Answers Bible Curriculum Year 3 Quarter 3 Lesson 2
This week in Sunday school, we continue looking at the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. In this lesson, we look at the Jewish and Gentile trials conducted to determine Jesus’ guilt and sentence. How evil were these trials? How did Jesus respond to the blatant injustice? Yet how was all unfolding exactly as Jesus and the prophets foretold and exactly as fallen man needed to be saved? We’ll consider these questions and more.
We look at multiple Gospel accounts as we piece together the timeline of Jesus’ trials. You can find these accounts in John 18:1-19:16, Matthew 26:36-27:26, Luke 22:39-23:25, and Mark 14:32-15:15.
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again welcome to Sunday school good to be here with you good to be here that’s right you can wave to me and I can wave right back not even through a screen because yes I’m right here in the flesh good semester at seminary but good to be back visiting here on the East Coast it’s very different from what we were just experiencing it was an 80s when we left and it was below 40 when we came so and we’ve had snow several times like kind of glad about that but it has been a bit of an adjustment for us but still I’m really glad to be here with you we are continuing to study Jesus’s death and resurrection as we move through the Bible chronologically and today our lesson title is God’s plan unfolds what are we really talking about today well we’re focusing on the trials that led up to Jesus crucifixion this is courtroom scenes are always intense dramatic but this is the most dramatic in history this is the par excellance courtroom drama the son of God is being put on trial and what happens to the son of God is exactly the opposite of what any of us would ever want to happen to us if we were to go to court but it is exactly what we needed to have happen and what God planned to happen is that we might be saved we’re gonna look at that we’re gonna see what we can learn how Jesus responded to those trials as we investigate various texts in the different Gospels today let’s pray before we continue my god my great God Oh God thank you for this word thank you for salvation in Jesus thank you Lord for his willingness his strength his power to endure Lord what was just so horrific even in these trials Lord in justice beyond what we can imagine but he did it it did it willingly and he did it for us I pray God that we would see the greatness of that this morning and that you would help me to be able to explain it in Jesus name Amen right the way we’re going to proceed in class today is a little different than we do normally normally we focus on one or two main texts but today we’re actually gonna look at several different texts comparing what each of the Gospels have to say and piecing together the different accounts to see all the trials that Jesus goes through because we talk about Jesus being put on trial the Son of God being put on trial but actually it happened several times you could even say it happens six times six different trials that Jesus goes through before he is crucified and that means that we have a lot of text investigate not every trial is recorded in each one of the Gospels so we’re piecing it together I say six trials some people would say it’s just two trials with three phases each but we’re gonna go with six trials and the reason we’re looking at the different gospel accounts is so that we can establish a timeline of these trials and how they all relate to one another as we investigate the different texts today though I want you to pay attention to a couple of things we won’t be able to do our level of detailed observations that we would normally but I want you to pay attention to some things as we look at the different trials that Jesus endure first who’s putting Jesus on trial pay attention to that second when and where is it happening if there are details in the text that tell us then are there elements of mistrial and what are they fourth what’s the verdict that they come to and five how does Jesus react how did you just react to the trial how’s he react to the verdict we start with our first trial and it is the first Jewish trial we’re gonna actually see we have three Jewish trials and three Gentile trials our first Jewish trial is in John chapter 18 so please open your Bibles turn to John 18 using a few Bible it’s page 1080 – John 18 we’re gonna read verses 12 to 14 skip over the section about Peter because we’ll come back to that next week and then or the next time we have Sunday School and then we’ll look at verses 19 to 23 in the same chapter remember the context it’s exactly what we talked about last time in Sunday school Jesus just finished his Passover meal with his disciples he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane which is at the base of the Mount of Olives was praying to the Father that people came out to arrest him he demonstrated his power by not only causing them all to fall down when he said the word I am but also by healing the servant of the high priest ear when Peter sliced it off with his sword so he demonstrated his power he’s been put on their rest and now we see the first Jewish trial so first well John 18 so the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and led him to Anna’s first for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year jump down to verse 19 the high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching jesus answered him I have spoken openly to the world I always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all the Jews come together and I spoke nothing in secret why do you question me question those who have heard what I spoke to them they know what I said when he had said this one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus saying is that the way you answer the high priest jesus answered him if I have spoken wrongly testify of the wrong but if rightly why do you strike me so Anna’s send him bound to Caiaphas the high priest all right let’s observe those details I wanted us to pay attention to where are we when are we in the middle of the night and we’re in a