Matthew 27:11-30

Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:11-30

Introduction

Who is Jesus?

Some See Him Simply as a Moral/Religious Teacher

Some See Him Simply as a “Rabbi” = Master, Personal Teacher

Some See Him Simply as a Prophet

Some See Him Simply as a Miracle Worker

Some See Him as a Political Revolutionary

Some See Him as Lord

But Throughout this Gospel Account…

Matthew has Been Pointing Us to One Overwhelming, Primary Identity of Jesus:

Jesus is the Messiah

Jesus is the Christ

Jesus is King

Matthew has Made a Very Strong Case for that Throughout His Account

But in These Last Few Chapters…

He’s Spelling it Out for Us as Clearly as He Possibly Can

The King Who Triumphantly Entered Jerusalem on Sunday…

Has Now Reached His Coronation on Friday Morning

He’s about to Be Crowned King in Front of the Jewish People…

Who are Then Going to Shout for Him to Be Lifted Up & Exalted

The Information We’ll Be Looking at Covers:

Matthew 27:11-30

In Verses 1 & 2 of Chapter 27…

Right in Between Peter’s Denials & Judas’ Suicide…

We’re Told that the Jewish Leaders Delivered Jesus Over…

To the Roman Governor:

Pontius Pilate

That’s Where Our Text is Going to Pick Back Up

But, Instead of Looking at Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate…

Through the Eyes of Matthew…

We’re Going to Look Through the Eyes of Luke & John

They Go into More Detail & Give Us a Fuller Picture…

Of All that Jesus Goes Through

Luke 23:1–2 (NASB95)

1 Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. 2 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, a King.”

Let’s Get to Know Pontius Pilate for a Minute:

He was a Roman Prefect Over Judea for about 10 Years

A Prefect was an Army Officer of 500-1,000 Military Troops…

Who is Put in Charge of Difficult or Isolated Districts

Pilate Lived in Caesarea Maritima…

But was Required to Be Present in Jerusalem…

When Large Crowds would Gather to the City…

For Their Jewish Festivals (Like Passover)

Pilate had Several Responsibilities as a Prefect

One of Those Responsibilities was Keeping the Peace

Passover was a Popular Time…

For Jewish Revolutionaries to Start Riots & Insurrections

Why?

It’s Obvious When You Think about it

What is the Passover Celebrating?

God Freeing Israel from Their Oppressive Egyptian Rulers

Now, Every Passover When They Celebrate Their Freedom....

They’re Reminded of Their Present Subjection…

To Their Oppressive Roman Rulers

This Made Passover the Perfect Occasion for Jewish Patriots…

To Start Uprisings & Lead Revolts Against the Romans

So Pilate’s Presence was Crucial

Pilate was Known for His Disdain…

For the Jewish Religion & Customs

A 1st Century Hellenistic-Jewish Philosopher Named Philo…

Describes Pilate as “Inflexible, Stubborn, & Cruel”

Much Violence was Done to the Jewish & Samaritan People…

Due to His Careless Brutality & Cruelty

He was Eventually Removed from Office Because of His Brutality

This is the Man Whom Jesus is Sent to

The Sanhedrin Present 3 Accusations Against Jesus to Pilate:

He’s Misleading Our Nation

They Probably Meant this as:

“He’s Teaching Against Our Jewish Traditions/Customs”

But They Kept it Intentionally Ambiguous…

So that it Might Sound to Pilate Like:

“He’s Leading Our People Away from Loyalty to Rome”

He’s Forbidding to Pay Taxes to Caesar

Which is Blatantly False

He’s Calling Himself a King

Anyone Saying that They are King…

Is Saying that Caesar isn’t

These Accusations from the Sanhedrin…

Were Designed to Send Alarm Bells Off in Pilate’s Mind

“This Man is a Political Revolutionary…”

“Whose Trying to Lead an Uprising Against Rome”

But, Unfortunately for the Jewish Leaders…

Pilate Doesn’t Seem Too Concerned

John 18:31–38 (NASB95)

31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” 32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.

Pilate Wants to Know Jesus’ Response…

To the Accusation that He Claims to Be the Messiah/King of the Jews

Jesus Responds By Giving a Proper Understanding of His Kingship

His Kingdom isn’t an Immediate Threat to the Roman Empire

His Kingdom “isn’t from Here”

His Kingdom is Very Different from the Kingdoms of the World

His Kingdom Doesn’t Conquer Through Violence

His Kingdom is a Kingdom of Truth

His Purpose in Becoming King…

Is to Testify to the Truth

And Everyone Who is on the Side of Truth Listens to Him

What is the Truth that Jesus Came as a Witness to?

The Truth of the Gospel

What God has Done, is Doing, & Will Do Through Jesus

But Pilate Cynically Says:

“What is Truth?”

