That final week: JUDGED

The Guards Mock Jesus

The guards who arrested Jesus took their opportunity to test and judge Jesus.

Just who do you think you are? Come on, give us some proof!

The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And they said many other insulting things to him. Luke 22:63-65

The High Priest Questions Jesus

Annas  was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Iudaea. Caiaphas was his son-in-law. As High Priest, Jesus was brought to him for judgement.

Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” John 18:19-23

Jesus had nothing to hide. He was speaking the truth. He’d never done anything wrong. Ever. How would they find anything against this man?

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin was an assembly of Jewish men appointed in every city in Israel. Moses and the Israelites had been commanded by God to establish courts of judges, who were given full authority over the people of Israel.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Mark 14:55-56

The Sanhedrin needed to be seen to be following due process. They needed a reason to hold Jesus.

When asked to defend himself against these false accusations, Jesus remained silent.

However, when pushed about his identity, Jesus answered honestly.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Mark 14:61-62

That’s enough for the Sanhedrin. That’s blasphemy right there. Claiming to be the son of God – who did he think he was?

And so the mocking and beatings began.

They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him. Mark 14:64-65

Jesus before Pilate

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36, serving under Emperor Tiberius. Right from the start, he wanted no part of this. He wanted the Jews to deal with this Jewish man themselves.

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Mark 15:1-5

They brought Jesus before Pilate with these accusations –

“We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” Luke 23:2

Again, Jesus didn’t defend himself against the false accusations. He would only answer when asked a direct question about his identity. He spoke the truth to Pilate.

What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. John 18:35-37

And yet Pilate could find no basis for a charge against this man.

But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Luke 23:5-7

Jesus before Herod

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great. He was the ruler of Galilee and Perea. As a practising Jew, he would have been in Jerusalem for the Passover. He must have heard so much already about this Jesus. And now he had he opportunity to meet him for himself.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. Luke 23:8-11

Jesus sentenced by the crowd

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. John 19:1-3

And this was how Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd: this king of the Jews, this king that the Jews were rejecting.

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15

Pilate was afraid. He was trying to find a way to set Jesus free. He knew this wasn’t right. It was the crowd who sentenced Jesus to death. Within the process of the law, there was not enough evidence to have Jesus put to death. But the crowd were manipulated by the Jewish spiritual leaders to call for Jesus’ death.

Pilate had been warned by his wife not to get involved. The last thing he wanted was to sentence this man to death.

While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

…When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” Matthew 27:19,24

Neither Pilate or Herod could find any grounds to sentence this man.

As you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Luke 23:15

I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Luke 23:22

And so it was that an innocent man was sentenced to be crucified.

 

There’s a huge amount here, I know.

What stands out to me is how Jesus reacts in the midst of all these false accusations.

For the most part, he stays silent.

He listens but does not protest.

He stays calm. He’s grounded in the truth of his innocence.

But when he does respond, he tells it as it is. He hides nothing. He twists nothing. He does not try to persuade. He simply states the truth of the matter.

I know what I experience is nothing compared to what Jesus faced, but I know too that I am far too easily swayed by what others think of me, by how others judge me. I feel I have to defend myself and justify my actions. I have to give reasons for my perceived failings and weaknesses. I too easily believe what others have to say about me.

Like Jesus, I sometimes need to learn when to stay silent.

Like Jesus, all that matters is staying grounded in my identity in God.

Like Jesus, when I speak, I need to speak the truth, nothing else. The truth will speak for itself.

I’ve been through a difficult time with this in the past three years. I have been judged. It’s made me examine my life and my actions before God, which has in turn led me to become more grounded in my identity in God.

I know where I stand with God.

I know how I stand before God.

Whatever anyone else does or says, I can remain grounded in this truth.

As in all things, Jesus is the example here. Judged and condemned by the world, but innocent before God.

Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the life.