nurse’s residence who’s who’s putting Jesus on trial it is Anna’s who’s Anna’s yeah former high priest good so you have some sort of background knowledge here it says here he’s the father-in-law of Caiaphas Caiaphas is the high priest and yet when we get down to verse 19 it’s not Caiaphas who’s talking to Jesus here it’s anis the trial with Caiaphas comes later Anna’s has referred to the hut referred to as the high priest what what’s going on it’s because he was the former high priest of the Jews but he was removed from his position by Rome still many Jews considered him to be high priest just kind of unofficially informal and he certainly had a connection to their to the current high priest Caiaphas because he was the father-in-law so Anna’s the unofficial high priest is the one putting Jesus on trial here do you notice any illegal happenings with this trial what’s one of them it’s at night it’s happening at night and it’s secret this is against the Jewish law it is against the law of the Sanhedrin trials were to be done at daytime and in public so that there could be no funny business they could be they could be observed they could be verified this trials done at night we’ve done in secret what else is illegal there’s no charge okay so this is kind of a funky trial in that there’s no charge the the one questioning him seems to be searching for a charge he’s looking for he’s asking Jesus about his teaching he’s asking Jesus about his disciples there’s no charge here what else okay so along the lines of what we’re saying before this is private trial secret at night it’s in a home not in the in the Assembly of the Sanhedrin as it ought to be some other things here that are happening that we might not recognize as being actually illegal but this effort to get Jesus to say something that incriminates him that’s actually illegal the same he’d Rijn the law Jewish law the laws of the Sanhedrin it’s illegal to try to force a person to incriminate himself and even if that person confesses to to doing a crime you cannot put him to death on the basis of his own confession crimes needed witnesses to prove their guilt they need evidence but there is no evidence here in fact the high priest anis seems to be trying to solicit some sort of confession from Jesus and it’s for that reason that Jesus asked him why are you asking me questions bring forth some witnesses that’s the way you ought to do things and of course also illegal for it someone just strike Jesus without cause actually Jesus was just pointing out that they’re not following a proper procedure they’re doing what’s illegal but this onlooker this attendant he strikes Jesus that’s because really this this trial has decided Jesus’s guilt before there’s even been a charge given and before there’s even been a verdict so at the end of this trial there is no official verdict there’s no crime even declared but Jesus guilt is presumed this is the first trial doesn’t go exactly the way Innes may have hoped and it leads to our second Jewish trial and for this one we need to actually go to the book of Matthew so turn over to Matthew 26 Matthew 26 we’re looking at verses 57 to 68 so our first trial with anis mill the night private now verse 57 and Matthew 26 let’s see what happens here those with seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the elders were gathered together Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of high priest and entered in and sat down with the officers to see the outcome now the chief priests and the whole council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death they did not find any even though many false witnesses came forward but later on to came forward and said this man stated I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days I priest stood up and said to him do you not answer what is it that these men are testifying against you but Jesus kept silent and the high priest said to him I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God jesus said to him you have said it yourself nevertheless I tell you hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven then the high priest tore his robes and said he has blessed being what further need do we have of witnesses behold you have now heard the blasphemy what do you think they answered he deserves death then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists another slapped him and said prophesy to us you Christ who is the one who hits you all right second trial here when are still during the night where are we we’re at another residence who’s putting Jesus on trial heard someone whisper it it is Caiaphas okay how do we get from an assist place to Caiaphas place well the Bible is not explicit as to how close these residences were some have inferred that they actually their residences were right next to each other as part of the same complex that’s why it says that Jesus was in the court of the high priest that seems to be where he hangs out during both of these trials it’s possible that they had a residence together Anna’s and Caiaphas after all they were related by marriage there’s some some sort of big complex and two buildings so they just take to you this from one to the other and now we’re in Caiaphas is residence Caiaphas is putting him on trial but there are some members of the Sanhedrin in there there are some high priests and some members of the council or another way to refer to that as the Sanhedrin any illegal happenings in this trial there are what’s an example yeah really okay the witnesses are inconsistent in their testimony you may notice the one that’s quoted he said I’m able to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days that’s not what Jesus said what did Jesus actually say he told their religious leaders you destroy this temple and now we’re building three days I’ll raise it up in three days and it says he’s referring to the temple of his body but they didn’t understand they thought he was talking about the building so inconsistent witness testimony which shows some funny business what else we could say something more what drastic when it comes to witnesses our narrator tells us it’s not so said the witnesses