No Guilt...Yet Guilty, Part 1

If you have your Bible turn me to Luke chapter 23 Luke chapter 23 as we look at the last phase of the second trial Of Jesus and bring all this to a conclusion yet.

Not this week, but next week because there's so much to cover in terms of Christ's Confrontation with with pilot. Let me read to you the text We're going to cover Luke 23 verse number 13 and pilot summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people and said to them You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion and behold having examined him before you I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against him No, nor has Herod for he sent him back to us and behold Nothing deserving death has been done by him.

I will therefore punish him and release him Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner But they cried out all together saying away with this man and release for us Barabbas he was one who had been thrown into prison for a certain insurrection made in the city and for murder and Pilot wanting to release Jesus address them again, but they kept on calling out saying Crucify crucify him and he said to them the third time Why what evil has this man done?

I have found in him no guilt Demanding death. I will therefore punish him and release him but they were insistent with loud voices asking that he be crucified and their voices began to prevail and pilot pronounced sentence That their demand should be granted and he released the man They were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder But he delivered Jesus to their will this is the third phase of trial number two, there were two trials with Jesus one religious one political one before the Jews and one before pilots and Herod and each of them contained three phases We have gone over them with you to help you understand Exactly what is taking place in the life of Christ and we have said that these trials are Set in an unlawful Situations based on untrue Accusations coupled with unmerciful Persecution leading to an Untrue Condemnation but always always Throughout all the trials there was an undeniable Affirmation to the character and nature of God Because everything that happens tells us about Christ and who he is and what he has done They came to get Jesus sometime after midnight early on this Friday morning And they would take him to the house of Annas We saw that in John's gospel if a man is able to go across the courtyard To take him to a place called the house of Caiaphas and there he would be judged all Illegally because it was done at night.

It was not supposed to be done during the night time But it was and as soon as the Sun came up sometime around 5 a.m In the morning, they would assemble quickly together to make that everything they had done Illegal somehow to make it legal so there would be a trial during the day and they would come up with the accusation that Jesus was a Blasphemer all the while they were the ones who were blaspheming God That accusation would not hold up in a political trial And so they had to come up with something that would stick with Pilate And so on their way over from the house of Caiaphas to the Antonio fortress where pilot was they came up with this accusation in verse 2 of chapter 23 that we found this man misleading our nation Forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

This was their political accusation They would bring him before pilot pilot found no guilt in him at all but because in their conversation they said that he was a Galilean he rushed him off to Herod because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction and As he went to Herod to stand before him Christ never spoke a word To Herod although Herod had longed to see Jesus had made every effort He could to to somehow come face to face with Jesus now when he had the opportunity To see Jesus to behold his presence Jesus never spoke to pilot one single word Why?

Because I mean to Herod. I'm sorry because Herod was one who had So turned against the Lord God by murdering the forerunner to the Messiah in the opportunity for him to repent was completely over and That was signified by the silence of Christ before Herod. He would validate pilots No guilt verdict because he would come back with a Not guilty verdict as well. So it would be a validation for pilot It would be a vindication for Christ because it would once again proclaim his innocence But it was also a verification of prophecy because in Acts chapter 4 we saw the quotation of Psalm chapter 2 Where it said the Messiah?

Would have the kings of the nations Come against him and in that quotation. They name Pontius Pilate and Herod so the fulfillment of Psalm 2 had taken place when the Messiah stood before both Herod and Pontius Pilate So now Herod is done. Herod has dressed him in a robe Presumably a white robe that would glisten in the sunlight and send him back to Pilate Upon sending him back to Pilate. We're gonna notice the first two of five Significant points when it comes to the trial Before Pilate the third phase and that is number one the summoning and number two the solution That is Pilate summons the chief priests He also summons as the text says the people That's a change That's different and Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and The people what people the Jewish people remember It's Friday morning people rise early on the day of Passover and they rise early because of all the things that need to take place and so Jerusalem is is teeming with people all over the place and there there's a gathering that's taking place and Pilate wants to summon them because in The midst of his summoning there is a solution that he has that he's going to unfold before these chief priests and rulers And so he summons the people But you will note that in summoning the chief priests the rulers and the people when Pilate pronounces his sentence It is 6 a.m.

