Old Testament Reading: Psalm 27

“OF DAVID. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 23:1-25

“Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.’ And Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And he answered him, ‘You have said so.’ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no guilt in this man.’ But they were urgent, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.’ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.’ But they all cried out together, ‘Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas’— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ A third time he said to them, ‘Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.’ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.” (Luke 23:1–25, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

Who is Jesus? We confess that Jesus is the Christ, that is to say, the Messiah promised from ancient times. And as it pertains to his person and nature, we confess that he is,

      “the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made.” (Nicene Creed)

Here in the passage that is open before us today, we see Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God incarnate, on trial. It is astonishing to consider. The holy and sinless one was treated like a sinner by sinners. The one through whom all things were created was mocked and abused by his creatures. The one who will sit in judgment over all on the last day was falsely accused, judged, and condemned to death by unjust men. Words cannot express the horrible injustice that was perpetrated by the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Roman Governor, Pilate, and Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee, when they condemned Jesus Christ, the innocent, to death. 

The scene is truly horrific.  But we know, to quote Isaiah the prophet, that “it was the will of the LORD to crush” Jesus. It was the LORD who “put him to grief.” This he did so that his soul would make “an offering for guilt.” God decreed in eternity that, through suffering and death, the Messiah would bear “the sins of many” and that he would “see his offspring” and “prolong his days” through his victorious resurrection from the dead on the third day. Indeed, in fulfillment to this ancient prophecy, the will of the LORD has prospered in his hand. The Messiah, the suffering servant of the LORD, has made many to be accounted righteous, for he has “poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (see Isaiah 53:10–12)

Yes, we acknowledge that it was the will of the LORD that Jesus would be falsely accused, mocked, beaten, unjustly condemned, and crucified. He endured this suffering for us and for our salvation. But in no way does this fact take away from the heinousness of the sins of those who condemned and crucified him. The choices they made were their choices. God, in order to accomplish his eternal purposes in Christ, gave these sinners over to their sinful desires and the freedom of their wills. This is how the Apostle Peter interpreted these events, In Acts 2:22, we hear him preach to his fellow Jews, saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:22–24, ESV). He then proceeds to call these guilty sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus.

Today, we will consider the Son of God on trial. As we do, we must remember, on the one hand, that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the wickedness and lawless actions of those who condemned and killed him.

Jesus Before Pilate

In Luke 23:1, we learn that the Sanhedrin — that judicial council of Israel, made up of 71 leading men, the high priests, elders, and scribes — after deciding that Jesus deserved death, “arose and brought him before Pilate” (Luke 23:1, ESV). Luke tells us that the whole company of them arose and brought Jesus to Pilate. I do not think we should interpret Luke’s words two strictly, for it seems there were at least two members of the Sanhedrin who did not give their consent to the crucifixion of Christ — Joseph of Arimethia (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50; John 19:38), and Nicodemous (John 3:1; John 19:38). Nevertheless, the Sanhedrin brought Jesus to Pilate as a large group.

This is the Pontius Pilate who is mentioned in the Apostles Creed, in the words, “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried…” Pilate was a Roman Governor who had jurisdiction over Judea. The Sanhedrin brought Jesus to him because they, the Jews, being under Roman occupation and control, did not have the authority to put Jesus to death as they wished. 

Notice the accusations that the members of the Sanhedrin brought against Jesus. They were carefully crafted to give Pilate the impression that Jesus was a threat to him and to the peace of the region he governed. The accusations are found in verse 2. There are three of them. “And they began to accuse [Jesus], saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king’” (Luke 23:2, ESV). In brief, the Sanhedrin attempted to convince Pilate that Jesus was a social dissident, a revolutionary, a rebel, and, therefore, a threat to Rome. 

When the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of “misleading their nation”, they meant that he was stirring up trouble amongst the Jewish population. The Greek word translated as “misleading” can mean, to “cause someone to depart from correct behavior and thus engage in serious wrongdoing—‘to lead astray, to pervert, to mislead” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 769). This Jesus is a troublemaker— that was the accusation.  

