No Guilt...Yet Guilty, Part 2

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today. Truly, Lord, you are a great God, and you have allowed us to examine everything pertaining to your life as you have prescribed for it in Scripture. And we are grateful, Lord, for the opportunity to do so once again this day. As we prepare our hearts to receive once again from the Lord's table, we ask, Lord, that our hearts would be turned upward, that we might see once again the glory of the Christ. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to Luke chapter 23.

Luke chapter 23 as we conclude. Our study of the trials of Jesus. Two trials, three phases, and each trial. We've looked at each of those phases to help you understand how unlawful each situation was. How it was based on untrue accusations. It led to unmerciful persecution and then to an unjust condemnation. But in each phase, an undeniable affirmation as to the character and nature of Jesus Christ our Lord. You must not miss. How is it in each phase Jesus Christ man his glory? And we're going to show you that once again.

today. Let's pick up the narrative in verse number thirteen. And Pilate 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, I Excuse me, and behold, having examined him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you have made again 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 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed him again. But they kept on call out, saying, Crucify, cruc him. They 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 But they were insistent, with loud voices, asking that he be crucified. And their voices began to prevail, and Pilate pronounced sentence, that their demand should be granted. And he released the man they were asking for, who had been thrown to prison for insurrection and murder. But he delivered Jesus to their will. We looked with you last week at the summoning by Pilate as he summoned the rulers and the people together.

And then we looked at the solution that Pilate had given them, that he would punish Jesus and then release him. That didn't work. So then we looked at the strategy that he had: that he was obliged at every Passover to release a prisoner, thinking that if he could release Jesus, certainly they would not cry. For a murderer, but they did. He thought they'd cry for the Messiah. Certainly they wouldn't cry for a killer, but they would cry for the king. But they didn't. Certainly they would cry for the right one, but they didn't.

They cried for the rebel. Barabbas. And so his strategy failed. And so Pil found himself in a very difficult predicament. And yet God was in complete control of everything. Because you will notice that throughout this phase, this sixth phase, this third phase of trial, number two, the silence of the suffering Lamb.

For Jesus said nothing. He has spoken very, very rarely throughout the whole event. He spoke when he affirmed the fact that he was the Son of God. He spoke when he affirmed the fact that he was a king, but he was a king not of this world. But throughout this whole scenario, the silence of the suffering Lamb is seen because everything about the Lamb of God needs to be known. Because the suffering silence of the Lamb was planned in eternity past. Revelation 13:8 says that he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

So everything about the suffering lamb was planned in eternity past. It was promised in the book of Genesis. For in Genesis chapter 22, it says that God Himself will provide him. As Lamb. And so it was promised in Genesis. That which was promised in Genesis, that which was planned in eternity, was prefigured in the book of Exodus. At that Passover, when the angel would pass over those who put the blood of the Lamb upon their doorpost. And everything about what took place on that day for Christ, our Passover, would be sacrificed for us, Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 5, verse number 7.

But all of that prefigured the coming of the Lamb that would. be sacrificed for the sins of the world. So that which was planned in eternity and promised in Genesis, pre in the book of Exodus, was that which was prophesied By the prophet Isaiah. For Isaiah 53, verse number 7, these words are spoken. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth like a lamb that is led. to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. That which was prophesied in Isaiah was pres for Bethlehem.

Micah 4, verse number 8 says, To you. Tower of the flock, Mig A. It will come. What will come? The former dominion. Speaking of the promise of the coming Messiah, taking you back to Genesis chapter 35, with the death of Rachel, when she wouldn name her son Ben-O-Ni. But her husband said, No, his name will be Ben-Ham, the son of my right hand, the son of my strength. And Benjamin became a type of Christ that would be born in Bethlehem, the Son of God's right hand, the Lamb that would be slain. Because the Tower of the Flock was that two-story structure erected in Bethlehem to watch over all the lambs that would be sacrificed in Jerusalem.

