John 18:4 Consider this incident: I. As a remarkable momentary manifestation of our Lord's glory. II. As a manifestation of the voluntariness of our Lord's suffering. III. An instance, on a small scale, of Christ's self-sacrificing care for us. A. Maclaren, _A Year's Ministry,_2nd series, p. 19... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:6 Judas and His Bond I. In the occurrence before us, we have a remarkable proof that, whilst Christ would not thwart the purposes of His enemies who thirsted for His blood, He was resolved to do enough to render them inexcusable in putting Him to death. The foreknowledge of the Redeemer qu... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:28 _(with John 19:16)_ The Spirit of God striving with Man Pontius Pilate judging the Lord Christ I. At first Pilate will scarcely attend to the accusers of Christ. He takes Jesus into the inner judgment hall of his palace, thinking probably that a very short inquiry will suffice. From th... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:36 I. Consider the nature of Christ's kingdom, "My kingdom is not of this world." It is spiritual. In other words, the emphatic mark of the rule of Christ which He was about to set up seems to be that of its perfect spirituality, of its utter unlikeness to those shifting earthly sovereigntie... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:37 It was not as the Son of God that Jesus said this, but as the Son of man. It would have been nothing that the second Person in the Blessed Trinity should have been a King; of course He was, and much more than a King. But that poor, weak, despised man, that was standing there before Ponti... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:37 Consider the Duty of being "true and just in all our dealings," I. As peculiarly a duty towards our neighbours. The whole frame of society stands by mutual confidence. Knaves sometimes seem to prosper in the world; but it is only because they are supposed to be honest, and because on th... [ Continue Reading ]
John 18:40 The narrative of Jesus' arraignment before the civil power in Jerusalem affords the most vivid illustration in the New Testament of just two great moral lessons. Pilate's behaviour shows the wicked wrong of indecision; and the chief priests' choice of Barabbas' release shows the utter ru... [ Continue Reading ]