In the morning that means That by the time they left the house of Caiaphas King to Pilate Pilate sent him to Herod and Herod came back to send him back to Pilate again it was in the space of one hour How do we know that John's Gospel tells us that it was at the sixth hour That the sentence was pronounced upon Jesus Now, how do we know it's 6 a.m? Simply this Mark tells us that Jesus was crucified at the third hour And that the Sun became dark at the sixth hour which would be noon and That Jesus died at around the ninth hour, which should be 3 a.m So what's the discrepancy?

No discrepancy when Mark writes he does it in Jewish time when John writes he writes it in Roman time So now you understand that when Jesus is crucified at the third hour according to Mark's Gospel It's 9 a.m.

In the morning he hangs there for six total hours at the sixth hour the world becomes dark and By the ninth hour three o'clock in the afternoon Christ is dead But John tells us that when Pilate pronounces his sentence It's the sixth hour telling us that John writes according to Roman time not Jewish time There is no discrepancy in the scriptures All you got to do is just do a little bit of study to understand exactly what's happening so Pilate summons the the chief priests and and the rulers and and the people and The people are wondering what's happening.

Now. You have to understand that in a space of that one hour The religious leaders can turn the crowd This is how quickly things happened. This is this is amazing because the Lord God is in complete control of all the events Naturally, this would seem impossible but when the Lord God is orchestrating all the characters and all the people everything falls into exact time at the exact place Because the Lord will die on time Everybody does die on time, but nobody controls when they die only God controls when they die and he controls his own death He knows exactly what he's going to die.

He has to die when all the Passover lambs are killed And that's when he will die So everything is on his timetable By the way, so is your life just in case you didn't know that everything about your life is on a divine timetable Nothing happens by accident everything by divine Appointment. It's always good to be reminded of that, isn't it? And so our Lord's in complete control He summons the chief rulers the chief priests and the rulers of the people he summons them together says I found no guilt in Three times he says there's nothing in this man In the first trial of the first phase of the second trial to the third phase of the second trial He says no guilt.

No guilt. No guilt and then he says Herod also found no guilt in this man And on top of that pilots wife says that he is a righteous man. We'll look at that in a minute So everybody's declaring the innocence of Christ except for the religious Establishment they are against the Christ The Bible tells us in verse number 25 that he would deliver Jesus to their Will what was their will?

that he be Crucified now You have to wonder Why is it? Pilot Was unable to persuade the people. Yes, we know in the divine timetable that God was a complete control But but why is it pilot was such a? For lack of a better phrase a wimp Why was he able to stand strong? Amidst the no guilty verdict by himself as well as Herod He is The ruler He is the procurator He is the prefect. He is the governor of Israel He is the one who appoints the high priest Why is it pilot was such a? Putty in the hands of the religious establishment That he would acquiesce to everything the desire Well, you must understand the history of the Jewish people with Pilate and although the Bible doesn't record it you can read about it because Josephus writes about it Philo writes about it other historians have written about it.

You must understand pilots relationship with the Jewish people When pilot began his rule He would come right into Jerusalem and his men would have these poles with flags on them and on top of those poles there would be an eagle and on top of the eagle would be the the the the bust of Caesar and he came riding into Jerusalem as the new governor of Israel and the Jewish people saw those Busts of Caesar those figures of Caesar and they were outraged remember the Babylonian captivity Had cured Israel of their idolatry They weren't going to do that anymore and when pilot came into Jerusalem With those standards the people were outraged They were so outraged they followed him all the way from Jerusalem to Caesarea now remember in Israel There are two Caesarea there Caesarea Meritema Caesarea on the sea on the Mediterranean and Caesarea Philippi or Philippi which is the northern part of the land of Israel This is Caesarea Meritema.

It's on the sea. That's where pilot had his residence He would come to Jerusalem to the Antonio fortress That's where he would be especially during Passover to keep the peace because he was designed by Rome to keep the peace in Israel and so here was a man who had these idols from a Jewish perspective on These standards and as he rode back to Caesarea the Jewish people Followed him the religious leaders followed him and for five days They stood outside his palace and they persisted that he take those things down and he would not until one day He called him into the amphitheater there in Caesarea now if you've been to Caesarea with me We've preached in that it that that exact same amphitheater.

