Preaching The Cross – The Trials
John 18:39,40

INTRO:
Good Morning. For our text this morning let’s turn in your Bibles to the 18th chapter for the gospel of John. There I’m going to read verses 39 and 40. John 18:39-40 – “39. "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?'' 40. Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!'' Now Barabbas was a robber.”

Just about the time I think I am ready to move on in my consideration of the cross of Christ, I come to the realization that there is still more information, information which I have not been able to include in previous sermon studies.

The thoughts I’m bringing this morning are a result of that realization. There’s just more here that I found then I could squeeze into a single lesson. As I looked I found myself digging a bit deeper into the events which are part of the last hours of our Lord before His death.

The various trials of our Lord, if they may be called trials, hearings before religious and civil leaders are recorded in all the gospel records. One of the things that we discover on examining these records is that 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 niceties of legality. They were just concerned to have 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 (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 of kings (John 18:37).

However, our focus this morning is not for those great realities. Our endeavor is to look just a little bit further into the last hours of our Lord before His death.

I. Having been taken before Caiaphas and Annas, the high priest and his father-in-law, and having endured the experience of a mock hearing, Jesus 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 one that they despised and detested 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.” Some thoughts, observations, on what we find here.
i. The first one as I read this just leaps to my attention and that was that we’re dealing here 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 the issue 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, nor a great judge, but he still knew that something was very much amiss with what was happening here.
ii. He tells them - you take Him and judge Him according to your law. But then they responded. Listen... this is haughtiness gone to seed, “we are not permitted legally to kill anyone, to execute anyone.” The very next verse indicates that this is all happening in order to fulfill that which Jesus prophesied concerning the manner of His death. 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.
iii. They had done it before and they could have done it again, but 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 to legally crucify Jesus. Something else I note is - they are talking about putting Jesus to death even before any judgment is handed down.
iv. You’ll notice that verse 32 tells us Jesus had already explained about His crucifixion. What had He said? “If I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me”. John 12:32 He said that 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. As we look at this man Pilate we wonder, what his impression of Jesus is. I’d like you to turn in your Bibles to the gospel of Luke, the 23rd chapter, where we’re going to read together the first impressions of Pilate about this man, Jesus, who has been brought to him. We’ll begin to read at verse one. Remember there has been a religious trial before with Annas and Caiaphas and the charge of blasphemy has been leveled against Jesus. The problem is the Romans don’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 what Pilate says about what happened. Luke 23:1-5 - “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.” 5. But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.''
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 for that time and place 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.
3. What was it that Jesus had really said about giving tribute to Caesar? Do you recall? 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 “should we give tribute to Caesar or not”, His response was very simple. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s. That was the truth of the matter. He had never taught for a single instant 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.
4. We go on and read just a little bit further. I want to begin at verse five and read through verse seven for here 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’m not 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. This man is a Galilean and as a Galilean He is subject to Herod Antipas. “I have nothing to do with this” Pilate claims and he sends Him to Herod.
II. Now there is another hearing, this time 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 in 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. So why send Jesus there except to wash his hands of the matter? Perhaps (I’m trying to put myself in Pilate’s place) perhaps he thinks; here’s a way that I might extend some favorable overture to Herod Antipas and maybe our relationship can be improved.
3. Let’s look though at the 23rd chapter of the gospel of Luke at verse 12 and we notice; “That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for before that they had been at enmity with each other.” (Luke 23-12) What we find is this gesture on the part of Pilate, sending Jesus to Herod for judgment, apparently was a good gesture as far as politics are concerned.
4. That then brings us to the actual hearing that takes place and we begin in verse eight of Luke 23.
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 of course 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. So, Herod questions Jesus.
2. There is an inquisition and in the course of this questioning nothing is satisfying to Herod. He gets no information to help him.
3. At the end of the day what he does, he and his minions, 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.” And that’s what he does.
III. Pilate is again faced with making a decision about Jesus.
A. The problem is that neither Pilate nor Herod could find any reason why Jesus should be executed, but here comes Jesus 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 about what accuse Him. I 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 there isn’t anything to despair about in all this.
2. Pilate says to the Jewish leaders: “look, your own king which is part of the political world over there in the region of Galilee has said I don’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 just 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. But if we turn to the gospel of Mark we read of the attempt of Pilate to release Jesus. I’m going to begin to read in chapter 15 at verse six. 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. I want to try to be as fair as I can to Pilate. I realize that this man is in a political mess. Certainly he has expressed that he knows that Jesus is innocent. It sounds like he tries over and over again to release Jesus, but if he does the political mess in which he finds himself is just going to get worse.
2. Then he remembers that at this particular season of the year the custom is to release a criminal to these people who are subservient to the Romans—someone whom they asked to be released. On this occasion, however, he suggests to the people that: I will release the King of the Jews.
3. The priests influenced the people so they said: Oh, no. The chief priests moved the people to demand Pilate should release Barabbas unto them. Release to us a murderer and an insurrectionist and a thief.
C. There’s one other little incident that takes place in all of this that I want us to notice. It’s something that goes almost unnoticed in all the trials and the hearings that are going on. Let’s turn in our Bibles to the 26th chapter of Matthew’s gospel and read verse 19: “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 you and me this might not seem the least bit significant. You know, 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, but we’re really not pagans. 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. I wish that inspiration had told us exactly what the dream was. Just my curiosity I suppose, however, 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 dilemma. His wife has had this dream. He is likely thinking, “I know I shouldn’t have anything to do with this man. I need to get rid of this situation.”
D. Let’s turn back in our Bibles to the 18th chapter of John’s gospel again to see what happens. Pilate does his very best to get rid of this situation, to release the Lord to the people, and to get rid of this problem.
1. Start reading at verse 32, a verse we’ve already read, and then we’ll continue; 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. Then this interview goes on as we look at chapter 19, verse one. 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 he 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’m will do is this. I will scourge Him.” I’m not going into all the details of a Roman scourging now. That’s not necessary. It’s simply enough for me to say that it is one of the most terrible beatings that a person could take. Pilate hopes that if he scourges Him it surely 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. Pilate probably thinks he won’t have any more problems with the people if he does this.
5. In verse six, when the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out saying: “Crucify Him, crucify Him”. Pilate said unto them, Take him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. Again, he’s saying: you take Him. You kill Him. I’m not going to do it, but they are determined that Jesus is going to be killed.
6. Let’s go on reading in John 19:10-11 – “10. 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?'' 11. 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 and we tend to want to get all over this guy. 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. Oh, 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 pressure that Pilate ultimately yielded.
E. That brings me back to the 27th chapter of Matthew’s gospel, to another one of those little incidents in verses 23 and 24. Matthew 27:24,25 – “24. 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.'' 25. 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 from the 19th chapter of John’s gospel indicates from the time the trials began Pilate sought a way to release Jesus and he claimed over and over and over again, “the Man’s innocent”. He’s not worthy of punishment.
2. He knew for envy that Jesus had been delivered to him, but the accusations were made. What does he do? What I’ve read to you is one of those famous passages from this particular part of the life of Jesus. 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 here, and his irresponsibility in not ending the whole affair justly. 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. What he did was seek a way to transfer the guilt for the injustice that was about to occur to others, and they accepted it by saying: Let His blood be on our heads.
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, not wanting to get involved, we cannot absolve ourselves of responsibility.
1. I’ve often wondered, and wonder even this morning, how many of us perhaps not by some symbolic act but by some mental symbolic 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 to the 15th chapter of the book of Mark and verse 15 where the Bible says; 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.