are confused what are they they’re false they’re false witnesses and not just one or two many many false witnesses were brought forward specifically so that they could find something to condemn Jesus with now according to the law according to the law of Moses what is the penalty for being a false witness first of all we know that that ten commitment specifically prohibit being a false witness against your neighbor this is a pretty fundamental aspect of God’s laws being violated Rob are you saying that’s exactly it if you were found to be a false witness in fact let me quote the text for you Deuteronomy 19 verses 18 and 19 Deuteronomy 19 verses 18 and 19 says that judges shall investigate thoroughly and if oh if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely than you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother thus you shall purge the evil from among you based on the law what do the false witnesses deserve that falsely accused Jesus death they all deserve to die it is a very serious thing that they are doing because they are accusing Jesus of a capital crimes that he will die and they are accusing him falsely this is a huge injustice this is a huge illegal happening in this trial and it’s happening over and over again we could add the same sort of abuses that were happening in the previous trial this is a secret night trial again in a private residence that’s a violation of Jewish law they’re trying to force a person to self-incriminate that’s a violation of Jews Jewish law Jesus does make a confession and on that confession they condemn him to death that is illegal according to Jewish law you cannot put someone to death for based on his own confession we could add other things this is an improper voting procedure Sanhedrin had a specific way that they cast votes whenever somebody was decided to be guilty or not here it’s just a just asking aloud for people to say what what should be done to Jesus more basically there’s the condemning of an innocent man that’s illegal that’s an unjust royal are you gonna say yeah you’re exactly right Roy the sanhedrin put its rules together to protect those who have brought before the court it was actually the presumption of innocence there all sorts of laws in it and when it comes to how the Sanhedrin conducted itself to protect from mistrial to protect people from it just being um pronounced guilty and killed too quickly we’re gonna mention it now I was gonna mention it later but according to the law of the Sanhedrin if a man was condemned to death he could not be put to death the same day you had to wait at least two more days he hadn’t to be put to death three days later so that if there was any funny business in the trials it could be identified and could be dealt with or if if people were just moved by emotion and then thought about it later and they said you know what I really shouldn’t have condemned that person they could change their minds and the person would not be put to death on the third day and when the person was put to death it was done in a very sober way and those who were the witnesses against him were the ones who were to cast the first stone it was people to death by stoning that was that would be the law when it comes to Jesus particular crime so you’re absolutely right boy there’s a there’s a hurry miss to these trials that just causes them to violate every sort of rule that was supposed to protect those who were brought before the Sanhedrin it’s because they really want Jesus to die even though he’s innocent they really want him to die some other aspects of this trial are heinous even though they’re not technically illegal in a judicial sense the high priest hypocritically tears his robes oh I’m just so struck by this blasphemy I’m so moved so grieved I’ve just got to tear these robes of course was he trying to do murder an innocent person he a George Jesus to confess I enjoy you by the Living God he appeals to God with this oath hypocritically and then after Jesus is pronounced guilty by the council they all mock him mock him even about his ability to prophesy now here we do have a verdict and the verdict is he’s guilty for what crime blasphemy he is blaspheming against God and that is a crime according to the Mosaic law Leviticus 24:16 Leviticus 24:16 says moreover the one who blasphemes the name of Yahweh shall surely be put to death all the congregation cells shall certainly stone him the alien as well as the native when he blasphemes the name shall he be put to death but Jesus they asked him if he was messiah he said yes he said I’m gonna come in glory and I said you’re blaspheming oh he was telling the truth he was telling the truth and amazing truth I’m the Messiah that Israel has been waiting for they were not willing to accept that normally willing to consider all the evidence that Jesus had been presenting through how it is ministry about him being Messiah about him being God even at his arrest he was presenting evidence they would not accept it now did you just have to confess that he was Messiah to them what’s interesting is that he was asked the same question before John chapter 10 actually records some members of the Jewish elite coming to Jesus and they say how long will you keep us in suspense tell us whether you’re the Christ he does not answer them directly he says look at my works look at what I do it should be obvious but this time when asked to tell them plainly he does what’s the difference he knew that doing so would give them an excuse to put him to death he knew that even asking him to confess this and to incriminate himself was illegal but he chose to do it why why would Jesus choose to do something that doesn’t have to and he knows it will lead to his death well certainly it is it is a gracious action the Lord where he gives them the truth gives him an opportunity to repent and surely maybe even some of the people in the same he’d repented we know Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin he peers to he seems to have come to know the Lord this is because he knows he’s got a mission to accomplish it’s like you said to Peter in the garden when Peter tried to draw a sword and