The Trials - Preaching The Cross

John 18:37-19:15 Luke 23:1-16

INTRO: Good morning church. For our reference this morning I’m going to read John 18:39-40 – “"But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?'' Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!'' Now Barabbas was a robber.”[NKJV]

What I want to look at this morning are the various trials of our Lord, if they may be called trials. The hearings before religious and civil leaders are recorded in all the gospel records. One of the things that we discover in examining these records is the trial before the high priest, Caiaphas, and the Jewish council was probably, according to Jewish Law, not legally conducted.

There have been scholars of Jewish Law of that time who have concluded that these were truly unlawful hearings. We should understand that the Pharisees and Sadducees were determined to have their way, and they were not very concerned with the niceties of legality. They were just concerned about being done with Jesus.

During these last hours before His death we discover several things about Jesus. One is, of course, that He is, and claimed to be, the Son of God (we find that in Luke 22:70). A second is that He is truly the Messiah, the Christ, and ultimately in His interview before Pilate that He is the King (as it says in John 18:37).

However, our focus this morning is to look just a little bit further into the last hours of our Lord before His death.

I. FOLLOWING A “RELIGIOUS TRIAL”, HE WAS TAKEN TO PILATE: Jesus first was taken before Caiaphas, the high priest that year, and Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. After Jesus endured this mock hearing, He was then taken to Pilate, the Roman governor.

A. As the Roman governor, Pilate was the authority for that time and place.

1. Pilate was not an especially astute ruler. In fact history indicates he was a very poor governor, but one thing was certain about Pilate. He had no lost love for the Jews. Historians tell us he was rabidly anti-Jew.
2. With that as background, it seems a little bit unusual to me that the Jewish leaders would take Jesus to someone they did not respect for judgment. Why, I wonder, did they do that?
3. Since we are in our Bibles at the 18th chapter of the gospel of John. I’m going begin reading in verse 28, and I’d like you to read along with me. John 18:28-32 – “28. Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29. Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?'' 30. They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.'' 31. Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law.'' Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,'' 32. that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.” Here are some thoughts, and observations, about what we find here.

i. The first thing that leaps to our attention as we read this, is that we’re dealing with a group of “holier than thou” people. I note that when they came to the judgment hall of Pilate these religious leaders would not even go inside because they would be defiled ceremonially and not be able to eat the Passover. For some reason Pilate conceded this and went out to them and asked them: what is the accusation that you bring against this man? They said: Listen; if He wasn’t a bad person we would not have brought Him to you. That didn’t satisfy Pilate nor would it satisfy most people. He may not have been a great ruler, or a great judge, but he still knew that something was very much amiss with this situation.
ii. He tells them – “you take Him and judge Him according to your law”. But then they responded. Now listen… this is haughtiness gone to seed, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,''. The very next verse indicates that this is all happening in order to fulfill that which Jesus prophesied concerning the manner of His death.
iii. Here’s a little bit of reading between the lines. Was it impossible for the Jews to execute someone? Was it out of the realm of possibility? The answer is no.
iv. They had done it before and they could have done it again. If they did so though, the Jewish leaders that brought the accusation against Jesus would have had to participate in stoning Him which was the custom of their executions. What they really wanted was not to have their hands dirtied by all this. What they really wanted was some way to pass the blame for what was about to happen off to the Romans and get them to legally kill Jesus. Something else we need to note here is - they are talking about putting Jesus to death—even before any judgment is handed down.
v. You’ll notice that verse 32 tells us Jesus had already explained about His crucifixion. What had He said? “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32 He said this in keeping with the manner of the death that He was to die. What’s happening here is that the Jews are fulfilling Jesus’ prophesy concerning His death.

