The Certainty Of Christ's Trial
Book of Luke 23:1-25
The Jewish Sanhedrin was the supreme council of the Jewish people and consisted of 71 elders of the Jews.
As a judicial body, the Sanhedrin constituted what we would say was a supreme court.
The Sanhedrin had been hastily called at a time before the dawn of the day.
The Lord Jesus Christ was brought before this group as a false prophet.
Jesus had professed to be the Messiah and they had pronounced the death sentence upon Him even before He had a trial.
They could have put Jesus away for years in prison and nothing would have been said but they wanted Him dead.
In order to accomplish this they needed Pilate, the Roman governor to go along with their verdict and they accused Jesus of insurrection against the Roman government.
*****Luk 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
Luk 23:2 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.
The Jewish religious system was so opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ that all 71 of the Sanhedrin court arose and took Jesus to Pilate seeking for His death.
The truth is their only goal was to protect their worldly desires, their security and their position and their authority given to them by Rome and of course their riches.
They had become rich while their nation was being plundered by Rome.
Jesus was accused of "perverting the nation".
Jesus was accused of "forbidding other Jews to give tribute to Caesar".
Jesus was accused of "naming Himself true King of the Jews".
If proven true, these were in fact serious crimes against the Roman government.
Pilate was a morally weak man who sinned in spite of himself.
Pilate was a worldly man who sought only his own interest.
Pilate was irreligious, he had no ties to any religion and was not guided by any and actually condemned most all religion.
It was this immoral man who began to question Jesus.
*****Luk 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sanest it.
"thou sanest it" was in fact the most solemn mode of affirmation used by all the Jews.
The Book of John gives us greater detail into the actual things Jesus said and it is possible that John may have even been present during this time.
Jo 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Jo 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Jo 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Jo 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sanest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Jo 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
Jesus stated that His kingdom was not of this world.
Jesus was not some political revolutionary.
Jesus was not a threat to any civil government.
(These are to be the same traits of the Church)
Jesus said at this time He ruled a spiritual kingdom!
Jesus was, is, and always will be the King of Heaven!
Jesus had first come to rule in the hearts and the minds and the lives of man!
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
So Pilate came to his verdict.
*****Luk 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
This same man who would later condemn Jesus to die, acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any of these false charges.
Pilate knew that this Jewish court was lying about the things they were saying about Jesus.
Kind of reminds us about our own politically charged Supreme Court of today.
Not only had the Lord Jesus never committed any crime at all, He had never committed any sin at all!
If there were ever an innocent man on trial, it was the Lord Jesus Christ!
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
We should also keep in mind that anything Pilate did was overpowered by a selfish regard for his own interest.
So when the Jews heard what he said they knew just what to do.
*****Luk 23:5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
These foolish men then exerted themselves with great fury and violence.
They became even more unruly.
They increased their charges against Jesus.
They said it was not only in Judea that He stirred up treason and sedition, but also in Galilee, making Jesus a national threat.
They said that no matter where Jesus went He stirred up the people, and He did but never against the government of Rome or any other government.
Jesus stirred the people up spiritually!
Pilate knew the truth and it did not move him, so it would be impossible for him to be moved by any sense of justice toward any Jew.
There was no cause for these things to happen to Jesus, except men seeking their own material things the exact same things that cause most all the problems in our world today!
Psa 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
Any so-called national leader to seeks to escape his duty is an unworthy leader and that's what sits in our White House today.
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
When Pilate heard Galilee, he thought he had found another way to avoid being in this Jewish mess.
*****Luk 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean.
Luk 23:7 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.
Pilate never really considered to set Jesus free, but he did have a great desire to be free of Him!
If Pilate had been just at all, he would followed up on his verdict of innocence!
Pilate feared an uprising of these Jews more than he feared causing harm to one innocent man.
Pilate had made an enemy out of Herod, so it made it even easier to allow Herod to get burnt by causing harm to such an innocent man.
