No Secrets Hidden

John 18: 12-40 NLT

12 So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested
Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of
Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the
other Jewish leaders, "Better that one should die for all." 15 Simon Peter
followed along behind, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was
acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the courtyard with
Jesus. 16 Peter stood outside the gate. Then the other disciple spoke to the
woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter,
"Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?""No," he said, "I am not." 18 The guards
and the household servants were standing around a charcoal fire they had made
because it was cold. And Peter stood there with them, warming himself. 19
Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had
been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, "What I teach is widely known, because I
have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple. I have been heard by
people Jewish people; also in 18:38." href="#fn-descriptionAnchor-a" everywhere,
and I teach nothing in private that I have not said in public. 21Why are you
asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said."22 One
of the Temple guards standing there struck Jesus on the face. "Is that the way
to answer the high priest?" he demanded. 23 Jesus replied, "If I said anything
wrong, you must give evidence for it. Should you hit a man for telling the
truth?"24 Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. 25
Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire, they asked him again,
"Aren't you one of his disciples?""I am not," he said. 26 But one of the
household servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had
cut off, asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?" 27
Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. 28 Jesus' trial before
Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the
headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go in themselves because
it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover
feast. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your
charge against this man?" 30 "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he
weren't a criminal!" they retorted. 31 "Then take him away and judge him by your
own laws," Pilate told them."Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,"
the Jewish leaders replied. 32 This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he
would die. 33 Then Pilate went back inside and called for Jesus to be brought to him.
"Are you the King of the Jews?" he asked him. 34 Jesus replied, "Is this your
own question, or did others tell you about me?"35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate asked.
"Your own people and their leading priests brought you here. Why? What have you
done?" 36 Then Jesus answered, "I am not an earthly king. If I were, my
followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my
Kingdom is not of this world."37 Pilate replied, "You are a king then?" "You say
that I am a king, and you are right," Jesus said. "I was born for that purpose.
And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that
what I say is true."38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to
the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime. 39 But you have a
custom of asking me to release someone from prison each year at Passover. So if
you want me to, I'll release the King of the Jews." 40 But they shouted back,
"No! Not this man, but Barabbas!" (Barabbas was a criminal.)


I have said nothing in secret. Jesus had a message for us not only did the
Son of God die to save us but to teach us how to live life: love, compassion,
and fogiveness. This message challenged the Jewish Religous structure and the
power of the Sanhedrian made up of two dominate Jewish groups of the time the
Pharisees and the Saducees-both very powerful groups. It also possed challenge
to the political powers of the time. Jesus stayed true, stayed strong, and was
willing to stand alone at the cross when all had gone astray, even his
disciples. We as the body of Christ are called to do nothing less. To walk in
the love and justice of Christ Jesus then we must challenge evil and injustice
where we see it and to not do so is to deny just as Jesus did. We are so suppose
to be a light to all nations, to bring the Good News of our chains and bounds to
sin have been broken and that we are love beyond human comprehension and ability
by the loving and true God. God is compatient, always Good, always faithful,
always loving, and changes us. We know following Christ will bring us in
conflict witht the ways of the world, that we can no longer accept the
injustice- we will be in conlfict with the powers at work, What is true faith in
Christ, it is a willingness to die for Christ sake, for his message, and for his
glory (not your own). Jesus came to give us a new ways to live and to bring
adudant life in him. everlasting and eternal life. We must be willing to die for
his message which is the Kingdom of God is at hand, the reign of God will be
realized by all. We are able to give becaue Christ we are to reach out the
oprressed and persecuted, the captives, the proclaim the Good News to those who
have never heard it or to those who never heard that the Good News is for them
as well,