Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15 God’s View of Human Government Jesus’ Fate Sealed No King but Caesar

God’s View of Human Government  All authority is from God.  dynamis – explosive power  kratos – power of rule  exousia – legitimate authority  Romans 13  We are subject to higher authorities. Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

God’s View of Human Government  Are there limits to this authority?  Preaching the Gospel – Acts 4:18-20 Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Acts 4:18-20 (ESV) 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

God’s View of Human Government  Are there limits to this authority?  Preaching the Gospel – Acts 4:18-20  Christian conduct and morals  “The greater sin”  Personal sin of conscience – Pilate  Divinely given responsibility – Pilate/Rome  Sin of the “church” – Jewish leaders  Greatest sin – perhaps Judas Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Jesus’ Fate Sealed  We see Pilate’s fear.  His fear of Jesus  His fear of the people  His fear of Caesar Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Jesus’ Fate Sealed  We must always fear God over man and act justly, regardless of the consequences.  God is truly sovereign in human affairs.  We must be informed and guided by scripture in all things right and wrong.  We must be willing to surrender everything. Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

No King but Caesar  The sovereign presence of God in this crucial moment was undoubtedly clear to John – time references. Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

No King but Caesar  Repeating history in the Jewish verdict  The irony of “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate means this to be contemptuous. Pilate means this to be contemptuous. John does this implying Jesus is the One. John does this implying Jesus is the One.  The ludicrous lips of the Jewish leaders  This was a familiar act – 1 Samuel 8:6-7. Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

1 Samuel 8:6-9 (ESV) 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the L ORD. 7 And the L ORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

No King but Caesar  Repeating history in the Jewish verdict  The irony of “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate means this to be contemptuous. Pilate means this to be contemptuous. John does this implying Jesus is the One. John does this implying Jesus is the One.  The ludicrous lips of the Jewish leaders  This was a familiar act – 1 Samuel 8:6-7  Hosea 3:4 Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Hosea 3:1-5 (ESV) 1 And the L ORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the L ORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the L ORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the L ORD and to his goodness in the latter days.

No King but Caesar  Repeating history in the Jewish verdict  The irony of “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate means this to be contemptuous. Pilate means this to be contemptuous. John does this implying Jesus is the One. John does this implying Jesus is the One.  The ludicrous lips of the Jewish leaders  This was a familiar act – 1 Samuel 8:6-7  Hosea 3:4  These Jewish leaders choose Caesar!  They are blaspheming! Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

No King but Caesar  This is also the verdict of the human race!  What does the fall of man mean? “We will not abide by God’s restrictions.” “We will not abide by God’s restrictions.”  What does the crucifixion of Jesus mean? “We will not have this man rule over us.” “We will not have this man rule over us.”  What is God’s answer to this? Psalm 2:1-5 Psalm 2:1-5 Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Psalm 2 (ESV) 1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the L ORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The L ORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the L ORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

No King but Caesar  What is a nation under God?  Jesus gave the order – God and then Caesar.  Pilate has the order – Caesar and then God.  The Jewish leaders leave it at Caesar alone!  God has disappeared from the equation!  Without God in the picture, there is no ultimate authority to guide us morally and no check on Caesar’s power! Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15

Application Have you been gripped by the overriding, infallible, authority of God and His Word? Are you a friend of Jesus the King or a friend of the world? In America we have no God but “Caesar!” What will you do about that? Hail, Caesar! John 19:8-15