How'd You Get Here? (Luke 22:63-71)

The text we are going to read this morning is one of those difficult passages that we likely just gloss over. I don’t mean that it is difficult to understand with our minds, it’s difficult to understand with our hearts.

It’s a little section in the story of the death of Jesus. Peter has just abandoned him, Judas betrayed him with a kiss, and he is “handed over” into the hands of the high priest. What we are going to read is of Jesus being mocked and then going through a silly little trial.

But as we enter into this story, try if you can to picture yourself there. You’re just an onlooker in this story. Try to picture it if you can. What are you thinking? What are you feeling?

Luke 22:63–71 ESV

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

If you don’t know anything about Jesus’ story you might think that he is a hardened criminal. He’s guilty of everything and they are just speeding up the process. They are administering justice and this man deserves every bit of it.

These men are just treating criminals the way that a criminal ought to be treated, you conclude.

If you are an onlooker and you know the story of Jesus, you know about His message, you know how he loved people, etc. then you will likely be appalled.

How could these men get to such a place of darkness? How could they mock the Son of God? What right do these leaders think they have to bring to trial the Judge of the Universe?

We’re going to look at this story a little differently and maybe use a bit of imagination—I want us to answer that question—how did they get to this point?

But before we do that I want to remind you of something about the gospel of Luke. It’s part 1 of 2. And it’s written to Theophilus. We don’t know exactly who this is—but Luke is writing this to him to explain the story of Jesus. He’s likely a Roman leader and this is a bit of an apologetic.

I say that because I want us to connect everything we are reading here with what Luke tells us in Acts 2

What Luke is wanting us to see is that this is all a fulfillment of what Jesus said was going to happen. But he’s getting Theophilus, and us, to Acts 2:22-24, Peter’s sermon

Acts 2:22–24 ESV

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

He didn’t deserve this. Why’d he die? This is a miscarriage of justice. As he reads this story it’s meant to call Theophilus, and us, into action. It’s meant to be responded to. It’s not just a story for information.

The same is true of this section here. Why, Luke, are you telling us this? Why tell us about Jesus being mocked? Why tell us about this sham of a trial?

It’s to tell us about the character of Jesus. It’s to show His innocence. And it’s to show their guilt. It’s to show that Jesus was in control of every one of these moments—but the people involved were giving full vent to the wickedness in their hearts.

But I don’t think we’re only supposed to see Jesus in this story. We’re also supposed to identify with the other characters in the story. We see ourselves in the unfaithful Peter, the betraying Judas, the mocking guards, the hurried and horrendous miscarriage of justice at the hands of the religious leaders.

So, if we pan out just a little and see this from another angle we begin to see that there are real characters in this story.

Those guards are real people. Flesh and blood. They have a story. How’d they get there? What would they say if we interviewed them? The text doesn’t tell us and we don’t want to over speculate.

These guards could have eventually repented. They could be some of the number of those who came to faith during Peter’s sermon. When he was preaching that word about “you crucified him”, these guards could have very well been in attendance.

We don’t know. We don’t know what came of them. But I think we can use a few principles from Scripture and at least tell a bit of their story.

I. The mocking guards

Here is the principle from Scripture. And I think Adrian Rogers says it really well, “Sin will always take you further than you want to go, and it will keep you longer than you want to stay.”

The Puritan John Owen said it a little differently. He said,

Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head…every rise of lust, might it have its course, would come to the height of villainy: it is like the grave, that is never satisfied.

And here is the other principle. You reap what you sow. This is how the apostle Paul says it:

Galatians 6:7–10 ESV

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

One theologian said it this way:

A fuller statement of the great law of returns would therefore go something like this: sow a thought, and reap a deed; sow a deed, and reap another deed; sow some deeds, and reap a habit; sow some habits, and reap a character; sow a character, and reap two thoughts. The new thoughts then pursue careers of their own.

What is taking place here in this story?

Let’s call them Jacob and Samuel. Just to help us humanize them a little. Their job is to hold Jesus. Keep him in the courtyard, keep him from escaping. These guys can’t just say, “I was just doing my job”. This is police brutality. They are beating Jesus and they are mocking Jesus. Neither of those are part of their “job”.

It was a “perk” of the job, though. If you were that kind of person. They didn’t really care back then what you did to the prisoners. If you wanted to blow off a little steam, these prisoners were entirely at your mercy. If the criminal was going to be condemned all the better—there won’t be lawyers accusing you have brutality later.

