Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
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Anger
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The Setup
It’s the early hours of the morning.
The last supper, the first communion, was the night before.
Jesus was betrayed, as He said He would be.
Denied, as He said He would be.
He has submitted His will completely to the will of the Father.
He hasn’t slept.
Arrested by Roman soldiers, He has had a trial before the religious leaders, and now has come to the palace - the seat of Roman government in Jerusalem.
The movement
As we read this story together, you’ll see how much movement there is.
This isn’t a static conversation but the scene is constantly changing.
I want you to pay close attention to what this tragic story shows us about Jesus as He shines in contrast to PIlate - see how
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Outside the palace - no clear charge
Outside
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.
By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
29 So 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.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.
32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
The people were in the middle of the passover feast.
That explains why Pilate was in town.
Jerusalem wasn’t where he normally lived, but he travelled in, accompanied by a lot of soldiers, in case anything kicked off during the festival.
It’s a bit like how the police staff up for Notting Hill Carnival, but more extreme when you factor in colonial rule and a massive religious divide.
So Pilate asks for the charges.
He’s already sent along a company of soldiers for the arrest, so this isn’t the first he’s heard of it.
Most commentators agree that this is Pilate stamping his authority on the scene.
He’s not just going to rubber-stamp their court, he’s going to do his own retrial.
You can sense the frustration in the response which isn't really a response.
“If he weren’t a criminal we wouldn’t have handed him over to you!”
Pilate knows they need him - judge him yourself by your own law!
And John tells us something a bit strange here - he says that this exchange, this little power-play, took place to fulfil what Jesus Himself had said about His death.
So what had He said?
31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’?
Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Inside
Inside the palace - What kind of kingdom?
What is truth?
33 Pilate 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.
“Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me.
What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.
If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders.
But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.
In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?”
retorted Pilate.
Look at the contrast here between their kingdoms.
Jesus shows Pilate up - is that your own idea?
Pilate tries to distance himself, to put himself above this local rabble.
“Your own people handed you over to me”.
Despite Pilate holding all the cards, Jesus is in command of this conversation.
Now it’s time to answer Pilate’s question about his kingship.
He says His kingdom is not of this world, but from another place.
Pilate tries to keep things on a plane that he can understand: “so you are a king then?”
And that’s when Jesus speaks about His purpose - the reason He was born and came into the world - to testify to the truth.
And He gives Pilate an opportunity - “everyone on the side of truth listens to me”.
So Pilate, are you on the side of truth?
Pilate dismisses this.
“What is truth?”
Think for a minute about how differently we could say that.
He could have asked with genuine wonder.
He could have asked with desperation.
But what he does next shows that he asks it dismissively, rhetorically.
Outside
Outside the palace - “release Barabbas!”
With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover.
Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him!
Give us Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
Pilate thinks he has found a way to get this episode done with, and get this awkward otherworldly king off his premises.
He’s no threat to Rome - He’s made it clear He’s not planning an uprising.
But they choose another instead.
Inside
Inside the palace - beaten and mocked
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.
They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
And they slapped him in the face.
Up until now an actor playing Pilate could have played him as cold, distant, bored even.
But now we see the brutality of power.
Pilate orders Jesus to be beaten, and turns Him over to soldiers.
I’d like to take you back to a much more pleasant time - a time when this Jesus stood on the side of a mountain and preached to a massive crowd who were desperate to be like Him, desperate to follow Him.
He said:
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
And He also said:
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
w 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.
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