Pilate - Matt 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:3-4; John 18:33-38

Jesus is trying to explain to Pilate that he is the Savior, not the king right now, so his answer to "art thou the king of the Jews?" is "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." Listening to this, Pilate probably thought that Jesus was crazy. If you weren't familiar with Jesus' teachings, then these statements scream "I'm crazy." Bur Jesus is also providing Pilate with an insight that supports his statement that he is not competing for political power right now. Pilate persists "art thou a king then?" And Jesus answers, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."  I had no idea what Jesus is talking about because the whole "you're the one who said it" has never made any sense to me. But the IM clarifies saying, "HIs statements are consistent with HIs refusal throughout HIs ministry to present Himself as an earthly king, while openly declaring that He was the Messiah." The IM continues by quoting Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander as teaching, "With these few words, Jesus declares His kingdom independent and distinct from this world. The Savior's teachings, doctrine, and personal example life all who truly believe in Him to a divine standard that requires both eye and mind to be single to the glory of God. The glory of God encompasses all that is holy and sacred. Our ability to seek, recognize, and reverence the holy above the profane, and the sacred above the secular, defines our spirituality. Indeed, without the holy and sacred, we are left with only the profane and secular."

 
The whole concept of the "Kingdom of God" can be difficult to understand fully because we live in a world that is so all-consuming that it usually doesn't leave much room for anything else. But the all-consuming nature of our lives here lean toward the negative and self-destruction, there is a destructive power that takes over if we aren't vigilant. The "Kingdom of God" on the other hand is about positivity, hope, joy, and love and sometimes it's difficult for us to reconcile the physical world that we live in with the spiritual world that we strive for, but to do so is God's work among us. The IM acknowledges Jesus' statement "for this cause came I into the world" and quotes Elder Alexander B. Morrison as asking, "What was the cause? Why did Jesus, the Lord God Omnipotent who sits at the right hand of the Father, creator of worlds without number, lawgiver and judge, condescend to come to earth to be born in a manger, live out most of HIs mortal existence in obscurity, trudge the dusty roads of Judea proclaiming a message which was violently opposed by many, and finally betrayed by one of HIs closest associates, die between two malefactors on Golgatha's somber hill?" Those are really good points if we are trying to understand the Savior's role in our salvation.
 
Elder Morrison continues, "It was love for all of God's children that led Jesus, unique in HIs sinless perfection, to offer Himself as ransom for the sins of others. IN the words of the beloved hymn, 'Jesus died on Calvary! That all through him might ransom be.' This, then, was the consummate cause which brought Jesus to earth to 'suffer, bleed, and die for man.' He came as a 'lamb without blemish and without spot' to atone for our sins, that He, being raised on the cross, might draw all men unto Him." It took me a really long time to understand that while Jesus taught great doctrines while he was in mortality, and even though he healed many, that wasn't his purpose here on earth. Prophets throughout history have taught the gospel to the people and established Christ's church many times, that wasn't unique to the Savior. Many people throughout human existence have been miraculously healed through the power of God. That Jesus also did so is admirable, but again, not unique to him. But you know what was unique to him? There was one thing that only Jesus could do, he was the only one qualified for the task and the only one that the universe would allow to do it. Regardless of the incredible doctrine he taught and the miraculous healings that he performed, Jesus was here for one thing and one thing only, to perform the atonement, to stand in front of Pilate and be crucified.
 
Interestingly, while Jesus had his own path to walk, the IM quotes Elder Neal A. Maxwell as teaching that we too are here for a purpose. He says, "We too, brothers and sisters, came 'into the world' to pass through our particularized portions of the mortal experience. Even though our experiences do not even begin to approach our Master's, nevertheless, to undergo this mortal experience is why we too are here! Purposefully pursuing this 'cause' brings ultimate meaning to our mortal lives." I thought the word "particularized" was an interesting inclusion. We know that Jesus' mortal life was very planned out, everything he did was foreordained and it's interesting to think that our lives are just as ordered. Pilate questions "What is truth?" and decides that Jesus is many things, but guilty of sedition is not one of them. And I think we should point out again that the Romans were very generous with their capital punishment, especially for their subjects that they don't consider good enough to become Roman citizens. So for Pilate to listen to everything and then deem "I find in him no fault at all" is just further evidence that there was absolutely no case against the Savior.
 
The Chief priests were not having Pilate's decision of innocence, and they begin accusing Jesus further. With all the upheaval going on around him, Jesus did not respond and stayed silent. We have to remember that when they get to this high up of judicial action, I'm confident that both the Sanhedrin and Pilate were used to people that were beside themselves with hysteria, begging for their lives. Jesus' silence is baffling to Pilate and he asks Jesus "Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly." Jesus' stoicism must have been so unusual that all around, the Roman perfect especially was shocked by his reaction. One of the accusations thrown to Pilate about Jesus was, "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place." Finding out that Jesus was not only a Jew but also from Galilee was perfect for Pilate because that meant that he could pawn this mess off to someone else, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, who just happened to be in town for the Passover, And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who himself also was at Jerusalem at the time."