Jesus on Trial

Peter gives us a perfect description of Jesus on trial. Peter says:

Jesus was innocent

Jesus verbally abused

Jesus was physically assaulted

Jesus trusted the Father in the midst of all this

I chose to use this text because I believe it is a good summary of all we will see this morning. No one gospel gives us all the details of Jesus trial. When we put the gospels together, we can a better picture of all Jesus endured in His trial.

I have gone through the Scripture and placed in chronological order to the best of my ability the events that occurred during the trial of Jesus. Your listening guide has the refences to the events I’m going to preach on today. This will help you if you’d like to study it more when you get home. We’re going to move quickly because there are six separate trials we must discuss.

Three are by the Jewish religious leaders

Three are by the Roman government

We’ve already discussed some things concerning the last 24 hours of Jesus’ earthly life:

He washed the disciples feet

He prayed in agony in the garden

He was arrested

1. The trial before Annas (John 18:12-14, 19-24).

Annas was the former High Priest and father in law to the current High Priest. Annas was a powerful man in his day.

Five of his sons became High Priest

His son in law was currently the High Priest

He was a patriarch of sorts. He was a powerful man who was still well respected and even though he no longer held the office, people still identified him as a High Priest.

Jesus was taken to him by a band of soldiers. Jesus hands were bound (John 18:12).

Annas: Tell me about your disciples and what you’ve been teaching.

Jesus: I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogues and in the Temple…I have said nothing in secret. Ask the people who have heard Me teach.

In other words, “You know what I’ve been teaching.”

An officer slaps Jesus in the face saying “Is that any way to speak to the High Priest.”

Cowardly act to strike a man who is handcuffed.

When this happened to Paul (though he was not bound) he replied “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! (Acts 23:3)

Jesus: If I said something wrong, tell Me what it is. If not, why did you hit Me?

Annas sends Jesus to the official High Priest, his son in law, Caiaphas.

2. The trial before Caiaphas (Mark 14:53-65; Matt. 26:57-68; Luke 22:54-65; John 18:24).

At this point the chief priests and all the religious leaders seek to have Jesus put to death. They have already established the punishment: death. Now they must concoct the “crime”. They shared for false witnesses who would testify against Jesus. The problem was they couldn’t find any credible ones because their testimonies would contradict one another.

Instead of giving up, like any reasonable person seeking justice world do, they kept seeking. Finally they found two who could agree on the same story. This was their story:

He said He was going to destroy the Temple and rebuild another one not made with hands in three days.

That was it. That was the crime. That as what the witnesses testified to.

My question is where are the witnesses for the defense?

Where is the Royal official whose son was healed?

Where is the leper whose skin was cleansed?

Where is the woman whose 12 year issue with bleeding had been cured?

Where is the man who was born blind but could now see?

Where were the dead who had been raised?

Surely there were plenty who could testify to the validity of who Jesus is. But there are none. The devils’ servants are bolder than the Lord’s are.

Jesus doesn’t even respond to the charge against Him.

Caiaphas: Have you no answer to make?

Jesus stands in silence.

Caiaphas: (Angry at the silence of Jesus) I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

This was the real source of the anger. The word was that Jesus is the Messiah and this angered the elite.

Jesus: I am. You will see Me seated at the right hand of Power and coming from heaven in judgment against you.

Caiaphas: (in a fabricated show of sorrow) Tears his clothes saying “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witness do we need? You have heard His blasphemy. What is your judgment?”

Caiaphas got Jesus to say what needed to be heard to put Jesus to death. He’s not sad. He’s happy. This is what he wanted.

He polls the council and the council says, “He deserves death.”

They could not have been more wrong.

He deserves worship

He deserves praise

He deserves honor & glory!

The one thing He does not deserve is death!

Then everything begins to fall apart. The religious leaders:

Spit on Him

Blindfold and slap Him

Prophesy: Tell us who slapped You!

