Easter 2025 week 3

Not Guilty

This morning we are in week three of our Easter series as we look at the events Jesus face in the final hours before His crucifixion and resurrection.

We have seen Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, last week we looked at Jesus’ arrest and how Peter denied Jesus.

This morning we are looking at Jesus on trial before Pilate and Herod, and how they find Jesus not guilty.

The trial and death of Jesus Christ revealed both the wicked heart of man and the gracious heart of God.

When men were doing their worst, God was giving His best.

But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

Jesus was not crucified because evil men decided to get Him out of the way.

His crucifixion was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, an appointment made from eternity.

Pontius Pilate served as governor of Judea from A.D. 26 to A.D. 36.

He was hated by the Jews and never really understood them.

In his handling of the trial of Jesus, Pilate proved to be indecisive.

Pilate kept looking for a loophole, but he found none.

Pilate has gone down in history as the man who tried Jesus Christ, three times declared Him not guilty, and yet crucified Him.

Our text this morning is Luke 23:1-25 and we will see four things from our text this morning.

First we will see the false accusations that are made by the Jewish leaders.

Second, we will see Jesus goes before Herod.

Third, we will see Jesus before Pilate.

Fourth, we will see how Pilate gives into the Jewish leaders.

Look with me at our first set of Scripture

Luke 23:1–7 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.” 3 So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 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.

Pray

I. False Accusations

In verse one we are told the whole body brought Jesus before Pilate.

The whole body mentioned here is the full Sanhedrin, which was made up of 70 men.

The Jewish leaders were unable to execute anyone themselves this is why they bring Jesus before Pilate.

The Jewish leaders knew that their religious laws meant nothing to Roman officials, so they emphasized the political aspects of their indictment against Jesus.

The Sanhedrin bring three accusations or charges against Jesus before Pilate.

First they state that Jesus was misleading the nation.

Second they state that Jesus was forbidding others to pay taxes to Caesar.

Third, they state that Jesus was saying that He Himself was king.

As the Jewish leaders had no real charges against Jesus, they began to make things up that they felt would get Pilate to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion.

Thus the first accusation that Jesus was misleading the nation, Jesus had proven the Jewish leaders were wrong in many of their ways, but was not misleading the nation.

The second accusation is a blatant lie as they had publicly questioned Jesus on the issue of paying taxes.

Luke 20:20–25 NASB95

20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor. 21 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. 22 “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 23 But He detected their trickery and said to them, 24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

In this text the Jewish leaders were trying to catch Jesus in a trap to be able to charge Him.

But Jesus says give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.

This backfired on the Jewish leaders.

The third accusation was that Jesus was claiming to be king.

This was suggesting or implying that Jesus was a insurrectionist or revolutionary against Rome - another untrue charge.

John 18:33–37 NASB95

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.”

Here John records that Jesus tells Pilate that He is a king, but that His kingdom is not of this world.

Another words, Yes Jesus is a King, but He was not a threat to the Roman throne.

The Jews were trying to get their way with these false accusations.

Despite the Jewish leaders’ desperate attempts to accuse Jesus, Pilate was satisfied that Jesus was not an insurrectionist and declares Jesus not guilt.

The ferocity of the people made Pilate afraid to exonerate Jesus.

Pilate was relieved to hear that Jesus was a Galilean, because that gave him an excuse to send Jesus to Herod.

Herod had come to Jerusalem for the feasts.

II. Before Herod

Luke 23:8–12 NASB95

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.

Herod’s interest in Jesus was fueled by the fact that Jesus reminded him of his late nemesis, John the Baptist, who Herod had beheaded.

We are told that Herod wished to see Jesus perform miracles.

If Herod thought Jesus was going to do tricks for him, he was sorely mistaken.

Herod asked Jesus questions, and the chief priests shouted accusations at Jesus.

But Jesus did not answer.

Since Jesus would not act like a performing seal, Herod and his soldiers made a mockery of Jesus instead.

They dressed Jesus in bright clothing like a false king and sent him back to Pilate.

The clothing that Herod had put on Jesus was an elegant king’s garment, probably one that Herod was prepared to discard.

Herod did not issue an official verdict about Jesus, but it was clear that he did not find Jesus guilty of any crime worthy of death.

The only thing accomplished by Jesus appearing before Herod, was the mending of a broken friendship.

Herod was grateful to Pilate for helping him see Jesus and for honoring him by seeking his counsel.

III. Before Pilate

Luke 23:13–19 NASB95

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.” 17 Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner. 18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.)

Herod bowed out, and sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate then summons the Jewish rulers so that he can give his verdict.

Pilate tells the Jewish leaders, that after having examined Jesus, I have found no guilt regarding the charges that they have accused Jesus of.

As Pilate intended to declare Jesus not guilt, and he wanted to make the verdict as public as possible.

He undoubtedly expected that it would put an end to the whole matter.

This is the second time that Pilate has stated that Jesus was not guilty.

Then in verse 15 we are told that Herod had not found Jesus guilty.

Jesus clearly did not deserve the death penalty.

But since Pilate wanted to appease the Jewish leaders, he planned to have Jesus whipped or scourged before releasing Him.

But even as severe as the scourging was it could not quench the Jewish leaders desire to have Jesus crucified.

It was a longstanding Jewish custom that a prisoner be released during passover, a tradition that the Roman authorities honored.

John 18:39 NASB95

39 “But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”

Since the Jewish leaders were not satisfied with Jesus being scourged and released, Pilate thought well maybe I can release Jesus for the Jewish tradition.

The Jewish leaders refused to be pacified so easily.

The Jewish leaders shouted to take Jesus away and release to them Barabbas.

Barabbas was a robber and murder and in some way involved as an anti-Roman insurrectionist.

The call to release a known robber and murder shed light on how great their hatred of Jesus was.

Jesus had committed no sin.

Jesus had won the adoration of the crowds, challenged the leaders’ sacred traditions, and made them look like fools.

Their jealousy and anger drove them to petition for the release of a murderer and to condemn a righteous man.

IV. Pilate gives in.

Luke 23:20–25 NASB95

20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And 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.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

In spite of Pilate’s attempts to set Jesus free, the religious leaders demanded that he crucify Jesus.

Crucifixion was the most painful and disgraced form of execution the Romans employed.

In verse 22 we see that Pilate for a third time declares Jesus not guilty.

Pilate repeatedly gave powerful testimony to the innocence of Jesus.

Pilate not only condemned the Jews, who demand Jesus’ death, but also himself, because he handed Jesus over without cause.

Even though Pilate insisted on Jesus innocence the crowd shouted louder, until Pilate gives in and grants the demands of the Jewish leaders.

Pilate’s response reveals his lack of principle.

His desire to please the Jews for political reasons ultimately overcame his desire to set Jesus free.

Pilate releases Barabbas the thief and murder, and surrenders Jesus to the Jews.

Pilate preferred public order to justice - expediency to righteousness.

What we see is that Pilate is over whelmed by what we might call per-pressure.

There are times that we face per-pressure, but we must stand strong in our faith.

When people are condemning Christians - we must stand strong in our faith and follow Jesus.

We must not allow per-pressure to cause us to follow the wrong crowd.

We must keep our eyes on Jesus at all times.