So that which was planned from eternity, promised in Genesis, prefigured in Exodus, prophesied in Isaiah, prescribed for Bethlehem, was pointed out. By John the Baptist in John 1:2, when he said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Why is it John would use the phrase Lamb of God unless he knew? That the land was planned from eternity, unless he knew of the promise of Genesis, unless he knew of the prefigure in Exodus, unless he knew of the promise. Of Genesis, but the prophecy of Isaiah.

John knew. John the Baptist knew. He was on the backside of the desert for many years, being instructed by the Spirit of God, so that when he came on the scene, Like a locomotive, he came preaching the gospel and pointed to the Messiah, saying, not, behold, The Messiah, not behold the Christ, not behold your King, not behold the man, but behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Because John the Baptist knew what every Jew should know, what the Old Testament said. About the silent suffering of the Lamb of God.

So John would be the one who would be the individual who point out the Messiah. And this silent, suffering Lamb, point out by John, was prob by Pilate. And he sat there and never said a word. Which would lead Pilate to say in John 19, which we will look at in a minute, Who are you?

Where did you come from? Where are you from? What kind of man are you? And Pilate would probe the silent lamb. He would probe him because he wanted to know more of this Messiah. Pilate, on five occasions, would proclaim the innocence of Jesus. Five times. We've already seen three. We'll see two more in John chapter 19. And that silent, suffering lamb, probed before Pilate, was presented to the multitude. And there he stood, beaten, bloodied. Behold the man. You'll notice that in our text in Luke 23, twice it says, This man.

The Jews called him this man. Pilate called him this man. He was the king of the Jews. He was the creator of the universe. His presence is unparalleled. His power is uncompromising. His power is unbelievable. And yet, he stood there silent before the multitudes. He was presented to the multitudes because. Everything in the Old Testament was true about the silent suffering of the Lamb of God. And there he stood, presented before them, and that's the one they wanted. To kill. This one presented to the multitudes was proclaimed by Philip in Acts 8:3 when that Ethiopian eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, reading from Isaiah 53.

Particularly, verse number seven, which spoke about this lamb that would be slain, and asked Philip, who is this man the prophet is speaking of? And Philip told him it was Jesus, the Messiah. And so Philip would preach about this Lamb. Peter would preach about this lamb in 1 Peter chapter 1, but the book of Revelation chapter 5, this lamb is praised for all eternity. So, everything about the trials of Jesus und affirms who he is. And through his silence, It just proved once again that everything in the Old Testament is true about Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

And so here he stands before Pilate. Pilate having summoned the people together, Pilate having a solution in his own mind. He could punish Jesus, then release him, but that wasn't good enough. So he had a strategy that if he put Barabbas out there and Jesus, certainly they would choose Jesus and not Barabbas because of money they hailed him as their king. On Tuesday and Wednesday, they were with him in the temple courts. Certainly they wouldn't choose Barabbas, but they did. They did. And they selected the one that Pilate could not believe.

Isn't it interesting? That all the Jews found Jesus guilty, and all the Gentiles found him innocent. Pilate found him innocent. Herod found him innocent. Pilate's wife innocent. But the Jews they saw him as. Guilty. So Pilate has to take a stand. And this is Pilate's stand in verse number 20. This is where we left off last week. And Pilate, willing to release Jesus, addressed 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 no guilt. Demanding death. I will therefore punish him and release him. This is Pilate's attempt to take a stand. So he reiterates the fact that, listen, he goes back to his original solution. I'll punish him. This is not talking about the scourging of Jesus. We'll get to that in a moment. But I'll punish him and then I'll release him. Certainly, that's got to be good enough because there's nothing in him. That's guilty. He is an innocent man. And yet they wanted Jesus humiliated. They wanted him to be hung out to dry.

They wanted him to hang naked on a cross. They wanted him to be mocked and Despised. They just didn't want him to be punished. They wanted him to suffer greatly. for what he had done. And remember, we told you that it was just that brief moment, that brief interaction, where Pilate would receive a message from his wife, and it would be at that time when the Sanhedrin would turn the entire crowd against Jesus, because our Lord was in complete control of all that was happening. And it's here in Matthew 27, verse number 22, Pilate asks that famous question of the people.

