Trials Before Pilate - Good Friday 2025
Notes
Transcript
Trials Before Pilate
Trials Before Pilate
Scripture Readings:
Luke 22:63-65
Luke 22:66-71
SOME INTRODUCTION HERE
20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Jesus goes before Pilate twice, let’s look at their first encounter here:
1 Then their whole assembly rose 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, “You yourself say it.” 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 Now when Pilate heard this, 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 in those days.
Let’s Pray
1 Then their whole assembly rose up and brought Him before Pilate.
Whole Assembly?
Council Sanhedrin of Elders
Chief Priests
Scribes
Who is Pilate
Tacitus (Roman Historian) remembers him as a Roman procurator who crucified Christ.
He wrote in ~110 AD
Probably rose to authority by military accomplishment
Took office in roughly 26 AD
Relationships with the Jews were tumultuous
Troops displayed images of the emperor (forbidden by Jewish law)
Aqueducts provided by temple funds
Shields in the Praetorium, but they bore no image. Only the name Tiberius “son of the deified Augustus”
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.”
What are the accusations?
Misleading our nation
Forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar
Claiming Messiahship
Claiming Kingship
Each of these accusations, though made by the Jewish leaders, Roman offences.
Misleading our Nation:
What does διαστρεφω mean?????????
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH GREEK IS HARD!!!!!!!!!!
Taxes to Caesar - Money is a symbol of authority
Messiahship - Claims of the Roman Emperor
Kingship - Opposing Roman Deity and Authority
67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
Quotes Psalm 110 in what would be to a Jew, a clear and decisive claim of deity.
70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “You yourselves say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
This was the problem for the Jews, but that would not be a problem for the Romans, as there were many gods with many sons.
3 So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “You yourself say it.”
In this instance Pilate simply responds by asking Jesus about the final and largest accusation brought against Him.
“Are You the King of the Jews?”
Jesus responds by saying “You yourself say it.”
The Greek here repeats the 2nd person pronoun, “you”
Jesus is putting the emphasis on what Pilate has said the same way He did before the Sanhedrin.
Non Answer?
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
Jesus’ good confession is that He is the King of the Jews.
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
The Roman proclamation of Jesus’ trial is innocence
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.”
The repeat their accusation of Jesus, but this time they get more specific.
Stirs up the people
Teaching
Galilee to Jerusalem
6 Now when Pilate heard this, 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 in those days.
Pilate found his way out. Jesus grew up in Herod’s jurisdiction.
When Herod the Great died, his rule was divided among his 3 sons. Herod Antipas, ruled over Galilee and was in Jerusalem at this time.
Green was under Herod Archelaus
Red under Herod Antipas
Purple under Herod Philip
It is worth noting that Herod Antipas was raised in Rome. So similarly to his father, Herod the Great, tensions between the Jews and Herod Antipas are high.
Luke 23.8-12 recounts Jesus’ illegitimate trial before Herod.
11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a bright robe and sent Him back to Pilate.
Now we get our second trial before Pilate:
13 And 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 in this man no guilt of what you are accusing 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 had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city and for murder.) 20 But again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Jesus,
21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt worthy of 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 were prevailing. 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.
Here we have another false trial of Christ
13 And Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
Pilate calls together the accusers
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 in this man no guilt of what you are accusing Him.
Note the accusations again:
Incites the people to rebellion
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE WORDS??????!!!!!!!
Behold! Pay Attention
Having Examined comes from the root to Judge
It could be rendered, having passed judgement over Him
NO GUILT
15 “No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.
Herod sent Him back
Behold! Pay Attention!
Nothing deserving death
What do you think Luke wants his audience to pay attention to? Jesus is innocent.
16 “Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
Pilate’s plan is to punish Jesus in spite of His innocence.
Pilate’s first attempt
17 [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]
This gives a clue to the original intended audience of Luke and suggests that they would not have been familiar with Jewish customs.
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” 19 (He had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city and for murder.)
I want you to take particular note of what is occurring here. Barabbas is guilty of the very charge they have been accusing Jesus of, an insurrection, inciting rebellion.
20 But again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Jesus,
Pilate’s second attempt
Luke gives an interesting perspective on Pilate here. There are mixed opinions on Pilate’s true intent. However, I will stick to Scripture here and recognize that at least in this instance, Pilate wanted to release Jesus.
And the Response:
21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”
22 And he said to them a third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt worthy of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”
Pilate’s third attempt
23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices were prevailing.
The Chief Priests, the Scribes, the Jewish People, denied Jesus 3 times.
This repetition of three is not an accident for Luke. Probably what comes to mind is Simon Peter’s denial of Jesus. We didn’t read it, but Luke places it right in front of where our Scripture readings began tonight.
I want to read it to you now because I want you to hear what is fresh on the minds of Luke’s audience.
28 “Now you are those who have stood by Me in My trials, 29 and I grant you a kingdom, just as My Father granted one to Me,
30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.
the italic “all of” is because the you is plural here.
32 “But I have prayed earnestly for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, once you have returned, strengthen your brothers.”
you singular here
επιστρεφω??????
Jesus goes on to predict Peter’s denial in which three times Peter denies Jesus, just as the Jews did.
These are Jesus’ words to the one who denied Him! It is a command!
Strengthen! your brothers
What a parallel for those reading this account. Jesus says even though you have denied Me, I have a place for you!
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.
What does this mean?
Scripture is filled with exclamations of what Jesus did on the cross.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
20 And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Gospel Message
33 And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
My challenge to you this weekend is to meditate on this question:
What does it mean to live like Jesus?
34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
I hope you will join us Sunday morning for our Celebration at 10:30, as we look to the rest of the story.
After we pray, please take a few moments in quiet reflection, and then feel free to exit the building in silence.
After a moment of reflection,
Please exit the building in silence