prevent the people from arresting him he says put your sword back into its sheath the cup that the father has given me shall I not drink it she says I know this will lead to my death but that’s the way it must happen therefore I am willing I’m willing to confess I’m willing to make confession because it will fulfill God’s plan it will fulfill the Father’s plan for the salvation of many this is a really interesting aspect of the way that Jesus answers the the high priest Caiaphas and those members of the Sanhedrin who are with him he quotes Daniel 7 he could have just said yeah I’m the Messiah but he was emphatic about it he says you will see the Son of man coming on the clouds now remember that comes from Daniel 7 13 to 14 just reread those verses to you Daniel 7 verses 13 to 14 Daniel had this vision I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming and it came up to the Ancient of Days and it was presented before him and to him was given Dominion glory and a kingdom that all the peoples nations and men of every language might serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which will not pass away and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed why does Jesus quote this to them you said you will see the Son of man coming on the clouds glory yeah I think there’s that there’s an aspect of gracious warning in that again as you were saying before he was manifesting the truth I am the Messiah and by the way I am gonna come with glory pay attention to what you’re doing but what else does it show about Jesus attitude it’s a pretty terrible thing that’s happening to him right but he is confident he’s totally confident he’s totally unfazed he’s even able to declare this prophecy and say look it’s still gonna come to pass though you you humiliate me I would be glorified though you condemned me wrongly God will vindicate me and though you judge me now I will one day be your judge this is indeed a sobering word to the Sanhedrin are not the same agenda certain members of the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas who was there and it is an expression of the total confidence that Jesus has in God’s plan and in God’s vindication so the unofficial verdict has been decided in the second Jewish trial but we need an official trial with at least some semblance of legality if we’re gonna protect the members of the religious elite from mob action because Mary Jesus is still popular I’m going to treat the people he has lots of Messianic expectation we need one more Jewish trial and we find it in Luke look at Luke chapter 22 some people equate these last two trials but I don’t think you can do that because right after our passage in Matthew 26 it says now when morning came and talks about them getting together again we hear about what happened when they got together again in Luke 22 Luke 22 verses 66 to 71 they’re starting in 66 in Luke 22 this is the third Jewish trial this is what Luke says when it was day the council of elders of the people assembled both chief priests and scribes and they led him away to their council chamber saying if you are the Christ tell us but he said to them if I tell you you will not believe and if I ask a question you will not answer but from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God and they all said are you the son of God then and he said to them yes I am and they said what further need do we have of testimony for we have heard it ourselves from his own mouth it’s almost like they’re going through the motions of the last trial right you see many of the same things repeated now what is this one taking place day they’ve waited today which is in accordance with Jewish laws must be tried in the day and notice where they are counsel the Sanhedrin okay now we’re gonna go through at least the motions of what the law requires this is probably at dawn as soon as they could get all the Sanhedrin assembled and they could say we’re doing things legally who is judging Jesus the Sanhedrin what our translation says the Council of the elders but we could be another name for it is the Sanhedrin this is made up of three primary groups the elders of the people that’s kind of like the secular leaders the Sadducees they would have been the chief priests and the Pharisees their scribes their religious are the noted rabbis there they are present as well so elders Sadducees the chief priests and the Pharisees the scribes and rabbis they’ve convened now Jesus is probably appearing before and I’m already looking abused based on what happened him in the night the way they treated him after the second trial and Jesus answers them similarly as he did before but he also confesses to them I am the Messiah and Son of God and I will be seated at the right hand of power we see the same sort of illegal happenings here in this trial as before though not as many the guilt was already determined before the trial began resort to self-incrimination determination actually not stated here but we’ll see you later determination of death based on his own confession and those things are illegal not willing to let Jesus point out what they were doing was wrong says if I ask you a question you won’t answer me if I say look are you supposed to be doing this they won’t they won’t answer him just like he did in the first file when he asked anis why do you question me there was no reply except a fist verdict from this trial Jesus is guilty so from these three different trials every element of Jewish leadership and governance is agreed Jesus is guilty and must die he has committed blasphemy why is it that they wanted to put Jesus to death it’s not really about their zeal for God they were jealous of him why okay so I think you’re hitting on a different aspect of it but both those things are true first they were jealous of him and his popularity among the people but also they have a concern about their position you remember one of the words from Caiaphas and in the Gospels he says rebuking his fellow members of the religious elite look at what you were doing this man is going out and all all these rules following after him if we keep letting them go like this the Romans will come