Luke 22:63-23:25 - The Trial of Jesus
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
[PRAYER]
[ILLUS] Some years back when we were negotiating the sale of some of our property for the widening of Zeigler Boulevard, Harold Fussell and I had to go down to the courthouse.
Before we could go in, Harold had to hide his two pocket knives in flower beds outside, but once we were inside, there was the possibility that we would have to testify. In the end that wasn’t necessary. Our lawyer did all the talking. Then the judge said some things that sounded good, but honestly… given the criminal history that Harold and I share… we were just glad to get our of there with no jail time!
But as we left the courtroom and got on the elevator, our lawyer turned to us and said in a quite voice, “Well, we won.”
As we look at the trial of Jesus today, we’ll see that… well… we won.
We won because He chose to lose.
We won because of His sacrifice.
We won salvation—or rather He won it for us because He chose to die on the cross.
And it is this trial that immediately led to His cross.
[CONTEXT] God created the world and it was perfect. God created Adam and Eve and they were made in His image. Everything was very good.
But Adam and Eve fell to the temptation of Satan and sinned against God.
The curse of sin and death entered the world.
But God promised a Savior who would crush Satan and save God’s people from the curse.
He would be the seed of the woman, born of a virgin, just as Jesus was born a young virgin named, Mary.
He grew in wisdom and stature, in favor with both God and man.
He made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, the deaf hear, and the dead rise up.
He preached the Gospel to the poor.
He lived a life of perfect obedience to God.
And in our passage this morning, the Promised Seed, the Savior, the miracle-working Christ, the perfect Son of God stands trial like a guilty criminal.
He was not guilty but He stood trial for the guilty.
He was not a criminal but He stood trail for we criminals who transgressed God’s Law.
He had no sin but God laid on Him the iniquities of us all.
[CIT] As Jesus stood trial, He was repeatedly treated with contempt and repeatedly declared innocent.
[INTER] As we study this passage, let’s ask ourselves what we believe about Jesus.
Do we believe that He really is the Son of God?
Do we believe that He really is King?
Do I really believe that the Promised Seed, the Savior, the miracle-working Christ, the perfect Son of God stood trial for a guilty criminal like me?
[TS] This morning we want to build our thoughts around two words that both begin with the letter “B”…
MAJOR IDEAS
MAJOR IDEAS
First Word: BLASPHEMY - During His trial, Jesus was blasphemed (22:63-71)
First Word: BLASPHEMY - During His trial, Jesus was blasphemed (22:63-71)
[EXP] But before we read those verses, let’s remember that Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was betrayed by Judas, arrested, and denied by Peter. Then we come to v. 63…
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, 64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” 65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.
Blasphemy is mocking, cursing, or vilifying God. But a definition only goes so far. Biblical examples serve us better…
When Israel made a golden calf and said, “This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,” they committed great blasphemies (Nehemiah 9:18).
When Israel discarded God’s law and killed the prophets that God sent to call them to repentance, they committed great blasphemies (Nehemiah 9:26).
God’s people committed many great blasphemies or acts of contempt against God, but none were greater than those acts of contempt committed against Jesus.
Don’t miss that they mocked the Son of God.
Don’t miss that they beat the Word made flesh.
Don’t miss that they blindfolded and taunted the prophet greater than Moses.
But they had no fear in blaspheming Jesus because they wrongly believed that Jesus was actually blaspheming. That’s what we read in verses 66-71…
66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 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.” 70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
[EXP] The whole of Jesus’ public was a declaration that He was the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God who would save God’s people from their sins. There were specific things that the OT said the Christ would do and Jesus did those things!
[ILLUS] In fact, when John the Baptist was in prison he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the Christ. Jesus didn’t answer with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, at that moment He started curing diseases and afflictions! He started casting out demons! He started healing the blind!
But why did He do that?
Because that’s what the Prophet Isaiah said the Christ would!
So Jesus said to John’s disciples…
22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
In other words, Jesus said, “I am the Christ. I’ve proven that I’m the Christ. And you ought to believe that I am the Christ.”
John believed it… but Jesus knew that the Council of elders, the chief priests and scribes, who now accused Him—they would never believe it.
They wouldn’t believe it if He said it plainly. They wouldn’t believe it if He lead them to it by way of insightful questions. They wouldn’t believe it even though He had proven it, but… Jesus did say in v. 69…
69 “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
They knew that Jesus was quoting from Psalm 110:1. They knew that Psalm 110:1 referred to the Christ as the Son of Man. And they knew that the Son of Man/the Christ would be the Son of God.