B. They brought Jesus to Pilate, and as we consider Pilate we might wonder, what his impression of Jesus is. I’d like you to turn in your Bibles to the gospel of Luke next, the 23rd chapter, where we read the first impressions of Pilate about Jesus. In the religious hearing with Caiaphas and Annas, Matthew records in Matthew 26:65 that the charge of blasphemy has been leveled against Jesus. The problem is the Romans didn’t care about blasphemy. That’s not their problem, it is a religious issue, and it’s the Jew’s problem.

1. Let’s read Luke 23:1-4 - “1. Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, 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 crowd, "I find no fault in this Man.''”
2. Notice how these people misrepresented the truth of things. Remember the charge that the Jews have leveled against Jesus is the charge of blasphemy. As far as they are concerned that is an executable offense. They can kill Him for that. When they come to Pilate who is the Roman civil leader, the man with supreme authority over life and death, notice in verse two what they say. We found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding giving tribute to Caesar saying that He Himself is Christ the King. Hmmmm that’s a shift.
3. What was it that Jesus had really said about giving tribute to Caesar? Do you recall it? We find this in Matthew 22:17-21 – here is what Jesus had really said about this issue. When the Herodians came to Jesus with the question “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”, His response was very simple. “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” That was the truth of the matter. He had never taught anything about subverting the nation, but to get a sympathetic hearing from the Roman governor they had to lie—these Jewish religious leaders. They had to misrepresent the truth to Pilate, and indeed they did. Pilate knew the Jews would follow a king, and not deliver him up. So he says he finds no fault in Jesus.
4. We go on and read just a little bit further. I want to begin at verse five and read through verse seven since here is where the whole scene is going to change. Luke 23:5-7 – “5. But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.'' 6. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.” - I can just imagine Pilate at this point saying; “Ah, ha! I have found a way to get rid of this issue. I know that this man is not guilty of death, but I don’t see how to deal with this without stirring up the people or offending Caesar. This looks like my way out of the whole problem. The man is a Galilean and as a Galilean He is a subject to Herod Antipas. “I have nothing to do with this” and he sends Him to Herod.

II. THE HEARING BEFORE HEROD: Now there is another hearing, and this time it is before Herod.

A. We need to understand a little bit about the political geography of that time. The area we would call the Holy Land was divided into parts. One part which was overseen (the part where Pilate was) by the Romans themselves. The part involving Galilee, Nazareth or Capernaum, all places to which we attach the name of Jesus, these are all places under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.

1. Historically we are told, there was no “love lost” between Pilate & Herod.
2. Why send Jesus there except to wash his hands of the matter? Perhaps as a favorable overture to Herod Antipas? We are not told though there is a hint.
3. Let’s look just a few verses later at Luke 23:12 and notice; “That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for before that they had been at enmity with each other.” This gesture on the part of Pilate, sending Jesus to Herod for judgment, apparently was a good gesture as far as politics were concerned.
4. That then brings us to the actual hearing that takes place with Herod.

B. Luke 23:8-11 – “8. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.”

1. Herod was very interested in Jesus and very curious about Him. He had heard many things about Jesus and in his curiosity he hoped, as many curious people might have at that time, to see some miraculous thing done by Jesus. But nothing was done.
2. So, Herod questions Jesus and in the course of this questioning he gets no information to satisfy his curiosity.
3. At the end of the day what he and his minions do, is to mock Jesus, to hold Him in contempt and jest. “I don’t have to deal with Jesus. After all we’re in Jerusalem. This isn’t my bailiwick. I’m going to send Him back to Pilate, just send Him back, and let Pilate take care of this.” That’s exactly what he does.

