God on Trial

Scripture: Mark 14:60-64; Luke 23:1

C.I.: On Trial Before “The World” (Part 1)

Last week (“the religious”)… - Today we see how Jesus and His people are also on trial before the world!

•  Their Primary Response = “Avoidance,” (Luke 23:1-12)

•  Pilate: Avoiding Personal Responsibility, (vs. 1-7)

•  The “religious” only have the power to condemn – but it takes the government to really punish!

•  Remember the crime the religious accused Jesus of, ( Mk. 14:64 ), “You have heard the blasphemy ; - how does it seem to you?' – They all condemned Him as deserving death.”

•  “Blasphemy” = (technically) speaking evil of God.

•  Blasphemy is not enough to put Jesus to death. – So they had to fabricate other charges!

•  ( v. 2 ), “They began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading the nation – and for-bidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.'” – 3 charges…

1) Misleading the nation = Treason, sedition – “Jesus the Political Revolutionary!”

a) Sadly, some who call themselves Xns today – believe in armed struggle against gov't.

•  Yet this is not God's call to us – ( Matt. 26:52; Rom. 13:1 ), “Put your sword back….”

2) Don't pay taxes = ( Lk. 20:22-25 ), “‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' He detected..

3) He is a King = “Christ” = Anointed One. – This was the issue Pilate chose to deal with…

2. ( vs. 3-4 ), “And Pilate asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?' – And He answered him
and said, ‘It is as you say.' – And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, ‘I find no guilt
in this man.'”

a. Jesus did not deny His “Kingship” – for it is His very reason for His coming & ministry…

•  ( Matt. 2:2 ), “Where is He who is born king of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east….”

•  ( Matt. 21:5 ), “Behold you King is coming to you, gentle & mounted on a donkey, even….”

b. The people did not understand the spiritual nature of His kingdom – ( Jn. 18:36 ), “My kingdom…

•  ( Jn. 6:15 ), “Jesus perceiving they were intending to come and take Him by force to make…”

•  Jesus came to rule in the lives of people from the inside out – ( Matt. 5:3; Lk. 11:20 ).

3. Yet the religious people had a worldly agenda – and they were not about to see their plans foiled…

a. ( vs. 5-7 ), “But they kept on insisting, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea,
starting from Galilee, even as far as this place.' – But when Pilate heard it, he asked whether the
man was a Galilean. – And when he heard that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him
to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.”

b. Pilate had declared Jesus “innocent!” – But being a politician he didn't want to upset people.

•  This is the way of the world - they want to “be liked,” and “popular.” – Still true today!!!

•  ( Matt. 10:32-33 ), “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. – But whoever shall deny Me before men. I will….”

•  Pilate, like so many today, - wants to avoid any personal responsibility in regards to Jesus!!

•  Herod: Avoiding the Truth, (vs. 8-12)

1. ( v. 8 ), “Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time,
because he was hearing about Him and was hoping to see some signed performed by Him.”

a. Like so many today, Herod wanted Jesus to “perform” for him – (pull a rabbit out of a hat).

•  Then as now - this was also true of many in the multitude who followed Jesus.

•  ( Jn. 6:2 ), “A great multitude was following Him, because they were seeing the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.”

•  They misunderstood the purpose for the “signs” - ( Jn. 20:30-31 ), “Many other signs….”

•  ( Jn. 6:26 ), “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

b. How many are there today – who still want Jesus to “perform” for them??!!

1) How Jesus would respond - ( Matt. 12:38-39 ), “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees were
saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.' – But He answered and said to them, ‘An
evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign.'” – Adulterous = wanting what you don't need!

2) Those with open & honest hearts don't require signs – ( I Cor. 1:22-24 ), “Jews ask for signs
and Gentiles search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block,
and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews & Gentiles, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God.”

c. Jesus knew that Herod was not interested in learning truth – ( vs. 9 ), “Herod questioned Him at
length; but Jesus answered him nothing.”

1) Herod had already killed John the Baptist – who only told him the truth. - Yet this was not
true of all Herod's household… Notice in v. 8 , “…he [Herod] had been hearing about Jesus

2) ( Lk. 8:3 ), “And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward… were contributing to their
support out of their private means.”

3) ( Acts 13:1 ), “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and
teachers:… and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch.”

•  Thus, not everyone was like Herod's & required a sign – in order to believe!!!

d. So what does a worldly person do – who wants to avoid the truth – going to do with Jesus?!

1) ( vs. 11-12 ), “Herod with his soldiers, after treating Jesus with contempt and mocking Him,
dressed Him in a gorgeous robe & sent Him back to Pilate. – Now Herod & Pilate became
friends with one another that very day; - for before they had been at enmity with one another.

2) You can almost hear Pilate say, “I never knew Herod had a sense of humor. – I send him
someone who calls Himself, ‘King of the Jews,' and he sends him back wearing a robe!”

CONCLUSIONS:

1. So what should we as Christians learn from today's lesson…

a) When talking to a worldly person (like Pilate) – who wants to avoid any personal responsibility – we
should tell them the truth – ( quote Jn. 8:31-32 ), “If you abide in My words…!”

b) But when talking to a worldly person – who doesn't want to hear the truth – remain silent. ( Mt. 7:6 ).

2. If you are one of our guests – you may find it interesting that Jesus can bring all sorts of people together…

a) His enemies (who may not accept each other – will join together against Him).

b) Yet people who may not have accepted each other previously – will unite in Jesus!

c) ( Gal. 3:26-28 ), “For you are all sons of God…!”