So they asked Him, “Is that You? Are You the Son of God?”
And Jesus, “Yes, I am.”
Literally He said, “You say that I am,” which I take to be like one of us saying, “You said it!” or “You know that’s right!” or “You took the words out of my mouth!”
In any case, Jesus affirmed that He was indeed the Son of God and the religious leaders took that as blasphemy. That’s why they said in v. 71…
71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
They had heard His supposed blasphemy for themselves. They were now ready to put Him to death… or at least ask Pilate to do it for them.
[ILLUS] C.S. Lewis once famously wrote that given the claims that Jesus made, He was either Lord, liar, or lunatic. We must make our choice.
If what Jesus said is true, then He is Lord.
If He really was working for the devil as the religious leaders once accused Him, then He was a liar.
If He was just a crazy man who sincerely believe some untrue stuff that got Him killed, then He was a lunatic.
But, again, we must make our choice. What do we believe about Jesus?
Is He Lord, liar, or lunatic?
[APP] I want to make that choice even clearer for you this morning: Jesus was either a blasphemer or He was the Christ. And you must make your choice.
If He claimed to the be the Son of God without actually being the Son of God, then He was a blasphemer who deserved to die and got even worse than the cross after death.
But if He really was the Son of God, then He was and still is the Christ, and we must bow down to Him.
So what is it for you?
Do you believe that Jesus is a blasphemer?
Or do you believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, just as He proved?
[TS] …
Second Word: BLAMELESS - During His trial, Jesus was declared blameless (23:1-25)
Second Word: BLAMELESS - During His trial, Jesus was declared blameless (23:1-25)
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. 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. 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.) 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.
[EXP] The religious leaders who were accusing Jesus led Him to the Roman Governor Pilate, but once Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent Him to Herod, the Jewish puppet-king installed by the Romans. However, when Herod could get nothing out of Jesus, he sent Him back to Pilate who eventually gave the Jewish religious leaders what they wanted in sentencing Jesus to death.
As Jesus went from one wicked ruler to another, the chief priests and scribes followed, accusing Him all along the way.
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.”
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.”
10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.
Finally they openly called for His crucifixion.
18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”
21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”
23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.
They were determined to see Jesus killed, so they accused Him falsely and accused Him constantly.
Wicked Pilate wasn’t opposed to having someone killed, but if He had Jesus killed he might have a riot on his hands because many Jews held Jesus to be a prophet.
Pilate didn’t want a riot, and I think that’s he examined Jesus three times and each time reached the same conclusion—Jesus was blameless.
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
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.
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.”
But the chief priests and scribes didn’t bring Jesus to Pilate so he could determine if Jesus was guilty or not guilty. They had decided that Jesus was guilty and that He deserved to die. They just needed Pilate to make it happen.
So when Pilate saw that he might have a riot on his hands if he didn’t have Jesus crucified, he gave the order.
Barabbas—an insurrectionist and murderer—would be set free.
Jesus—blameless even by Pilate’s own admission—would go to the cross.
Barabbas—whose name meant, son of the father—was released.
Jesus—who really was the Son of the Father—was delivered to their murderous will.
[ILLUS] If you don’t want blameless looks like, just ask a child if they’ve done something wrong. They will immediately cry out, “I didn’t do anything.” It’s practice for their future court cases when they cry out like so many criminals do, “But I’m innocent!”
But you notice that Jesus doesn’t do any of that during His trial. He never once said, “I didn’t do anything wrong,” although He didn’t do anything wrong. He never once said, “But I’m innocent,” although He was indeed innocent.
And the reason He didn’t is because He knew that all of this was apart of God’s plan.
It was God’s plan for the blameless to die for the blasphemous.
[APP] God took the wickedness of men and used it to sacrifice His blameless Son as atonement for their wickedness—as atonement for our wickedness.
As Jesus was pelted with mockery, beatings, and other blasphemies, don’t miss that He—who deserved none of it—endured it all to bring you to God.
As He was dragged before wicked men, He never defended Himself because He was giving Himself as the sacrifice for your sins and mine.
Second Corinthians 5:21 says it like this…
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[TS] …
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Do you believe that Jesus was the Christ? Or do you believe that He was a blasphemer who deserved what He got?
Do you believe that He was guilty? Or do you believe He was the blameless One who gave His life to erase all your guilt?
Will you bow the knee to Jesus this morning?
Will you believe that He bore it all for you?