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Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26

Who's on Trial

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • October 23, 2011

God sent His Son as the hope of the world; light into darkness, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, to demonstrate the love of God, to redeem a world broken by sin, and to reach out His hand to an obstinate and rebellious people. But each of us must choose what we will do with Jesus. God presents His Son and it may appear as if He is on trial, but in reality we are on trial. In the same way, God sent His Son to bear witness to the truth. Truth does not change; we must decide what we will do with the truth.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Who’s on Trial

Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26

At this point in our study through the book of Matthew, we come to the night on which Jesus was arrested by the Jewish leaders in the middle of the night.
He was taken before Caiaphas the high priest who brought many false witnesses against him in order to find cause to put Him to death.

Finally the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus responded, “You
have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds
of heaven.”

“What further need do we have of witnesses?” Caiaphas shouted as he tore his robe, “Behold, you have heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” And they
answered and said, “He is deserving of death!”

Continuing now from Matthew 27:1; when morning comes, they bind Jesus and lead Him away and deliver Him up to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then, from verse
11, Jesus goes on trial before the Roman governor.

Before we look at what happens at this trial, we should step back and look at what’s happening from a larger perspective. It’s ironic and paradoxical that
the judge of all the earth would Himself be on trial. But this is exactly right.

What’s happening is that God sent His Son as the hope of the world; light into darkness, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, to demonstrate the love of God,
to redeem a world broken by sin, and to reach out His hand to an obstinate and rebellious people.

But each of us must choose what we will do with Jesus. God presents His Son and it may appear as if He is on trial, but in reality we are on trial. In
the same way, God sent His Son to bear witness to the truth. Truth does not change; we must decide what we will do with the truth.

I. It’s Personal; What will You do?

  • Pontius Pilate had never met Jesus before, but he had probably heard about Him.
  • By this time Jesus had already developed a reputation for confronting the Jewish leaders which probably pleased Pontius Pilate.
  • So Pilate would not have been predisposed against Him, but would have wanted to give him a fair trial.
  • It would help us to know a little history here. The Jewish leaders and Pontius Pilate weren’t exactly on the best of terms. In fact, there had been
    some serious confrontations between them.
  • Pontius Pilate was known as a man of strength and had a reputation for being quite severe.
  • But these Jews were difficult to rule. One time he brought some Roman flags into Jerusalem and they were so offended they began an “occupy Jerusalem”
    riot. He threatened to slaughter them, but they simply bared their necks in an open challenge and Pilate had to back down.
  • He offended them again when he hung some Roman shields in the Antonio fortress. They complained to Caesar Tiberius himself and Pilate received a strong
    rebuke from Tiberius.
  • Though Jesus stands before Pilate, Pilate is actually the one who is on trial.
  • We learn something about us in the story.

A. Who is standing before whom?

  • This conversation between Jesus and Pontius Pilate is absolutely amazing when you ask the question, “Who is standing before whom?”
  • At one point when Jesus doesn’t answer one of Pilate’s questions Pilate responds…

John 19:10, “You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

  • Maybe this would be a good place to ask the question, who was responsible for the death of Jesus?
  • Throughout history many people have persecuted the Jews because they killed Jesus, the Messiah. But several scriptures reveal a greater truth that
    is important for everyone to understand…

John 10:18, “No one has taken My life away from Me, but I lay it down on My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

  • This scene unfolding between Jesus and Pilate reveals that God is the One who is accomplishing His purpose, the redeeming of men who are lost in
    their sins.

Illus – James Stewart of Scotland once wrote…

B. Don’t stay stuck in the middle

  • Pilate is in a predicament. You might say he’s stuck in the middle. In his heart he knows that Jesus is innocent.
  • His wife even sent a message to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in the dream because
    of Him.” (verse 19)
  • But he’s also pressured by the Jews to crucify Jesus. He knows they are wrong, but he’s stuck. He can’t stand up and do the right thing.
  • In fact, at one point they pull out a trump card.

