“Live From Jerusalem: The Trials”
Luke 22:66-23:25

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Lent Service IV—March 10, 2021

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The theme of the meditations for our Lent services this year is “Live from Jerusalem,” looking at the events of Holy Week as if we were watching them on a high definition, big screen TV.  This evening’s Gospel Reading is as a courtroom drama, divided into four episodes, in three different courts.

Episode I—The Sanhedrin

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. . .  They all asked, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ He replied, ‘You are right in saying I am.’  Then they said, ‘Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.’”

The Gospels very accurately reflect to amazing degree the nuances of the judicial system under which Jesus was tried.  He began with the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, 70 elders of Israel presided over by the high priest who were allowed by the Romans to consider cases which involved violations of Jewish law.

Jesus was actually tried by the Sanhedrin the night before.  So, why this second meeting which Luke tells us was “at daybreak.”  This is an example of the amazing accuracy of the Gospels.  Because, the Sanhedrin’s own rules actually forbid them from conducting a trial at night.  So, the first trial before them during the dark hours between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday had actually been illegal.  That trial had been a kangaroo court, a sham proceeding with the guilty verdict already decided.  But, because that session had been conducted illegally, at night, Luke accurately reports that to maintain the appearance of propriety they now had to meet again for a quick rump session “at daybreak,” to ratify the illegal proceedings of the night before.

Episode II—Pontius Pilate, Scene One

“Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.”  Luke reports the illegal trial before the Sanhedrin the night before, like a court reporting giving us a transcript:

“The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’  ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. . .  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy!  Why do we need any more witnesses?  Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?’ They answered, ‘He is worthy of death.’”

So, the fateful decision had been reached.  As John reports them later telling Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

But, there was a legal snag.  They could not carry out the death sentence, because, we know from other historical sources, that the Romans occupying their country had recently reserved the power of execution to themselves alone.  That is why they had to involve the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  Only he could carry out the death sentence.  As Jesus had predicted, “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.”  So, once again the Gospels very accurately reflect this newly enacted rule that only the Roman governor could carry out a crucifixion.

That is why early the next morning they led him to the palace of Pontius Pilate and accused him not of blasphemy but of serious crimes against the Roman Empire.  “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar.”  They know exactly which buttons to push to get the Roman governor’s attention.  In their indictment they charge Jesus with the two most heinous crimes from the Roman Empire’s perspective: Opposing payment of taxes, and claiming to be a king in opposition to Caesar.

“So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man.’”

Throughout this drama Pontius Pilate consistently declares Jesus not guilty and tries legal maneuvers to set Jesus free.  He interviews Jesus, who tells him, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  Pilate concludes that he is nothing more than a rabbi with religious views about a spiritual kingdom, views which threaten not the power of Caesar but of the chief priests and ruling council who are accusing him.  Pilate sees right through their trumped up charges for what they are: An attempt to get him to do their dirty work and eliminate this unorthodox rabbi for them.  And so Pilate issues a summary judgment of not guilty and dismisses the case.  But the prosecution files an appeal.

Episode III—Herod Antipas

“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.”  When the prosecution appeals Pilate’s summary judgment, he tries another legal maneuver to set Jesus free: change of venue.

“Herod asked Jesus 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.”  Herod Antipas is the second character in this drama to find Jesus not guilty, and again Pilate declares Jesus innocent.

Episode IV—Pontius Pilate, Scene Two

“Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.’”   

Although Jesus is actually not guilty of anything, Pilate tries another legal maneuver to set him free: a governor’s pardon.  “Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.  At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.  So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ . . .  With one voice they cried out, ‘Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!’”

The release of the guilty Barabbas in place of the innocent Jesus is really symbolic of what Jesus did for all of humanity, for you and me.  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.”  We who are guilty, who deserve condemnation in the court of divine justice, who deserve everlasting punishment in the prison of hell, have like Barabbas been pardoned and set free because Jesus was condemned and crucified in our place.

“Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’  For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.’  But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.”

Why would Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, give in to the demands of an angry mob?  Again the Gospels very accurately reflect the actual historic circumstances.  First of all, we know from historical sources outside the Bible that there had been a riots Pilate’s jurisdiction, and he was on notice from Rome that if could not keep order any more such disturbances would lead to his dismissal as governor, which is actually what happened just a few years later.  So, it is very significant when Matthew tells us, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead a riot 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!’”

In addition to his fear of riot starting, John’s account tells us the second reason why Pilate would give in to the angry mob crying, “Crucify him!”  “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’  When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat.”

As a Roman governor Pontius Pilate was part of an elite group known as the amici Caesarii, the “friends of Caesar.”  Members of this club were given a special ring with Caesar’s insignia.  If you were kicked out of the amici Caesarii, your ring was taken away, and it was expected that you would kill yourself.  What the Jews were threatening was writing a letter to Emperor Tiberius accusing Pilate of treason, supporting a rival king.  That would mean the end of Pilate’s membership in the amici Caesarii, the end of his career, and the end of his life.  “‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar’ . . .  When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat.”

Jesus was never convicted of any crime.  His trial before the Sanhedrin was itself illegal; Pontius Pilate officially declares him innocent.  So, why was Jesus crucified?  He suffered for us the punishment we deserve. 

Our sermon hymn says, “The deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that justice gave.”  Although from an earthly perspective “The Trials” of Jesus were a gross injustice, from God’s perspective they were the ultimate meting out of divine justice.  For, he was condemned and crucified for our transgressions, as Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.”