Jacob and Samuel in the way that a couple of guys do when they get together in an act like, laughing joking, making sport of the person in front of them. This is like a hazing. A mocking, with a bit of physical abuse thrown in here.

They are showing how big and tough they are. It’s a flex. They are the ones in power not the guy who is tied up and at their mercy. How’d you get here Josh? What made you so angry, Sam? How’d you end up here with a human being made in the image of God---they at least had to conclude that. But this isn’t just a creature like you and I, this is Jesus the Son of God---but here they are with this man in front of them, he is vulnerable (if you can say that about Jesus).

What you do when someone is vulnerable in front of you says much about your character. What are you like in the presence of unfettered vulnerability? What these men do in this moment says more about them, than it does about Jesus. Even if he was the most hardened criminal who ever lived.

Sin aims at the utmost.

Joshua had cast the seed of dark and crass jokes. Joke after joke after joke after joke. Until eventually it becomes his character. “Prophesy, Son of God.” Isn’t this funny? Isn’t this cute?

Sin aims at the utmost. Samuel lets anger take root. Things happen to him, he responds in anger. He begins to believe lies. He keeps sow anger. Unchecked anger leads to bitterness. He’s upset that life isn’t turning out the way that he wanted—so it’s all bubbling to the top. He takes it out upon the back of the Lord Jesus.

Joshua and Samuel listened day after day after day to the dehumanizing messages of the spiritual leaders of his day. Their are guards for the high priest, right. They hear his message time and time again, right?

What are those messages?

Well Jesus tells us. Matthew 23:4

Matthew 23:4 ESV

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

It’s graceless and crippling messages. Messages that mocked others. Messages that looked down upon poor widows and orphans. Messages that believed they were right and superior and good and wonderful and that their enemies deserved treatment like this. Messages where their Messiah—the great hope they were looking for—was someone who would come in and break the back of the enemies, put them through the mill, break all their bones.

You sow with that seed long enough and you end up having the Prophet of whom Moses foretold right in front of you. And rather than realizing that you are blind and the one who needs sight—you play a little game of blindman’s bluff. Beating the Lord Jesus and asking him to prophesy.

Oh, he knows your name Joshua. He knows you are the one who struck him Samuel. He knows everything that you’ve done. And yet he doesn’t respond. He doesn’t play the game.

There is another irony here as well. What Jesus is suffering is actually the fulfillment of prophecy that he had made. He said in Luke 18:32 that he would be “mocked and shamefully treated”. He also fulfilled Isaiah 53:4 that he was “Stricken, smitten, and afflicted.”

II. The speedy trial

Let’s look now at the trial. It’s a sham of a trial.

The Gospel according to Luke The Testing of Peter and the Trial of Jesus in the House of the High Priest (22:54–71)

The earliest record of Jewish law with regard to capital cases is found in the Mishnah (ca. 200). There twenty-three members of the Sanhedrin are decreed necessary to judge capital cases, with reasons for acquittal preceding those for conviction. Capital cases required a second sitting the following day in order to sustain a verdict of guilt. Both sittings had to take place during daytime, and neither on the eve of Sabbath or a festival (m. Sanh. 4:1). Witnesses were to be warned against rumor and hearsay (m. Sanh. 4:5). A charge of blasphemy could not be sustained unless the accused cursed God’s name itself, in which case the punishment prescribed was death by stoning, with the corpse then hung from a tree (m. Sanh. 7:5). As noted above, the prescribed meeting hall was the Hall of Hewn Stones in the temple (m. Sanh. 11:2). There is no evidence that the Sanhedrin met formally in the house of the high priest.

If you read the account we can see that there is no second hearing. Jesus does not blaspheme God. The hearing probably didn’t take place at the temple. They are taking short-cuts through the whole legal proceedings. They aren’t allowing time for an appeal. It’s just ridiculous.

It’s murder is what it is. They are using their power to take the life of a man without giving any kind of due process. And they are doing it, why, apparently to protect the integrity of God. They would tell you they are doing it for the sake of the holiness of God, the reputation of the temple, etc. etc.

Jesus knows all of this. Listen to his words in verse 67. You won’t believe what I say even if I told you. If I asked you questions you wouldn’t answer. You aren’t interested in a trial.

Jesus knows the Proverbs. Don’t answer a fool according to his folly. If someone is already dead set in their ways, don’t waste your breath. It’s futile to debate those who are already convinced.