When the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of “forbidding to give tribute to Caesar”, this was a very serious charge.  As you may know, a refusal to pay taxes is viewed by earthly rulers as an act of rebellion against the nation. It is not an armed rebellion. But rebellion of this kind does often lead to armed rebellion. 

The third charge brought by the Sanhedrin against Jesus was the most serious of all. They accused Jesus of claiming to be “Christ, a king.” Of the three, this charge would have caught Pilates’ attention the most. As a Roman Governor, he could not allow anyone in his jurisdiction to walk around challenging his authority, or the authority that belonged to Caesar. Caesar alone was the king of the nation. All rival kings would have to be put down. 

If these accusations were true, then Pilate would have had legitimate reasons for concern. In fact, if these charges were true, Pilate would have been justified in punishing Jesus. Biblically speaking, civil magistrates, such as Pilate, have been given authority from God to protect their people from harm and to promote peace by punishing evildoers (Luke 23:22; Romans 13:4). Their primary responsibility is to protect the nation they serve, to preserve civil order, and to punish wrongdoers by administering retributive justice. The responsibility that societioes have to administer retributive justice through those appointed to do so,  is implied in the Noahic  Covenant in the words, “From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image’” (Genesis 9:5–6, ESV), and the responsibility that rulers have from God to punish evildoers and to reward those who do good within society is explicitly stated by Paul in Romans 13:1-7: 

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” 

If it was true that Jesus was stirring up trouble within the Roman Empire; if it was true that he refused to pay taxes to Caesar and was encouraging others to do the same; or if it was true that Jesus claimed to be a king who opposed and would rival Caesar, then Pilate would have been right to oppose Jesus and to punish him as a seditious person. But none of these charges were true.

Let’s briefly consider the first charge. Was Jesus misleading the Jewish nation? Was he stirring up trouble in a way that would be of concern to Pilate, the Roman Governor? No. Granted, Jesus was misleading the nation from the vantage point of most who served on the Sanhedrin. Jesus was a big threat to them! If he were the Christ, as he claimed, and if he came to inaugurate a New Covenant and an eternal kingdom, as he claimed, then these men would have been without a job. Their positions of power and prestige would have come to nothing. Jesus was a problem for them! But Jesus was not stirring up trouble politically or civilly for Rome. It is interesting, isn’t it, how little Jesus had to say about Rome? The Roman political system was rife with corruption. The culture was extremely sinful and vile. And yet Jesus hardly said a word about it, for he came to establish something far greater than Rome. The kingdom he came to establish was not in direct opposition to or in competition with Rome, for Christ’s kingdom is a kingdom of a different kind. 

What about the second charge? Did Jesus refuse to pay taxes to Rome and teach others to do the same? No. And the chief priests and scribes knew this wasn’t true. Let me remind you of what we read back in Luke 20:19-20:

“The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on [Jesus] at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, ‘Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?’ But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ‘Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent” (Luke 20:19–26, ESV).

No doubt, these spies reported back to the scribes and the chief priests who sent them with this from answer from Jesus, but that didn’t stop them from bringing this false accusation against Jesus. We found this man forbidding people to give tribute to Caesar, they claimed. This was a boldfaced lie—a false accusation. Jesus paid taxes (Matthew 17:24-27) and he taught others to do the same (Luke 20:19-26; Romans 13:1-7). 

Now, what about the final accusation? Did Jesus claim to be the Christ and a king? Yes, he did. But we must pay careful attention to the kind of King that Christ claimed to be and to the nature of his kingdom. 