III. PILATE IS AGAIN FACED WITH A DECISION ABOUT JESUS:

A. Neither Pilate nor Herod could find any reason why Jesus should be executed, but Jesus is delivered to Pilate again. Look a little further in Luke 23. As we read the account, we find Pilate is responding to the Jewish people and saying he finds no fault in Jesus concerning the accusations against Him. I will begin reading in Luke 23:13-16 – “13. Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14. said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15. "no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing worthy of death has been done by Him. 16. "I will therefore chastise Him and release Him''”

1. Do we see how unjust all of this is? Can we put ourselves in Jesus place for a few minutes, seeing all this going on against Him and yet Jesus is calm, like He has no despair.
2. Pilate says to the Jewish leaders: “look, your own king which is part of the political world over in the region of Galilee has said he didn’t find any cause of death in this man, and I don’t find any cause of death in this man. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to chastise Him and release Him.” Pilate may have been cruel, unprincipled ... but not dumb. He recognized the charges against Jesus were spurious, so he would “chastise him, and release him”

B. Let’s turn to the gospel of Mark where we read about the attempt of Pilate to release Jesus. This is the Passover season, remember. Mark 15:6-11 – “6. Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7. And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow insurrectionists; they had committed murder in the insurrection. 8. Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9. But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?'' 10. For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. 11. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.”

1. Pilate is in a political mess and he has expressed that he knows Jesus is innocent. It sounds like he tries over and over again to release Jesus, but if he does, the political mess is just going to get worse. He knows the religious leaders have trumped this up.
2. Then he remembers that at this particular season of the year it is the custom to release a criminal to these people—someone whom they asked to be released. So he goes to the people and asks: “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
3. But the priests have influenced the people, so they say “No”! The chief priests moved the people to demand Pilate should release Barabbas unto them, a murderer, an insurrectionist, and a thief.

C. There’s one other little incident that takes place in all of this. It’s something that goes almost unnoticed in all the trials and hearings that are going on. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Matthew 27:19 it says of Pilate, “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.''”

1. To us this might not seem the least bit significant. Most of us have dreams and not too many of us care about what the dream may or may not signify or mean—probably nothing. We are not pagan people even if some of us may act that way at times. We’re Christian people. We live in a nation that is not overseen by pagan beliefs—at least not yet.
2. In the pagan world dreams matter a great deal. Dreams were very significant. Dreams were powerful influences in the lives of people. Here’s a woman, Pilate’s wife, who has a dream. Scripture has not told us exactly what the dream was. We’re not given any substance of the dream at all, but she says: It really bothered me. She was very disquieted by her dream.
3. She was so disquieted by it that she sent word to her husband: Don’t have anything to do with this man. Pilate would have been very concerned about this. You and I would not, but Pilate was a pagan, and dreams meant so much, and here’s his wife telling him—“you don’t want to have anything to do with this man. I had a dream about Him and it really bothered me.”
4. This would have been bothersome even to Pilate. What would he do? He is on the horns of a political dilemma, and now his wife has had this dream. He is likely thinking, “I need out of this situation.”

D. Let’s turn back to John 18 again to see what happens. Pilate does his very best to get rid of the situation, to release the Lord to the people, and to get rid of this entire problem.

1. Start reading at John 18:32-36 – “32. that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?'' 34. Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself on this, or did others tell you this about Me?'' 35. Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have 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, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.''”
2. This interview goes on as we look at John 19:1-6 – “1. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3. Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!'' And they struck Him with their hands. 4. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.'' 5. Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!'' 6. Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!'' Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.''”
3. How many times does Pilate have to say this to the people? I find no fault in Him. He brings Jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and said unto them: Behold the man. He wants to get rid of this issue. He wants to release Him. His wife has told him that she’s had a dream: don’t have anything to do with this man.
4. Pilate thinks; “What I will do is scourge Him.” I’m not going into all the details of a Roman scourging now. It’s enough for me to say that it is one of the most terrible beatings. Pilate hopes that if he scourges Him it will satisfy the people. Pilate knew that the charges against Jesus were scurrilous. He thought that if he just beat Him badly that’s going to make everybody happy and he can be rid of Him.
5. In verse six, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out saying: “Crucify Him, crucify Him”. Pilate said to them; “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” He’s saying: Do your own dirty work, you have my permission. You kill Him. I’m not going to do it.
6. Let’s go on reading in John 19:10-11 – “Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?'' Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.''”
7. Jesus tells Pilate that the only way you can do this is because it’s part of God’s plan. Its part of God’s agenda otherwise you would have no power over me whatsoever. The power has been given to you from above. Here’s poor Pilate, he is in a political mess and the Jews knew they had him in a box.
8. John 19:12 – “From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.''”
9. Then in John 19:15 – “But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!'' Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?'' The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!''”
10. Wow! What duplicity, what lies they were willing to tell to get Jesus to the cross. They knew that Pilate was not a particularly popular person with Caesar. They believed that if word got to Caesar that Pilate had released a man who claimed to be King of the Jews it would be all over for Pilate—political pressure, and it was to this pressure that Pilate ultimately yielded.