John 19:12, As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar;”

  • Now they’re bringing up all his sticky problems. Pilate was appointed by Sejanus, at one time the most powerful man in Rome next to Tiberius himself.
    But Sejanus was executed for trying to become Caesar himself, so Pilate’s past was coming back to haunt him.
  • Many people can relate to Pilate’s predicament. In their heart they know that Jesus is the righteous Son of God, but they’re afraid of what others
    might think and so they’re pressured by wanting the approval of others.

John 12:42-43, Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they love the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

C. We are the ones to be responding

  • At one point Pilate learns that Jesus is from Galilee so he decides to send Him to Herod, hoping to not have to take responsibility for this decision.
  • So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod where He was brought through yet another trial. It’s interesting because when Jesus stands before Herod, He refuses
    to answer any of his questions.
  • But Herod was looking forward to having Jesus stand before him because he was hoping to see a miracle. Now that’s interesting because it’s just
    like so many people today.
  • They put God on trial and if He doesn’t do what they think He should do, then they withhold their allegiance and their faith.

Luke 23:8-9, Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.

Illus – I remember when I was in Bible college and working as a waiter at a hotel. One day one of the other servers said, “Rich, you’re in Bible school right?” “Yes,” I answered. “Then say something religious,” he said. I thought immediately about Jesus standing before Herod…

  • We are the ones who are to respond to God. We are to trust His Word and respond accordingly.

Illus – It’s like when a teenager wants his parents to do what he says, and then when he doesn’t get it responds, “The problem here, Dad, is that you don’t trust me.” To which we should say, “The question is not whether I trust you, but whether you trust me.”

Matthew 12:39, “an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and yet no sign will be given but the sign of Jonah the prophet;”

  • In other words, Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God, what more could people ask for than that?

II. The Truth Will Set You Free

  • The gospel of John gives us another look at this trial before Pontius Pilate. There Jesus tells Pilate that He is indeed a king, but that His kingdom
    is not of this world.
  • Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37
  • Pilate then responded famously, “What is truth?” He had never asked a more important question in his life.

A. Truth is something to live

  • “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Truth is more than the sum of right answers.
  • Truth is not just something to have, but something, first and above all else, to be.
  • God’s desire is not merely to inform us, but to transform us; not to just fill us with truths, but to make us true. This is because Truth is a
    person; Jesus Christ, the living Son of God.

John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

  • Jesus also said another powerful word that we must understand.

John 8:31-32, “If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

  • We’re not just set free because we understand some information;

Illus – You could do a research paper on truth and be changed not at all. We need a relationship with the Truth. He abides with us in a personal relationship. He transforms as so that we might be made like Him as we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

B. We’re related to Barabbas, too

  • One of the intriguing parts of this story has to do with this man named Barabbas.
  • His name actually means bar-son, abba-father; or, son of the father.
  • Pilate is presenting Barabbas as a way of getting out of the difficulty of having to crucify Jesus. He thinks that there would be no way they would
    want Barabbas released since he was such a notorious prisoner.
  • But the crowd would have nothing to do with it. They were incited to riot by the Jewish leadership and they demanded that Barabbas be released
    so that Jesus could be crucified.
  • But Barabbas actually becomes a picture of all of us. Barabbas was a notorious sinner and deserved death, but Jesus died in his place.
  • Jesus died in place of Barabbas, and Barabbas lived because of Jesus’s death. That’s the message of the cross, that’s the message of the gospel,
    and that is the Truth setting us free.

2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Illus – James Stewart of Scotland,

It is a glorious phrase, “He led captivity captive.” The very triumph of His foes, it means, He used for their defeat. He compelled their dark achievements to be subservient to His ends, not theirs.

They nailed Him to a cross, not guessing that he would make it a throne. They flung Him outside the gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up the gates of the universe, to let the King of Glory come in. They thought to root out His doctrines, not understating that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.

They thought they had God with His back to the wall, pinned and helpless and defeated; they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down. He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it.

Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26        NASB

1 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; 2 and they
bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as
you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many
things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.
 
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious
prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus
who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.
 
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered
greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21
But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what
shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all
the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
 
24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying,
“I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” 25 And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he
released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
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