The question that Pilate finally asked Jesus intrigues me. Notice, he dismissed the accusations regarding Jesus misleading the nation and teaching others not to pay taxes. He honed in on the accusation that Jesus claimed to be Christ and a king.  “Are you the King of the Jews?”, Pilate asked. I wonder how much Pilate knew about the religion of the Jews and the Old Testament Scriptures, which spoke of a coming Christ and King. My guess is that Pilate was an educated man. He must have known something of the history, culture, religion, and expectations of the people he ruled over, especially by this point in his career (he ruled from AD 26-36). When Pilate heard that Jesus claimed to be the Christ and a king, he asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?” It’s the definite article that intrigues me. “Are you the King of the Jews?” In other words, are you the Christ (the Messiah) who was promised to the Jews long ago, who is also the King, the son promised to King David? Is this your claim? I do wonder how much Pilate knew. 

Luke provides us with a very brief account of the exchange between Jesus and Pilate. “And Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And [Jesus] answered him, ‘You have said so’” (Luke 23:3, ESV). In other words, yes, I am, and you have said it with your own lips (see Matthew 26:25, 64; Luke 22:70). And then in verse 4, Luke informs us that Pilate declared Jesus to be innocent: “Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no guilt in this man’” (Luke 23:4, ESV).

The Apostle John provides us with more detail about the exchange between Jesus and Pilate. And the details found in John’s Gospel help us to understand why Pilate was not threatened by Jesus’ claim to be the Christ, the King of the Jews. In John 18:28, we read: 

“Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters [I suppose they went back to Caiaphas’ courtyard after condemning Jesus in their chamber, The Chamber Of Hewn Stones]. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover [the Feast of Unleavened Bread, see Leviticus 23:4-8; Ezra 6:22; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1]. So Pilate went outside to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ They answered him, ‘If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.’ The Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.’ This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’ After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, ‘I find no guilt in him’” (John 18:28–38, ESV).

It is important to note that Pilate said, “I find no guilt in this man”, not once, not twice, but three times. We will eventually come to the other two occurrences in verses 14 and 22. Pilate found no guilt in Jesus. Yes, to his great guilt and shame, he would eventually hand Jesus over to be crucified, being pressured by the Jews to do so. But at first, he declared Jesus innocent, and this is important Pilate was at least somewhat concerned about justice. For a time, he fought for it! But these unbelieving Jews, these offspring of Abraham, these children of the Old Covenant, were not concerned with justice. They were power-hungry and bloodthirsty. Verse 5: “But they were urgent [fierce, and persistent], saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee [in the north] even to this place [in Jerusalem]’” (Luke 23:5, ESV).

Conclusion Application

We will pick up the story of the trial, condemnation, and crucifixion of our precious Savior next Sunday. I’d like to conclude this sermon with a few contemplations and suggestions for application. I’ll begin with the most important applications and conclude with some finer points.  

First of all, I wish to repeat something I said last Sunday. Do not forget who Christ is and from where he came. Never cease to marvel over the mystery of the incarnation. Never cease to be amazed at the suffering endured by the eternal Son of God through the human nature he assumed. The divine nature cannot suffer, for God is unchangeable. But the person of the eternal Son of God did suffer through the human nature he assumed. He came down from heaven to suffer (Philippians 2), and in this way, to redeem us from our sin and misery (Luke 24:25, 46; Acts 3:18, 17:3, 26:23) . Yes, the physical pain that Christ endured on the cross was great. But do not forget the suffering he endured from the time of his birth, and leading up to the cross. To not forget about the suffering he endured when he was betrayed, denied, falsely accused, mocked, and unjustly condemned by perverse and sinful men. As you contemplate the sufferings of Christ, think of how great the love of God is for sinners like you and me. Think of how merciful, gracious, and kind God is that he would even think of us (Psalm 8:4), much less,  provide for our salvation in this way. As you contemplate the mystery of the incarnation and God’s superabundant love, be moved to worship and adore God and the Christ he has sent. 

