You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.
If you have Bibles with you, in one form or the other,
if you can open them or turn them on or scroll to Luke 22.
This morning we're going to be looking at verses 63 through 71.
We continue in this study of this high and holy time in these last hours of Jesus' life.
And this morning we're going to look at Jesus on trial.
Let me read. You can follow with me.
As I begin reading at verse 63 in Luke 22.
Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.
They also blindfolded him and kept asking him,
Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?
And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together,
both chief priests and scribes.
And they led him away to their council and they said,
If you are the Christ, tell us.
But he said to them,
If I tell you, you will not believe.
And if I ask you, you will not answer.
But from now on,
the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.
So they all said,
Are you the Son of God then?
He said to them,
You say that I am.
Then they said,
What further testimony do we need?
We have herded ourselves from his own lips.
Let's pray
that the Holy Spirit might come and teach us
from this portion of God's word.
Holy Spirit, we do need you.
We need you to come.
We need you to open our hearts,
open our ears,
open our eyes,
that we might hear
the words of truth,
that our hearts would receive them
in faith,
that we might behold
the glory
of your grace.
Would you pour out your Spirit
on this time?
Help me
in my weakness
and the weakness
of these words.
We know
these words themselves
are not special.
But the way you use them
is.
And so come
and be our teacher.
We pray
in the name of the living word,
our Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Well, this is the third sermon
in a row
that I've been here
that I'm going to introduce it
with a movie.
But this is probably one
that none of you have seen.
Back in 2008,
I borrowed the title
of this sermon
from a movie
that appeared on
public TV
back in 2008.
And it was entitled
simply
God on Trial.
The movie
was a story
of victims
of the Jewish
concentration camps
who were
awaiting
their deaths,
who were suffering
horribly
and asking questions
of why.
Why are we here?
Why has God
done this?
Where is he?
And thinking
from their perspective
that he had failed
his covenant,
they held a trial
with a prosecutor
and a defender
and they wrestled
with these issues
and in the end
came to the conclusion
that God was guilty.
Guilty
of failing
to keep
his covenant promise.
That same year
out in Nebraska,
a guy named
Ernie
Chambers
filed a lawsuit
against God
for all
of the atrocities
and the harmful
activities
he had supposedly
committed,
but that lawsuit
was thrown out
because the defendant
could not be there
in court
to defend himself.
Sounds kind of silly,
but here we see
what happens
when God
finds himself
in the hands
of men.
Especially
when he's not
the God
we expect.
in Luke
here
we're going
to see
what happens
when God
comes
and men
get their hands
on him.
We're going to see
two trials.
This week
we see the first
being before
the religious
authorities.
Next week
we will look
at him
on trial
at the hands
of the Gentiles.
But this week
what we see
in these trials
and especially
this week
is
something
very stark
about
the character
of men.
Especially
these Jewish
leaders.
Maybe we'll
see something
in the same
way
about us.
But it's
not just
them.
We see
something
radical
about the
very character
of God
himself.
So let's
look
at this
story.
We see
here really
the only
description
we could
rightly give
this is
a kangaroo
court.
It's an
interesting
trial but
it's the
way that
Luke presents
it.
It is
full of
irony.
The Jews
who are
highly
legal
highly
particular
about
following
all of
their
rules
of
jurisprudence
they
down to
the
tiniest
detail
they
produce
this
trial
really
as a
pretense.
First
you have
to notice
if you
look at
all of
the
gospel
accounts
combined
you'll
notice
that Jesus
was arrested
at night
in the
garden
and at
night
in the
cover of
darkness
he was
first put
on trial
before the
high priest
and there
they did
it at
night
because
there's
a very
good
reason
if they
did it
in the
daytime
they would
have to
deal with
the people
who up
until that
point
they all
loved
Jesus
and so
they may
have an
uprising
on their
hands
so they
do it
in the
cover
of
darkness
they call
witnesses
they try
to produce
these
false
witnesses
but none
of their
stories
collaborate
well enough
so that
they can
convict
Jesus
but here
we see
Luke
in verse
66
saying
when day
came
so now
they've had
this trial
at night
they have
already
determined
what the
outcome
is going
to be
but
to kind
of cover
their bases
when it
got daylight
they have
another
trial
and so
in this
trial
they are
not
worrying
about
witnesses
they go
to Jesus
himself
and the
issue
here
the whole
issue
for them
is nothing
that Jesus
has done
but it's
who he's
professing
to be
that's
the issue
and so
notes
and as we
go through
Luke
here
there's a
progression
the Pharisees
the Jewish
leaders
begin the
questioning
and ask
him
are you
the Messiah
tell us
if you're
the Christ
just let
us know
and for
Jesus to
have said
yes to
this question
would not
have condemned
him
because there
have been
many others
who have
come claiming
to be the
Messiah
but this
is where
they start
but Jesus
his response
is
well
interesting
he won't
answer them
first
and there's
two reasons
first he says
if I tell you
I am the
Messiah
you're not
going to
believe me
and if I
ask you
questions
you won't
answer me
so why
would I
answer you
and it's
like he's
saying
you have
enough
here
you don't
need me
to tell
you
anything
you have
seen
all that
I've done
and you
still don't
believe
why
would you
think
that if I
answered your
question now
would make
any difference
but here
at this
point
Jesus
needed a
good attorney
because a
good lawyer
would have
told him
don't
say
more
than you
have to
say as
little as
possible
to protect
you from
incriminating
yourself
but Jesus
didn't stop
he didn't
stop by
saying I'm
not going to
answer you
then he
goes on
to say
but
from now
on
the son
of man
shall be
seated at
the right
hand of
the power
of God
Jesus
has just
ratcheted
everything
up
to a
very
critical
level
again
the term
he uses
the term
son of
man
and this
term
is his
basically
his
favorite
the one
he uses
most often
to refer
to himself
and it's
possible
that that
term could
refer to
simply
another man
but for
anybody who
knows the
Old Testament
would hear
him referring
to the
seventh chapter
of Daniel
where there
we see
this vision
of the
ancient of
days
giving
divine
power
and authority
to one
like a
son of
man
and
Jesus
is
saying
I am
that
son of
man
and that's
what the
authorities
heard
because
they are
on the
verge of
going
ballistic
here
and so
to avoid
any
ambiguity
to be
perfectly
clear
they come
back to
him
with
a question
that
will clear
everything up
he says
are you
then the
son
of
God
and again
Jesus
responds
in kind
of a
funny
way
he says
there
that's
what you
have said
well
it's
what you
say
but a
better
translation
of this
would be
well
I probably
wouldn't have
put it
that way
but since
you did
yes
and that's
all it
took
the
Jewish
leaders
go
nuclear
they
start
tearing
their
clothes
he said
what
more
do we
need
we've
heard
it
from
his
own
lips
he
has
blasphemed
he
deserves
to
die
bringing
the
trial
to a
close
so
don't
miss
the
irony
here
the
Jews
were
very
hot
and they
would
tell you
this
they
were
very
hot
to
protect
the
glory
to
protect
the
name
of
God
because
supposedly
they
thought
so
highly
of
him
and
thus
they
convicted
Jesus
of
blasphemy
but
in
so
doing
they
became
the
blasphemers
and
condemned
God
himself
to
death
because
they
did
not
recognize
that
they
had
thought
so
highly
of
themselves
not
God
and
so
when
God
stood
there
actually
stood
there
right
in
front
of
their
face
they
did
not
recognize
him
and
the
person
that
was
before
them
they
hated
because
he's
not
like
what
they
expected
they
had
a
world
designed
where
they
could
determine
everything
where
they
were
in
control
and
this
God
this
person
in
front
of
them
would
not
play
that
game
with
them
and
so
they
had
to
get
rid
of
him
so
why
the
rejection
why
so
passionately
did
they
reject
Jesus
claim
after
all
that
they
had
seen
after
all
that
they
had
heard
all
that
they
had
witnessed
why
well
the
reasons
if we
begin
to
understand
what's
going
on
with
them
we
may
understand
a
little
bit
more
of
what
goes
on
with
us
because
our
responses
can be
very
similar
to
theirs
because
remember
these
Jewish
leaders
are the
religious
conservatives
of their
day
these
are the
evangelicals
these
are the
church
people
and
they're
far more
like us
than we
wish
they
were
they
should
have
known
better
just
like
us
so
what
was
going
on
well
there
were
three
things
that
they
could
not
understand
that
Jesus
redefined
for
them
the
first
was
that
Jesus
redefines
the
kingdom
according
to the
Jews
the
kingdom
they
wanted
was
where
personal
value
personal
significance
was
obtained
at the
head
of the
table
they
had
at the
seat
of
honor
that's
what
gave
them
value
that's
what
made
them
important
their
kingdom
was
one
of
wealth
and
prestige
they
loved
the
greetings
of
people
on
the
street
they
loved
the
respect
that
they
got
but
that
was
not
what
Jesus
taught
Jesus
came
and
taught
that
the
favored
place
in the
kingdom
was
not
at the
head
of the
table
but
it
was
the
place
of
the
servant
Jesus
taught
that
the
place
of
honor
was
not
for
the
wealthy
but
the
humble
poor
and
that
kind
of
teaching
smacked
these
Jewish
leaders
right
in the
face
because
everything
that they
trusted
and
pursued
Jesus
was
saying
was
wrong
there
was
another
way
in
that
way
that
Jesus
promoted
they
hated
they
had
no
box
for
a
kingdom
like
Jesus
was
teaching
and
they
didn't
want
such
a
kingdom
either
their
whole
value
system
was
built
on
a
completely
different
foundation
they
had
worked
hard
to
get
where
they
were
and
they
were
not
about
to
give
it
up
and
is
our
world
any
different
you
know
I
think
the
theme
of
life
in
our
culture
today
can
be
defined
in
the
term
the
phrase
human
flourishing
this
is
what
life
is
all
about
that
we
flourish
I
need
to
flourish
in
my
work
I
need
to
be
involved
in
work
that
has
meaning
and
is
aligned
with
my
passions
I
need
to
have
a
job
that
is
fulfilling
I
should
flourish
in
my
family
giving
my
kids
every
opportunity
that
they
can
be
special
I
should
flourish
in
my
marriage
and if
I
don't
let's
go find
somebody
that
will
help
me
flourish
I
need
to
flourish
in
my
health
avoiding
anything
and
everything
that
might
shorten
life
or
decrease
its
quality
I
need
to
flourish
emotionally
which
means
anybody
that
brings
bad
vibes
into
my
emotional
space
need
to
be
kept
at
a
distance
life
is
about
flourishing
the
question
is
who
defines
what
flourishing
is
you
know
when
Jesus
says
the
least
is
the
greatest
that
is
better
to
serve
than
be
served
that
I
must
turn
the
other
cheek
when
insulted
or
abused
or
that
I
should
expect
tribulation
in life
and that
tribulation
is actually
a good
thing
what
do
we
do
with
that
what
kind
of a
kingdom
is
that
is
that
what
I
want
I
have
a
right
to
flourish
and that
doesn't
sound
like
flourishing
to
me
you
know
I
thought
my
life
at
this
age
would
be
different
than
it
is
today
I
thought
by
this
time
I
could
get
all
my
kids
out
of
the
house
and
I
would
have
just
my
wife
and
we
would
enjoy
time
together
we
would
enjoy
going
out
to
dinner
with
friends
we
would
enjoy
getting
on our
bikes
and riding
down
the
greenway
we
would
enjoy
hopping
in the
car
and going
visit
all the
grandkids
and all
those
places
whenever
we
wanted
it's
not
the way
life
turned
out
we
are
now
in
the
service
of
a
dear
little
92
year
old
woman
who's
lost
her
mind
and
she's
helpless
and
it
requires
some
very
undignified
care
flourishing
if it
was
according
to my
definition
would
mean
I'm
not
flourishing
and
something's
gone
wrong
but
when
these
things
come
to our
lives
what do
we do
with
those
things
well
if you're
like me
what happens
often is
is that I
think that
something has
gone wrong
and I
get angry
and I
put God
on trial
and
pronounce
him
guilty
because
he
did not
produce
what I
expected
so
where do
you find
yourself
what
has God
brought
into
your
life
is it
a place
you did
not plan
for
is it
a place
you didn't
desire
to be
see
his
kingdom
cuts
directly
across
the
bow
of
our
definition
of
human
flourishing
and he
paints a
different
picture
of a
kingdom
that he
comes
to bring
are you
okay
with
humility
are you
okay
with being
at the
bottom
are you
okay
with
serving
in a
way
where
nobody
sees
and nobody
cares
where
there's
no
significance
is that
the kind
of kingdom
you want
is that
the kind
of king
you want
Jesus
not only
redefines
the kingdom
he
redefines
for us
what
righteousness
is
you know
because of
their view
of the
kingdom
the
Jewish
leaders
their
concept
of what
righteousness
is was
also
highly
distorted
they
thought
that
they
would
be
good
if
they
kept
their
religious
practices
if
they
did
all the
right
things
if
they
did
their
sacrifices
if
they
washed
their
hands
at the
proper
times
if
they
did
not
work
on
Sundays
if
they
kept
away
from
the
goyim
or
the
Gentiles
they
were
good
because
they
do
all
of
this
outward
stuff
that
unfortunately
had no
power
or ability
to
cleanse
them
on the
inside
instead
what that
outward
goodness
did
was
it
deadened
their
senses
and it
deadened
their
hearts
to the
deeply
rooted
problems
that were
inside
you know
in Matthew
23
27
Jesus
refers to
the
Pharisees
and the
scribes
as
whitewashed
tombs
beautiful
on the
outside
but
inside
full
of
dead
man's
bones
so
how do
you
dress
up
and
clean
up
a
corpse
what
can
you
do
well
we
can
put
clothes
on
it
we
can
put
clean
clothes
on
it
do
its
hair
maybe
a little
makeup
and
a lot
of
perfume
I mean
I still
every time
I think
about this
I think
about
John
when Jesus
raised
Lazarus
and before
when he
told him
to open
the tomb
the people
came and
said
and I love
the King
James
version
he stinketh
you can
always tell
dead
because it
smells
dead
and no
amount of
perfume
no amount
of clean
clothes
no amount
of deodorant
can make
dead
smell anything
other
than dead
that corpse
regardless
of what
we do
to it
is still
dead
you know
my life
is basically
clean
it's moral
I mean
it has to be
I'm a pastor
right
I don't
do drugs
well
I don't
do illegal
drugs
at my age
I have to do
drugs more
and more
just to stay
alive and
keep moving
but I'm
faithful to
my wife
I give
money to
the church
hey
I've even
been a
foreign
missionary
can you
top that
I'm a
good person
according to
most
outward
standards
if that's
all I
have
that's
all there
is to
go on
at best
I'm
spraying
perfume
on dead
how does
Jesus define
righteousness
it's not
on the
outside
it's
something
else
you know
what does
he command
he commands
us to
love
that's a
disposition
of the
heart
and it's
hard to
love
even those
that we
find friends
but he
pushes the
bar up
farther
and says
you gotta
love your
enemies
and to
love enemies
doesn't just
mean that we
tolerate them
that we
might smile
and greet
them when we
see them
it means
that we
find our
joy
in their
joy
it means
that we
work for
their
flourishing
we
love
them
so as you
sit here
and worship
who do you
despise
who have you
not forgiven
who do you
avoid
when you
see them
coming down
the hall
but Jesus
doesn't just
say that
he says
go sell
all
for the
sake of
the kingdom
you know
how much
of my
time and
energy
am I
spending
just to
gain
more
so that
I'm
going to
feel
more
secure
that I'm
going to
experience
more of
this
human
flourishing
so how
do you
smell
right now
see it
all depends
on which
bar
we're
using
if we
use my
bar
of my
outward
goodness
I'm
doing
okay
but when
Jesus walks
into the
room
the
deadness
becomes
obvious
and I'm
hopeless
to measure
up
as Tim
Keller
puts it
when he
comes
you know
we might
hate him
or we
might love
him
but nobody
is ever
left
ambivalent
to Jesus
because he
brings the
light
into the
darkness
and we
often like
roaches
have two
choices
we either
stay in
the dark
and hide
or we've
got to
turn off
the light
the
Jewish
leaders
decided to
turn off
the light
to get
rid
of Jesus
but there's
a third
thing here
that Jesus
redefines
and that
is
loving
kindness
he comes
and redefines
God's
covenant
love
you know
the picture
we have
here
the way
that the
Jews
all saw
God
and this
is where
I mean
they had
part of
the story
correct
but from
their stories
they saw
God
as someone
so holy
and glorious
dwelling
in glory
that he
was totally
unapproachable
when Moses
approached
him
and Moses
saw him
from behind
his face
glowed
and that
glow
was so
brilliant
that the
Jews
had to
have
Moses
cover it
up
cover it
up
we can't
stand
this
and so
the
tabernacle
as well
though it
was designed
to be that
representative
representation
of God's
presence
in their
midst
it was
still
designed
to keep
them
away
because
there was
level
after level
where
in even
the holiest
of holies
only the
high priest
could go
in there
one time
a year
and when
people went
in there
and worshipped
wrongly
or in
some
careless
manners
they came
out
crispy
and so
the Jews
these
Jewish
leaders
with this
kind of
an idea
of who
God
was
how
could
they
think
of anything
other than
God
his reality
was terrifying
and there's
no way
they could
believe
that he
stood right
in their
midst
they thought
it best
that he
would send
the Messiah
another
person
another
messenger
who would
come and
make things
right
they did
not believe
and could
not see
that their
sin problem
was something
so bad
another
person was
not enough
it took
God
himself
and he
came
if they
had a
clearer
understanding
of the
kingdom
if they
had a
clearer
understanding
of their
own
need
and their
lack
of
righteousness
they would
have
known
what they
needed
and they
would have
rejoiced
when he
came
and they
would have
known
and seen
that Jesus
did not
come
to dress
up the
dead
he came
to raise
the dead
Jesus
did not
come
to make
our
outer
image
more
beautiful
he came
to restore
the image
of the
God of
glory
in us
he
didn't
come
to make
life
better
he
came
to make
life
new
and to
do
that
he
had
to die
for
the
dead
he
had to
take
death
upon
himself
and in
this
trial
we see
he was
not
convicted
unjustly
though
in a
way
he was
convicted
because
he
himself
uttered
the
words
by
choice
that
would
send
him
to
death
for
the
very
people
who
abused
him
the
jewish
leaders
could
not
fathom
and
neither
can
we
he
knew
that
god
himself
had
to
come
because
we were
that
bad
but
also
that
he was
glad
to
come
because
of the
greatness
of his
loving
kindness
he
didn't
forget
the
covenant
he
fulfilled
it
he
became
the
sacrifice
that
would
usher
in
a
whole
new
world
and
a
whole
new
kingdom
and
a
whole
new
level
of
flourishing
that
these
Jewish
leaders
could
not
imagine
I
love
what
Ephesians
2
1
through
6
tells
us
and
I'm
going
to
read
quote
just
part
of
it
says
and
you
were
dead
in
your
trespasses
and
sins
but
God
being
rich
in
mercy
because
of
the
great
love
with
which
he
loved
us
even
when
we
were
dead
in
our
sins
he
made
us
alive
together
with
Christ
by
grace
we've
been
saved
and
has
seated
us
with
him
in
the
heavenly
places
in
Christ
can
you
imagine
we
don't
just
get
a good
life
here
we
are
raised
to
new
life
in
Christ
and
seated
with
him
in
heavenly
places
in
the
presence
of
Yahweh
himself
and
that's
what
he
came
to
do
may
we
not
miss
God's
coming
for us
may
we
not
miss
this
glorious
salvation
that he
has
bought
for us
may
we
not
miss
that he
did
it
gladly
because
of his
loving kindness
for us
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