1tim6v13

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Read: John 18:30-38/19:8-16 Christ’s Good Confession [1 Timothy Series: 23]

...and before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession...

Calvin does not believe that this confession relates so much to Christ’s actual words before Pilate but rather to the fact that He stood faithful and did not turn back
He did not grovel for His life as Pilate evidently expected
Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee and power to release thee? (John 19:10) but steadfastly maintained/purpose

This overall view cannot be faulted
Had Christ merely have out up a good verbal defence but caved in at the end, then nothing would have been achieved
Our redemption hangs on the fact that He came willingly to die on our behalf and suffer for the guilt of our sins
Had that not have been achieved – we are lost without hope

But I do feel that we should not limit the observation of Timothy here re: Christ’s confession to the big picture
John is careful to include word for word accounts of what Christ said in the august presence of the Roman Governor
Surely these can be examined/studied with great profit
Of course, there are things in Christ’s words that we can never find ourselves saying, applying them to ourselves
We do not have a Kingdom and servants in this world (18:36)
But there are principals in this confession that we ought to observe and learn from
To what end? That we ourselves might witness a good profession before many witnesses and so bring glory/God
Jesus Christ here is not only our Saviour
He is the great Exemplar to His Redeemed People
We ought to walk in His footsteps as He so walked
5 things to observe from this Good Confession

1) A GOOD CONFESSION CAN BE MADE ANYWHERE, IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AND BEFORE ANYONE:

A/ It is true that Christ’s circumstances here are unique
No one else will ever stand in circumstances like these
But we may stand/circumstances that can draw some parallels

B/ We might find ourselves standing before great men/authority
Such anticipated in Proverbs 22:29
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Of course, this had been done before by diligent Believers
Joseph had stood before the mighty Pharaoh in God’s name
Moses had conducted a great defence before Pharaoh
Daniel would later stand before several Emperors admirably
Later on, again, we would find Paul (writer/text) standing before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin and later again before Felix, Festus and appealing unto the mighty Caesar

If this should ever happen: the place for a good Confession
We need not feel ourselves to be cowered by such men
These men are where they are by the direct hand/God
As the Lord Jesus reminded Pilate/this great confession (19:11)
They have a job of work to do before God and so have you
Every Christian can lay claim to a greater claim than that of a mere civil or religious ruler
We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20)
We represent the Lord/lords and the King/kings
Therefore David could put it into perspective: (Psalm 119:46)
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings… not be ashamed
Note that David’s lack/shame did not come from the fact that he himself was a king and even a great king
His lack/shame came from his confessing of the Scriptures

C/ We might find ourselves standing in the place/suffering
Not suffering as Christ would suffer i.e. in atonement
But nevertheless suffering for His sake because of our faith
This is not the place to pull back

When our Lord made His first confession before Pilate, a crowd were baying for his blood and He knew how weak Pilate was
Indeed, anyone looking on could probably work out that political expediency and the dispersing/angry mob would take place
Justice is usually the first casualty in such occasions
Yet our Lord still made His good confession

In the second interview (John 19) he had already been scourged by the brutal lashes of the Roman whip
Yet there was no demise in the goodness/confession

This is easier said than done
But should it come to pass that we must pay a high price for our Christian faith – then let us be ready to do so
Luther went to the Diet/Worms knowing that the safe conduct assurances from Rome were not worth the paper/written on
Huss a century earlier had done the same and was martyred
He knew the consequences of defying Rome
Yet he took his magnificent stand that still inspires millions
Read the Foxes Book/Martyrs if you want more examples

D/ There is nowhere where we cannot make a good confession
True that we must often be as wise as serpents
A good confession is not a fanatical confession
But sometimes we are forced into situations where it is sinful to be silent and having believed, we must therefore speak
At such times, let there not be/weak confession but a strong one
Strength of this good confession will lie in its contents
Who can doubt that Paul witnessed a G/C at Corinth?
Yet: And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (1 Corinthians 2:3)
Determined to know nothing among them save Christ/crucified

2) A GOOD CONFESSION KNOWS WHEN TO BE SILENT:

A/ There were times when the Lord Jesus simply refused to answer some of the questions put to Him
Not that He had no answers
How can the Incarnate Wisdom of God have no answers?
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)

B/ But the silences of God are worse than His rebukes
When He rebukes, there may be hope for mercy
David was rebuked by God through Nathan and still penned Psalm 51
But silence can denote: the matter/closed and so no repentance

C/Appears that the Lord Jesus did not answer those questions which were grossly insulting
We may query things for more information –
We should read the Bible with reverent and discerning questions
But we cannot use the question to convey the blasphemy/insult
When this happened, our Great Confessor, Jesus, answered not

We pick this up earlier even than Pilate’s courtroom:
At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. (26:60-62)
This was a good Confession for all that Jesus ever did was good
“This fellow” (as they contemptuously put it) never said that He would destroy the temple/God nor build it in three days

But lets move to the place/Paul specifically names: Pilate’s court:
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. (Matthew 27:12-14)

Christ’s silences here are golden to the saints
Such is the righteousness/His cause
Even when the enemies/Cross unleash their fury, yet ultimately they will not and cannot prevail against Him
We can even afford to be silent
There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:9)

