A. After the Jews condemned Jesus, they delivered Him to the Romans to demand His execution.
1. The Jews had no authority to carry out the sentence that they had pronounced against Jesus.
2. They were also constrained by their own Law because it was a feast day.
3. Therefore, they pressed the Romans to complete their evil conspiracy by putting Jesus to death.
B. In this lesson, we will consider the facts and the illegalities of the Lord's trials before the Romans.
II. THE FIRST TRIAL BEFORE PILATE
A. This event is recorded in Matthew 27:11-14, Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-5, and John 18:28-38. Only in Luke's account is it evident that Christ appeared twice before Pilate.
B. Jesus was brought before Pilate and accused of insurrection.
1. Pilate was the governor of Judea.
a. As the governor, Pilate had the authority to execute the death penalty upon a criminal. The Jews needed Pilate to carry out their sentence of death upon Jesus (John 18:31).
b. The governor's residence in Jerusalem was called the Praetorium, and this is where Christ was brought to stand trial. The Jews did not enter so that they would not be defiled for the Passover, but they formed a crowd outside and cried out to the governor (John 18:28).
2. Notice the charge that was made against Jesus: "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King (Luke 23:2).
a. When the Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin tried Jesus, they had found Him guilty of blasphemy (Matt. 26:65-66), but such a charge was irrelevant to the Romans. Therefore, the Jews attempted to portray Jesus as a rebel and a threat to the Roman government.
b. Jesus did admit to being the Christ (Matt. 26:63-64), but these other charges were false. In fact, Jesus had even taught the Jews to pay taxes to Caesar (Luke 20:22-26).
c. The Jews continued to accuse Jesus vehemently, but the Lord did not answer their charges, and Pilate was amazed.
3. When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus confirmed it.
a. The most detailed record of this conversation is found in John 18:33-38.
b. Jesus explained, "My kingdom is not of this world.
c. When Jesus declared, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice, Pilate answered, "What is truth?
4. Pilate declared his judgment upon Jesus, saying, "I find no guilt in Him.
C. When Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sought to relieve himself of this difficult situation by sending Jesus to Herod, who was tetrarch of Galilee (Luke 23:6-7).
III. THE TRIAL BEFORE HEROD
A. Only Luke records the Lord's trial before Herod in Luke 23:8-12.
B. Herod questioned Jesus, but the Lord gave him no answers.
1. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at that time in the palace of his father.
a. This was Herod Antipas, who was one of the sons of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas became tetrarch over Galilee and Perea after his father died, and he ruled until 39 A.D.
b. Herod Antipas had imprisoned and murdered John the Baptist because John had rebuked him for taking his brother Philip's wife (Matt. 14:1-13; Mark 6:14-31; Luke 9:7-9).
2. Herod had heard of the Lord's miracles, and he hoped to see the Lord perform a sign. To him, Jesus was a side-show, but the Lord did not perform for him nor did He answer Herod's questions.
C. When Herod finished with Jesus, he sent the Lord back to Pilate.
1. Throughout this trial, the Jews continued to accuse Jesus, and Herod's soldiers mocked Him.
2. Notice that this occasion became the basis of a new friendship between Herod and Pilate.
IV. THE SECOND TRIAL BEFORE PILATE
A. This trial of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:13-25, and John 18:39-19:16.
B. Because Pilate and Herod found no guilt in Jesus, Pilate sought to release Him.
1. Pilate announced his judgment again, saying, "I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him (Luke 23:14-15).
2. It was an annual custom for Pilate to release a prisoner of the people's choosing for the Passover. Pilate offered to release Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious insurrectionist, murderer, and robber.
3. Notice that Pilate knew the Jews had delivered Jesus because of envy (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10).
4. Also notice that Pilate's wife warned him about Jesus due to her dream (Matt. 27:19).
C. Pilate weakly gave in to the influence of the multitudes to do what was wrong.
1. When Pilate offered the choice of Jesus or Barabbas, the enemies of Jesus stirred up the crowds against Jesus, and they demanded Barabbas' release and Christ's crucifixion.
2. Pilate attempted to shift blame to the Jews by symbolically washing his hands (Matt. 27:24), but the decision to crucify was his alone. He yielded to the crowd's demands.
D. Pilate then delivered Jesus to be crucified.
1. Pilate ordered that Jesus be scourged (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15). A scourge was a short whip made of a handle with several leather strips attached to it. Usually, each strip of leather had a piece of lead, metal, or bone attached to the end.
2. After this, the Roman soldiers mocked the Lord.
a. They wove a crown of thorns and placed it on the Lord's head. They clothed Christ in a purple robe and placed a reed in His hand. They said, "Hail, King of the Jews!
b. Then they spat on Him, hit Him in the face, and beat Him on the head with the reed.