Two, as you consider the Son of God on trial, the false accusations that were leveled against him, and the mistreatment he endured, take comfort in the fact that you have a Savior and High Priest who is able to sympathize with you whenever you endure similar things. This is what the writer of Hebrews reminds us of in these famous words: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15–16, ESV). If our Lord and Savior was betrayed, denied, falsely accused, mocked, and unjustly treated, then why are we surprised when we experience similar mistreatment as we sojourn in this sin-sick world? Christ has warned his disciples that if the world hated and . Paul speaks of “sharing in the sufferings of Christ” (Philippians 3:10). In fact, he commands his young protege, Timothy, to be prepared to do so. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3, ESV), he says. And little later in the same letter he says, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5, ESV). Dear Christian, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be prepared to suffer as Christ suffered. Dear fellow minister, we must be prepared to endure mistreatment in our Christian ministry. And the way in which we suffer and endure mistreatment matters greatly. When a worldly-minded, sensual, fleshly person is mistreated, they will often lash out in anger and rage. But when a Christian is unjustly treated, they are to respond like Jesus. 

Peter reminds us of this in his epistle, saying, “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:19–24, ESV). Dear brothers and sisters, do not only prepare yourselves to apply this principle in the future, should times of persecution come upon the church. Apply it now. When your wife speaks rudely to you, behave like Jesus. When your child talks back, behave like Jesus. When your boss is harsh and unjustly critical, behave like Jesus. Enduring mistreatment in a Christlike way does not mean that we always remain silent, or that we must never defend ourselves, or remove ourselves from a situation. We are to act with wisdom, dear brothers and sisters. Sometimes wisdom dictates that we speak up (Proverbs 26:5), and sometimes it is wise to remain silent(Proverbs 26:4 ). Whatever the proper course of action is, we must act with Christlike character. Hear the Apostle again. When Christ suffered unjust treatment, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly”, that is to say, to God. 

Three, as you reflect upon the trial, condemnation, and crucifixion of Jesus, take special notice of his innocence of Jesus. Three times Pilate said, I find no guilt in this man (Luke 23:4, 14, 22). Jesus was innocent. He stood innocent before the Romans. He stood innocent before the law of Moses. And he stood innocent before God. And yet he died the death of a vile sinner. He, an innocent, pure, and perfectly holy man, died in the place of sinners to redeem us from our sin and misery. The Apostle reflects on this in Hebrews 7:26-27, saying, “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (Hebrews 7:26–27, ESV). When Jesus died, he actually made atonement for sin, and the atonement he made was substitutionary. He died in the place of sinners, the innocent one for the guilty. We will talk more about substitutionary atonement in the weeks to come. For now, pay special attention to Jesus’ innocence. The very gospel of Jesus Christ and your salvation in him depend on it. If Jesus was not innocent, he could not save us from the guilt of sin.  

Four, let us learn from the sins of the Sanhedrin and tremble at the thought of living for our own glory, pride, and pleasure, being willing to pervert justice and to bear false witness against our neighbor, to advance our own cause in the world, as these men did. What these men did was demonic. If you think these words are too strong, you’ll have to take it up with Jesus, for Christ spoke of them in this way, saying, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44, ESV). The Sanhedrin— pay careful attention to this—murdered Jesus, not with their hands, but with their lips. I doubt the members of the Sanhedrin ever touched Jesus. Others touched Jesus to detain him. Others beat him. Others would drive the nails through his hands and feet. But the sin of the Sanhedrin was greater (John 19:11). Though their hands were clean, their tongues were vile, being used to utter false accusations and slanderous lies that led to the murder of the Christ. The members of the Sanhedrin violated the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), by violating the ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16, ESV). Brothers and sisters, do not excuse the sins you commit with the mouth—such as harshness of speach (Proverbs 12:18, 15:4), lying, slander, and gossip—as insignificant. They are not insignificant sins! They are dishonoring to God and they do great damage to others! Just look at heinous things done to Jesus, all stirred up by the slanderous lies of the Sanhedrin. Brothers and sisters, honor God and love your neighbor with the words of your mouth. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:5–10, ESV).