Matthew 27 and verse number 22. Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ? Mark says, What shall I do with Jesus, the king? What should I do with them? And they just kept insistent with loud voices asking that he be crucified. That he be crucified. And if you go back to Matthew 27, it says, And he said, Why? What evil has he done? But they kept shouting all the more, saying, Let him be crucified. And when Pilate saw, that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, I am innocent of this man's blood.

See to that yourselves. What Pilate did is he adopted a Jewish custom based on Deuteronomy 21. And he took their custom and demonstrated it in front of him and of them by washing his hands, proclaiming that he is innocent of all that's taking place. That his verdict of not guilty stands, that he is completely innocent of what they want to do. So he uses their custom on them, and this is their response. They say this in the verse. 2 of Matthew 27. And all the people answered and said, His bl be on us and our children.

His blood be on us and our children. You can be innocent, Pilate, but we'll take the responsibility. His blood be on us. This was the cry of the crowd. Interesting that in the book of Acts, fifth chapter, these words are spoken by the leaders of Israel as Peter and John were arrested. We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name. And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring, listen, this man's blood upon us. Wait a minute. They just cried. That his blood be upon us at the crucifixion.

And now they want to blame Peter and John. For saying that they were guilty of crucifying their Messiah. How quickly they had forgotten what they did. On this Passover Day, some two thousand years ago. And so If you go back to Matthew chapter, I'm sorry, back to verse 24 of Luke 23. You come to the sentencing by Pilot, and Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand should be granted. They released the man they were asking for, who had been thrown to prison for insurrection murder. But he delivered Jesus to their will.

If you read Matthew 27, 26, it says these words. Then he released Barabbas for them, but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered him to be crucified. Mark 15 also speaks of the scourging, and John 19 speaks of the scourging, but Luke does not. And interest that the Bible, speaking of the scourging, never describes the scourging. Never describes it. We know about the scourging because of Roman history. If you've got your Bible, turn to John 19 with me for a moment, please. Because this now picks up the narrative from Luke's gospel and from Matthew's gospel and Mark's gospel.

And John records for us what they do not record for us, that we might get the whole. Phase of what takes place in this third phase of trial number two before Pilate.

It says in verse 1: Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourg him. And sc him. Again, the scourging is not described in the Bible, but from Roman history, we know exactly what takes place. In fact, no Roman citizen could be scourged because it was so brutal. There would be a whip. On the end of that whip would be brass, would be bone, and lead. All intertwined within the straps, designed to rip open the flesh. When a man was scourged, he was scourged 29 times on the back, 10 times on the front.

Because what would happen is that it would actually f the body. It would open up the body. That's why in the psalmists, it says in Psalm 22, verse number 14, I count all my bones. When you were scourged, your bones were laid bare. When you were scourged, your in organs were laid bare. People could see them. Most would not live through this. Most men d before the scourging was completed. But Jesus was scourged. He was beaten. So you need to understand that. Because you need to understand that to understand the picture of what happens in John 19.

So having been scourged, and it goes on to say these words, and the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. And they began to come up to him and say, Hail, king of the Jews, and to give him blows. In the face. Now, if you've been to Israel, you know that in the Antonio Fortress there is etched in stone. What is called the king's game. We know of this because of Philo. He has written extensively about the king's game. Where Roman soldiers would take the prisoner, dress him up like a king, mock him, and beat him crazy.

And etched in stone in the Antonio Fortress in Jerusalem is the work of the king's game that the pilots would, I mean, that the soldiers would play. With Jesus. This is when they would beat him. This is where they beat him. And they would hit him with blows in the face. So, not only was he scourged, after being scourged, dripping with blood, covered with a robe. put a crown of thorns upon his head, two to two and a half to three inch thorns that would dig deep into his skull, cause blood to run down his face He was completely beaten, completely bloodied.

They would still play the game and still blow with blows, hit him in the face. Mark's account says they would take a reed and they would beat him in the face. So, you need to understand this to understand the context of John 19. He is completely bullied. He is completely beaten. This is the silent suffering of the Lamb of God. And then it says this. It says And Pilate came out again and said to them, Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in him. Behold, stand amazed, he says.