E. That brings us back to another one of those little incidents in Matthew 27:24-25 – “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.'' And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children.''”

1. In Matthew 27:19— we saw Pilate’s wife had a dream, and told him don’t have anything to do with this. Our reading in John’s gospel indicates from the time the trials began Pilate sought a way to release Jesus and he claimed over and over again, “the Man is innocent”. He’s not worthy of punishment.
2. He knew it was for envy that Jesus had been delivered to him. What does he do? Pilate took water and washed his hands and said I have nothing to do with it. I want nothing to do with it. In this symbolic act, he sought to absolve himself in this terrible drama.
3. The fact is, by the washing of his hands, he could not absolve himself of his responsibility in the unjust ending of this whole affair. We see that he wasn’t a courageous man, but he didn’t want to have anything to do with what was about to happen.
4. He washed his hands of the affair and sought a way to transfer the guilt for the injustice that was about to occur to others and they accepted it by saying: “His blood be on us and on our children.”

F. When it is within our power to change or adjust that which is unjust and wrong and we seek to wash our hands of the affair, we cannot absolve ourselves of responsibility.

1. I’ve wonder if we at times, not by a symbolic act perhaps, but by some mental gymnastics, seek to do the very same thing that Pilate did. I’m not going to do the right thing. I know I should. I’m not going to do it, —BUT— I don’t want to be seen as guilty for my behavior.
2. How many times are there that we know what we should do, but don’t? Or what we shouldn’t do, but do, with no more justification than Pilate had?

G. Finally, this morning let’s go Mark 15:15 – “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”

1. Listen to those words, “wanting to gratify the crowd ”.
2. Is this the reason for the conduct that takes us into places that we should not go? Is this the reason for the conduct that leads us to do things that we should not do, or causes us to not do things we ought to do?
3. Willing to gratify the crowd—that’s pressure, folks. Recognize it? In today’s world we often see it as peer pressure, social pressure.

CLOSE: How often do we find ourselves in a situation of conviction knowing what we ought to do or what we ought not to do, yet because of the people around us, the pressure of the moment, the circumstances of the situation, we are willing to gratify the world.

Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified. All of this folks was done for us. All of this unfairness, all of these indignities, all the suffering of the sinless Savior was done for each of us. As we read and re-read these narrative events of the cross, we should more deeply appreciate and understand how much Jesus loves us because He did all of this for me and for you.

You can’t wash your hands of Jesus, my friends, and remove your responsibility toward Him. You can’t wash your hands of Jesus and wash away your responsibility for sin.
There is one place, though, where the washing can occur and will occur and that’s in baptism. It’s not the washing away of your responsibility to Jesus; it is your response to His gift. It is a washing away of your sins, and that is a gift made possible because of the cross.

You can be cleansed from your sins because of the cross. You can be forgiven of your sins because of the cross. While we’re singing the invitation song, if you have not been baptized into Jesus Christ, would you make that decision this morning and respond to God’s invitation to come?

Take this simple step and this morning before you leave this place, you will be washed, cleansed of your sins, because of the cross. Then you will be prepared to meet God in that day.

If there’s any way we can assist, we invite you to come as we stand and as we sing.

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Adopted from Sermon by: Cecil A. Hutson