CONCLUSION:
How often do we find ourselves in a situation of conviction knowing what we ought to do or what we ought not to do, but because of the people with whom we find ourselves, the pressure of the moment, the circumstances of the situation, we are willing to gratify the people.

He delivered Jesus to be crucified. All of this folks was done for me. All of this unfairness, all of these indignities, all the suffering of the sinless Savior was done for me.

I recognize as I read and re-read these narrative events I am led more deeply to appreciate and to understand how much Jesus loved me because He did all of this for me.

We are going to be led in the invitation song. Jesus calls us this morning across the tumult of our lives, the circumstances of our situation. He calls us saying, I love you, I gave myself for you what will you give for me. He calls us from the cross, from the agony of His death. He calls us from His tomb. He calls us from His resurrection.

You can be cleansed from your sins because of the cross. You can be forgiven of your sins because of the cross. As we are lead in the song, I wonder if there might be one or more in the assembly this morning who has not benefited from all these horrible things I’ve spoke of this morning, benefited from the cleansing of sin.

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 a washing away of your sins. Cleansing is a gift, all made possible because of the cross.

While we’re singing, if you have not been baptized into Jesus Christ, could I not persuade you that you should make that decision this morning?
Could I not urge you to step into the aisle and come to the front and just say I want to be baptized into Christ? Take this simple step and this morning before you leave this place, you will be washed, cleansed of your sins, because of the cross.

If that’s your need, I would implore this morning that you take the opportunity to resolve the guilt and sin in your life. If there’s any way we can assist, we invite you to come as we stand and as we sing.

Invitation song: 298 “Jesus Calls Us”

Reference sermon Cecil A. Hutson 04 May 2008
Song before the Sermon: Love lifted me - 261