The Robes Of Diversity Jesus Wore

This sermon is based upon a message from Evangelist Tom Gilliam of Winterville GA from the "Glorious Garmets of Christ Series" and credit should be noted as to his authorship to the meat of this message.

“The Robes of Diversity Jesus wore”

Luke 23:11-12 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

First I want to share with you the meaning of diversity: carries with it the idea of difference by similarity for a purpose and to say the Jesus wore two robes for a short period of time before he was crucified on Calvary’s cross. Want you to know the terribleness of these two robes for a lost world but more importantly to share the encouragement of his wearing these diverse robes at a time that seemed to be filled with chaos. The people of the world at that time had gathered like a bunch of rabid dogs who have got a scent of blood and worked themselves into a frenzy not stopping until they rip something to pieces. This moment in time was like a huge stone that had been carried to the top of a mountain and pushed off, that keeps building momentum and it seems like nothing can stop it until it all comes crashing down. This whole thing seems like it’s out of control and they just can’t stop themselves until they have murdered Jesus of Nazareth, Mary’s little baby boy all grown up now. First thing that I want to bring to our attention are the COURTS that Jesus found himself in during those few hours leading up to his crucifixion on the cross. Jesus found himself tried in 4 COURTS during that short period of time but I want to share with you that those courts only represent 2 GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

John 18:12-13 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, [13] And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

The first court was in the home of Ananias the former JEWISH high priest of the nation of Israel more than likely at the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem and even more likely the high priest at the time Jesus found his way into the temple at 12 years of age and amazed all the professors, all the experts on the Word of God. Believe that Ananias would have remembered Jesus from those days gone by and from the recent tales of his life as he healed the sick and cast out demons and controlled nature with merely a word from his lips. Ananias now has the living Son of God in his wicked control and decides to shame him a little bit.

The second court Jesus finds himself in is found in Matthew 26:57 where all the religious leaders of the JEWISH nation are assembled, the court of Caiaphas. He is the present high priest of the day, the renowned preacher of the day, the one everyone wants to romance because of the position of power he has at his fingertips. This is the court where they can find nothing in him to convict so they get two false witnesses to lie then Jesus finds himself in the 3rd COURT appearance in Matthew 27:2 as he is delivered to Pontius Pilate the GENTILE KING of the day in the judgment hall for his interrogation and according to the gospel as soon as the Gentile finds him under the jurisdiction of Herod, the JEWISH KING of the day, he is sent to the 4th court.

Want to remind you that Jesus has been up all night long and is weary with no sleep. Want to remind you that Jesus has fought the forces of Hell in the Garden of Gethsemane as it were his sweat became great drops of blood from the stress of the events about to transpire. Want to remind you that he has been betrayed by two of his closest friends, by Judas with the kiss of death as the soldiers are brought in to arrest him and by Peter sitting by a fire in the court of Caiphas who has cursed him. Yet this is but a light affliction compared to what awaits him on Golgotha’s hill. I tell you the world seems upside down and everything turned inside out as chaos is going on. Everything is out of order when an innocent man has four trials in one night and is found innocent but is still faced with death. Yes the dogs have got a scent of blood and they won’t stop until they rip him to pieces, the stone has begun to build momentum and it won’t be stopped until it all comes crashing down as the world is whipped into the frenzy of a mob that won’t stop until they have stained their hands with the blood of an innocent man!