and then take away both our place in our nation it’s better for one man to die than to have a whole nation perish they believe that the following that Jesus was creating was going to result in a rebellion or at least some sort of destabilization of society so that the Romans would act and they would act in such a way that would cause the Sanhedrin the chief priests and the scribes and other religious leaders to lose their positions of power they worked hard to to obtain those positions of political and economic dominance they didn’t want to lose that they also didn’t like the Jesus was making them look bad in public I mean he showed them up in the temple when they were asking him all these questions trying to just and you know one of the things that Jesus did all the time every time you saw the Pharisees he just showed them how hypocritical they were says you were lauded by the people for your righteousness but you were whitewashed tombs you’re so evil on the inside they didn’t like that as you could understand and they wanted to stop feeling bad about what Jesus teaching actually said about that they didn’t like being convicted by Jesus words being told that they violated God’s law so for multiple reasons they want to get rid of Jesus but the most basic reason is the one that John tells us remember in John’s Gospel in the very beginning why does he say Jesus was ultimately rejected and killed that’s right and men hated the light because they are of darkness and I don’t like the light shining upon them because their deeds are evil that’s what it comes down to darkness hates the light that’s what these men were they were men of darkness it’s really what we all are before Jesus saves us and they hated the light and it was Satan working through them to oppose God we could say all those things but don’t miss the point they had something that they wanted that they thought Jesus was an obstacle to and therefore they want to get rid of him but they don’t stone him why don’t they stone him they can’t at least officially because the right of capital punishment was removed from the people and it was you had to have it approval from the Romans so they’re gonna have to have the Romans be the ones who execute Jesus which of course is important because I have something to do with Jesus fulfilling the Word of God this is not to say that they wouldn’t be willing to lynch Jesus or Lynch some of his followers at other times we know Stephen is stoned they try to stoned Paul but they don’t do that with Jesus probably because it would start a riot you just lynched Jesus that’s a whole lot of people who have been expecting the Messiah to do something they’re gonna be upset this is part of fulfilling prophecy because what did Jesus say son Man must be lifted up like what like the serpent in the wilderness said all those who look to him might be saved and what did the Old Testament say about a person who hangs on a tree it’s cursed of God he had to show I’m taking the curse I will take the curse for those who believed in me so we couldn’t be stoned you had to be crucified and that of course is the extreme humility of the son right that is the worst form of execution painful humiliating slow and that’s what the son of God’s meant himself to so we move past the three Jewish trials and we need Gentile affirmation if we’re gonna get this man put to death and so Jesus now appears before a Gentile to be put on trial okay actually comes right next in our passage look at Luke 23 where we see the first Gentile trial Luke 23 verses one to seven right after they have determined in the Sanhedrin Jesus is guilty then the whole body of them got up and brought him before Pilate and they began to accuse him saying we found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is Christ King so Pilate asked him saying are you the King of the Jews and he answered him and said it is as you saved then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds I find no guilt in this but they kept on insisting saying he stirs up the people teaching all over Judea starting from Galilee even as far as this place and Pilate heard it he asked whether the man was a Galilean and when he heard that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction he sent him to Herod who himself was also in Jerusalem at that time all right trial number four first Gentile trial who’s trying Jesus Pilate Pontius Pilate Roman governor of the province of Judea where is this happening another one of the Gospel accounts tell us in the praetorium that would be where the governor has set up his temporary residence normally Pilate would not be in Jerusalem he would be over in Caesarea closer to the coast of Mediterranean much more Gentile City but it’s Passover tons of people in Jerusalem with messianic expectations that’s a little dangerous so that’s why the Roman governor comes with a whole bunch of soldiers to keep the peace make sure the orders being established this is probably early morning according to mark mark says something kind of funny in his gospel he says Jesus was crucified at the third hour should be about 9:00 a.m. but Luke says that Jesus was crucified at the sixth hour which would be noon and he would remain on the cross till 3:00 it’s why is Mark say 9:00 probably because the process bringing about Jesus crucifixion begins at 9:00 so that is he’s brought before Pilate it begins his Roman trials at nine o’clock so this is probably early morning nine o’clock they bring their bring Jesus to the praetorium to Pontius Pilate now what crimes is Jesus accused of committing couple of them here refusing taxes to Caesar you say something else claim to be king one else stirring at the people and misleading our nation it seemed strange about these charges based on the Jewish trials we just witnessed yeah that’s not what they condemn them for in the Jewish trials strange that those things should change what else is strange about these charges are they true they’re not true and even the one that seems like it is true it’s not true in the way that they’re making it out to be is Jesus Jesus misleading the nation no he’s leaving the nation in the right way from the