79 Luke 22.66-23.12
Luke 22:65-23:12
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
v Who is Jesus to you?
Ø We just sang a song that talks about Jesus being our “friend”
§ To many that is what he is…a friend
Ø If you take a quick perusal at the back of the hymnal you find that Jesus is described in many different ways…
§ King
§ Lord
§ God Incarnate
§ A “Priceless Treasure”
§ The “Lover of my Soul”
v Today we are going to look at how Jesus was thought of by three people leading up to his condemnation before the crowd
Ø Luke records 4 of the 5 trials that Jesus underwent
§ The trial that Luke omits is that of Jesus before Annas, the past high priest
· This was the first person that Jesus was brought before
¨ It is recorded for us in John 18:19-24
Ø Here Annas questions Jesus regarding his disciples and his teachings
§ But Jesus refuses to answer
· Telling him that he has always taught openly in the temple and synagogues
Ø Annas shuttles Jesus off to Caiaphas and an informal meeting of the Sanhedrin
§ We talked a little about this trial last week
· It was held at night
¨ And we are not told what went on at this trial
Ø But I’m sure they were getting their “ducks in a row”
§ They wanted their formal hearing to go like clockwork
§ It was during this secret, informal trial that Peter denied Jesus 3x
v After Caiaphas was finished…
Ø There was a little time before daybreak
§ So Jesus was handed over the temple guards
· And in the few hours before dawn we find out what happens to Jesus
¨ Look at verses 63-65
v Here Jesus’ humiliation began
Ø He was bloodied and bruise, mocked and scoffed at
v When dawn finally arrived…
Ø Caiaphas quickly called the Sanhedrin together for a formal hearing
READ 22:66-71
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin ~ An Enemy
v It is clear that the Sanhedrin considered Jesus an enemy
Ø I liked what Kent Hughes wrote in his commentary as a possible description of the scene…
§ Torches were still flickering against their walls in the chilled judgment chamber as the light of dawn outlined the mount of olives. No doubt, it was a Kangaroo court Sanhedrin that glared at Jesus. Not all the members knew of the event, so some seats were empty. But, oh, their satisfaction as their disheveled, bloodied adversary stood before them. There they sat in concentric semi-circles, a mess of beards, sly, sinister eyes, evil tongues. Their eyes were red with rage. Some shook with uncontrollable, delicious anticipation.
v You see…
Ø This is the culmination of years of effort
§ The Sanhedrin, composed of priests, teachers and elders, had been after Jesus from the very beginning
· Mark 3:6 tells us that after one of their very first encounters with Jesus on the Sabbath
¨ They began to plot how they might kill him
Ø So this was 3 years in the making
§ And they finally have Jesus right where they want him
· Their great enemy, standing before them,
¨ Naked
¨ Weak
¨ Helpless
¨ Bloodied
v And all they are trying to do is to get him to say something blasphemous
Ø So they ask him the one question that they can indict him on
§ V. 67 ~ If you are you the Christ, tell us.
v But Jesus knew that they were not interested in hearing the truth
Ø We see that in verse 67b-68
§ He knows that they will not believe him
· And if he tries to question them
¨ He knows they will not answer
Ø There is a history of this
§ E.g. John the Baptist
v Jesus knows that they are not at all interested in truth
Ø They are here for his blood
Ø They are here for his life
Ø They are here because they hated him
Ø They consider him an enemy
§ They probably did not know it
· But they were fulfilling prophecy
¨ Ps 35:19
Ø They hated me without reason
v And that same type of hatred continues today
Ø Make no mistake, the world hates Jesus
§ Those are strong words, Blake!
· But they come from Jesus himself
¨ John 15:18-25 (Count how many times the word “hate” is used)
v The Sanhedrin hated him without reason
Ø And so does the world today
§ To stand with Jesus is to stand against the world
· That is why it is so difficult many times to be a Christians
¨ The Bible describes us as…
Ø Strangers in a strange land
Ø Foreigners and aliens here
Ø As our home being elsewhere
Ø When we give our lives to Christ
§ He slowly changes us so that
· The things of this world become strangely dim
· Our mind changes
¨ Have the mind of Christ
· Our values change
¨ Those things that once were important to us are not
· Our morals change
· Our ethics change
v Basically…
Ø We change to be more and more like Jesus Christ
§ And as the world hated him…
· It will hate you
v The second close encounter was with Pontius Pilate
READ 23:1-7
Jesus Before Pilate ~ An Annoyance
v To Pilate, Jesus was an annoyance!
