Pilate - Judging Jesus

When we say someone is “out of control,” we normally mean that they have lost some sense of decorum, reason, or ability to manage themselves and others. When we say someone has “control issues,” we usually mean that a person is crossing some imaginary line of what is appropriate in managing a situation, group, or individual. So what does it mean to be perfectly in control? And are we ever really in control of anything, or is control an illusion? Jesus’ encounter with Pilate is a fascinating study in the contrast between control and surrender and how you cannot have one without the other. Join us for part four of our series as we consider the decision Pilate made at the Cross Roads.

Crossroad #4: Will you be directed by a craving for control or a willingness to surrender?

Pilate at the Crossroads: John 18:28 - 19:22

First Encounter: Confrontation and Questioning (John 18:28-38)

Second Encounter: Dismissal and Demand (John 19:1-8)

Third Encounter: Distress and Denial (John 19:9-16)

1. Absolute control and total surrender are mutually exclusive
2. The need to control blinds us to truth and exposes our hearts
3. Jesus’ willingness to surrender to Pilate reveals the extent of God’s control; while Pilate’s unwillingness to surrender to Jesus exposes Pilate as a slave

Final Encounter: Confession (John 19:19-22)

Questions to Consider:

1. What or who are you trying to control?
2. How has your desire for control blinded you to God’s activity?
3. How is your desire to control enslaving you?
4. How would your life be different if you stopped trying to control your life and instead surrendered it to Jesus Christ?