Pharisees perspective and the Sanhedrin perspective I don’t like what he’s doing is he for biddings taxes to Caesar no that’s not right lie he actually said give the Caesar what is Caesar’s do they made it up because they want him to look bad does he claim to be a messiah and King he does but by saying this to Pilate they’re trying to make him out to be a rebel he’s competing for your rule he’s trying to be a rebel against you and say he’s stirring up the people not in the way that they make it out to be he’s now stirring them up against Rome he is stirring up again stirring them up against a false system however with his teaching but Pete when asked if Jesus is indeed King King of the Jews Jesus answers point-blank it is as you say he’s willing to confess it to Pilate as well interestingly though what’s pilots verdict not guilty even if he is a king who competes with you Pilate not guilty interesting so we have some you gala teas and illegalities in this trial not really from Pilate from the Jews false charges different charges from what they said before lying false testimony the policy is not guilty the thing is though the Jewish leaders and the crowds with him are insistent and so when pilot learns that Jesus is from Galilee sends me over to Herod oh that might be a nice way to get rid of this headache let Herod deal with it so even though he was declared not guilty and trial number one of the Gentiles there are more trials to come let’s look at Gentile trial number two also in Luke Luke 23 verses 8 to 12 now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus for he wanted to see him for a long time because he had been hearing about and was hoping to see some sign performed by him I mean question him at some length but he answered him nothing and the chief priests and the scribes were standing there accusing him vehemently and Herod with his soldiers after treating him with contempt and mocking him dressed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day for before they had been enemies with each other it’s kind of a strange trial who’s judging Jesus here Herod remember that a lot of Herod’s in the Bible this is Herod Antipas son one of the sons of Herod the Great he ruled in Galilee now Herod is hoping Jesus would do some kind of special sign remember this Herod is the one who killed John the Baptist he actually thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead that’s why he was able to do the signs Jesus doesn’t do any signs Thank You student even say anything lots of accusations from the Jews we don’t hear what they are I’m sure it’s more false testimony just doesn’t answer so Herod like anybody wanted he decides to have a little fun mocked Jesus gives him a gorgeous robe sends a Mac to Pilate what’s the verdict it’s not clear here Pilate will tell us later on what’s Herod’s verdict maybe you already know Harrod decides he’s also not guilty well hear that straight from Pilate own lips in just a moment but Pilate says first file not guilty Herod says second trial not guilty but he sends them back to Pilate and this is where we get the last trial Jesus they’re a Gentile trial last of the six and it’s also here in Luke Luke 23 verses 13 to 25 okay 13 Pilate summon the chief priests and their rulers and the people and since them you brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion and behold having examined him for you I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against him no nor has Herod sink their disc for he sent him back to us and behold nothing deserving death has been done by him therefore I will punish him and release him now he was obliged to release them at the feast one prisoner but they cried out altogether saying away with this man and release for us Barabbas he was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city and for murder Pilate wanting to release Jesus address them again but they kept on calling out saying crucify crucify him he said to them the third time Why What evil has this man done I have found in him no guilt demanding death therefore I will punish him and release him but they were insistent with loud voices asking that he be crucified and their voices began to prevail and Pilate pronounced the sentence that there to be that their demand be granted and he released the man that they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder but he delivered Jesus to their will very interesting outcome to all these trials who’s trying to Jesus in this last one it’s Pilate again what’s his verdict not guilty he’s innocent he even wants to release Jesus but before he does that he says I will do what and then release him I will punish him what doesn’t make any sense how’s that just if he’s innocent don’t punish him why would he punish him well we guess everybody yeah yeah you figures look this guy’s not guilty but I know you really don’t like him so I’ll punish him but I’m not gonna put him to death now what kind of punishment does Pilate have in mind the other Gospel tells us it’s scourging remember that is multi lashed whipped and might have bone on the end very very painful sometimes rips the skin open or can rip the skin open intends to do that to Jesus just so that you guys get a little know satisfied get your bloodlust satisfied and then I’ll let him go he really is innocent but that’s not what the crowd was that’s not what the Jews won so thingy comes up with another plan hmm have this custom we don’t here fully explain here in John but Matthew mark fill in the details I’ll read to you what Matthew says Matthew 27 verses 1518 Matthew 27 1518 now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted at the time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas some of the people gathered together Pilate said to them whom do you want me to release for you Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ free knew that because of envy they had handed him over now this seems like a clever way to get Jesus released satisfy the Jews that yes he really is a bad person and yes he deserves punishment but hey I have this reprieve custom that I can do and given the choices wouldn’t you rather have Jesus released Barabbas