes as far greater. And it seems like our government is approving every single one of them as legal now. trying to destroy the fabric of the home, trying to destroy the fabric of the family, trying to destroy the fabric of marriage instituted by God. That which is wrong has become right, that which is right now has become wrong. They've attacked the marriage, the family, they've attacked government, and now they're attacking the church, the four establishments of God for mankind. But Jesus says here, you could have no power. Christ never lost control of the situation. Not at any time did he lose control of the situation. He told Pilate here, he said, Pilate, you need to understand something, that your office, your power that you have, that you're exercising, it's not given to you by Caesar, but it's given to you by my Father. And oh, by the way, Jesus already told him. He said, I am a king, by the way, but my kingdom is not of this world. For if it was of this world, my servants would rise up. Oh yeah, let's keep reading. Now look at verse 12. This is what I wanted to hit on tonight. But see, I've been ranting and raving all night about other things. This was the key verse right here that I wanted to hit on. Verse 12. We may not even be able... We'll finish this tonight. And from henceforth Pilate sought to release Him. Imagine just being standing there, a man that shows absolutely no fear toward you. You're Pilate, the most powerful man in the Middle East. You have Roman legions at your disposal. If someone disagrees with you, what do you do? You just have them crucified. It doesn't bother you, and you sleep like a baby at night. But all of a sudden, this man stands before you, and you are tore up from the floor up. your face and says, you have no power except it was given to you by my father. You have no power at all, Pilate. This man has been beaten. The cat of nine tails. This man has had a crown of thorns placed upon his head. This man has had his beard plucked. He's been sped upon. He's been mocked. He's been ridiculed. He's been abused. He's been dressed in purple and treated like a nobody. and he shows no anger. He doesn't want revenge. It's almost like he is delivering himself. Here I am, Pilot. I'm all packaged. I'm wrapped up. I'm ready to go. And you have no power. Imagine what was going through Pilot's mind. Man, there must be something to this. My wife has told me have nothing to do with this just man for I have suffered many a thing and a dream because of him. There are people all over that have followed this man. There has been reports of him turning water into wine. Him walking on the water. Him giving sight to the blind. Oh, there's even been reports of this man raising the dead and he stands here before me now and says, Pilate, you have no power except my Father give it to you. There is no fear in this man's eyes. There is no anger in this man's eyes. running through his mind, the course of this trial at the Bema, and from henceforth, Pilate sought to release him. Now, was Pilate saved? Furthest thing in the world from being saved. Pilate was just given a measure of light. He was given a measure of light. But you know what he did? Oh, let's read what he did. Now, so, stop. Look up here at me. I wish I could erase all y'all's memories and say forget about everything that happened after this story. And you know this is all we have is this story. And you knowing what you know about Pilate, him being the most powerful man in the Middle East. If the end of the novel ended with, and from there the more, Pilate sought to release him. The end. That's the end of the story, Tyna. It doesn't go anywhere after that. Then we would naturally think, not knowing the end of the story, Pilate being the most powerful man in the Middle East at the time, the second only to Caesar in the world, we would probably think that this man got released. Because Pilate, of his own, I'm going to say it, free will, wanted to release Jesus. Did he not, folks? He did. The Bible said he did. He was, what do they say, down in Johnson County? He was scurred. He was scurred. John, something had got a hold of him. Something had really got a hold of him. And he had really started to thinking, who is this man? Who is this man? And he sought for more to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friends. Boy, they knew exactly what to say, didn't they? Whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat, or the bimah. He sat down in the bima, the judgment seat, in a place which is called the pavement. But in the Hebrew, the Gabbatha. So all of a sudden now Pilate's having second thoughts of his own will. He wanted to release him. And if the Jews really wanted him dead, they didn't have to bring him before Pilate. They could have stoned him. That was their custom. That was their tradition. But it was the sovereignty and the providence of God that was kicking in here. that which God had foreordained from the foundation of the world. The Lamb selected to be the perfect sacrifice, to die in such a manner. Not to die by stoning, not to die in any other way other than as if Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shall the Son of Man be lifted up. But yet Pilate wanted to release Him. Pilate therefore heard that saying, and he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour, he saith, Behold, your king! Pilate brings him out and says, Behold, your