This Herod was Herod Antipas the son of Herod the Great.
Again Pilate was only seeking his own best interest in all these matters, he had no real concern for Jesus.
*****Luk 23:8 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.
This was also the same Herod who had beheaded John the Baptist and thought that Jesus may have even been the resurrection of John.
Mar 6:14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
Mar 6:15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
Mar 6:16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
It is obvious that Herod showed no concern for the truth.
It is also obvious that Herod had no concern for his own soul.
The possibility that Jesus was truly the Messiah never entered Herod's mind.
Herod just wanted to witness an actual miracle!
Herod felt that he was high enough up on the ladder of success, that he deserved for God to just perform for him!
The truth is God will never do a miracle just for the recipient of that miracle. God does all things for His own pleasure and for the benefit of His kingdom!
We should remember, the "Gospel" had already entered into the household of Herod.
Luk 8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Also
Act 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
And possibly
Jo 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
The truth is Jesus knew that it would be a waste of time to offer any words of wisdom to Herod and Jesus said nothing at all.
*****Luk 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Men who get their delight from moral darkness, usually have no objection to the "Gospel" they just hate the moral requirements of the "Gospel".
For a king such as Herod the commandments of God would have robbed him of his terrorizing power, so Jesus gave no response at all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Once the "Gospel" tears away the fabric of their moral condition, it reveals just how depraved we truly are.
Once the "Gospel" shakes their soul with the promise of the judgment of God then we will become our own worst enemy.
Jo 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
Jo 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Jo 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Jo 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
So Herod then listened to the false charges against Jesus.
*****Luk 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
Luk 23:11 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.
Luk 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Herod had refused to listen to John the Baptist.
Herod had refused to listen to the witnessing going on in his own household.
Herod had refused to believe in the wonders that he had heard about the Lord Jesus.
But Herod listened to the government backed, politically motivated religionists of the Jewish elders of the Sanhedrin court.
Herod set Jesus aside, as just being unimportant enough for his concern for justice.
Most of this world approaches the Word of God with fore-drawn conclusions and since those conclusions cannot be verified they revolt toward humanism.
We must remember as Christians we are simply witnesses of the truth of God.
It is the Word of God itself that is God's appointed representative.
We are responsible for the manner in which we present the Word of God
Jo 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
That word "nought" means that Herod looked upon Jesus as nothing, not even as a decent human being.
We can say what we wish, but how much of the world today and even some so-called churches look upon Jesus Christ as still being nothing.
You cannot accept the Word of God and reject Jesus Christ.
When we count our own lives as greater than that of Jesus Christ, we have then becomes failures as humans.
When we accept the ways of the world as truth then we are complete failures.
We must accept that Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is!
Jo 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Jo 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Jesus Christ did not come into our lives to give a performance. Jesus came into our lives to save us!
Jesus was silent before Herod because when we continue in sin we will never get an answer from God.
Herod and Pilate became friends because all things worldly are brought closer together in their opposition to the truth!
This is what is happening in the political arena today!
Judaism and Heathenism came together to destroy Christianity and all false religions will try to do the same before the end comes.
We also see the beginning of this happening today!
Jesus went to the cross because of sin but it was hatred that put Him there!
Compromising with the world will always lead to sin and then on to trouble and tragedy.
Pilate knew the truth of Jesus innocence.
Herod knew the truth but Jesus was nothing to him.
Pilate then sought to compromise with with a group of liars which is impossible if they do not get their way.
This is what is happening in America today as our leaders compromise with the abortionist, the gay community, the LBGT movement, the BLM movement, climate change, and other foolish things that go against the Word of God and then tell Christians we must just get over it.
God says:
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We will see that in the end Pilate was only concerned with himself.
*****Luk 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
Luk 23:14 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:
Luk 23:15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
Luk 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
We will see that 3 times Pilate did try to release the Lord Jesus but the Jews would not relent in their hatred for the truth.