is notorious prisoner murderer not a nice guy shouldn’t be a hard decision guys Jesus with this despicable murderer while the choice backfires this proposal backfires hard and Pilate can’t believe it because whom did they choose BRABUS what’s he asked him why what crime is Jesus committed Curtin actually no let me say this first he says what do you want me to do with Jesus then they say crucify him he can’t believe it they choose the despicable guy over the one who hasn’t really committed any crime and they want the one who’s innocent to be crucified you can’t understand it Why What evil has he done multiple times Pilate pronounced the Jews innocent but ultimately it commands him to be executed now that’s pretty obvious perversion of justice if you went to a court today for somebody being accused of capital crime to say not guilty but he’s gonna be executed it just doesn’t make sense what kind of messed up justice system is this why did Pilate do it yeah who’s afraid of the people he was afraid of what the anger of releasing Jesus would do it ultimately his peer pressure that’s another way to say it he didn’t want to start a riot not only because all riots are kind of dangerous you don’t know what’s gonna happen but he’s got the Roman cohort so I mean he could put down a riot that’s not gonna look good to the people back in Rome and he’s got this nice job as a governor and she wants to keep it he needs to keep things orderly you don’t want to hear people in Rome don’t want to hear oh there was a riot in Judea did you hear that’s not gonna look good on pilots record wants to keep his position so doing the right thing releasing an innocent man even the Son of God proved inconvenient to Pilate that’s true and it’s useful you bring those up though I think that would actually work against Jesus being executed because if somebody claims to be God and he really is a God even if he’s not god of the universe marrying Romans believed in many gods you don’t want to get in that God bad side and having nothing to do with Jesus might actually mean don’t put him to death make sure that you don’t miss judge him so I would say that’s all the more reason for Pilate not to put Jesus to death where we gonna say the Lord giving all these like different ways for pod – no look you really should release him like he’s the son of God they say he’s the son of God your wife just had this dream like shouldn’t you do the right thing but it ultimately came down to yeah things that he wanted and he was afraid that releasing Jesus would cause him to lose those things and the supreme irony is he ended up losing them anyways Pilate was later replaced as governor this didn’t work but he thought it would he perhaps may have consoled consoled himself by saying I tried to release Jesus but they they just didn’t want it and I’m not willing to go through with the follow-up cost the son of God releases the Son of God proved inconvenient to Pilate and really pilots decision and the sanhedrin’s decision I’m motivated by the same the same heart the people following the lead Gentile people Jewish people following leader their rulers they see Jesus they see God has an unwelcome obstacle to getting and keeping what they really want Sanhedrin wants to keep their position Pilate was to keep his position people want to keep their leaders happy rather and loving and fearing God they loved and feared the things in people of the world if Jesus is in the way and he can’t simply be ignored he has to be removed now Pilate says I wash my hands of this that you say his blood be on us and on our children but could Pilate really wash his hands no Jesus tells him John’s gospel I believe it’s John he who hands me over to you has the greater sin implied in that you have sin – he couldn’t wash his hands of it no one can wash their hands of what they do in Jesus but it’s the Jewish reaction that was particularly heinous because who is Jesus he’s their Messiah he’s their king in fact in John’s Gospel the way it all transpires before Pilate he asked the crowd do you want me to crucify your king and the chief priests answered we have no king but Caesar your religious leaders say that but in a way it’s fitting because that is really what they believed they don’t want God as king and a one Messiah as king they would rather themselves or at least a human one of their own so looking at these passages as a whole looking at these six trials what are some things that we learn first of all Jesus trials were a total mockery of justice violated so many rules John MacArthur and his two sermons on these passages I think he actually went through Matthew he says this was the most unjust trial the most unjust conviction in the history of the world I think he’s right and if this happened and it did what does this show us about man if man did this the godson what is Ben he is so evil he’s so dark remember the parable Jesus told the parable of the vineyard owners where he says this guy he has a vineyard he leaves he put some tenants in front in charge of it and then he asks for some food of the vineyard by sending various servants to them and every time he sends his servant they just beat him up they mistreat him but sometimes Lee didn’t kill the servants but finally says I will send them my son surely they will respect my son but when the Sun came they said let’s kill him and take the inheritance for ourselves the worst kind of offense the worst kind of a crime you refused the Sun it shows man’s evil heart before you say wait a second that was just those men not all men well we’ll come back to that the trials are a mockery of justice I also see that Jesus was supremely confident and righteous through it all he didn’t retaliate when struck he didn’t retaliate when mocked he was righteous through it all he pointed out evil but he never responded to evil with evil why he knew God’s plan he was waiting for God’s vindication who could do this who could endure all this perfectly perfectly confident perfectly righteous only God’s Messiah only the Son of God here again we see the deep humility and love of Jesus love for his father love for us because this is what our salvation required