My fifth and final point of application has to do with the Lordship of Christ. The Sanhedrin knew that they Jesus claimed to be Christ and king, and they wanted to kill him for it. Pilate understood that Christ claimed to be the king of the Jews—the king of a kingdom not of this world—and he dismissed his claims. What will you do with King Jesus? Salvation will come only to those who bow the knee to him to honor him as Lord and King. As Paul says, “[I]f you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” (Romans 10:9–12, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 2

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’” (Psalm 2, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:63-71

“Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’ But he said to them, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ So they all said, ‘Are you the Son of God, then?’ And he said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.’” (Luke 22:63–71, ESV)

*****

Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

Here in this portion of Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus descend into the darkness of suffering and death alone. Of course, God was with him, but he alone suffered and died for us and for our salvation. 

To be clear, the descent of Jesus into suffering did not begin here. We confess that it began when the eternal Son of God became incarnate, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (see The Apostles Creed). 

The Apostle Paul helps us to see this when he says that although Jesus “was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8, ESV). The humiliation of Jesus began at the incarnation. 

The Nicene Creed also traces the beginning of Jesus’ descent back to his miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In this creed we confess to believe,  

“…in one Lord Jesus Christ,

      the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made.

      For us and for our salvation

           he came down from heaven;

           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

           and was made human.

           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;

           he suffered and was buried.”

When did the humiliation of Jesus begin? Not when he was betrayed, denied, arrested, falsely charged, mocked, beaten, crucified, and buried, but when he was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, for he is the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

To fully appreciate the text that is open before us today, we must remember who Jesus is and where he came from. If Jesus were nothing more than a holy and honorable man, we would be repulsed by the terrible treatment he endured at the hands of these corrupt sinners. But when we consider that he is no mere man, but God with us (Matthew 1:23), we will see that the unjust treatment he endured was blasphemous and unspeakably horrendous.

Jesus Mocked And Beaten By His Captors

Jesus was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody late at night after the Passover had been celebrated. No doubt, he was immediately interrogated by the High Priests and other leading men within Israel. The other Gospel writers tell us of this initial interrogation (Mark 14:53, Matthew 26:57, John 18:19). Luke implies that an initial interrogation took place in 22:54, in the words, “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance” (Luke 22:54, ESV). Interestingly, the other Gospels place Peter’s denial of Christ after his interrogation by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Luke tells us that Peter denied Jesus before an interrogation. The solution is simple: Jesus was interrogated by this group of men twice, once late at night in the courtyard og the High Priest (Luke mentions this in passing in 22:54) and then again at daybreak (Luke tells us of this interrogation 22:66-51).

After the initial, late-night interrogation and after Peter denied Christ three times, Jesus was kept in custody. Think of this for a moment—the eternal Son of God, the one through whom the heavens and earth were made, was kept in custody by sinful men. Worse yet, Luke tells us that “the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him” (Luke 22:63–65, ESV). To blaspheme is to revile or defame one’s name. In this moment, these men thought they were reviling a mere man—a false prophet, perhaps, or one who was guilty of blasphemy himself—but cloaked within the humble, human form of Jesus was the person of the eternal Son of God. No doubt, these men did not know what they were doing. 

Consider, dear brothers and sisters, the love of God for sinners. Consider how merciful he is. Consider his restraint. Consider the humility of Jesus. That he, the eternally generated Son of God, would humble himself by taking to himself a true human nature is astonishing. But that he, for us and for our salvation, would subject himself to such mistreatment at the hands of sinful men, is mind-boggling. Such humility, restraint, self-sacrifice, and love are difficult to comprehend. 

