Jesus before Pilate

約翰福音18: 28~38 (John 18: 28~38)

Jesus Before Pilate

18:28眾人將耶穌從該亞法那裏往衙門內解去，那時天還早。他們自己卻不進衙門，恐怕染了污穢，不能吃逾越節的筵席。18:29彼拉多就出來，到他們那裏，說：「你們告這人是為甚麼事呢？」18:30 他們回答說：「這人若不是作惡的，我們就不把他交給你。」18:31彼拉多說：「你們自己帶他去，按著你們的律法審問他吧。」猶太人說：「我們沒有殺人的權柄。」18:32這要應驗耶穌所說自己將要怎樣死的話了。18:33彼拉多又進了衙門，叫耶穌來，對他說：「你是猶太人的王嗎？」18:34 耶穌回答說：「這話是你自己說的，還是別人論我對你說的呢？」18:35彼拉多說：「我豈是猶太人呢？你本國的人和祭司長把你交給我。你做了甚麼事呢？」18:36耶穌回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要爭戰，使我不至於被交給猶太人。只是我的國不屬這世界。」18:37彼拉多就對他說：「這樣，你是王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「你說我是王。我為此而生，也為此來到世間，特為給真理作見證。凡屬真理的人就聽我的話。」18:38彼拉多說：「真理是甚麼呢？」說了這話，又出來到猶太人那裏，對他們說：「我查不出他有甚麼罪來。
²⁸Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" ³⁰"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." ³¹Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. ³²This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. ³³Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" ³⁴"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" ³⁵"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" ³⁶Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." ³⁷"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." ³⁸"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

一、中心內容：Core Message

內容：Content
1>主耶穌從該亞法的府邸被押送到總督府，並交給巡撫彼拉多。（v28）

The Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s palace of the Roman

governor Pilate.
2>彼拉多企圖推掉該控訴案，但押送者不肯罷手。（v29-32）

Pilate attempted to push away the execution, but the Jews wouldn’t give up.
3>彼拉多經過與主耶穌對話之後，發現根本查不出任何罪狀。（v33-38）
After the conversation with Jesus, Pilate found no basis for a charge against

Jesus.

主題：在彼拉多面前受審。
Theme: Jesus before Pilate
二、上帝、耶穌基督、聖靈是誰？ Who is God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit?

1>被罪人押解的耶穌基督。（v28）

Jesus was bound by the sinners.
2>遭罪人控訴的耶穌基督。（v29）

Jesus was executed by the sinners.
3>被罪人審問的耶穌基督。（v33-38）

Jesus was interrogated by the sinners.
4>義正嚴詞的耶穌基督。（v24、v36、v37）

Jesus talked very seriously and solemnly.
5>國度不屬這世界的耶穌基督。（v36）

Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world.
6>屬靈國度的王耶穌基督。（v37）

Jesus was the king of the Kingdom of heaven.
7>為真理作見證的耶穌基督。（v37）

Jesus testified for the truth.
8>無罪的耶穌基督。（v38）

Jesus was sinless.

三、給我的教訓（命令、應允、榜樣、責備、警告）是什麼？
What lessons (command, covenant, role modeling, rebuking and warning)

is God teaching us?

1>輕重不分的無知 (ignorance of not knowing what is important and what is not)
眾人將耶穌從該亞法那裏往衙門內解去，那時天還早。他們自己卻不進衙門，恐怕染了污穢，不能吃逾越節的筵席。（v28）

²⁸Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

那些企圖殺害主耶穌的猶太領袖們，不敢進入彼拉多（外邦人）的總督府，就是為了保持身體的潔淨（根據猶太律法規定），以便參加逾越節的晚餐。但是卻忽略了他們控告主耶穌，並且企圖殺死主耶穌，心懷鬼胎、密謀不法、充滿仇恨、入人於罪等，這些發自內心的惡毒，比形式的不潔更為嚴重，難怪主耶穌經常指責他們的虛偽，也顯示他們輕重不分的無知。

反省：在信仰生活當中，我是否陷入輕重不分、本末倒置的錯誤中？

The high priest of the Jews tried to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of entering Pilate’s (gentile) palace. They wanted to keep their bodies cleanness (according to Jew’s law) in order to eat the Passover. But they ignored the fact that the evil thoughts which came out from their hearts, such as the execution of Jesus, the plot to take Jesus’ life, their hatred filled minds and the leading of people into guiltiness were even worse than the formal uncleanness. No wonder Jesus often censured their hypocrisy. It showed that they were very ignorant of knowing what is important and what is not.

Reflection: Have I ever fallen into a fault like an ignorant of not knowing what is important, and what is not? Or do I up side down the priorities in my faith life?

