The Passion
March 28, 2004
Kangaroo Court
Sunday AM
Intro: I’m a big fan of courtroom dramas. Whether it’s a Grisham book, Law and Order, Matlock, or JAG, my favorite part is always when the attorney is clever enough to be able to catch and expose the witness on the stand and bring forth the truth.
Trans: Did you know that on that fateful night some 2000 years ago, those in charge of the six trials that transpired were not in anyway interested in the truth – Think about it, the truth was literally staring them in the face and yet those who were sworn to uphold the truth only sought injustice.
Insert: Before looking into these trials I want to remind you that the accused was the only perfect and completely innocent person who has ever lived. He was the embodiment of truth – The way, the truth, and the life.
Question: When truth is on trial in your life how will you respond?
Time: The Roman day begins at 1 sec. after midnight. The Jewish day begins 1 sec. after 6 pm. From 6 pm to 6 am, the night is divided into 4 watches: 1st Watch: 6-9 – 2nd Watch: 9-12 – 3rd Watch: 12-3 – 4th Watch: 3-6.
Insert: Jesus and the disciples left the upper room during the 2nd watch for Gethsemane. After midnight (3rd watch) Judas arrived w/ the mob.
Trans: After His arrest, Jesus was paraded around to six illegal and dishonest trials in less than six hours – Justice? More like a kangaroo court.
Note: The first three trials were religious in nature and held by the Jews, while the last three trials were civil in nature and held by the Romans.
• The 1st trial took place at the home of Annas around 2 am.
• The 2nd trial was held in the home of Caiaphas (high priest) at 3 am.
• The 3rd trial was a formal hearing before the Sanhedrin at 6 am.
• The 4th trial was before Pilate around 6:30 am
• The 5th trial quickly occurred before Herod.
• The 6th trial went back to Pilate and was done in just a few minutes.
Insert: Then Jesus was sent to be scourged and sent off to be crucified. In about 14 hours Jesus went from Gethsemane to the tomb. Rush decision?
Note: Jewish legal system - courts duty was to save life and not destroy it – they presumed innocence w/ great latitude. The Sanhedrin held to strict laws in insure fairness and mercy and when properly administrated, the Jewish legal system was provided such results - not in this trial.
Note: The Sanhedrin violated every principle of jurisprudence. I want you to note all of the illegal action that took place make these trials a farce.
• According to the Talmud a trial was never to be held at night.
• The Jewish Courts accused Jesus of blasphemy – admissible only in a Jewish court, but of no consequence in Roman court (Rome was polytheistic). Knowing this reality, the Jews altered the charge when they met w/ the Roman court – an illegal act in and of itself). Thus, before Rome – the Jews accused Jesus of insurrection and treason – which if proven guilty would incur a sentence unto death.
• The accused was allowed to have an attorney present, yet Jesus was never afforded a defense attorney.
• The accused couldn’t be declared guilty w/out a reputable witness, but everyone who accused Him was a false witnesses.
• A man couldn’t be executed the same day he was tried and sentenced
• Members of the Sanhedrin after hearing testimony in a capital case weren’t permitted to make a rash judgment but were required to adjourn to their homes for two full days before rendering a decision.
• After 2 days, they were to offer their verdict from the youngest to the oldest so that the younger men weren’t prejudiced by the older ones.
• In the greatest travesty of justice, Jesus was declared guilty but was never proven guilty – Pilate found no fault but still sentenced Him.
Trans: While all six trials had some illegalities, I want to focus on the trials before Pilate, b/c he was the one who ultimately had the authority to save or condemned Jesus, yet he wasn’t willing to take a stand for truth.
Trans: Pilate asks an interesting question. (Jn. 18:33-8) Background on Pilate
Key: What is the truth? This is an interesting question. Shrouded in deception where truth has been abandoned – Pilate asks, “What is truth?”
Trans: The same dilemma Pilate faced is the same one we face today. In a time and culture where truth has become relative it has almost become irrelevant. People have no commitment to truth. We’ve become politically correct in every area of our lives to please men instead of God.