Jesus Tried By Sinful Men

The men who held Jesus captive were military men (see John 18:3). But when the sun rose,

Luke tells us that “the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council…” (Luke 22:66, ESV). This is a reference to the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial council within Judaism at the time. This council was made up of 71 members— scribes, elders, and the high priest. Except for the Sabbath and festival days, the Sanhedrin would meet daily to hear cases. Though they would occasionally meet in the courtyard of the high priest’s home (Luke 22:54), their official meeting place, which was called The Chamber of Hewn Stones, was located in the temple complex in Jerusalem. One Encyclodidia of the Bible says, “The Sanhedrin sat in semicircular rows so that members could view one another. Two clerks sat at either end taking notes and recording votes. Facing the assembly sat three rows of students who were usually disciples of leading scribes. The accused stood in the middle facing the elders. He was required to show abject humility… (Antiq. 14.9.4)” (Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Sanhedrin,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1904.) This was the council that Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate, stood before.

As I said before, when we compare the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it appears to me that Jesus stood before this council twice. Once at night, when they were gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, and then again in the morning. Matthew tells us that when Jesus appeared before the council at night, witnesses were called, but none of the accusations stuck. Perhaps this second trial was called because cases carrying the death penalty were supposed to be conducted during the daytime for the sake of transparency. To be clear, the Jews, being under Roman occupation, did not have the authority to put Jesus to death on their own. They would need the Romans to do it. This is why they would soon send Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor (Luke 23:1-5; 18-25). But the Sanhedrin clearly wanted to put Jesus to death (see Matthew 26:66, Mark 14:64), and it was because they were aiming for the death penalty that they brought Jesus before their council in daytime. This trial, which was held in the morning, was an abbreviated version of the one that was held the night before. No witnesses were called. Instead, the council picked up where it left off the night before, and spoke to Jesus very directly, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV).

As you may know, “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. Both of these words mean “anointed one”. For many centuries, the Jewish people were looking forward to the arrival of the promised Messiah (or Christ), that is, the Holy Spirit-anointed Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom. 

When Jesus was born into the world, he was said to be the Christ (Luke 2:11, 26). When John the Baptist was ministering, the people wondered if he was the Christ. He said he was not and pointed to Jesus instead (Luke 3:15). Even the demons knew and confessed that Jesus was the Christ (Luke 4:41). When Jesus asked Peter, the leader of the twelve Apostles, who do you all say that I am, Peter made a good confession, sayin, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). And finally, Jesus was clear that he knew himself to be the Christ, the son of King David, who is also King David’s Lord (Luke 20:41-44). All of this talk that we find in Luke’s Gospel about Jesus being the promised Messiah, or Christ, really comes to a head text as Jesus stands before the Sanhedrin. 

Think of it. Though a promise concerning the arrival of a Savior was made even to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15), and though that promise was entrusted to and elaborated upon amongst the elect of God who lived from Adam to Abraham (Genesis 6:8; 14:18), beginning with Abraham, it was to the Hebrew people (the Jews) that the promises concerning a coming Savior were given. The promises, prophecies, types, and shadows that pointed forward to the Messiah and his eternal kingdom grew in number and in clarity with the passing of time. Things accelerated greatly in the days of Moses when the Hebrews began to be formed into a nation. Things accelerated greatly again in the days of King David when the nation of Israel became an established kingdom. Of all the nations of the earth, Israel was God’s chosen people, and to them the promises of God concerning the Messiah were entrusted. Paul the Apostle (a Hebrew himself) reflects on the privileged position of the Israelites in Romans 9:4, saying, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4–5, ESV).

I remind you of this history so that you might fully appreciate the significance of this moment that we are now considering. Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial council of the nation of Israel. The two high priests were there. There were two—Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annas— because of political turmoil. In those days, high priests were installed and removed by Roman rulers. Though this is not recorded in the Bible, the tradition is that the Romans had deposed Annas and made Caiaphas the high priest. Officially, Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, was the high priest during Jesus’ ministry, but Annas, the former high priest, still held significant power and was still called a high priest (John 18:13). Both were involved in the trial of Jesus. And the elders (the leading men of the nation) and the scribes (the leading scholars) were also there. So then, there is a sense in which Jesus was standing trial before Israel through their leaders and representatives. And notice what they said to him. “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV).