Pilate knew this whole group was a bunch of liars and Jesus was innocent of all the things that were brought against Him.
Even Herod had found Jesus innocent of all charges.
Not one crime worthy of death had been committed by Jesus in fact no crime at all had been committed by Jesus.
What did Pilate know about these Jews?
Pilate knew these Jews would cause trouble for him in Rome and he already stood on shaky ground with Rome.
So again we see how power and money rule most all men.
Truth and justice always suffer at the hands of ruthless power hungry people!
A compromising person is always thinking only of themselves.
They will protect themselves even at the expense of truth and justice.
We need to remember all these things when we cast our votes in the coming election because these things never change.
God tells us the same thing!
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Pilate was directly responsible to Rome for the administration and the finances of Judea.
To become a procurator was as much political move as it was a military success.
Even with all these things at stake it was still Pilate's job to free those innocent of the laws of Rome.
These Jews were not about the let Jesus go free no matter what other punishment was offered.
They wanted Jesus dead!
This in turn made Pilate even more bitter with these Jews.
Pilate offered one more option.
*****Luk 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
Luk 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
Luk 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
Luk 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Luk 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
The truth is always the truth no matter what is said to the contrary!
Here we see the Pilate is trying to compromise the truth when there can never be a compromise between justice and injustice.
We live in a world today where the innocent get the blame for what the guilty do and that is wrong. How backwards have we become?
Pilate is a picture of what this world has become!
Pilate may have wished to do right and he had it in his power to do right but he cared more for his own image and these Jews manipulated him to get what they wanted him to do.
These Jews never did want a Messiah like Jesus, they just wanted a king that they could control to do things their own way.
And the truth is any nation that could forsake Jesus for a man or woman like Barabbas deserved destruction.
Many will say the same thing if Hillary Clinton becomes the next president and it will be just as true.
Our nation will get what we deserve to get for such stupidity!
There is not a whole lot of difference between the mob that rejected Jesus and applauded Barabbas and the mobs that surround this presidential election.
They will not be satisfied until they have received Barabbas.
The truth is, this world will always cry out to get rid of Jesus!
The truth is, an immoral man will never be a good judge nor should they ever be put on a bench to judge others because the innocent will always suffer and laws will always be meaningless.
But that is exactly what we have today in many of our court rooms!
When the truth is known then it must always be proclaimed.
The opposite of that is that the guilty should never get off totally free of the wrong that they have done.
To compromise these things will bring the downfall of civil society!
When we agree to something less than the truth it will be the beginning of chaos!
The truth is and the lesson we should learn is that God will never compromise on the things that concern His Son.
Jo 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jo 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
We either stand with Jesus Christ or we stand against Him! There is no middle ground!
Mobs are always cruel when left to there own ways!
We have certainly seen this truth in the past several months.
The truth is that this mob admired what they resembled and Barabbas was much more like them than Jesus could ever be!
This is the truth of most all mobs!
Jesus was innocent and sinless, the ideal man and it is in Him we are to trust.
The world is still struggling with this truth because the world is still more like Barabbas!
And Pilate asked one more time the question why? Because none of us really understand any more than Pilate did.
*****Luk 23:22 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.
Luk 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
Luk 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Luk 23:25 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.
It's hard to understand exactly why these Jews insisted on the death of Jesus but to say it was written in the Old Testament that they would do so.
They could have easily just locked Him up and put Him out of reach but they were just as afraid of the people.
There was absolutely no cause for Jesus to die by worldly standards!
Pilate was never strong enough to do what was right.
Pilate could never stand up for Jesus because he did not possess moral strength.
Pilate was too weak of a man to declare the truth before such men as these Jews.
"We should clearly understand that the pressure of this world to do evil is hard to overcome"!
This is more evident today right here in America than it has ever been.
We should realize that the trial of Jesus was illegal by Jewish Law.
And the truth of any nation is, that those who are regarded as great men are not necessarily wise.