king. But they cried aloud, Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him, Pilate saith unto them. Shall I crucify your king? There's something in that, folks. Have you ever looked at that real close? Like Brother John said this morning in Sunday School, there's a lot of passages we just overlook sometimes. But have you really looked at this verse really close? Pilate asked them. Now Jesus had presented himself and said, Behold the man. A few hours later, Pilate asked them the question, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. We have no king but Caesar. Folks, for three and a half years, they had been given truth. They had been given light. They had Christ right there, preaching and ministering unto all of Jerusalem in the Judean, Galilean area. They had been exposed to that. But then what do they say here? He's not our king. We have no king but Caesar. Folks, he is king. He's not just king of the Jews. Folks, he's king of the world. He's king of the universe. He's king of the grave. He's king of death. He's king of all. The Father hath exalted him. Why? Because the Father And now the Father hath exalted the God-man, Jesus Christ, and given Him a name which is above every name. Going back to that one verse, that one word where it said Christ, and I told you I said I could preach an hour on this. I got three points I want to give you right quick and then we'll close. What is His name? What do we call Him? Jesus Christ the Lord. That's His name. Everything right there. That's the total package. Jesus Christ the Lord. Jesus is His saving name. And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name. Jesus, and He shall save His people from their sin. Jesus. Christ is His sanctified name, separated and set apart. The Anointed One, the Holy One, the Messiah. The saving name, Jesus. The sanctified name, Christ. All but Kyrios. Lord is His sovereign name. King of kings and Lord of lords that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess things in heaven, things on earth and things below the earth that He is what? Lord to the glory of God the Father. Jesus His saving name. Christ His sanctified name. Lord Sovereign name. Pilate, you big dummy. You could have no power over me at all, except it were given to thee from above. Oh my goodness. Folks, let me tell you what. If your faith is in Him tonight, then that's who you serve. You serve the Sovereign. You serve the Lord, the Kyrios. You serve the Savior. You serve the sanctified one, the Messiah, the Christ. No, Christ is not his last name. That's his sanctified name. Amen. Jesus Christ, Lord. Pilate, you don't know this. You have no power over me at all. From henceforth, Pilate wanted to release him. But oh, the crowd began to cry, didn't they? Crucify, crucify, crucify. Pilate brings him back out. Here he is, boys. What do you want me to do with him? Do you want me to crucify your king? Yeah, go ahead. Crucify him. And he came unto his own, and they received him not. Oh, but he said, other sheep also I have, John 10, 16, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in. They'll hear my voice and they'll be. How many folks? One phone. How many Lords? One Lord. How many gods? One God. Oh, how many baptisms? Just one. And then he told about water. What's it talking about? Come on, help me out. I'm just a poor dumb redneck from Eastern Kentucky. One faith, one Lord, one baptism. Is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit that our Pentecostal friends talk about? It sure is. But what they don't seem to understand is that baptism is the new birth. Let me tell you what, if you claim to know Christ and you're still waiting for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, come on now. Baptism, the Holy Spirit only comes once into the life and the heart of the believer, of the New Testament saint. Once! And that's through the power of regeneration given by the Gospel. So we've got one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Getting back to that one faith. One faith. One faith in who? Let me tell you what, that one faith is in that one Lord. And it's made real by that one baptism. Jesus Christ, Lord, the Savior, the sanctified and the sovereign. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you tonight for your word. God, we thank you, Lord, for what Christ has done. For, Lord, there would have been no other way. There would have been no way possible, Lord, that any human being upon this planet, Lord, could have paid the price that he paid. could have lived the life that he lived. Oh, God, help us, Lord, to be reminded of what he's done for us so that it may charge us, challenge us and continue to change us or so that we not be conformed. but that we are transformed to the image of your Son. Because that, Lord, is why you have saved us. For your honor and for your glory. For we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which you have aforeordained that we should, that we should, Lord, walk in them. Lord, help us to strive, Lord, to walk in that faith for that one Lord, to demonstrate that one baptism, Lord. And we know, Lord, no matter how bad it gets, no matter how difficult the pressure, the pearl and the persecution may arise. We know, Lord, that this world, they have no power over us at all, except it were given to them of our father. And may all things be done, Lord, to glorify Thee. For it's in Jesus' name we ask, and amen.