This really is the central question, isn’t it? If Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited, Holy Spirit-anointed,  Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom, then these men (and all men) must bow the knee to him, to confess him as Lord and King, to trust him, and pledge their allegiance to him. But if he is not, these men (and all men) would be right to dismiss and condemn him as a false prophet, an impotent priest, and an imposter king. Indeed, if Jesus were not the Christ, then he would be guilty of blasphemy, just as they claimed.   

“If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV), said the Sanhedrin. Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer” (Luke 22:67–68, ESV). Jesus knew that the hearts of these men were cold and hard. He knew that what they loved above all was their worldly power and prestige. He knew that they would never risk losing the earthly power they had and the temporal pleasures they enjoyed by bowing the knee to him. And so he spoke the truth to them, saying, “If I tell you [that I am the [Christ], you will not believe, and if I ask you [questions to prove that I am he], you will not answer.” And he was right about that, as we will soon see. 

Jesus then proceeded to answer their question, saying, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). 

I love the way that Jesus answers questions as recorded for us in the Gospels. He is not always direct, is he? What would be the direct answer to the question, Are you the Christ? The direct answer from Jesus would be, Yes, I am. But Jesus did not give a direct answer to his accusers. 

And to be clear, Jesus refused to answer directly, not to be evasive, but to give his audience more than they were asking for, and to force them to say things with their own lips that they would not otherwise say. 

“If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV). Jesus replied, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). There is a lot of information packed into this single sentence. 

When Jesus said, “From now on…” he directed the attention of his accusers to the future. At present, Jesus was near the lowest point in his descent into suffering and death. No doubt, from a worldly perspective, Jesus seemed to be a nobody to these powerful and wealthy aristocratic rulers. But in the not-too-distant future, things would change, and so Christ said, “From now on…” 

The phrase, “the Son of Man,” is loaded with meaning. It was Jesus’ favorite title for himself in the days of his earthly ministry. On the one hand, the title “Son of Man” emphasizes Jesus’ true humanity and his humility. But on the other hand, it is a Messianic title and one that is used to communicate that the Messiah would one day be exalted to the right hand of God Almighty to be given everlasting dominion, power, and authority, 

The key Old Testament text is Daniel 7:13-14. There, the prophet Daniel says, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV).

The members of the Sanhedin knew this passage well. They knew it was about the Messiah (or Christ) and the dominion that he would be given. Therefore, when they spoke to Jesus, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV), and he replied, saying, “But from now on the Son of Man…”, the meaning was clear. Jesus was claiming to be the Son of Man of Daniel 7.

The words “shall be seated” are also filled with meaning. This is enthronement language. Kings, when coronated, are seated on their throne. This is also judgmental language. Kings and those in authority judge while seated. Indeed, the members of the Sanhedrin were at this moment seated in their chamber. They sat as rulers and judges while Jesus stood before them, accused and soon to be condemned. But in the not-too-distant future, the Son of Man would be seated on his throne as ruler and judge over all. 

And where would Jesus, the Son of Man, be seated? Not on an earthly throne or amongst the members of the Sanhedrin, but in heaven “at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). This phrase, “at the right hand of the power of God”, reminds us of Daniel 7, which has already been read. It also reminds us of Psalm 110. Like Daniel 7, this Psalm speaks of the enthronement of the Messiah on his heavenly throne. Certainly, when Jesus spoke of being seated “at the right hand of the power of God”, this Psalm would have immediately come into the minds of his hearers:

“A PSALM OF DAVID. The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.” (Psalm 110, ESV)

Can you see how Jesus’ indirect answer gave his audience more than they were asking for? By answering, not with a simple yes, but with the phrase, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God”, he reminded his audience of those Old Testament passages that speak of the exaltation of the Messiah to the Father’s right hand, and to his entronement, everlasting dominion, and authority to judge. 

