Walking with Jesus

Walking with Jesus to His Crucifixion and His Glorious Resurrection               

Part 2  Hearings and Mock Trials                  

I.                    Introduction:  Last week we started studying events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  We began this walk with Jesus at a feast in the town of Bethany.  Here a woman named Mary, anointed Jesus body with costly ointment.  Judas Iscariot and Jesus other disciples criticized her anointing with costly ointment as a waste of money.  Jesus defended her act of worship and said this anointing was for his burial.

While some were at the feast, chief priests, scribes and elders were assembled in another place plotting to kill Jesus.  Later Judas Iscariot would meet with them and agree to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Following the feast Jesus went to Jerusalem where the common people were ready to receive Jesus as their king.  In fulfillment of prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 Jesus rode humbly into Jerusalem upon a donkey, and a colt, or young donkey.  The common people laid their clothing and palm branches on the pathway before Jesus in honor to Jesus.  They called out, “Hosanna in the highest blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  By calling, “Hosanna,” they were calling out to Jesus to be their earthly king and to deliver them from their earthly problems.  This was not Gods plan.  God’s plan was that Jesus first die for their sins to saved them from their spiritual problems. 

Following this Jesus disciples prepared a Passover feast and celebrated Passover with the Lord.  It was here at this Passover feast that Jesus first instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper or Communion.  Jesus broke and distributed the unleavened bread among the disciples, saying the bread was His body which would be broken on the cross for our sins.  He also took the cup, containing the fruit of the vine, pure unfermented grape juice, that was representative of His sinless blood shed on behalf of sinful men.  This is done in remembrance of Christ and His sacrifice for our sins till He come.  

Our walk with Jesus, took us next to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Here Jesus prayed in agony 3 times while his disciples slept.  He prayed “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:  nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”  Thus, Jesus yielded to this most difficult assignment of His heavenly Father—taking all of the sins of mankind upon Himself and being separated from God the Father for the first time ever, because of our sin.

Following Jesus prayer, Judas Iscariot along with soldiers entered the garden.  In the cover of night, Judas Iscariot does his work of deceit and betrayal.  With pretended gestures of obedience and love, Judas Iscariot calls out to Jesus “Hail, Master: and kisses Jesus thus betraying Jesus into the hands of sinful men.  We look on these terrible acts of deceit and betrayal by Judas and see them as truly offensive, but do we see the terribleness of our own acts of deceit and betrayal toward Jesus?

I.                   Proposition:  Today, as we continue our walk with Jesus toward His crucifixion and glorious resurrection, let us examine ourselves and our own relationship with Jesus.  Let us not criticize and focus on failures of others.  STAND AND PRAY.

II.                 Transition:  Following the betrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was taken by night for a mock hearing before Caiaphas the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, a council composed of Jewish religious leaders.

III.              Body: 

A.     Let’s now read Matthew’s account of Jesus mock hearing before the high priest Caiaphas and the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin in Matthew 26:57-68.  In this account we read that they sought out false witnesses to testify against Christ, and they attempted to catch Jesus in His words so they could accuse Him of blasphemy.  Blasphemy is saying sinful things against God.    This was clearly not a fair and just hearing.  It was only designed to falsely accuse Jesus.  They spit on Him.  They buffeted Him and hit Him with their hands and mocked Him.

          Notice what Peter did while all of this is happening.  Verse 58 reads, “But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.”  By following afar off He shows Peter did not want people to know he was with Jesus.  When he arrived at the high priest’s office “he sat with the servants” as a mere spectator.  He wanted to see what would happen, but was fearful to be in the front of the crowd in full support of Jesus.  Support for Jesus in this place was near zero.  It was not a popular position among these people.  But before we become too critical of Peter, we must ask ourselves, “Am I afraid to let people know I’m with Jesus?”  Do I speak up for Jesus, when it is unpopular?  Or am I ashamed and try to be cool or fit in with those who do not love God?

B.     Read Matthew’s account of Peter’s denial in Matthew 26:69-75. Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane, had said to Jesus out of a heart full of love and devotion, in verse 33, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet shall I never be offended.”  But Jesus who is the all-knowing God who knows the hearts of men, correctly prophesied of Peter, “That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice…”  Peter’s actions of denial of Christ seem almost unthinkable.  But we must examine ourselves.  How quickly our hearts turn from fervor and devotion toward God to failure and denial of God.

As sad as this account of Peter’s denial of his Lord is, we see in Peter evidence of true faith in and love for Christ.  For when Peter sinned he could not think lightly of his sin as though nothing happened, but Matthew 26:75 tells us when “Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice,” he was brought to shame and repentance from his sin.  “And he went out and wept bitterly.”  Many of us are much like Peter.  One moment fervent in our expression of love for God, and the next moment failing.  But also like Peter, the true believer cannot take his sin lightly, but find it grievous and something that must be repented from.

C.      Let’s read the most detailed account of Jesus daytime trial before the Jewish council of elders, scribes, and chief priests called the Sanhedrin in Luke 22:66-71. Read.  The intent of this Jewish council’s questioning was to get Jesus to say, He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God.  If He said these things they would charge Him with blasphemy—that is saying something sinful against God.  The final intent of their so called trial is found in Matthew 27:1-2.  Read.  The people took council to bring Him to death.  This trial was by the religious Jewish council.  Next they bound Jesus and led Him away to be tried by Pontius Pilate, the governor appointed by the Roman Empire which had political rule over this region at this time.

D.    While this was happening we read of Judas the betrayer of Jesus in Matthew 27:3-10.  Read.  When Judas realized that condemnation of Jesus would go through, Scripture says, “he repented himself.”  Judas changed his mind and tried to return the 30 pieces of silver which he received for betrayal of Jesus.  When the priest refused the money, Judas cast it down on the temple floor, and leaving in despair over his sin, went and hanged himself.  The tragedy we see here is that Judas only renounced his sin and turned from it, but he still felt the weight of its guilt.  He did not turn to Christ and find forgiveness.  As a result of his hardness to God, he turned to grief and despair, and finally to self-destruction and condemnation by God.  We must learn a lesson from the erroneous course of Judas.  We must understand that turning from sin is not sufficient to alleviate guilt.  Instead one must turn to Christ for forgiveness. 

IV.               Conclusion:  God does not want us to live in grief and despair that ends in self-destruction and condemnation because of our sin.  He wants us to know forgiveness.  To obtain that forgiveness for us He paid the supreme sacrifice of the death of His sinless Son.  Christ’s death paid the price of forgiveness for us.  Now, He offers that forgiveness to you as a gift.  Will you receive it today?