We ought never forget that Christ sees us. We cannot blindfold God. He knew exactly who it was that slapped Him. The eyes of the Lord are in every place…

After being declared guilty by the High Priest and some council members Jesus is placed somewhere in a holding cell for a few hours.

3. The trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:1, Matthew 27:1, Luke 22:66-71).

The next morning Jesus is taken to a trial before the Sanhedrin. On the way He locks eyes with Peter just after Peter denies knowing Him for the third time. The Sanhedrin was a group of 70 men that made up a ruling council of the Jews. They were the Jewish judicial system.

Sanhedrin: If you are the Christ, tell us.

Jesus: You won’t believe Me if I do. In the future you will see Me seated at the right hand of the power of God.

Sanhedrin: Are You the Son of God then?

Jesus: It is as you say.

Sanhedrin: We don’t need to hear any more witnesses. We have heard it from His own lips.

They condemn Him to death. When Judas hears the sentence, he is plagued with guilt. He throws the 30 pieces of silver the religious leaders paid him onto the Temple floor. He goes out and hangs Himself.

The Sanhedrin sends Jesus to be tried before Pilate because they don’t have the authority to kill Him. Jesus is taken within the palace but the religious leaders stay outside. To go into the home of a Gentile would be to make themselves ritualistically unclean and they would not be able to keep the Passover.

4. The first trial before Pilate (Mark 15:1; Matt. 27:2, 11-14; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-38).

Pilate was the governor of the area of Judea.

Pilate: What accusation do you bring against this man?

Religious Leaders:

1) Perverting our nation

2) Forbidding people to pay taxes

3) Claiming to be a King

He’s an evil doer! That’s why we brought Him to you.

Pilate: Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your Law.

Religious Leaders: We can’t kill Him! (They would if they could!)

Pilate: (Goes back inside where Jesus is) Do you claim to be the King of the Jews?

Jesus: Did someone tell you this or are you wanting to know for yourself?

Pilate: Am I a Jew? Your own people have brought You to me. What have you done (A great opportunity for Jesus to brag)

Jesus: My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight for Me. I would not be here right now.

One of Jesus angels could destroy the entire roman army. Pilate is looking at the most powerful King in the universe.

Pilate: Are you a King then?

Jesus: Yes. What you say is true. But I’m a different kind of King. I didn’t come into the world to conquer it. I came into the world to tell the truth. Those who love the truth will listen to what I say.

Pilate: (frustrated) What is truth?

Leaves Jesus and goes outside where the crowd is.

I find no guilt in this man:

Not a blasphemer

Not going to destroy the temple

Not perverting the nation

Forbidding people from paying taxes

Not even the enemies of Jesus could find fault in Him!

Chief Priests and Jews begin shouting accusations toward Jesus.

Jesus: Silent. Doesn’t try and justify Himself. He is like Isaiah said. Silent like a Lamb before the slaughter (Isa. 53:7).

Pilate: Don’t you have anything to say? They are accusing you of a lot of things.

Jesus: Continues to be silent so much that Pilate marvels at His silence.

He can’t believe that Jesus isn’t rebutting these ridiculous charges.

Religious leaders: He is stirring up the people. He started in Galilee and has continued throughout all Judea!

When Pilate hears “Galilee” he gets an idea. Jesus is a Galilean. That’s not his jurisdiction. Herod Antipas rules over that area. Herod is in town for the Passover. He sends Jesus to Herod.

5. The trial before Herod (Luke 23:6-12).

When hero heard Jesus was coming, he was happy. He had wanted to see Jesus for a long time. He wanted Jesus to him perform miracles for him.

The Bible says that Herod asked Jesus many questions. He questioned Him at length.

Jesus would not say a word to Him.

Remember Herod had John the Baptist beheaded and publicly humiliated. John’s disciples had to bury his headless body.

John was His cousin

John was His forerunner

John was the greatest born among women to Him

Jesus had earlier sent word to him calling him a fox.