Job 32:9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
Although there has never been anyone who faced judgment who was as innocent as Jesus, He was still condemned to die on a cross.
When we are delivered to the will of our enemies we will never get fair judgment!
Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
This trial lasted no more than just a few hours and the sentence was forced by an unruly crowd who were influenced by powerful men with money.
What is causing the division in America today? Powerful men with money!
The murder of an innocent man was dressed up as justice!
Why do we pray for good laws and good lawmakers, if we refuse to obey those laws.
What happened to the Lord Jesus Christ had been predetermined before the words "let there be light" were ever said.
Pilate could give many excuses of why he gave in to these Jews, but he still could have done the right thing and set Jesus free but in dooming Jesus, He also doomed himself.
The truth is every unrighteous judge will weigh every decision against their own livelihood and their own recognition rather than true justice.
Our courts are full of these people today!
Our laws were never intended to be hypocritical.
Everyday that goes by, it is so easy to see why a righteous God has no choice but to judge an unrighteous system put in place by men!
Pilate was guilty of many things but these Jews were even more guilty!
They had predetermined that Jesus would die and would accept no other verdict.
They never questioned His innocence!
The truth is, that the ruling class of every nation insist on keeping a death grip on the poor of that nation and Jesus interfered with that system just as the true church does today.
What is the truth?
Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
They had predetermined that Jesus would die and they killed His outer flesh but the part they hated, what Jesus was and what He stood for can never die!
The truth is, that through death, the power of God to save was released onto this world and only He will decide when it is finished!
The death of Jesus brought the "Gospel" of salvation according to the Scriptures.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
The truth of our world is that most men prefer the company of evil and sinful men who can be controlled and used as pawns.
And it is also obvious that the worldly religionists prefer this world rather than the truth of God.
The truth is when we are willing to compromise the truth of God then the pressure to do evil will get to us.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
This world we live in will continue to try to make a mockery of God but every time the world sees victory, God has already won!
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
The trial of Jesus Christ was a mockery of justice!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
Book of Luke 23:1-25
The Jewish Sanhedrin was the supreme council of the Jewish people and consisted of 71 elders of the Jews.
As a judicial body, the Sanhedrin constituted what we would say was a supreme court.
The Sanhedrin had been hastily called at a time before the dawn of the day.
The Lord Jesus Christ was brought before this group as a false prophet.
Jesus had professed to be the Messiah and they had pronounced the death sentence upon Him even before He had a trial.
They could have put Jesus away for years in prison and nothing would have been said but they wanted Him dead.
In order to accomplish this they needed Pilate, the Roman governor to go along with their verdict and they accused Jesus of insurrection against the Roman government.
*****Luk 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
Luk 23:2 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.
The Jewish religious system was so opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ that all 71 of the Sanhedrin court arose and took Jesus to Pilate seeking for His death.
The truth is their only goal was to protect their worldly desires, their security and their position and their authority given to them by Rome and of course their riches.
They had become rich while their nation was being plundered by Rome.
Jesus was accused of "perverting the nation".
Jesus was accused of "forbidding other Jews to give tribute to Caesar".
Jesus was accused of "naming Himself true King of the Jews".
If proven true, these were in fact serious crimes against the Roman government.
Pilate was a morally weak man who sinned in spite of himself.
Pilate was a worldly man who sought only his own interest.
Pilate was irreligious, he had no ties to any religion and was not guided by any and actually condemned most all religion.
It was this immoral man who began to question Jesus.
*****Luk 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sanest it.
"thou sanest it" was in fact the most solemn mode of affirmation used by all the Jews.
The Book of John gives us greater detail into the actual things Jesus said and it is possible that John may have even been present during this time.
Jo 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Jo 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Jo 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Jo 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sanest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Jo 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
Jesus stated that His kingdom was not of this world.
Jesus was not some political revolutionary.
Jesus was not a threat to any civil government.
(These are to be the same traits of the Church)
Jesus said at this time He ruled a spiritual kingdom!