Truth is, we’ll spin and manipulate the truth as necessary in order to protect our selves – and w/out conscience.
Trans: We all need to understand something important in this text – Jesus was not the one really on trial – Pilate was on trial. And as we gather here this morning, Jesus still isn’t the one on trial – we are! Thus, we too often find ourselves asking the same question Pilate did in Matthew 27:22: “What shall I do then w/ Jesus who is called the Christ.”
Trans: This morning I want to investigate how Pilate dealt w/ the truth so that we might not fall into the same pitfall He fell into.
Note: What shall I do w/ Jesus? What shall I do w/ the truth?
Trans: Many of us do what Pilate did – We try to avoid making a decision.
Text: Then their whole assembly rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is the Messiah, a King.” So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You have said it.” Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds for charging this man.”
Insert: The high priest and Sanhedrin bring Jesus to Pilate on three trumped up charges: 1 – Perverting the nation of Israel. 2 – Opposing to pay taxes to Caesar. 3 – Claiming to be a king.
Note: Pilate takes Jesus into private to interrogate Him, and finds no fault.
Insert: Pilate is given the option – believe Jesus or believe men. Trust the truth or trust an opinion. Pilate believes Jesus – he finds no fault.
Insert: Jesus should’ve been released, but Pilate doesn’t have the guts or integrity to stand for the truth. Instead he tries to avoid the decision.
I DEFERRING the Decision (Luke 23:5-12)
Point: Often times when we are forced to make a decision concerning the truth, we defer the decision to someone else.
Note: Passing the buck – often times parent have to make some tough decisions for their kids and sometimes we try to shrug that decision onto someone else like a pastor or principle rather than standing up to our child.
As Pastor – I sometimes have to make tough calls on behalf of the whole that might appear unpopular and certainly can bring a negative response – yet passing the buck to someone else just to be liked is wrong.
Note: This is exactly what Pilate did. Rather than make the right decision to stand for the truth and release Jesus. He feared the consequences and passed the decision on to Herod. He found a loophole and thought that it was his ticket to avoiding making a decision about the truth.
Note: It didn’t work – and rarely ever does. When it comes to the truth, it’s not someone else’s decision to make – it’s yours. What’ll you do w/ Jesus?
II BARGAINING the Decision (Luke 23:13-21)
Note: Bartering or trying to swing a deal – the truth can never be compromised.
Quote: If the truth is true, it can never be compromised – only upheld.
Insert: Pilate thought he could offer them a choice b/w Barabbas and Jesus. Barabbas was a hardened criminal and murderer – surely they would pick Jesus – basically, Pilate thought that he could buy his way out.
Note: He put truth up for debate and the darkness chose the darkness.
Insert: We do this sometimes too. Instead of owning up to a mistake w/ a family member or friend, we offer a gift in exchange. Forget saying, “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong”, just buy them something or do something nice and try to divert their attention.
Note: Problem – the truth is never for sale.
III YIELDING the Decision (Luke 23:22-25)
Note: By this time, Pilate knew he was in trouble. It was either him or Jesus, but one of them was in for a world of hurt – and he chose himself over Jesus by choosing to ignore the truth and to allow injustice to prevail.
Insert: Pilate tried to wash his hands of the decision – you can’t wash your hands of the truth.
Note: But just like Pilate, we often try to exonerate ourselves rather than taking s stand for the truth. Why? B/c it appears to be the easy way out.
Note: The easy way out is seldom the best way out. The best way is always the right way.
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Note: The only right decision is the truth. Only in standing for the truth can one hope to prevent injustice.
Point: The only way you and I can make a right decision, is to always take a stand for the truth – no matter what it my cost us.
Question: When truth is on trial in your life how will you respond?
Invite: What about you? When confronted w/ living the truth are you deferring your decision – hoping someone else will take responsibility for you? Are you hoping to buy your way out or wash your hands of the entire matter – it won’t work.