Herod had his soldiers dress Jesus up in a mock purple robe. They had fun with Jesus for a while, mocking and ridiculing Him.

Herod sent Him back to Pilate.

6. The second trial before Pilate (Matt. 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16).

Pilate tried to release Jesus using a custom the Romans had. Every year at Passover the released a Jewish prisoner.

Pilate set before the crowd Jesus, or a man named Barabbas. He assumed they choose to release Jesus.

Pilates wife, amid all of this, comes to him and tells him to have nothing to do with this trial. She had some sort of dream that scared her to death and it had something to do with Jesus.

Pilate tells the religious leaders that neither he nor Herod could find Jesus guilty of any crime. He tells the crowd he is going to scourge Jesus and let Him go.

Then he asks the crowd who they want released: Jesus or Barabbas. The religious leaders convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released.

Barabbas is a thief and a murderer.

Pilate decides to punish Jesus publicly hoping that will convince the people to allow Jesus to be released.

He is scourged

He is crowned with thorns

He is dressed in purple and mocked as a King

He is beaten and ridiculed

He marches Jesus before the people.

Jesus is bruised and bloodied.

Pilate says : I bring Him out to you so that you may know I find no crime in Him. Behold the Man! What shall I do unto Him whom ye call the King of the Jews?

Crowd: Crucify Him!

Pilate: Why? What has He done wrong? Take Him yourself and crucify Him, I find no fault in Him. I will chastise Him and release Him.

It seems Pilate is taking his frustration with the religious leaders out on Jesus.

Religious leaders: We have a law & by that law He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God. Crucify Him!

Pilate: returns to Jesus and asks “Where’d you come from?

Jesus: Silent, covered in bruises and blood, intent on going to the cross.

Pilate: You’re not going to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the power to kill you or release you?

Jesus: You don’t have any power except the power God gives you. You’re just a small piece in this story. Jesus is saying “This is the Father’s plan, He is the One in control.”

Pilate: Comes back out to the crowd and tries to convince them one more time to let Jesus go.

Religious leaders: If you let Him go you are no friend of Caesars. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.

The Jews are threatening to appeal to Pilate’s boss. If Pilate is sympathetic to an insurrectionist it might be argued he is a part of a coup.

Pilate: Gives in. Walks Jesus out and says, “Behold your King!”

Religious leaders: Away with Him!

Pilate: Shall I crucify your King?

Religious Leaders: We have no King but Caesar.

Pilate: Publicly washes his hands in a basin “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man.

Crowd: His blood be upon us and our children.

Romans judged Christ for sedition

The Jews judged Christ for blasphemy

The Father judged Christ for our sins.

This trial should anger all of us.

Filled with injustice.

The entire thing, six trials, happens in less than eight hours.

The punishment was determined before the charge was made.

The sentence was carried out just hours after the verdict was read.

But we need to get past what the Romans & the Jews did. We need to get to what the Father did.

Peter said:

Jesus committed no sin

No deceit was in Him

He suffered

He was reviled

But He never resisted.

Why?

Because this trial was how the Father took Jesus to the cross. The cross is where Jesus will pay for the sins of the world.

The righteous for the unrighteous

The just for the unjust

Look at verse 24

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.

Why?

So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By His wounds we are healed.

Jesus was found guilty that we might be made innocent.

He was silent at His trial so that we could one day sing praises for our salvation.

He went on trial so we can go to heaven.

His willingness to endure all of this is for us.

Did you know that one day we will all stand in God’s courtroom.

Our trial will be just.

There is plenty of evidence against us.

We are guilty. We are in trouble.

Thank God for Jesus. He has been tried and found guilty for us. He took our place.

Our response to the trial of Christ should be to recognize that He was put to death for us.

We should see our sin.

We should see Christ as our Savior.

We should turn from our sin and to Christ.

We should call on His name for salvation.

When we do that we can be sure that although we are guilty we will walk free because Christ has been convicted for and paid the price for our sins.