Luke gives us a unique account of something that happened while Jesus was at Pilate’s court
Pilate sent him to Herod (hoping to be rid of him)
And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. (Luke 23:8-9)
John records another case/Christ’s silence:
As Pilate seemed to run from pillar to post, tortured by the Jews and tormented by his own conscience, he turned to Christ:
And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. (John 19:9)
He had already told Pilate who He was and where He was from
His kingdom was not of this world (18:36)
Therefore He was the Lord from Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47)

D/ A G/C therefore may be known from its silences too
Of course, there are silences that are sinful
Peter seemed to be playing out one of these type while warming himself at the world’s fire
But Christ’s confession here is said to be good by the Holy Spirit and from it we may conclude that even its silences are golden too

3) A GOOD CONFESSION ANSWERS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS:

A/ Right questions here need not necessarily mean (for us) easy ones, but there are questions that deserve an answer

B/ Christ answered questions from those He had also ignored – sometimes (within seconds) answering one but not another
e.g. Although he had kept silent before Pilate in John 19:9 refusing to answer his question “Who art thou?” – when Pilate queried (v10) as to whether Christ knew that he (Pilate) had power to crucify Him or let Him go – Jesus answered him:
Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 10:11)
Pilate is informed that the balance/power does not lie with him
The sceptre may have departed out of Judah (Genesis 49:10) necessitating the Jews begging him to act and slay Christ
But the sceptre had not departed from God
If Christ was to be crucified (and He was) then it was to be according to God’s determinate counsel and foreknowledge
It was not Pilate who was calling the shots here
It was not even the Jews who could bully Pilate into submission
It was God Almighty in the sovereignty of His grace
Although we would already know this from elsewhere/Bible
(Both before and after this particular incident)
Yet here we have it affirmed again at the very point when Christ might have been considered to have been at His weakest, Christ is still in control here
I remind you again that He is standing bloodied (John 19:1)
His back is like a furrowed field
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. (Psalm 129:3)
There were prisoners who never got beyond the lash/whip
They perished at the whipping post
Those who did survive were in no fit state hardly to talk, never keep control of the events round about them

C/ Other examples of when Christ answered their questions:
Back in Matthew 26:63-65, having withheld his answers to the accusations/the false witnesses, the High Priest then asked him:
I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God
Here, Christ leaves His silence mode to affirm that He indeed was the Christ of God
We may suppose that the solemn adjuration was respected
I conjecture that silence here would leave suspicion that the seriousness/oath finally unmasked Him as a usurper/title
Therefore He calmly and truly and plainly told them the truth
He had made this confession of His own Sonship back in 16:16-17
Peter put it on the table and Christ stamped it/approval:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:17)

D/ Again, He answered Pilate on several occasions:
Art thou a king then?
He affirmed it
He spoke of the nature of His kingdom – other worldly and one in which His servants needed not military might to see it succeed
He affirmed: He came into the world to bear witness/the truth

D/ These words of Christ before Pilate (and others) constitute therefore a Good Confession
There are no “if only’s” here in regard to His performance
We cannot find fault with His silences as if an answer would have made a ha’p of a difference
We cannot conclude that His answers contributed any to the sins of those responsible for His death
Truth does not cower before bullies and murderers
Truly, in His mouth, there was no guile (1 Peter 2:22)

4) A GOOD CONFESSION CHALLENGES ITS HEARERS:

A/ It might not always convert them or even restrain them
The things which Christ said neither converted/restrained: Jews
Although Pilate was convinced of the innocence of Christ (affirming it several times) and (Acts 3:13) was determined to let Christ go – yet he finally gave Him over to be crucified
The goodness/confession is not dependent on how it is received

B/ But truth always challenges the soul
No man is ever the same after he meets truth
He is either more hardened and headed for destruction
Or he is more softened and ultimately headed for conversion

C/ This ought to encourage us as Christians
Reminds us that our power is in our gospel
In His G/C, Jesus told Pilate:
Jesus answered, 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. (John 18:36)
We do not need large numbers/political muscle to get anywhere
Money is no object because we do not need any!
Our power lies in the words that we use
Not that they are our words in their source
They are His words which we confess as our own
Paul spoke about the gospel being His gospel (Romans 2:16)
But it was as the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16) that he spoke about it being the power of God unto salvation
IOW: It was Christ’s gospel by source – Paul’s by confession

5) A GOOD CONFESSION LINGERS ON AND ENERGISES OTHERS:

A/ Which may be said of each/everything the Lord ever did!
But here Paul concentrates on His good confession
Paul has already reminded Timothy of his responsibility to
Fight the good fight/faith and lay hold on eternal life (v12)
He goes further an charges him before God and before Christ (especially in the fact that Christ witnessed this G/C) that this commandment be kept without spot etc., (v14)
He has Timothy looking back to many good past professions
He has Timothy looking forward to the coming/Christ
All these are doubtless powerful goads/encouragement to the young Pastor to do what is required

B/ But let him ever think of the bloodied form of the Son/God as he stood friendless before Pontius Pilate
Let him read often the various accounts (some of which we have read already) and see how a G/C can be given even in the most trying of circumstances to the glory of God

C/ Here is where victory is sought and gained
Christ’s time before Pilate was relatively short
(We do not say this to lessen or detract anything)
But it was exceedingly fruitful
That we are referring to it 2,000 years later and drawing these lessons from it show that it is worth its weight/gold
It soon gave way to the exaltation of Christ
Likewise with us:
Let us confess Him now with a good confession
Do not flinch just as Christ never flinched
Remember His silences were not driven by fear
If we confess a G/C, then we will reap a reward that will make any cost incurred worth while a million times

THE END

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