The Bible is full of irony: the appearance of a thing is often contradictory to the reality. In this sermon on John 18:28–19:16, in which we find Jesus on trial before Pontius Pilate, Pastor Luke Herche brings out three broad ironies found within the passage: the irony of unbelief, the irony of gospel, and the ironies of faith.

Part of a series on The Gospel of John.

From Sunday Worship, March 2, 2025.

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Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:

Walk through the story slowly (perhaps read it out loud). What are the most interesting ironies of Jesus’ trial? How does irony confront even as it persuades?

What part of this story feel most tragic to you? Why? What aspect of Jesus’ person and work described here—his being the spotless passover lamb, the God-man accused of blasphemy, or the king of truth rejected as a fraud—feels most triumphant to you? How does the resurrection transform what would otherwise be tragic in this story?

Of the three aspects of walking by faith mentioned—looking to what is unseen, relying on power through weakness, waiting for the kingdom which has come—which do you find most difficult and why? How does Jesus’ work free and motivate you to do these things?

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All Souls is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.