Probably Believing that There’s No Real Answer to Such a Question…

All the While He was Staring Truth in the Face

Either Way, He Doesn’t See Jesus as a Threat…

So He Tells Jesus’ Accusers…

That He’s Found Jesus to Be Innocent of Any Capital Crime

Luke 23:5–16 (NASB95)

5 But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.” 6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.

8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.

11 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. 12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.

13 Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. 15 “No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. 16 “Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

The Jewish People were Insistent

They Wanted Pilate to Do Something…

About this Horrible Disturber of the Peace

They Let Slip that Jesus is from Galilee…

So Pilate Happily Sends this Problem to Herod Antipas…

Who Also Happens to Be in Jerusalem

Herod was Happy to See Jesus…

Because He’d Heard of All the Amazing Miracles…

And Wanted Jesus to Perform One for Him…

Like a Little Circus Monkey

Jesus wouldn’t Say a Word to Herod…

So Herod Made His Own Fun Out of Jesus…

By Dressing Him Up & Mocking Him

But Overall, He Also Declared Jesus Innocent

Both Pilate & Herod Believe Jesus to Be Innocent of All Charges

So, in Hopes of Gratifying the Angry Jewish Leaders…

He Decides to “Punish” Jesus & Then Release Him

John 19:1–16 (NASB95)

1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face.

4 Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!”

6 So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

8 Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9 and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

Matthew Tells Us that Pilate’s Wife had Horrible Dreams about Jesus…

And that Pilate should have Nothing to Do with Him…

Because He’s Righteous/Innocent

Now There’s Talk of Jesus Being the Son of God

This has Pilate Pretty Shaken Up

10 So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

12 As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” 13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

Luke Told Us that Pilate had Decided to Punish & Release Jesus

Then We See Pilate have Jesus Scourged

The Romans had 3 Types of “Scourging”

A Less Severe Beating/Whipping for Relatively Light Offences

It was Often Followed By a Severe Warning

This Might have Been What Jesus Received…

As Punishment Before His Release

A Brutal Flogging for More Serious Offenses

This Also could’ve Been What Jesus Received…

As Punishment Before His Release

A Terrible Scourging that was Always Followed By Other Punishments…

Such as Crucifixion

The Criminal would Be Stripped of Their Clothes & Tied to a Post

Then They would Be Whipped By Several Torturers…

Until the Torturers were Exhausted or Commanded to Stop

Non-Roman Citizens were Often Scourged with a Whip…

With Leather Thongs…

Which had Bone, Lead, or Metal Attached to the End

These Scourgings were So Severe that Sometimes the Victim would Die

Eyewitness Records Report that Sometimes…

The Victim’s Bones & Entrails were Exposed

This Probably isn’t What Jesus Received as Punishment…

Because Pilate Still Planned on Releasing Him

He hadn’t Been Pronounced Guilty Yet

Pilate Just Wanted to Beat & Humiliate Him Enough…

To Pacify the Bloodthirsty Jewish Leaders

So Pilate had Jesus Punished…

And Then When He was Just about to Release Him…

The Jewish Leaders Pulled Out Their Trump Card

“If You Release this Man, You’re No Friend of Caesar!”

That was All it Took for Pilate to Sentence Jesus to Death

He Washed His Hands & Pronounced Himself Innocent of Jesus’ Blood

Then He Released Barabbas, an Actual Insurrectionist…

Handed Jesus Over to Be Crucified

It’s Hard to Know All the Details for Sure…

But it’s Likely that Jesus was Handed Over to the Torturers…

And Then Scourged with that Most Brutal Type of Scourging

Application

Next Week, Lord Willing, We’ll Look at the Crucifixion of Jesus

We’ll See Him Exalted & Lifted High

This Morning We Saw the Coronation of King Jesus

If You Didn’t Quite Catch it…

Let’s Look at Matthew’s More Detailed Account:

Matthew 27:27–29 (NASB95)

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

The Anointed King is Surrounded…

By Soldiers Who have Sworn to Protect the Crown

They Place a Royal Robe on Him

They Place the Royal Crown on His Head

They Place the Royal Scepter in His Hand

They Pay Homage to Him By Kneeling Before Him

They Salute Him By Saying, “Hail, King of the Jews”

This is the Coronation of King Jesus

This is When/How the King of Kings Received His Crown

They Meant this for Evil, But God Meant it for Good

He Did this to Rescue Us from Sin & Death

He Did this to Reconcile Us to Our Heavenly Father

He Did this to Restore All Things to its Pre-Fall Perfection

He Did this for Us

As We Think about Jesus Mockingly Dressed as a King…

With Blood, Bruises, & Lacerations Covering His Body…

The Only Proper Response:

Is to Kneel Before Him…

And Pledge Our Total & Lifelong Allegiance to Him