If You Could Have Been There

If You Could Have Been There

1. "Back to the Future" story

2. Moses b. 1500 B.C. Elijah 900 B.C. only time travelers. Matt. 17

Transfiguration.

3. Vs. 1 “Very early in the morning” Illegally arrested Jesus at night and

conducted a trial. Powerful Sanhedrin-70 men-supreme council of Israel.

Knew Pilate wouldn’t condemn Jesus for the real reason they wanted him

killed. Concocted erroneous charges Pilate would accept.

4. 3 charges. A. arousing troublemakers, creating riots, & dissension.

B. teaching people not to pay taxes.

C. charged with wanting to be king instead of Caesar.

5. You have to wonder.... Why was Pilate amazed at Jesus’ silence? Why did

the crowd choose Barabbas? Why did Pilate scourge Jesus before his

crucifixion? Why did the soldiers mock him with such passion & cruelty?

6. Pilate amazed that Jesus would not even try to defend himself. Pilate knew

he was innocent and if Jesus had replied to Pilate in any way, Pilate would

have used his words to dismiss the charges and free him immediately.

7. Why Barabbas? Disappointment. Crowd 5 days earlier had welcomed him

to Jerusalem. City filled with people Jesus had healed. Eyes of blind opened,

lame could walk, deaf could hear. Hundreds, thousands of people Jesus had

personally touched. Awakened in people hope that He was the Messiah.

Their idea of Messiah was someone to free them from bondage to Rome.

8. Now he stood helpless before Roman governor. His apparent inability to

defend himself or do anything against the Romans destroyed their loyalty.

9. Scourged? Not normal practice for one to be crucified. Jesus scourged by

Pilate to arouse sympathy of the crowd for Jesus. Beaten with whip called a

flagellum. Long leather cords imbedded with bits of bone and metal. Skin

cut open until it was a bloody mass. Last attempt by Pilate spare Jesus. In

John Pilate led Jesus out and said “Behold the man.” It failed.

10. Soldiers mocked. Unusual. would callously nail a man to cross then go to

breakfast. Called all soldiers off duty or lounging around. Made crown of

thorns, jammed on head. Reed in hand, spit on him, jerked reed out of his

hand and hit him over the head with it. Why? Answer revealed in what they

said to him... “Hail, King of the Jews.” Not angry at Jesus. Angry at Jews.

Hatred and resentment against these stubborn and difficult people poured

out on Jesus. Called “Displaced Aggression.”

11. If you could have been there, what would you have done? Armed with

the knowledge you have, what would you have done? Would you have done

what everyone did in Mark 14:50, when they came to arrest Jesus, “Then

everyone deserted him and fled.”

12. Would you have gone to the trial? Perhaps spoken up for Jesus? Would

you have been one of the ones asking for the body? Would you have faded

into the background like the disciples, not admitting you even knew Jesus?

Would you have stood in the streets while Jesus was led to Golgotha? Would

you have disowned Jesus like Peter did? Could any of us even stomach

watching what happened to our Savior when He gave his life for us?

13. We have the advantage of the New Testament. We know what the

Disciples refused to believe or did not understand. We know Jesus would

rise again in 3 days. We have all the answers.