I'm going to bring him out to you, so you know I find no guilt in him. Now He's already been beaten beyond recognition. Isaiah 52, verse number 14 says he was marred more than any man. In other words, he was beaten so badly, he was beyond recognition as a man. Very important. Why? Because it says this: Jesus, verse 5, therefore came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate said to him, Behold the man. In other words, stand amazed. This really is a man. Although you can't recognize him as a man, he is just a man.

You must understand this. He's not just has a few little drips of blood coming down his face. He has been beaten with a reed. His face is completely swollen beyond recognition. He has already been scourged. There is blood everywhere. You can see the bones in his back and the ribs. You can see the inner parts of his being because he's been. Ripped apart physically. And Pilate says, Behold, the man. I'm bringing him out to you so you can see how innocent he is, having beaten him beyond recognition.

And then it says, when therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify! Crucify! It wasn't enough that he be beaten beyond recognition. He must die. He must die the horrendous death of crucifixion. And Pilate said to them, These words: Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him. Okay? Verse 4, behold, I find no guilt in him. That's the fourth time he says it. For I find no guilt in him. Verse 6, that is the fifth time that Pilate says, there's nothing about him that's guilty.

He is completely innocent, but he has been beaten beyond recognition. The Jews answered him. We have a law, and by that law he ought to die because he made him out to be the Son of God. There it is. That's the reason they wanted him dead. It wasn't because he was an insurrectionist. It wasn't because he was a rebel. It wasn't because he was a murderer, because he wasn't. He gave life to people. He wasn't there to instigate a riot. He was there as a man, the Prince of Peace, to give life to man. But the reason?

He claimed to be the Son of God. He claims to be our Messiah, and we don't accept him as our Messiah. We refuse him as our Messiah. And that's the real reason. And that's why it says in verse number eight: when Pilate therefore heard this statement, he was the more afraid. Now, to be more afraid, you have to already be what? Afraid. Okay? So he was already afraid. But now he's even more afraid. Afraid of what? Afraid of everything that's going to happen to him. Afraid that he's going to lose his power, afraid of who this man is, because he has no idea who Jesus is.

And he entered into the praetorium again and said to Jesus, Where are you from? Where are you from? Now, Jesus already told them where he was from. He told them earlier in the first phase of the second trial before he went to Herod.

He said in verse number 36, 37. I'm sorry, you say correctly that I am a king. For this, I have been born, and for this I have come into the world. Speaking of his eternality, speaking of his pree. So he's already told them, I was born for this, but for this reason I. Came into this world. And Pilate takes him in. He is beaten beyond recognition. And he asks, Where are you from? Who are you? What is it about you that they just can't stand you? Why do they want you dead? I have beaten you so severely.

You're still hanging on by a thread, and they still want you dead. What is it about you? Where are you from? And verse 10 says, But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I have authority to crucify you? No, he doesn't. Because he had no authority to release him. If he had the authority to release him, he would have already released him because he deemed him innocent, not guilty. But he tries to play this power play with Jesus.

You answer me not. You don't want to respond to me. Don't you know I have the power to release you? I have the power to kill you. And Jesus then responds. He responds: You have no authority over me. Now get this. He is beaten beyond recognition. There is blood everywhere. Okay? His eyes are swollen, his lips are swollen, his nose is swollen, his cheeks are swollen, everything about his face is disfigured. And it's Jesus who says, you have no authority over me. None. Unless it's been granted you. From above.

In other words, from God. In other words, what you're doing to me, you're doing because God has given you the authority. You're beating me is because God has granted you the authority. You have no authority over me unless God grants it to you. And then he says, This. For this reason, he who delivered me up to you has the greater sin. There's a greater sin than Pilate's sin. It's a sin of Judas. It's a sin of the religious leaders. Their sin is greater than Pilate's sin because they should know They have the law.