He calls him into that theater. He puts them in there He surrounds them with soldiers and tells them if you don't stop Antagonizing me. I'm going to execute every single one of you at that time They would tear down their robes bear their nicks and say go ahead cut our nicks off cut our heads off We're all yours Well at that very moment pilot knew he couldn't do that because he was designed to keep the peace. He'd have a riot And from that standpoint the Jewish rulers made their stand and said we are in charge You are not and that infuriated pilot Later on pilot knew that he needed a building an aqueduct to get water More water to Jerusalem.

So what did he do? He took money from the temple treasury And he built the aqueduct and an infuriated the Jewish people so much so that they rioted against him and Rome would not stand for A riot among the Jewish people. So what pilot did was he sent his guards into? The the courtyard where the people were and dressed them in civilian clothes and when they began to riot They would slay the Jewish people and cause them to disperse and that angered the Jewish people against pilot and then He had set up idols in Herod's palace in Jerusalem Which also infuriated the religious leaders and they demanded he take him down He would not take him down So they sent a messenger to Rome and that messenger came back with an edict from Caesar That said you must take them down and put him in a pagan palace in Caesarea and that Infuriated pilot so much then a Luke 13 1 he took some Galilean Jews who were offering sacrifices in the temple and Enslaved them along with their sacrifices and so their blood was mingled with their sacrifices and that infuriated the Jewish people So there was this war going on between pilot and the Jewish people, but he knew that if they report one more thing back to Caesar He's done so he's Between a rock and a hard place when they bring Jesus to him Now he knows about Jesus How does he know about Jesus everybody knows about Jesus?

He's the most popular figure that's ever lived especially 2,000 years ago Pilot knew about the miracles of Jesus He knew about the resurrection of Lazarus He knew about when Jesus came in the city on Monday. Remember, it's Friday morning early. It's before 6 a.m At this point. He knew what happened on Monday when he came into the temple area because he was in the Antonio fortress Which is on the temple Mount so he would know what happened when Jesus rode into the city He knew that he was there on Tuesday He was there on Wednesday and all the people that would surround him on in the courtyard there on the temple Mount He knew about Jesus and his popularity his wife knew about Jesus and His popularity and I'm sure they had many discussions about Jesus Because she would come back to him and say have nothing to do with this man for he is a righteous man So pilot knew about Jesus He knew that they Had to come get a cohort of soldiers from him early early in the morning on Friday Because they had to capture Jesus they had to get permission from pilot to get those 600 soldiers dispersed to the Garden of Gethsemane So pilot knew what was happening Now they show up at his door Claim he's an insurrectionist He's a rebel He claims to be a king That should be a threat to Caesar Well, if it is pilot must do something but pilot finds no guilt in the man Sends him to Herod Herod finds no guilt in the man Sends a back to pilot pilot summons the people and says we found no guilt in this man There's nothing about him So when that's summoning He has a solution He has a supreme Solution he has a strategy.

He's got an idea that he knows it's gonna work. At least he thinks it's gonna work It should work because he's thought it through Here it is he says Herod's found no guilt in him nothing deserving of death. I have found no guilt in him verse 16. I will therefore Punish him and release him What? He's not guilty. Why would you punish him? I Will punish him and then I will release him. This is the first part of his solution I'm gonna punish him.

I'm gonna discipline him. The word is Pieduo Which tells us exactly what Rome did and Rome did do this Historians tell us that Rome had what they called remedial punishment They would see you going down the wrong path and because they saw you going to run down the wrong path They would punish you and warn you and say if you keep going down this way This is what's going to happen to you. So you better stop that's pilot solution. I'm gonna punish him I'm gonna punish him and this is not discouraging by the way.

He's going to scourge him. That's later. That's not now But I will punish him and then I will release him. I will release him And note what it says says Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one Prisoner Now notice it's in brackets, right?

Telling us that's not a part of the original manuscripts Yet in Matthew's account and in Mark's account it is not in brackets Telling us that it is a part of the original manuscripts and that Luke would add it later Okay, but it was based on the truth of what Matthew and Mark have already said That's important so To understand that turn to Matthew chapter 27 Matthew chapter 27 Rome would do this They would free a prisoner at every Passover It was an amnesty program That they had set up And it was pilots alternative solution to the problem with Jesus it would help sustain the peace and He was to be the ruler of peace And so this is his strategy I will punish him I will release him because We have this policy that every year at Passover.