Jesus was, is, and always will be the King of Heaven!
Jesus had first come to rule in the hearts and the minds and the lives of man!
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
So Pilate came to his verdict.
*****Luk 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
This same man who would later condemn Jesus to die, acknowledged that the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any of these false charges.
Pilate knew that this Jewish court was lying about the things they were saying about Jesus.
Kind of reminds us about our own politically charged Supreme Court of today.
Not only had the Lord Jesus never committed any crime at all, He had never committed any sin at all!
If there were ever an innocent man on trial, it was the Lord Jesus Christ!
1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit
We should also keep in mind that anything Pilate did was overpowered by a selfish regard for his own interest.
So when the Jews heard what he said they knew just what to do.
*****Luk 23:5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
These foolish men then exerted themselves with great fury and violence.
They became even more unruly.
They increased their charges against Jesus.
They said it was not only in Judea that He stirred up treason and sedition, but also in Galilee, making Jesus a national threat.
They said that no matter where Jesus went He stirred up the people, and He did but never against the government of Rome or any other government.
Jesus stirred the people up spiritually!
Pilate knew the truth and it did not move him, so it would be impossible for him to be moved by any sense of justice toward any Jew.
There was no cause for these things to happen to Jesus, except men seeking their own material things the exact same things that cause most all the problems in our world today!
Psa 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
Any so-called national leader to seeks to escape his duty is an unworthy leader and that's what sits in our White House today.
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
When Pilate heard Galilee, he thought he had found another way to avoid being in this Jewish mess.
*****Luk 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean.
Luk 23:7 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.
Pilate never really considered to set Jesus free, but he did have a great desire to be free of Him!
If Pilate had been just at all, he would followed up on his verdict of innocence!
Pilate feared an uprising of these Jews more than he feared causing harm to one innocent man.
Pilate had made an enemy out of Herod, so it made it even easier to allow Herod to get burnt by causing harm to such an innocent man.
This Herod was Herod Antipas the son of Herod the Great.
Again Pilate was only seeking his own best interest in all these matters, he had no real concern for Jesus.
*****Luk 23:8 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.
This was also the same Herod who had beheaded John the Baptist and thought that Jesus may have even been the resurrection of John.
Mar 6:14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
Mar 6:15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
Mar 6:16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
It is obvious that Herod showed no concern for the truth.
It is also obvious that Herod had no concern for his own soul.
The possibility that Jesus was truly the Messiah never entered Herod's mind.
Herod just wanted to witness an actual miracle!
Herod felt that he was high enough up on the ladder of success, that he deserved for God to just perform for him!
The truth is God will never do a miracle just for the recipient of that miracle. God does all things for His own pleasure and for the benefit of His kingdom!
We should remember, the "Gospel" had already entered into the household of Herod.
Luk 8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Also
Act 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
And possibly
Jo 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
The truth is Jesus knew that it would be a waste of time to offer any words of wisdom to Herod and Jesus said nothing at all.
*****Luk 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Men who get their delight from moral darkness, usually have no objection to the "Gospel" they just hate the moral requirements of the "Gospel".
For a king such as Herod the commandments of God would have robbed him of his terrorizing power, so Jesus gave no response at all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Once the "Gospel" tears away the fabric of their moral condition, it reveals just how depraved we truly are.
Once the "Gospel" shakes their soul with the promise of the judgment of God then we will become our own worst enemy.
Jo 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
Jo 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Jo 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Jo 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
So Herod then listened to the false charges against Jesus.
*****Luk 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
Luk 23:11 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.
Luk 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Herod had refused to listen to John the Baptist.
Herod had refused to listen to the witnessing going on in his own household.
Herod had refused to believe in the wonders that he had heard about the Lord Jesus.
But Herod listened to the government backed, politically motivated religionists of the Jewish elders of the Sanhedrin court.
Herod set Jesus aside, as just being unimportant enough for his concern for justice.