3. John's account shows that Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd in His crown and robe.
a. Perhaps Pilate hoped that scourging would have satisfied the crowd, but he was wrong.
b. Notice that when Pilate heard that Jesus had "made Himself out to be the Son of God, he became even more afraid and conversed with Jesus again (John 19:7-11).
c. The Jews pressured Pilate even more, saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar (John 19:12).
d. At last, when Pilate said, "Behold your King! the Jews said, "We have no king but Caesar. (Consequently, their king Caesar destroyed the Jews and their city in A.D. 70.)
V. A MOCKERY OF JUSTICE
A. The gross miscarriage of justice in Christ's Roman trials is expressed in these few words by Pilate.
1. "I find no guilt in this man. (Luke 23:4)
2. "I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. (Luke 23:14).
3. "Nothing deserving death has been done by Him (Luke 23:15)
4. "I have found in Him no guilt demanding death... (Luke 23:22).
5. "I find no guilt in Him. (John 18:38)
6. "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in Him. (John 19:4)
7. "Take Him yourselves, and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him. (John 19:6)
B. Never in the history of the world has a judge so adamantly pronounced the innocence of a man and then sentenced that same man to death. This was the worst case of injustice the world has ever known.
VI. CONCLUSION
A. Notice Isaiah 53:4-7 "Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
B. The only reason that the Son of God suffered these things was for the benefit of mankind.
1. Without His suffering and shedding of His blood, we would be without hope.
2. What a wonderful and selfless gift He has given!
C. When we receive the wonderful and selfless gift of Christ, there is an obligation attached.
1. These things that we are considering are not just for our knowledge, but they must provoke our love, gratitude, reverence, devotion, service, and imitation.
2. See 1Peter 2:21-25.
D. In the next lesson, we will consider the conclusion of the Lord's suffering, which was His crucifixion.
VII. POST-SCRIPT APPLICATION "WHAT IS TRUTH?
A. Text: John 18:33-38
B. When Jesus said to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice, Pilate gave this weak and empty reply: "What is truth?
1. Perhaps Pilate's question gives us the greatest insight into his character. His reply indicates a lack of conviction and an absence of any moral courage whatsoever.
a. Pilate knew at least a degree of truth about Jesus and the circumstances of His trial.
i. He knew that Jesus was free from any guilt, and he said so repeatedly (Luke 23:4, 14, 15, 22; John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
ii. He knew that the Jewish leaders delivered Jesus to him because of their envy and not because of any crime committed by the Lord (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10).
iii. He also knew indications that Jesus was someone extraordinary due to his wife's dream (Matt. 27:19) and the report of Jesus' portrayal of Himself as the Son of God (John 19:7).
iv. Because Pilate knew these things, he also knew it was wrong to crucify Jesus.
b. Even though Pilate knew these truths about Jesus, other truths he knew about himself and the Jews convinced him to sentence Jesus to death.
i. Pilate knew the truth that Jesus did not deserve to die, but he also knew the truth that crucifying Jesus would make him popular with the multitudes of Jews who demanded the Lord's death.
ii. In Pilate's mind, it was a choice between two competing truths, and Pilate chose to please the masses (Mark 15:15). Hence his question, "What is truth?
2. A closer look at the Lord's statement, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice, explains why Pilate made such a poor judgment.
a. Pilate chose to crucify Jesus because he was not "of the truth.
i. Pilate knew enough of the truth to make the right decision, but he disregarded what was right for what was popular and politically expedient.
ii. If Pilate had been of the truth, then he would have spared Jesus because he would have chosen what was right.
b. Pilate's example teaches us the difference between knowing the truth and being of the truth. Being of the truth is not only a matter of knowing what is true, but it is also a matter of choosing what is right.
C. Jesus did not answer Pilate when Pilate asked, "What is truth? but the answer is found in Jesus' words.
1. Let us notice two statements of Jesus that will help us understand what truth is and how we may be of the truth.
a. First, notice Christ's words when He prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples: "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth (John 17:17).
b. Next, notice the Lord's words in John 8:31-32: "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
2. Now, let us apply these statements to understand what truth is and how we may be of the truth.
a. God's word (Christ's word) is the truth. Time after time, the Bible testifies of itself that it is God's message of truth and righteousness for mankind (see Ps. 119; 2Tim. 3:16-17).
b. If we continue in (live by) Christ's word, then we will know the truth, and the truth will make us free.
i. This has the same meaning as Christ's statement to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. We might combine the two sayings in this way: "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice, and he will abide in My word, know the truth, and be made free.
ii. Notice that Pilate had heard the voice of Jesus in his ears, but this did not make him of the truth. Jesus had not been speaking literally of hearing His voice, but He spoke figuratively of abiding His word, which Pilate did not do.
D. Let us hear the voice of Jesus and abide in His words so that we may be of the truth.
1. Let us not be absorbed into the culture of moral relativism and situation ethics. We do not need to ask, "What is truth? for we have the truth in the word of God.
2. If we are of the truth, then we will practice the truth, for "he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God (John 3:21).