We do release the prisoner. Okay So when you go to Matthew's account in Matthew 27, this is what is said verse 15 now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the multitude any one prisoner whom they wanted and they were holding at that time a notorious prisoner called Barabbas a Notorious prisoner this was a man that everybody knew about he's called the marks account a murderer and an Insurrectionist it is probable that the two Robbers the two thieves because Mark also calls them Barabbas a thief It's possible that the two men that were crucified alongside of Jesus were part of this insurrection With Barabbas, but Barabbas was the notorious prisoner.

He was the one that everybody knew about He was a murderer He was an insurrectionist He was a rebel He is everything listen carefully. They are accusing Jesus of but he's not Okay Barabbas is everything they are accusing Jesus of but Jesus is not an insurrectionist. Jesus is not a Murderer Jesus is not a rebel. He's not But Barabbas is and so Pilate has this strategy Has this solution? Thinking in his mind By the way, this is why he summons the people Okay Pilate is showing supreme intelligence He summons the people Because if it comes to a vote What were the people who were the people vote for?

They're gonna vote for Jesus Release for us Jesus. I mean if you were there on Monday and heard what they said Hosanna to the Son of David They praised him if you could see all the people surrounding Jesus on Tuesday and on Wednesday in the courtyard I mean the people saw Jesus as a popular hero for certain when he summons the people the people will say Give us Jesus But they don't Pilate thinks he's got the whole thing solved. First of all, he says well, he's a Galilean I'll send him to Herod because Herod is a ruler in Galilee But Herod sends him back to Pilate So Pilate has thought of what he's going to do next as a strategist as a man Who was formerly a soldier in the Roman Army?

He knew exactly when he did happen next to make sure that he could get this man who was not guilty set free But remember Pilate's not in charge God's in charge Pilate's not But he thinks he's got the ideal solution Knowing that at Passover, they're always to release a prisoner. He will punish Jesus. He'll release him that didn't work I tell you what, we're gonna bring Barabbas out We'll bring Jesus out and the people will want Jesus not Barabbas That's not how it went read on It says Therefore they were gathered together Pilate said to them.

Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or Jesus by the way Barabbas son of my father What's name means? Here's a choice son of an earthly father or the son of a divine father Who would you choose? Well, they chose Barabbas So it says this Whom do you want me to release to you Barabbas or Jesus who was called Christ the Messiah Or as Mark's account says who is your king? Do you want me to release to you your king? Do you want me to release to you your Messiah? Certainly you don't want me to release to you a Murderer a thief Abandoned an insurrectionist You don't want him.

Do you you want the king you want the Messiah? You don't want a murderer You want the Messiah? That's who you want, right? That's who you want You don't want a rebel you want your Redeemer, right? Wrong Wrong That's not what they wanted pilot asked the question and this becomes the most pivotal point of Pilots notorious life. Are you ready? Here it goes Says the verse 18 for he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up and While he was sitting on the judgment seat his wife Sent to him saying have nothing to do with that righteous man for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of him here is pilot in the most Important day in the most important event in the history of the world and here he sits and they come out to him and say Mr.

Pilot, sir. Mr. Governor your wife Has sent you a message What my wife? Doesn't she know I'm on duty. Doesn't she know I'm doing what needs to be done here, sir You need to read what your wife has said So it gets the note I'm sure if it was today she would have text him something on his phone But he had this note and he read it And this is so important. Remember he turns Because someone gets his attention You have a message from your wife He takes the message and reads it have nothing to do with that righteous man For last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of him he is so righteous That my dreams became nightmares Have nothing to do with that righteous man Now listen carefully in the amount of time It took for them to get pilots attention To give him the note To read the note the religious establishment Changed the momentum of the crowd Listen to what it says verse number 20 But the chief priest and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death in that one brief moment By the time they got pilots attention and he reads the note thinks about it and Turns back to the crowd the chief priest had been spread remember there are I mean the religious establishment There were 70 of the Sanhedrin.

They were spread all throughout the crowd in That brief moment. They were able to convince the crowd to ask for Barabbas and not ask for Jesus that is an astounding turn of events Because pilot felt sure they would they would scream for Jesus I Mean he is so popular. He is so wonderful. This is the man who gives life Certainly don't want it dead. Oh The greatness of the grace of our Lord Pilots that face to face with the Redeemer a man Face to face with the Savior of the world He could touch the Messiah of Israel God's grace was overflowing for pilot at this time.