Most of this world approaches the Word of God with fore-drawn conclusions and since those conclusions cannot be verified they revolt toward humanism.
We must remember as Christians we are simply witnesses of the truth of God.
It is the Word of God itself that is God's appointed representative.
We are responsible for the manner in which we present the Word of God
Jo 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
That word "nought" means that Herod looked upon Jesus as nothing, not even as a decent human being.
We can say what we wish, but how much of the world today and even some so-called churches look upon Jesus Christ as still being nothing.
You cannot accept the Word of God and reject Jesus Christ.
When we count our own lives as greater than that of Jesus Christ, we have then becomes failures as humans.
When we accept the ways of the world as truth then we are complete failures.
We must accept that Jesus Christ is exactly who He says He is!
Jo 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Jo 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Jesus Christ did not come into our lives to give a performance. Jesus came into our lives to save us!
Jesus was silent before Herod because when we continue in sin we will never get an answer from God.
Herod and Pilate became friends because all things worldly are brought closer together in their opposition to the truth!
This is what is happening in the political arena today!
Judaism and Heathenism came together to destroy Christianity and all false religions will try to do the same before the end comes.
We also see the beginning of this happening today!
Jesus went to the cross because of sin but it was hatred that put Him there!
Compromising with the world will always lead to sin and then on to trouble and tragedy.
Pilate knew the truth of Jesus innocence.
Herod knew the truth but Jesus was nothing to him.
Pilate then sought to compromise with with a group of liars which is impossible if they do not get their way.
This is what is happening in America today as our leaders compromise with the abortionist, the gay community, the LBGT movement, the BLM movement, climate change, and other foolish things that go against the Word of God and then tell Christians we must just get over it.
God says:
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We will see that in the end Pilate was only concerned with himself.
*****Luk 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
Luk 23:14 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:
Luk 23:15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
Luk 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
We will see that 3 times Pilate did try to release the Lord Jesus but the Jews would not relent in their hatred for the truth.
Pilate knew this whole group was a bunch of liars and Jesus was innocent of all the things that were brought against Him.
Even Herod had found Jesus innocent of all charges.
Not one crime worthy of death had been committed by Jesus in fact no crime at all had been committed by Jesus.
What did Pilate know about these Jews?
Pilate knew these Jews would cause trouble for him in Rome and he already stood on shaky ground with Rome.
So again we see how power and money rule most all men.
Truth and justice always suffer at the hands of ruthless power hungry people!
A compromising person is always thinking only of themselves.
They will protect themselves even at the expense of truth and justice.
We need to remember all these things when we cast our votes in the coming election because these things never change.
God tells us the same thing!
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Pilate was directly responsible to Rome for the administration and the finances of Judea.
To become a procurator was as much political move as it was a military success.
Even with all these things at stake it was still Pilate's job to free those innocent of the laws of Rome.
These Jews were not about the let Jesus go free no matter what other punishment was offered.
They wanted Jesus dead!
This in turn made Pilate even more bitter with these Jews.
Pilate offered one more option.
*****Luk 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
Luk 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
Luk 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
Luk 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Luk 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
The truth is always the truth no matter what is said to the contrary!
Here we see the Pilate is trying to compromise the truth when there can never be a compromise between justice and injustice.
We live in a world today where the innocent get the blame for what the guilty do and that is wrong. How backwards have we become?
Pilate is a picture of what this world has become!
Pilate may have wished to do right and he had it in his power to do right but he cared more for his own image and these Jews manipulated him to get what they wanted him to do.
These Jews never did want a Messiah like Jesus, they just wanted a king that they could control to do things their own way.
And the truth is any nation that could forsake Jesus for a man or woman like Barabbas deserved destruction.
Many will say the same thing if Hillary Clinton becomes the next president and it will be just as true.
Our nation will get what we deserve to get for such stupidity!
There is not a whole lot of difference between the mob that rejected Jesus and applauded Barabbas and the mobs that surround this presidential election.