2>司法當鬥爭工具 Use jurisdiction power as a fighting instrument
彼拉多就出來，到他們那裏，說：「你們告這人是為甚麼事呢？」他們回答說：「這人若不是作惡的，我們就不把他交給你。」比拉多說：「你們自己帶他去，按著你們的律法審問他吧。」
猶太人說：「我們沒有殺人的權柄。」（V29-31）

²⁹So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" ³⁰"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." ³¹Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.

當時那一批宗教領袖，將主耶穌押解到總督府，目的非常明確，就是要將主耶穌處死。但問題是：他們無權處死主耶穌，所以要借重羅馬政府賦予權柄的總督府，來執行他們的企圖。

At that time, the leaders of the Jews led Jesus to the governor’s palace. Their purpose was very clear. They wanted to take Jesus’ life. But the problem was they didn’t have the authorization to execute Jesus. Therefore, they plotted to kill Him through the governor’s power of the Roman Empire.
顯然，殺死主耶穌是他們既定的心意，透過總督府尋求羅馬律法上的認可，只是過程中的手段而已。顯然，他們將司法當作政治鬥爭的工具。

反省：人類歷史上，是否經常出現，將司法當作政治鬥爭工具的案例？當今台灣呢？

Evidently, they had determined to kill Jesus, using the governor’s power under the approval of the Roman Empire’s law which was just a measure of procedures. They only took jurisdiction as a political fighting tool.

Reflection: Were there a lot of cases that happened which used jurisdiction as a political fighting instrument in the humankind’s history? How about nowadays in Taiwan?

3>是非顛倒的判局 A trial without righteous
彼拉多又進了衙門，叫耶穌來，對他說：「你是猶太人的王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「這話是你自己說的，還是別人論我對你說的呢？」彼拉多說：「我豈是猶太人呢？你本國的人和祭司長把你交給我。你做了甚麼事呢？」耶穌回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要爭戰，使我不至於被交給猶太人。只是我的國不屬這世界。（v33-36）

³³Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" ³⁴"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?" ³⁵"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" ³⁶Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

這真是一場是非顛倒的判局，因為有罪的，竟然審判無罪的；虛偽的，竟然審判真實的（真理）；而且屬地的，竟然審判屬天的。真是離譜到了極點！
This is truly a trial without righteousness, because the sinners judged the sinless one.The hypocrite arraigned the truth. Jesus was not of this world he was from above and he had to be judged by the sinners. This was extremely ridiculous.

4>不屬世界的國度 My kingdom is not of this world
耶穌回答說：「我的國不屬這世界；我的國若屬這世界，我的臣僕必要爭戰，使我不至於被交給猶太人。只是我的國不屬這世界。」彼拉多就對他說：「這樣，你是王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「你說我是王。我為此而生，也為此來到世間，特為給真理作見證。凡屬真理的人就聽我的話。（v36-37）

³⁶Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." ³⁷"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

當彼拉多詢問主耶穌說：你是猶太人的王嗎？主耶穌並沒有否認祂的王權，但是卻明白的表示：祂並不是這世上的君王，祂所擁有的王權，乃是屬靈國度的王權。因此，祂的王國並非靠武力取得，乃是以愛與犧牲擁有；祂的王國不是屬世的疆域，乃是被愛所感召的人心。

反省：我的心、我的生命，是否屬於主耶穌所統治這個王國？

When Pilate asked Jesus: You are the king, then! Jesus didn’t deny his title from heaven. He expressed very firmly and seriously: “His kingdom is not of the world. His kingdom is from another place above.” Therefore, His kingdom was not obtained by the power of armed force, but by love and sacrifice. His kingdom is not of the world but is touched by everyone’s heart of love.

Reflection: Does my heart and life belong to the kingdom that is governed by

our Lord Jesus?

5>要為真理作見證 Testify to the truth
彼拉多就對他說：「這樣，你是王嗎？」耶穌回答說：「你說我是王。我為此而生，也為此來到世間，特為給真理作見證。凡屬真理的人就聽我的話。」（v37）

³⁷"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

主耶穌說：祂來到世界，是為真理作見證。也就是將有關上帝的真理、人犯罪的事實、生命之道啟示給人類明白。面對主耶穌所啟示的真理，人類只有兩種回應，要不是接受，就是拒絕，絕對沒有灰色地帶、沒有中間立場。唯有屬於主耶穌的人，才接受主耶穌所啟示的真理！

反省：我屬於哪一種人？接受真理的？拒絕真理的？是否也為真理作見證？

Jesus said: “He came into the world to testify the truth.” It means that he brought

out God’s will, the truth of humankind being sinners and led everyone on the

right path of life. There are only two responses to face God’s teaching, one is

to accept the truth or refuse it. There are no betweens or neutral positions. Only the one who chooses Jesus’ side can accept the truth.

Reflection: Do I accept the truth or refuse it? Have I ever testified for the truth?


Translated by Teresa Y.