Oh the grace of Our Lord, but all the goodness of his lady The goodness for her to send him a note Which it which it which would accentuate once again the grace of God This is the righteous man make the right decision have nothing to do with him He's righteous he's holy he is sinless. Oh The goodness of his lady the graciousness of our Lord, but oh the guilt of that leader Because he would succumb to the pressure He would succumb But the Bible says these words But the governor answered and said to them which of the two do you want me to release for you?

And they said not Jesus Barabbas he had to have been absolutely shocked Unbelievable Barabbas Pass it to them then what should I do with Jesus who was called the Christ? What I do with the Messiah your Messiah They all said let him be crucified. But he said what evil has he done? He hasn't done anything you want me to crucify an innocent man and let free a guilty man Let free a murderer an insurrectionist a thief a robber a bandit Let him go who is truly guilty and this man who has done nothing You want me to crucify?

And it says I have to go back to Luke's account And it says these words But they were insistent with loud voices Asking that he be crucified and their voices began to prevail Can you imagine Pilot had to be absolutely astonished that they would choose Barabbas Over Jesus The son of a human father versus the son of the divine father Peter would write about this event The gospel or the book of Acts? Third chapter we said this The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus the one Whom you delivered up and disowned in the presence of Pilate When he decided to release him Pilot wanted to release Jesus, but you disowned him You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a Murderer to be granted to you and put to death the Prince of life you asked for a murderer one who takes life and You asked that the Prince of life the author of life Be crucified How amazing is that and all of that happens In one hour Pilot Herod back to pilot again with the announcement of Barabbas The letter from the wife it all happens in one single hour Tell me God's not in charge of this he is Absolutely in charge because he was born in Bethlehem Where all the lambs the sacrificial lambs were born It's called migdol a dare according to Matthew chapter Micah chapter 4 verse number 8 Genesis chapter 35 migdol a dare the tower of the flock a two-story tower That is still there today That is a tower that overlooks all the lambs the sacrificial lambs that would be sacrificed at Passover he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world and He would die at the precise time That he had designed They thought They would judge him But he is judging them For all judgment has been given over to the Son and he will execute that judgment That's why the Bible says in Acts chapter 17 these words Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent Because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world and righteousness Through a man whom he has appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead There is an appointed day of judgment There was an appointed day of his death Where he would bear in his body your sin and mine he would die as a substitute on Calvary's cross For the sins of man it was an appointed day as The lamb slain before the foundation of the world and just as there was an appointed day for Calvary's cross so there is an appointed day For the day of judgment the great white throne judgment will he will judge all Men who do not believe in him and Paul would preach that to people he would warn them about the impending judgment And it says in verse 32 of Acts 17 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some began to sneer Some began to mock Some began to poo-poo the idea Resurrection of the dead who you trying to kid Paul Who is this Jesus?

They wanted nothing to do with him Then Luke says but others said We shall hear you again concerning this There there were some who who derided the idea of a resurrected judge There was others who Delayed their decision about a resurrected judge We'll hear you again on this Not today, that's many people today, right? Hey, I've heard this story before, you know, come back again another day today. I'm not ready I'll hear you again on this matter. Maybe next week next month next year next Christmas next Easter But not this time The problem with that is is that Paul would leave according to Acts after 18 verse number one He'd be gone and they would not hear from him again That's what the Bible says today is the day of salvation not tomorrow today's that day then it says So Paul went out of their midst, but some men joined him And they believed some joined Some believed and they named two Because they wanted to give their life to the king of Israel How about you Have you given your life to the king of Israel If you were the among the people summoned that day Would you have yelled for Barabbas the son of an earthly father or for Jesus the son of a divine father Would you have wanted to keep the murderer or the Messiah a Rebel or a Redeemer an Insurrectionist or Emmanuel God with us Let's pray father.

We thank you for the Word of the Lord. We thank you for the truth. That's there We thank you Lord for on this day. You showed yourself sovereign over all things You are an amazing God Who has everything under complete control and that everything runs on schedule And how quickly from our perspective things change, but in reality It was all a part of the plan of Almighty God For it be Jesus who would be crucified that day not Barabbas It would be Jesus who would die as a substitute not Barabbas It would be Jesus who is The lamb slain before the foundation of the world It was a planned day a promised day it was the greatest of all days And while it might look dark to us It was a great day Because in all reality this was the day you came for you came to die That we might live And for that we are grateful in Jesus name.

Amen