This is the second part of Jesus being questioned before Pilate, but as we saw last week, Pilate is really the one on trial. We explored his character (he has none), his conversation with Jesus (“What is truth?”), his compromise (in releasing Barabbas), and because he is completely on auto-Pilate, it all leads to his ultimate collapse. There is a full cast of characters in this courtroom drama (which I almost called “No Law or Order”) and then we will try to make some application for us at the end.
I. The before Herod (Luke 23:4-12)
II. The of Pilate (1-8)
III. The of Claudia (Matthew 27:19)
IV. The of Providence (9-11)
V. The of the Crowd (12-16)
There were not even two witnesses that could agree on His crime, but there were at least seven witnesses who declared His innocence.
– Pilate declared three times, “…I find no guilt in Him.”
– Herod found Him blameless, as recorded in Luke 23:15, saying, “nothing deserving death has been done by Him.”
– Pilate’s wife said, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man…”
– The dying thief said in Luke 23:41, “…we indeed [are dying] justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
– The centurion in charge of the crucifixion said in Luke 23:47 “Certainly this man was innocent.”
– The crowd, who had come to sneer and mock, after seeing the darkness and feeling the tremors of the earthquake, said in Matthew 27:54 “Truly this was the Son of God!”
– Judas took his thirty pieces of blood money and threw them on the floor before the religious leaders, and said in Matthew 27:44 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
VI. The for Today