Ø Pilate did not want to deal with the “Jesus” issue
§ In John’s Gospel, Pilate at first refuses to even interrogate him
· “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own Law”
Ø But the Sanhedrin does not give up so easily
§ In quick order, they throw 3 accusations around in order to get his attention
· They accuse him of subversion, tax evasion and rebellion
¨ READ V. 2
Ø But even when Jesus agrees that he is King of the Jews
§ Pilate does not find any basis for charges
· To him, the “Jesus” issue is not worth his trouble
¨ It is an annoyance
Ø Like a common house fly circling your head
§ It can do no harm, but it is annoying
Ø Pilate finally sees an out for himself
§ They mention Jesus is from Galilee
· Herod was in charge of that region…
¨ So he sends Jesus off to Herod
Ø The annoyance is gone
v Unfortunately, Jesus is not just an annoyance to Pilate
Ø But to many evangelical Christians today
§ What does that mean, Blake?
· Well, many Christians just attach Jesus to their life
· Many Christians see Jesus as another “part” of their life
¨ Instead of seeing it Biblically
Ø Jesus is your life
§ 2 Cor 15:15
· And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
· Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, writes:
¨ To be a Christian is not to live in love, follow the Golden Rule, or practice “possibility thinking” or indeed to do anything that we can do ourselves. (Jesus) calls for a more radical response than any of these things allow for. (Jesus) isn’t merely an “additive” that can make already good lives better…To really hear the Gospel is to be shaken to your core. To really hear the Gospel is to change.
Ø Jesus becomes an annoyance to Christians who don’t fully realize that Jesus IS your life
Ø Doing the work of the Gospel becomes an annoyance when people have not been shaken to the core
Ø Furthering God’s Kingdom can become an annoyance when we have the view that Jesus is just “our friend” (He is, BUT a whole lot more!)
Ø Doing church work becomes an annoyance when Jesus is just an “additive”
v The third close encounter was Herod
Ø And to Herod, Jesus was simply an amusement
READ 23:8-12
Jesus Before Herod ~ An Amusement
v Look at the text…
Ø Herod was delighted to see Jesus…WHY?
§ V. 8b ~ he hoped to see him perform some miracle
· In other words…
¨ To Herod, Jesus was a circus performer
¨ An entertainer
¨ A court jester
¨ He was there to amuse him
Ø And when Jesus refused to perform…
§ Herod quickly lost interest in him and sent him away
v Unfortunately this pattern is alive and well today
Ø Many people come to Jesus with a “what can you do for me” attitude
§ They have heard of what Jesus has done
§ They are interested or curious about in him
§ They might even pray the sinners prayer and invite him into their lives
· But after a while they lose interest
¨ Perhaps because Jesus wasn’t what they thought
¨ Perhaps because Jesus didn’t do what they thought he would
¨ Perhaps because he didn’t heal them the way they thought they needed healing
Ø For whatever reason, they lose interest in Jesus because he refuses to perform for them
Ø Jesus taught the parable about these people…
§ The seed that fell among the rocks
· The roots were not deep and so the sun came up and the plant died
¨ People who view Jesus as a performer in their lives have shallow roots
Ø When tests in life come along and they call in the court jester and he refuses to perform…
§ They send him away
· Just like Herod did
A mother came to see the Governor about her son who was soon to die in the electric chair. She begged him to have mercy on her only son.
The governor was courteous and promised to look into the matter and see if anything could be done. A few days later he went down to the prison where the mother’s son was awaiting the day of execution. When the young man was called in to the room with the governor, he thought he was a minister who had come to speak with him, and he became very angry and insulting. He said to the governor, "I have no time for you just leave me alone."
"But, I have come to see you about an important matter." said the governor.
The young man almost cursed him and demanded that he leave him alone.
"Very well," replied the governor, "good-bye."
When the governor was gone, the warden said to the young man, "How did you and the Governor get along?"
When he learned that it was not a minister but the governor, he fell upon the concrete floor and cried, like a soul lost and damned, "My God, have I insulted the only man who could save my life?"
v You see…
Ø What the Sanhedrin refused to see…
§ Because he was their enemy
Ø What Pilate did not have time to see…
§ Because he was an annoyance
Ø What Herod could not see…
§ Because he was an amusement
v How about you today?
Ø Jesus told the Sanhedrin that they wouldn’t listen if he told them
v How about you today?
Ø Who is Jesus to you?
§ An enemy?
§ An annoyance
§ An amusement
· Or the savior of your soul!
·