So, how’d they get here? What were they sowing. Jesus has told us all throughout the gospel narrative what kind of character the religious leaders have. He tells us that they have sown greed. Maybe cutting a few corners here and there, but eventually they are overcome with an insatiable greed.

We don’t know their story. What was it like for Caiphas as a boy? What was his home life like. Was it strict and rigid. Did he learn the lesson from his parents that you must get ahead in life—if you aren’t first, you’re last Caiphas. Was her hurt himself, and in order to not face some of those hurts he built up walls of theological precision, labored to control his environment.

What thousand little choices did he make that he could spend his entire life reading the Torah, reading through all the Jewish laws, spending every day talking about God, doing things related to God, dedicated to the service of God…and then when God in the flesh is right before him…he puts together a sham of a trial. What blinded him to the Son of God. And blinded him in such a way that he came to the conclusion that the Son of God must die.

What made him so closed off to the possibility? Was it hope that had been dashed so many times? What killed your curiosity, Caiphas?

There is a somewhat comical story in the book of Acts about this servant girl named Rhoda. They are all praying for Peter to be released from prison. They are praying for a miracle. The door knocks. It’s Peter. But Rhoda slams the door in his face…she doesn’t recognize him. The very thing she was praying for happened but she didn’t see it.

This with Caiphas isn’t humorous. They had prayed for the Messiah. They had longed for a Rescuer to come to them. Here he is. Caiphas doesn’t just slam a door in his face, he uses every bit of his power, manipulates the system with every fiber of his being to destroy this man.

And he questions Jesus—you know to make it look like he had “done his research”. But he was already determined to do this thing. There is nothing Jesus could have done or said to make him change his mind. Maybe you’re there this morning. You’re going to do just enough research to make it look like you’ve studied the thing—but at the end of the day you’re already convinced in your position. Your research is just to disprove. You’re looking for holes.

Look at what happens here. Jesus does kind of answer them. He quotes Daniel 7:27-28 and a bit of Psalm 110. He merges these two, and they get what he is claiming. That’s why they change the title from Son of Man to Son of God. He is telling them that the next time they see him the roles will be reversed. He will be the one standing as judge. They understand exactly what he is saying.

There isn’t a problem with the intellect here. What should have happened here is that they should have said…oh, man wait. What happens if we merge Daniel 7 with Psalm 110? Oh wow, wait, could this really be the One who was promised. I want to hear more. But instead they say, “see there, he has blasphemed. We don’t need any more evidence.” In other words, I’ve got the little piece of evidence that I need to do what my heart had already set out to do.

And for now, they hold the keys. They are the ones making the claims and so for the moment they will be in control. And they will use that loved for power and control to condemn the Son of God.

Earlier, I asked the question…Luke, why are you telling us this?

It’s because we are to see that Jesus Christ is the only innocent one. We are to see that we are like the apostle Peter, we are like the cowering disciples, we are like Caiphas and the other leaders, we are like Josh and Sam.

But here is the beauty of what Luke is telling us in Acts 2. Humanity sowed death, destruction, crucifixion. All hope is lost. But somehow what we reap is life and resurrection, through Jesus. What then must we do? Repent and believe in the gospel.

This is what Jesus accomplishes on our behalf. There is a great hymn/poem written by John Newton. It’s modernized here just a little bit here:

VERSE 1 I saw one hanging on a tree In agony and blood Who fixed His loving eyes on me As near His cross I stood And never till my dying breath Will I forget that look It seemed to charge me with His death Though not a word He spoke

VERSE 2 My conscience felt and owned the guilt And plunged me in despair I saw my sins His blood had spilt And helped to nail Him there But with a second look He said “I freely all forgive This blood is for your ransom paid I died that you might live”

CHORUS Forever etched upon my mind Is the look of Him who died The Lamb I crucified And now my life will sing the praise Of pure atoning grace That looked on me and gladly took my place

VERSE 3 Thus while His death my sin displays For all the world to view Such is the mystery of grace It seals my pardon too With pleasing grief and mournful joy My spirit now is filled That I should such a life destroy Yet live by Him I killed

“How’d you get here” is an important question. But it is not as important as “where are you going?” Or rather who you are going with. If you’re connected with Jesus then His record becomes your record. “That I should such a life destroy, yet live by Him I killed.” Such is the mystery of grace…it seals my pardon too.

I suppose when we are standing in the new heavens and the new earth and if somebody would ask anybody that question, “How’d you get here” the answer is going to always be the same. “Jesus.”