They will not be satisfied until they have received Barabbas.
The truth is, this world will always cry out to get rid of Jesus!
The truth is, an immoral man will never be a good judge nor should they ever be put on a bench to judge others because the innocent will always suffer and laws will always be meaningless.
But that is exactly what we have today in many of our court rooms!
When the truth is known then it must always be proclaimed.
The opposite of that is that the guilty should never get off totally free of the wrong that they have done.
To compromise these things will bring the downfall of civil society!
When we agree to something less than the truth it will be the beginning of chaos!
The truth is and the lesson we should learn is that God will never compromise on the things that concern His Son.
Jo 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jo 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
We either stand with Jesus Christ or we stand against Him! There is no middle ground!
Mobs are always cruel when left to there own ways!
We have certainly seen this truth in the past several months.
The truth is that this mob admired what they resembled and Barabbas was much more like them than Jesus could ever be!
This is the truth of most all mobs!
Jesus was innocent and sinless, the ideal man and it is in Him we are to trust.
The world is still struggling with this truth because the world is still more like Barabbas!
And Pilate asked one more time the question why? Because none of us really understand any more than Pilate did.
*****Luk 23:22 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.
Luk 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
Luk 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Luk 23:25 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.
It's hard to understand exactly why these Jews insisted on the death of Jesus but to say it was written in the Old Testament that they would do so.
They could have easily just locked Him up and put Him out of reach but they were just as afraid of the people.
There was absolutely no cause for Jesus to die by worldly standards!
Pilate was never strong enough to do what was right.
Pilate could never stand up for Jesus because he did not possess moral strength.
Pilate was too weak of a man to declare the truth before such men as these Jews.
"We should clearly understand that the pressure of this world to do evil is hard to overcome"!
This is more evident today right here in America than it has ever been.
We should realize that the trial of Jesus was illegal by Jewish Law.
And the truth of any nation is, that those who are regarded as great men are not necessarily wise.
Job 32:9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
Although there has never been anyone who faced judgment who was as innocent as Jesus, He was still condemned to die on a cross.
When we are delivered to the will of our enemies we will never get fair judgment!
Psa 27:12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
This trial lasted no more than just a few hours and the sentence was forced by an unruly crowd who were influenced by powerful men with money.
What is causing the division in America today? Powerful men with money!
The murder of an innocent man was dressed up as justice!
Why do we pray for good laws and good lawmakers, if we refuse to obey those laws.
What happened to the Lord Jesus Christ had been predetermined before the words "let there be light" were ever said.
Pilate could give many excuses of why he gave in to these Jews, but he still could have done the right thing and set Jesus free but in dooming Jesus, He also doomed himself.
The truth is every unrighteous judge will weigh every decision against their own livelihood and their own recognition rather than true justice.
Our courts are full of these people today!
Our laws were never intended to be hypocritical.
Everyday that goes by, it is so easy to see why a righteous God has no choice but to judge an unrighteous system put in place by men!
Pilate was guilty of many things but these Jews were even more guilty!
They had predetermined that Jesus would die and would accept no other verdict.
They never questioned His innocence!
The truth is, that the ruling class of every nation insist on keeping a death grip on the poor of that nation and Jesus interfered with that system just as the true church does today.
What is the truth?
Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
They had predetermined that Jesus would die and they killed His outer flesh but the part they hated, what Jesus was and what He stood for can never die!
The truth is, that through death, the power of God to save was released onto this world and only He will decide when it is finished!
The death of Jesus brought the "Gospel" of salvation according to the Scriptures.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
The truth of our world is that most men prefer the company of evil and sinful men who can be controlled and used as pawns.
And it is also obvious that the worldly religionists prefer this world rather than the truth of God.
The truth is when we are willing to compromise the truth of God then the pressure to do evil will get to us.
2Pe 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
This world we live in will continue to try to make a mockery of God but every time the world sees victory, God has already won!
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
The trial of Jesus Christ was a mockery of justice!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
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