As I have said, Jesus’ indirect answer also prompted his accusers to say things with their own lips that they would not otherwise say. In verse 70, we find the response of the Sanhedrin: “So they all said, ‘Are you the Son of God, then?’” (Luke 22:70, ESV).

This response shows that the members of the Sanhedrin were not ignorant of what the Scriptures say concerning the coming Messiah. They knew that the Messiah would not only be the Son of Man (in fulfilment of Daniel 7) but that he would also be the Son of God, for this is what is revealed in another Messianic enthronement Psalm, namely Psalm 2. It was read earlier. I’d like you to listen to it again and imagine it being in the minds of the members of the Sanhedrin with Jesus standing before them, claiming to be the one to whom it points.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2, ESV).

The men who sat on the Sanhedrin were wicked and foolish men, but they were not stupid. They knew the Old Testament Scriptures very well, and so they understood what Jesus was claiming when he said, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). They knew he was claiming to be the anointed King who would be enthroned in heaven, and so this prompted them to ask if he thought himself to be the Son of God mentioned in the most famous enthronement passage of all (Psalm 2). “Are you the Son of God, then?” they asked. Jesus’ reply: “You say that I am” (Luke 22:70, ESV).

It’s difficult to know what these Jews believed concerning the nature of the Son of God mentioned in Psalm 2. Did they believe that the Son of God of Psalm 2 was the second person (or subsistence) of the Triune God, “begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father”, through whom all things were made (Nicene Creed)? I’m not sure how orthodox they were when it came to their doctrine of the Triune God. My guess is that they were deficient in their understanding. Nevertheless, they believed that when Christ claimed to be the Son of God, it was blasphemous and deserving of death (for more on Jesus as the eternally begotten Son of God, see John 1:1-14, 1:34, 1:49, 3:18, 5:25, 10:36, 11:4, 11:27, 19:7, 20:31). 

In verse 71 we hear the Sanhedrin say, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips” (Luke 22:71, ESV). From there, they proceed to seek Jesus’ execution by way of crucifixion at the hands of the Romans.  

Conclusion

I’ll conclude with a few suggestions for further contemplation and application.

First, I would encourage you, dear brothers and sisters, to never grow tired of contemplating the mystery of the incarnation. As we consider the pronounced sufferings of Jesus, the Son of Man, in the weeks to come, do not forget who Jesus is and from where he came.  He is the Son of God, “begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.” 

Secondly, as we contemplate the divine person and nature of Jesus, it should lead us to marvel all the more concerning the sufferings he willingly endured for us in the human nature he assumed for us and for our salvation.  Oh, how deep and rich is the love of God shown to sinners. How merciful, gracious, and kind he is to redeem us from our sin and misery through the shed blood of the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

Thirdly, and you contemplate the humiliation of Jesus, the Son, do not forget about his exaltation and session at the Father’s right hand.  As Paul says, “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10, ESV). You do not trust in a dead Savior, but the one who was raised from the dead. You do not serve a weak and lowly Savior, but one who has ascended and is now seated at the right hand of God “in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20–21, ESV). Christ Jesus is worthy to receive your trust, your worship, and obedience. 

Fourthly, as you consider the risen, ascended, and enthroned Christ, do not forget that from there he will return to judge all people and nations and to make all things new. Obey Psalm 2, therefore. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV). The kiss that you are to place on the cheek of the Son is not like the kiss of betrayal that Judas delivered, but a kiss of love, of friendship, of trust, and of allegiance. Kiss the Son to take refuge in him under his sovereign rule and supreme authority. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Fifthly, as you look forward to the return of Christ, know for certain that he has the power to save you to the uttermost. The Apostle John speaks of Christ and the salvation that comes to all who trust in him, saying, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9–13, ESV).