this was the beginning of the cup that Jesus said I must drink a cup of wrath that is deserved to you I will drink it now those that condemn Jesus would have to face the music one day for some it would be by repentance in acts two Peter tells the people you crucified the Son of God they said you’re right what do we do he said repent you’ll be saved but for others who do not repent they will face Jesus his own judgment when they see him after they die woman Jesus comes back to the earth Jesus had all the reason for confidence that’s another thing that we see here and all this Jesus was perfectly fulfilling God’s necessary salvation plan and the words the prophets and his own word jesus told his disciples again and again before these things happened that they would happen for instance Matthew 20 verses 18 and 19 behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify him on the third day he will be raised up exactly as Jesus said it would happen and it’s also exactly as Isaiah said it would happen Isaiah 53 verses 7 to 8 isaiah 53:7 8 he was oppressed and was afflicted yet did not open his mouth like a lamb that has led to slaughter and like a sheep that a silent before it’s Shearer’s so he did not open his mouth by oppression and judgment he was taken away and as for his generation who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due this was all according to God’s plan man was still responsible for the dreadful crime and would be judged accordingly but everything proceeded exactly as God planned it let’s talk some application just for a moment if you had been there and if God’s Spirit had not interested it in your life how would you have responded to Jesus on trial there’s a way we’d like to answer this question it’s easy to say and to think oh I would have indicated him I wouldn’t pronounced him guilty but that is wishful thinking and we know that it’s wishful thinking we know actually that we would have condemned him how do we know that because we do the same thing in our own lives today when we sin before we were saved and we lived our own way we had rejected Jesus as kingship over our lives the same way that Pilate in the Sanhedrin had all sinned you see isn’t ignoring and rejecting of Jesus’s rightful rule we sin because we love something more than Jesus and Jesus is getting in the way so really we are just performing in our own way in our own version the same thing that the Sanhedrin and Pilate performing outright in essence our sinful hearts testify agreement with those who put Jesus to death they say yes crucify him let’s get rid of the one reminding us of what we owe God let’s get rid of the one making us feel bad all the time let’s get rid of the one it was really inconvenient so we can just go after our own lusts and idols and peace we would have done the same thing as those who literally condemned him because that’s what our hearts did before we came to know Jesus that’s why I say the trials of Jesus are testing the money to the evilness of all men not just those who were actually there because our hearts testify the same way as those who killed him are those who condemned him that’s how sick our hearts are praise the Lord as we saw last week he has inaugurated a new covenant that gives us new hearts that forgives even this horrific betrayal only for those who were there but for those who agreed with those who were there which is why we can be saved a new covenant is a covenant of Mercy inaugurated in Jesus he opens our eyes gives us new hearts grant us grants us repentance and faith causes us to love to you this causes us to be obedient and gives us joy and eternal life that’s marvelous if you if that’s your state God has done that for you 10 rejoice thank the Lord live worthily what a great salvation he’s accomplished that level of injustice and betrayal and it’s all forgiven and he’s given you a new heart and cause you to love him that’s amazing if you’ve not yet trusted Christ in that way I pray that you do Jesus came to suffer for sinful rebels like you but if you believe in Jesus as Lord Savior God you will be saved one other question how is Jesus attitude during these trials instructive for us as his followers is there any application of his attitude yeah yeah I I hear exactly what you’re saying Roy it is instructive because it shows us how we ought to walk but we say oh I can never do that well don’t forget the power that was in Jesus that allowed him to do that is also in you and Jesus perfectly made use of that he walked by the spirit he totally trusted in the father those of us who have been saved can do that we won’t do it perfectly but that same spirit is inside of us so that we can have the same confidence that’s why Jesus says expect persecution but don’t be afraid don’t be afraid to confess me or suffer for me don’t respond to evil with evil love in the face of hate act for the greater good and for God’s glory because God will vindicate you believe trust God will vindicate you that’s why Paul says to Timothy in first Timothy 6:12 216 fight the good fight of faith take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep the commandment without stain or approach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which he will bring about at the proper time he was the Blessed and only sovereign the king of kings and Lord of lords well lone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light no man has seen or can’t see to him beyond or an eternal Dominion amen if God indicated Jesus glorified him he will vindicate us we trust him that’s it for today next time we have Sunday school we’re gonna rewind a little bit and talk about Peters denials but also Jesus restoration of Peter let’s pray god I thank you for this time to behold the glory of your son and all that he endured so willingly and so gladly to accomplish your plan and to save us well we’re so grateful for your love to us you love us genuinely deeply abundantly generously far more than we could ever believe and you’ve told us about it in your word thank you for such a great salvation and we pray God that we would appreciate it as we ought to and we would live worthily of it in Jesus name Amen