They have the prophets. They know what the word of God says. Judas was with him for three years. He witnessed everything firsthand. They have the great sin. Because in hell, hell is hell. It's bad. But there are degrees of punishment in hell. And those who have had the opportunity to respond, and those who have seen the work of God and have refused it, will always suffer. More greatly in hell than those who have not. And Pilate's going to suffer, but not nearly as bad as Judas. The Sanhedrin, Caiaphas, those who delivered him up to Pilate.

And then it says. As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar. You can't release him. Because if you do, we're going to Caesar to let him know that you released a man who claims to be a king. And you can't do that. And Pilate knows he can't do that. When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the pavement, but in Hebrew Gabbatha.

Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, Behold your k. And that was the truth. Stand amazed. This man that you cannot recognize is your king. It says, They therefore cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. And Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? And the chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar. What blasphemy! We have no king but Caesar? Are you kidding? You had the king of kings, the lord of lords. What do you mean you had no king but Caesar?

And then that infamous verse, verse number 16. So he then delivered him to them to be Crucified. That is the apex of redemptive history. and he delivered them to be crucified. Everything up to this point has led to that one sim verse. Everything from Genesis all the way through the Gospels has led to this one ver. Everything in the Old Testament led To the redemptive sacrifice of the Lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world. And in one simple verse, it sums up the apex of redemptive history and.

He led them or he gave them to them that he might be crucified. Because everything after this point back to this. Because in the book of Acts, they explain the cross. In the epistles, they apply the cross. And in Revelation, they exalt the cross, the Lamb of God. Who took away the sin of the world. And throughout all eternity, he'll be known as the Lamb of God. Because everything moves from this verse onward. And there you have the trials of Jesus. But you know what's amazing about this? We read this, a portion of this to you last week, in Peter's sermon in Acts chapter 3, after the lame man at the gates was healed.

It says, The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered up and dis in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him, but you dis the holy and right one and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And put to death the Prince of Life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact of which we are witnesses? He says, verse 17, and now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance. Really? You acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also, but the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ.

Should suffer, he has thus fulfilled. In other words, everything that you did in ignorance was all prophesied and has been fulfilled. And this is this. Repent, therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away. You can have what you did. Wiped away. You can be forgiven. The slate can be made clean. What you did in ignorance, what had been prophesied by the prophets of old, you did, and your sin can be wiped away. That's astonishing. The heinous crime. Crucify him! Crucify him! May his blood be upon us and our children!

Kill him! It can all be wiped away. All you got to do is repent. Turn from your sins. And the times of refreshing will come. But all you got to do is turn to Jesus as your Messiah. Because what you did, he came to do. For you. He came to die for you. He came to die that your sins may be forgiven. And that was Peter's m to those people who cried for his death. Isn't that amazing? That there's no sin that you can commit that cannot be wiped away, that cannot be cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. That's what's so amazing about the sacrifice of Christ.

He came to die for those. That's why He could say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they're doing. They have no idea what they're doing. They've missed it all. And he offered forgiveness to all those who would come to him by way of repentance and turn from their sin and follow him. And so Peter says, listen, if you just repent, just turn from your sin, it'll all be wiped away. It'll be cleansed. And some did. In Acts 2, 3,000 were saved. There'd be more that would be saved. Thousands upon thousands of them in the early church were born again and their sins were wiped away because they realized what they had done.

And I wonder today if you've realized your sin. We come to celebrate the Lord's table. And we celebrate it because of what Jesus did. He washed away our sin. And everything that we've studied in Luke for the last eight, going on nine years now.

Has led to this point, and they led him away to be crucified. That's why he came. He came to die for your sins and mine. And we now, who understand that, spend the rest of our lives celebrating his death until he comes again. We celebrate his death until he comes again. Because when he returns, he comes as a mighty warrior, the king of kings and lord of lords. And my question to you is: Have your sins been wiped away? Have you truly came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord? I would pray that would be the case for you.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today, a chance to be in your word, the joy that's there because of the forgiveness of sins. We thank you for a chance to celebrate the Lord's table. What a joy we have because we know our sins are forgiven. In Jesus' name, amen.