The Impossible Verdict

Scripture

John 19:17–22 KJV 1900

17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Introduction

Here we have the most defining event in human history.

You would think that everybody involved would take the utmost care to see that all proper procedure was followed to the letter.

The man being crucified was potentially the Messiah that the Jews had been looking for for centuries.

He was the One who might just have the ability to drive out the hated Romans and deliver the Jews.

He was the one that may have been Immanuel, God with us.

This is the most high profile legal case the word has ever seen.

It’s bigger than the Nuremberg Trials in 1945 and 1946 where members of the Nazi leadership such as Hermann Goering, Albert Speer, and others.

It’s more high profile than the Ted Bundy or O.J. Simpson Trials.

This is the central event in human history.

With the implications of Jesus possibly being the Messiah, wouldn’t the Jews want to exhaust every means at their disposal to make sure they got the verdict right?

Sadly, the answer is “No”.

We define time in terms of “Before Christ” and “Anno Domini”.

It’s not just the eyes of the

A group of men, with eyes firmly fixed upon only the present moment, were determined to have their pound of flesh by any means necessary.

The Characters

Jesus

Caiaphas

Caiaphas

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate

The Disciples

Judas

The Witnesses

Group 1

Group 2

The Proceedings

Everything about the trial and conviction of Jesus was illegal from the very start.

The Arrest

John 18:1–3 KJV 1900

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

John 18:

John 18:12–13 KJV 1900

12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, 13 And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

The way that Jesus was arrested was completely contrary to Jewish law and tradition.

The arrest, in order to be legal before the Jewish court, would have to have been made by the men accusing Christ of a crime.

For Caiaphas to send the temple guard out at such an hour to effect an arrest was a serious breach of judicial protocol.

The Trial

The Timing

Christ could not have been arrested earlier than about 11:30 p.m.

It was illegal to have a ‘Trial for Life’ at night.

Only trials for money could be conducted after sunset.

The First Group of Witnesses

Mark 14:55–56 KJV 1900

55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

Witnesses in a case that involved capital punishment in a Jewish court were generally few.

If the witness gave testimony that could be demonstrated to be false, the witness was stoned to death.

Notice that the witnesses couldn’t even agree among their own testimony.

They should have been put to death, the trial ended, and Jesus set free at this point.

The Second Set of Witnesses

Mark 14:57–59 KJV 1900

57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59 But neither so did their witness agree together.

Mark 14:

Mark 14:57-5

A second of witnesses whose testimony was inconsistent.

Ye again, there should have been public executions for these men, and Christ should have been released.

Cross Examined By Caiaphas

Matthew

Matthew 26:62–65 KJV 1900

62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

It was up to the witnesses to bring the charge and prove their case against the accused in Jewish law.

Caiaphas was not allowed to cross examine the accused.

From the time they brought Christ into Caiaphas’ palace, He had said nothing.

It was His legal right to remain silent, and He was under no obligation to answer the charges against Him if He did not choose to do so.

Under Jewish law, the burden of proof was upon the accusers.

They had to prove He was guilty, as opposed to Christ having to prove He was not.

The only thing Caiaphas was supposed to be doing was keeping order, and making sure that the trial went according to the dictates of the law.

The trial is coming towards the end.

Jesus is not only not a convicted man, but He is virtually unaccused of any crime whatsoever.

Caiaphas is desperate.

They must find something to charge Him with that will stand before the full hearing of the Sanhedrin when the sun comes up.

I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ.

It was illegal for Caiaphas to cross examine the witness, but this is another, more severe breach of legal protocol.

It was written in the Mishna that if anyone were compelled in these terms to give an answer, they could not refuse.

Christ then, was forced to speak, and thereby Caiaphas violated the dictates of Jewish law once again.

Are You the Christ?

Matthew 26:

Matthew 26:64 KJV 1900

64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

“You have said”

It was considered rude and extremely disrespectful in Jewish culture to answer a question like this with a direct “Yes” or “No”.

Jesus was not playing word games here or trying to be vague so as not to be convicted.

Notice the immediate affect His words have upon the high priest.

Matthew 26:65 KJV 1900

65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

Matthew 26:

Ah, at last. A charge that Caiaphas could make stick, and what luck that Jesus had said this in front of the most authoritative and credible witnesses in Jerusalem.

Caiaphas was giddy. He was in complete shock and wonder that Christ would have said such a thing in front of these witnesses.

What Caiaphas never allowed himself to consider (from a judicial stand point), was that Christ had spoken the truth.

What Jesus said was only blasphemy if what He said were not true.

Pilate

Due to the lateness of the hour, the only reasonable explanation for being able to bring this case before Pilate was if the Caiaphas had personally gone to see Pilate before Jesus was arrested.

Caiaphas had to obtain some sort of personal assurance that Pilate would hear the case under such extreme circumstances.

Due to the lateness of the hour and because the city was thronged with people celebrating the most important religious observance on the Jewish calendar, it would have been impossible to call witnesses and conduct a fair trial.

The Romans were not even scheduled to hold court the next day, as a result.

Caiaphas was asking Pilate, not only to rubber stamp the Jewish verdict of guilt and death, but he was asking Pilate to commit a serious breach of Roman law in the way that trials were to be conducted.

The Jews could not put a prisoner to death.

It was necessary for Caiaphas, then, to have a charge that the Roman authorities would sanction the death penalty for.

In the sly, underhanded political maneuverings of Caiaphas, getting Christ to declare Himself to be the Messiah carried with it the added advantage that, in so doing, He also declared Himself to be king.

This was a direct challenge to the legitimacy of the Roman rule.

Remember Palm Sunday.

Remember it’s Passover.

The Romans are helplessly outnumbered.

If an uprising begins, the Romans lose simply because of sheer numbers.

Claudia Procula

Married to Pontius Pilate.

Women were not allowed to travel with their husbands on occasions such as this.

Pilate was a brutish man with little political skill.

He would never have risen to the office of Prefect on his own.

He sailed under a lucky star when he met and fell in love with Claudia Procula, grand daughter of Tiberius Caesar.

This is how she came to be with him on this occasion.

He letter, then, that Pilate should have nothing to do with this righteous man, would have carried far greater weight than it otherwise might have. After all, her grandfather is arguably the most powerful man in the world; and he rules all of Rome and its territories.

No Friend of Caesar

In spite of Claudia’s warning, Pilate eventually gives in.

The Jews have accused Jesus of treason against Caesar, and they have told Pilate privately that if he fails to make an example of Christ, he is no friend of Caesar.

Pilate has tried on at least 4 occasions to be rid of the responsibility of condemning Christ.

All have failed.

Finally he washes his hands of the matter, and gives in to their demand.

For God so loved the world

Everything about the trial, and conviction of Jesus was absolutely impossible.

There was no way to obtain a conviction on such flimsy evidence.

There was no way the Romans would have gone along with the Jews in convicting an innocent man.

What I want you to realize tonight, though, is that this event was predetermined from before the foundation of the world.

Caiaphas wasn’t in control here.

Pilate was not simply giving in to letting the Jews have their way.

The witnesses played the part that they were supposed to play, as did every other person and group mentioned in the accounts.

Jesus was the one driving this to the conclusion that it came to.

He was in control of every detail and every aspect.

The next time you hear the words, “For God so loved the world” I want you to remember that Christ did this for you.

The next time you hear the words, “For God so loved the world” I want you to remember that Christ did this for you.

He willingly laid His life down as a ransom for many.

Invitation

The Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 KJV 1900

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Corinthians 11:23-24

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 KJV 1900

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

1 Corinthians 11: