Well, good morning, church. Wherever you may be, turn with us in a Bible, if you have one,
to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, beginning at verse 63. We'll be reading from there through
to chapter 23, verse 25. Luke, chapter 22, beginning at verse 63.
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? And he said to them,
you say that I am. And they said, what further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves
from his own lips. Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.
And they began to accuse him, saying, we found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us
to give tribute to Caesar and saying that he himself is Christ, a king. And Pilate asked him,
are you the king of the Jews? And he answered him, you've said so. And Pilate said to the chief
priests and to the crowds, I find no guilt in this man. But they were urgent, saying,
he stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged
to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him,
because he had heard about him. And he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.
The chief priests and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing him.
And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him.
Then arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day,
for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people and said to them,
You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people.
And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.
Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
Pilate said,
So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder,
for whom they asked.
But he delivered Jesus over to their will.
Pilate said,
And that our world is currently facing because of COVID-19.
It's not primarily about how to deal with unemployment and financial stress
or how to persevere in a job that suddenly has become ten times more stressful.
It is not primarily about how to endure physical isolation
or how to make the most of an extended season at home with spouse and children.
It's not about how to avoid spreading illness or getting sick oneself
or how to discern appropriate boundaries or an appropriate risk to take for the sake of loving God and others.
So on the face of it, this passage may not immediately speak to every one of our present circumstances
and conditions and conundrums.
But this passage is about a day when the darkness only seemed to get darker.
In verse 53 of chapter 22,
Jesus said to those who had come out to arrest him,
This is your hour and the power of darkness.
And even though the rooster had crowed and the day had dawned,
it would be a bitter and evil day
when the Son of God would be sentenced to death,
when the powers of darkness would seem to prevail.
You know, sometimes when we're overwhelmed by our burdens in the present
and by our anxieties about the future,
I think it's helpful to hear from someone else that we know and love
who is enduring or who has endured a very different kind of trouble.
Now, it's not that one person's trouble matters and another doesn't.
It's not usually helpful to try to rank
different kinds of human troubles against each other,
but it is helpful to remember that my troubles
are not the only ones that matter in this world.
Other people are fighting their own battles,
externally or internally,
often in ways that are invisible
and unknown to me.
So this morning, I want us to turn our eyes
from our present troubles and concerns
to the trial that Jesus, our Savior, endured.
This is a long series of events that we just read.
First, Jesus was brought before the Jewish council.
Then he was taken to the Roman governor, Pilate.
Then Pilate sent him over to Herod.
Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.
Then Pilate pronounced his verdict.
Then the crowd protested.
And so Pilate reversed his initial decision
and ultimately issued the death sentence.
But rather than taking each of these events one by one,
I want to look at three themes that run through the whole story.
First, the sufferings Jesus endured.
Second, the steadfastness Jesus displayed.
And third, the salvation Jesus secured.
The sufferings Jesus endured,
the steadfastness he displayed,
and the salvation he endured.
So first consider the sufferings that Jesus endured.
In verse 63 to 65,
Jesus was shamefully beaten
by cruel temple officials.
Physical pain is hard enough to deal with,
and here Jesus was beaten.
But being repeatedly humiliated,
shamefully mocked,
that can cut even deeper.
And the wounds can last even longer
than those of a physical beating.
And the Gospels all emphasize
not only the physical pain
of Jesus' trial and crucifixion,
but also the shame and dishonor
that was heaped upon him
from all sides.
But that wasn't all.
Then in verses 66 to 71,
Jesus was forcibly interrogated
before hostile religious authorities.
Now these leaders were not asking
sincere questions.
Three times in chapter 20,
they had approached Jesus
with hostile questions
seeking to trap him in his words.
They had been looking for some way
to arrest and kill Jesus
for some time already.
And it's almost certain
that they weren't even following
their own recognized legal procedures
that were put in place
to safeguard the rights
of the accused.
The Jewish Mishnah
from about 200 AD
summarizes the legal rights
of those who were being tried
for capital offenses.
Among other things,
it says these,
A guilty verdict cannot be finalized
in one trial on one day.
It was necessary to sleep on it,
come back the next day,
and then make a final decision.
Also, it says that death penalty cases
cannot be tried on the eve of a festival,
as in the Passover here.
Third, it says that reasons for acquittal,
for letting the defendant go,
or exonerating him from the charges,
must be brought forth
before reasons for conviction.
And finally, it says
that a blasphemy charge
can only be sustained
if the defendant has cursed
God's name itself.
Now, we can't be entirely sure
whether all of those procedures
were in place in Jesus' day,
because that's from a document
that comes from a bit later,
but in Jesus' trial,
none of these were followed.
Jesus' legal rights were denied.
And then it goes on,
verses 1 to 5,
Jesus was falsely accused
before the Roman governor.
The Jewish council did not have authority
to carry out death sentences.
Only the Roman governor, Pilate,
could authorize the death penalty,
and so the leaders brought Jesus
before Pilate and accused him.
We found this man misleading
or corrupting our nation
and forbidding tribute to Caesar
and saying that he himself
is Christ, a king.
Now, if you've been reading
through Luke's gospel
up to this point,
you know immediately
that all these accusations
are false and twisted.
Jesus hadn't been corrupting
the nation of Israel.
It was already corrupt
long before Jesus arrived.
John the Baptist had proclaimed that
even before Jesus came on the scene
and called people to repentance.
And the temple leaders
were perpetuating that corruption
through their love of honor and power.
Jesus had never forbade
paying taxes to Caesar.
In fact, he had pointed to a coin
with Caesar's image on it
and said,
give to Caesar what is Caesar's.
And interestingly,
in Luke's gospel,
Jesus never publicly claims
to be the Messiah,
the Christ.
Now, you might ask why
because Jesus obviously believed
that he was the true Messiah
prophesied in the scriptures.
But see, in those days,
nearly everyone expected
that the Messiah
would be a military leader
who would lead a revolt.
And many men had arisen
even in Jesus' time
and in the century or two beforehand
who had led military,
who had claimed to be the Messiah,
who had led military uprisings,
tried to drive out the Romans
and establish an independent Jewish nation.
They had all failed.
But that was the meaning,
the primary meaning of the term
in people's minds
in those days.
And so Jesus never publicly
introduced himself
using that title
because it was so widely misunderstood.
And because he was
such a different kind
of Messiah
than people expected.
So Jesus was shamefully beaten.
He was forcibly interrogated.
He was falsely accused.
And then that's not all.
Verses 6 to 12,
Jesus was openly ridiculed.
He was brought to Herod.
Herod was the tetrarch,
the ruler over Galilee
where Jesus had done
much of his public ministry
and he was in Jerusalem
likely visiting
to keep tabs on things
during the Passover.
So Pilate says,
well, I'll send him over to Herod.
See what Herod wants to do with him.
Maybe Herod will make a decision
so I don't have to.
Maybe Herod will become an ally
even if he doesn't want
to decide this case.
Either way,
I think it'll
be a positive thing.
But Herod just saw it
as sort of an amusement.
Verse 8,
when Herod saw Jesus,
he was very glad
for he had long desire
to see him
because he had heard about him
and he was hoping to see
some sign
done by him.
notice that Herod
didn't want to hear
what Jesus had to say.
Herod just wanted
to see Jesus
do something spectacular.
A miracle
or Herod wanted
some exciting
spiritual experience
to be able to
check off
something else
on his bucket list.
But when Jesus
didn't provide
the entertainment
that Pilate desired,
that Herod desired,
Herod decided
to make a comedy show
out of it himself.
Dressing Jesus up
in royal robes,
sending him back
to Pilate,
mocking his claim
to be a king.
Herod didn't even
take Jesus seriously.
And finally,
in verses 13 to 25,
Jesus was unjustly
condemned.
Three times,
verse 4,
verse 15,
and verse 22,
Jesus heard
Pilate pronounce
a not guilty
verdict.
And every time,
the leaders
objected
and every time,
Pilate
backpedaled.
The first time,
Pilate sent
him over
to Herod.
The second time,
Pilate offered
to punish
and then release
him.
Now that word
punish
referred to
a severe
flogging,
a whipping,
using a leather
whip containing
pieces of bone
and metal.
And the third time,
Pilate granted
their demand
and handed
Jesus over
to be crucified.
Jesus was at
the mercy
of a corrupt
judicial system.
And at the end
of the day,
justice was not
done.
So we see
Jesus shamefully
beaten,
forcibly
interrogated,
falsely accused,
openly ridiculed,
and unjustly
condemned.
Consider the
sufferings
Jesus endured.
But second,
consider
the steadfastness
Jesus
displayed.
Through all
these sufferings
that he endured,
Jesus
didn't
crack.
He didn't
explode in
fury and rage.
He didn't
crumple up in a
ball of despair.
He didn't
plead guilty
to false
accusations
that were being
thrown at him.
He didn't
break down.
Through it all,
he remained
steadfast.
Consider
Jesus'
steadfastness.
Consider how
Jesus remains
steadfast in
his answers,
in his words.
At the end
of chapter 22,
in the beginning
of chapter 23,
Luke records
three questions
posed to
Jesus,
and three answers
that Jesus
gave.
Now,
obviously,
Luke is
presenting an
abridged version,
a summary,
of the trial
proceedings.
Matthew and
Mark include
some other
details about
the hearing
before the
council,
and John
relates a
longer conversation
between Jesus
and Pilate.
But Luke
highlights three
questions,
and they all
focus on
the identity
of Jesus.
Verse 67,
if you are
the Christ,
the Messiah,
tell us.
Verse 70,
are you the
Son of God
then?
Verse 3,
are you the
King of the
Jews?
These are all
questions about
the core of
who Jesus
was claiming
to be.
Now,
at one level,
when you look
at Jesus'
answers,
Jesus doesn't
just give a
straightforward
yes or no
to these
three questions.
Jesus.
And if you
look throughout
the Gospels,
when people
come to
Jesus with
sincere and
straightforward
questions,
when people
really want
to learn
from him,
Jesus
consistently
gives people
sincere and
straightforward
answers.
A scribe
came to
Jesus and
said,
Teacher,
what is the
greatest
commandment
in the
law?
And Jesus
says,
love the
Lord your
God with
all your
heart,
soul,
mind,
and strength,
and love
your neighbor
as yourself.
But sometimes
people didn't
come to Jesus
with sincere
and straightforward
questions.
They approached
Jesus with
loaded questions,
trying to
trick him,
trying to
trap him.
And in
those cases,
Jesus usually
did not answer
them directly.
He often
answered a
question with
another question,
or he spoke
in a parable,
or he directly
challenged the
motives of the
person who
was asking.
You see,
Jesus did not
allow people
who were trying
to trick and
trap him to
completely dictate
the terms of
the conversation.
So,
we see here,
in verse 67,
he challenged
the motives of
the council.
If I tell
you that I'm
the Messiah,
you won't
believe.
And if I
ask you,
who do you
say that I
am,
you won't
answer.
Jesus had
already asked
them multiple
questions,
throughout chapter
20 especially,
and they had
refused to
answer him.
Did John the
Baptist's authority
come from heaven
or from men,
he had asked?
Was it from
God or just
a human initiative?
And they
refused to
answer.
You see,
Jesus challenged
them because
their problem
was not a
lack of
evidence,
but a lack
of openness
to even
consider
whether he
was the
Messiah.
And then in
verse 70 and
verse 3,
he again challenged
his accusers.
You say that I
am.
You say so.
You see,
Jesus was
challenging them,
what do you
say?
Where do you
stand?
Who are you
saying that I
am?
He wants
them to
consider that
all-important
question.
But while
Jesus challenged
the motives of
his questioners,
he remained
steadfast in
his claims.
Jesus'
answers to
these three
questions were
not ultimately
evasive
or unclear
or ambiguous.
It was
pretty clear
to everyone
present who
Jesus was
claiming to
be.
Verse 69,
the answer
to the first
question,
Jesus says,
from now on,
the Son of
Man shall be
seated at the
right hand of
the power of
God.
Throughout his
ministry,
Jesus had
referred to
himself as
the Son of
Man.
man.
And here he
says that he
will be
exalted,
he will
reign at
God's
own
right
hand.
And then
when Jesus
said in
verse 70,
in verse 3,
when they said,
are you the
Son of God,
are you the
King of the
Jews,
and he
said,
you say
that I
am,
or you
have said
so,
a similar
phrase is
used about
ten times in
the Old
Testament,
and it
always means
yes.
It always
indicates an
affirmative
response.
So,
for example,
Pharaoh,
another hostile
ruler,
comes to
Moses in
Exodus chapter
10,
verse 28,
and Pharaoh
says,
get away
from me.
And Moses
says,
as you
say,
you say
so,
I won't
see your
face again.
So,
when Jesus
says,
you say
so,
or you
say that
I am,
he's not
being tricky
and ambiguous
and unclear
and avoiding
the question.
He's saying,
you just
said it.
Do you
realize what
you just
said?
You just
said it.
So,
Jesus
remains
steadfast
in his
answers.
But notice
how also
Jesus
remains
steadfast
in his
silence.
Aside
from his
brief answers,
to these
three
questions,
Jesus
remained
silent
in the
face of
his
accusers.
Why?
Well,
in the
ancient world,
probably
many people
would have
recognized
Jesus'
silence
as an
expression
of
self-control
or even
nobility.
But even
more than
that,
it's how
the prophet
Isaiah
described
the
suffering
servant
of God.
As we
read earlier,
Isaiah 53,
7,
he was
oppressed
and he
was afflicted,
yet he
opened not
his mouth.
Like a
sheep that
before its
shears is
silent,
so he
opened not
his mouth.
And by
oppression and
judgment,
he was taken
away.
And we
know that
Luke had
this chapter
in mind
because in
chapter 22,
verse 37,
Luke has
already referred
to that
very chapter.
And Jesus
has said,
the words
of this
prophecy
are being
fulfilled
in me.
Luke
wants us
to see
in Jesus'
steadfast
silence
that he
is that
suffering
servant
of God.
The
sacrificial
lamb who
had come
to take
away the
sins of
the world.
Again,
as Isaiah
53,
verse 6
says,
all we
like sheep
have gone
astray
and each
of us
has turned
to his
own way
and the
Lord has
laid on
him.
The
steadfast,
silent,
suffering
servant,
the
sacrificial
lamb.
The
iniquity
of us
all.
And that
brings us
now to
our last
point.
The
sufferings
Jesus
endured,
the
steadfastness
he
displayed,
and finally
the
salvation
Jesus
secured.
You see,
Jesus'
steadfastness
in his
sufferings
is not
simply a
model for
us to
admire
from a
distance
and look
back upon
and try
hard to
emulate
and try
hard to
gather up
the courage
for us
to be
steadfast.
No,
Jesus'
steadfastness
in his
sufferings
and
Jesus'
steadfastness
and Jesus'
sufferings
are the
very
means
of our
salvation.
And at
the end
of this
passage,
Luke
gives us
a picture
of the
salvation
Jesus
secured.
Both
Herod and
Pilate had
examined
Jesus
and found
him not
guilty,
but in
verse 18
it says,
they all
cried out
together,
away with
this man
and released
to us
Barabbas,
a man who
had been
thrown into
prison for
an insurrection
started in
the city
and for
murder.
Jesus had
been accused
of misleading
the nation
and stirring
up the
people.
But the
very people
who were
accusing
Jesus of
those things
and demanding
his death
on that
basis,
in the
next breath
demanded
amnesty
for a
man who
was guilty
of those
very same
things and
even more
who was
guilty of
murder.
Now some
people have
questioned
whether this
whole thing
with Barabbas
really happened
because outside
the New
Testament we
haven't yet
found other
historical sources
that mention
Barabbas by
name or
that describe
a custom of
Pilate releasing
one prisoner
at Passover
time.
But the
name Barabbas
was a common
Jewish name
attested from
before the
time of
Jesus.
And many
rulers both
then and
now have
exercised
their authority
to grant
amnesty in
particular
cases.
And all
four Gospels
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke,
and John
testify to
the exchange.
Even the
pagan Roman
historian Tacitus
though he
doesn't mention
Barabbas also
writes that
Jesus was
crucified by
sentence of
Pontius
Pilate.
You see,
this is not
a fairy tale.
This all
really happened
in history.
But Luke
wants us to
see not
just that
Jesus was
really sentenced
to death
by Pontius
Pilate,
but Luke
wants us to
see why.
Why
was he
given over
to death?
And he
gives us a
clue in
verse 25,
the last
verse in
our passage.
Pilate
released the
man who
had been
thrown into
prison for
insurrection
and murder
for whom
they asked,
but he
delivered Jesus
over to
their will.
He
released
Barabbas,
the murderer,
and he
condemned
Jesus,
the innocent
one,
to die.
And in
that verse
we see a
picture of
the salvation
Jesus secured.
Jesus,
the innocent
one,
was sentenced
to death
so that
guilty ones
might live.
Jesus was
condemned
so that
sinners
might be
justified.
Freed from
the guilt
and penalty
of their
sins,
1 Peter 3
18 says
Christ
suffered
once for
sins,
the righteous
for the
unrighteous.
that he
might bring
us to
God.
This is
the good
news.
That Jesus
Christ
suffered and
bled and
died in
our place
and on
our behalf
to release
us from
our sin
and from
its rightful
punishment,
to release
us from
the fear
of death
and condemnation,
to make
us right
with God
so that
we can
live with
God,
so that
we can
know that
God is
with us
and God
is for
us now
and forever.
And you
might say,
how do I
get that
assurance?
How do I
get that
promise?
And the
answer is
simple,
by trusting
in Jesus,
simply relying
on what
he's done
and receiving
the salvation
that he has
secured
as a gift.
If you
want to
trust Jesus
today for
the first
time,
contact one
of us
after the
service
by phone
or email
so we
can pray
with you
and rejoice
with you
and help
you get
to know
Jesus
better.
But for
all of us
who have
come to
trust Jesus
as our
Savior
and Lord,
he
remains
our
steadfast
Savior
today.
and the
same
steadfastness
that he
shows
here
in the
face of
false
accusations
and open
ridicule
and being
shamefully
beaten and
mocked
and forcibly
interrogated
and wrongfully
executed,
that same
steadfastness
he continues
to hold
out to us
today
as our
heavenly
advocate.
this is a
dark
and challenging
time that
we're living
in and each
of us may
be experiencing
that darkness
in different
ways.
We may be
feeling a
threat to
our physical
health
or our
economic
security
or our
psychological
stability
or our
relational
connections
or our
future
plans
or even
simply
our
personal
freedoms.
Sometimes
we might
feel like
we're
cracking
under
the
pressure.
Brothers
and sisters,
let us
look to
our
steadfast
Savior.
Look to
the one
who remains
steadfast
through his
suffering.
Look to
the one
who has
secured
our
salvation
so that
we who
follow him
might live
without
fear.
Look to
the one
who has
promised
that we
are not
alone
for he
has gone
before us
and through
his spirit
he abides
with us.
even when
the darkness
only seemed
to get
darker
Jesus
remains
steadfast
and today
he is
still
our
steadfast
advocate
able
and willing
to help
us in
our time
of need.
So let's
pray.
Father
thank you
for the
gift of
your son
Jesus.
We praise
you and
thank you
for his
steadfastness.
We praise
you for
the
sufferings
that he
endured
for our
salvation.
That they
were not
in vain
but that
he endured
them in
our place
and on
our behalf
that we
might never
be condemned
before you.
That we
might never
have to
fear
that you
are against
us but
that we
might know
that you
are with
us and
for us.
Father we
pray that we
would look
to Jesus
fix our
eyes on
him the
author and
perfecter of
our faith
who for the
joy set
before him
endured the
cross scorning
its shame
and sat
down at the
right hand
of God.
We praise
you for his
steadfastness
and we
praise you
for his
victory.
We pray that
you would
increase our
trust in him
today.
In Jesus'
name,
amen.