Luke 22:66-71 - Luke 23:1-25

Introduction

Luke 22

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

Luke 22:66–71 KJV

66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

Mentioned last week a trial wasn’t legal if held at night, so Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin wait until daybreak to give the guilty verdict.

This is the Jewish religious trial of Jesus. Now, for the council to succeed in it’s plan to have Jesus put to death, they need a conviction in the Roman secular trial. under Roman Law, a person couldn’t be put to death unless the Roman judicial system said so.

On to Pilate for the second trial...

Luke 23

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

Luke 23:1–5 KJV

1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

The whole Sanhedrin, at least 71 (70 members plus Caiaphas, the High Priest).

The play had Nicodemus AND Joseph of Arimathea disagreeing with the rest and we’ll read in vs 50-52 Joseph explicitly disagreed and though not explicit in the text, the evidence makes it pretty safe to say Nicodemus did as well

The charges are:

misleading the people away from Roman authority,

forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar. Completely false Luke 20:25 “25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”

claiming to be King, a ruler opposing Caesar. Pilate is allowing a revolution to happen under his nose

Pilate asks if he’s king of the Jews and Jesus tells him “that’s what you say”

Pilate declares Jesus innocent of the charges

Makes the council even more mad and determined

Jesus Brought Before Herod

Luke 23:6–12 KJV

6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Roman law allowed for a suspect to be tried in the area of the offense or in the region of birth

Pilate has just said Jesus is innocent. Well, a problem transferred is a problem solved in Pilate’s mind.

Sends him to Herod. Now to this point, we find out later, Pilate and Herod were enemies. So I imagine Pilate chuckling at least to himself a little when he sends Jesus to Herod.

Herod wanted to see the man all the fuss was about. Truth be told, Luke 9 told us Herod wondered about his relation to John the Baptist that Herod had put to death. Nervous would be an understatement.

Textually though, we’re told Herod was curious to see the man and a miracle

Herod is the only official interrogator Jesus says nothing to

Herod and the troops beat and mock him. Dressing him up in an extravagant robe of the king to make fun of Him without realizing they are ironically declaring Jesus place.

Herod sends Him back to Pilate and now Pilate and Herod have something in common. They have both mocked and mistreated the only truly innocent man to walk the earth and responded to the leadership challenge before them like cowards.

Both had authority, both knew this was wrong, yet both failed to stand for what was right. Punting on a decision is still a decision

Pilate Releases Barabbas

Luke 23:13–16 KJV

13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

Pilate intended to make his acquittal of Jesus as public as possible. After all, even Herod, their own Jewish leader, hadn’t found guilt.

So he announces his second declaration of innocence and Pilate says he’ll beat him and release him Probably thinking it would hush the sanhedrin and the problem go away.

Luke 23:17–22 KJV

17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

They want Jesus to die so they appeal to the Jewish custom of release on the passover the Romans honored and asks for Barabbas

A robber (John 18:40) and murderer (Luke 23:18, 19) in some way involved as an anti-Roman insurrectionist.

The irony of the crowd screaming for the release of an ACTUAL insurrectionist over one falsely charged with insurrection

Neither the lack of guilt nor the beating of an innocent man would pacify their lust for the blood and death of Jesus, as the crowd screams “Crucify him, crucify him”.

Crucifixion was inherited and perfected by Rome from earlier Persians, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians and deliberately engineered for prolonged suffering — victims could linger for days, dying from exhaustion, dehydration, or suffocation as the body's weight eventually made breathing impossible.

Nails were driven through the wrists and feet — painful but not immediately fatal — and breaking the legs was used to hasten death by cutting off the victim's ability to push up and breathe.

Beyond the physical torment, crucifixion carried intense social stigma and public shame, reflected in passages like Galatians 3:13 and Hebrews 12:2 — the condemned was paraded through crowds carrying his own cross, sometimes weighing up to 200 pounds, with his charges displayed on a placard around his neck.

A four-soldier escort (quaternion) accompanied the prisoner to the execution site, underscoring the Roman state's full institutional weight behind the punishment.

Pilate may be getting the picture now as he tries for the third time to declare the innocence of Jesus to the mob. This horde wants Jesus dead and may be about to riot to get it. Not a good look back at the home office in Rome

Luke 23:23–25 KJV

23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

After his third declaration of innocence he not only condemned the Jews, who demanded Jesus’ death, but also himself, because he handed the Savior over without cause.

Pilate still doesn’t declare Jesus guilty, he just stops arguing and “delivered Jesus to their will”. He knew and still surrendered.

Sometimes in our lives the fight is so long and drawn out we get tired. The temptation grows, to just say “whatever” and give in.

Men especially, but Christians as a whole are called to stand and fight for all that is good, true, and beautiful. the actual definition of justice.

We can’t give up, even when it feels too much to stand! Galatians 6:9 “9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Conclusion

Jesus was brought to trial before two groups of people: The Jewish and the Roman or Gentile.

Paul says Romans 3:9–12 “9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

All humanity is wicked and under the curse and condemnation of sin and in need of a perfect sacrifice to achieve a perfect salvation

The Passover Lamb, according to tradition from the Mishna, was examined 4 times, once each night between 10th and 14th of Nisan, to be declared spotless and worthy of the sacrifice.

Jesus has been asked trap questions 4 times by Pharisees and Scribes and each time silenced the questioner, between His triumphal entry on the 10th of Nisan and 4 days later to this point.

We have seen Jesus before 4 officials: Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. 1 said “worthy to die, 3 either innocent or without condemnation

Pilate 3 times and Herod once declared Jesus innocent

Jesus is the Lamb:

John 1:35–36 “35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

Barabbas, a thief, a murderer, and guilty of sedition and treason is set free and in his place Jesus is substituted and sentenced to die.

We who are saved are Barabbas. Worthy of death, convicted and sentenced and waiting death until Jesus takes our place!

1 Corinthians 5:7 “7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

If you have never acknowledged your guilt, deserving of death, and rightfully condemned, then you’re lost and in need of a savior

John 1:29 “29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”