On Trial. Easter
3/31/2015 2:12:00 AM
March 29, 2015


On Trial.   (drawn mostly from Luke 22 and 23)

It seems impossible, definitely so unfair, but Jesus was on trial for his life.  'We don't need any more witnesses; we heard all we need to hear,' Caiaphas said, sending Jesus to Pilate, governor of Judah.  They bound him, led him away and handed him over to the governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."  And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation.  He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."  Pilate said,  "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law."

"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.  This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

The Passover celebration was in full swing, and Jerusalem was packed to nearly ten times her normal population; Pilate was in town to keep watch over things.  He was surprised to hear that the Jews were insisting on a meeting with him because they would certainly not enter a Roman building, becoming ceremonially unclean for Passover.  But as Pilate went out, he saw them . . . seventy-plus Jewish elders, surrounding a lone shackled prisoner, whose face was swollen and streaked with dried blood.

Pilate summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?”                                                                                  "Is that your own idea, " Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"                                                                           "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied.  "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me.  What is it you have done?"                                                                                                                            Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place."                                                                       "You are a king, then!" said Pilate.                                                                                                             Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."                                                                                 "What is truth?" Pilate asked.  With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. 

When the chief priests and the elders accused Jesus, he gave no answer. Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor.

This is Jesus' fourth trial, effectively--three religious, and now, the first civil trial.  Jesus speaks little. And some of what he says is confusing; is he trying to be difficult, or are his comments beyond understanding?  Clearly, in this first exchange with Pilate, TRUTH is on the line.   Is Jesus the king of the Jews? Yes, and so much more! 

But in this face-to-face meeting, Pilate is given the opportunity to choose truth, and act on it.  Inside himself, Pilate wants to choose for Jesus, though he is conflicted by Roman politics, and worked-up Jews demanding he does something with this man!   He can see Jesus is not guilty of any crime, and is not a threat to Rome--yet, what to do?  The accusation--"He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place." (Luke 23.5)  Galilee—wait, did someone say Galilee? Jesus was from Galilee? Well, then that was Pilate's answer.  Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee, and was also in Jerusalem for the Passover.  Pilate would pass the buck, and hand Jesus and all the high-powered Jews over to Herod Antipas to handle.

And so Pilate sends Jesus to Herodson of Herod the Great, who bears many similarities to his father [this is the fifth trial of Jesus].  While he has built the capital city of Tiberius and many impressive buildings, he tears down his own life through immoral living.  He is a womanizer and a drunk, donning a royal white robe fringed in gold.  His real interest in Jesus was to get him to do some tricks—perform some kind of miracle—for his pleasure.  Jesus does no such thing, and does not even answer Herod’s accusing questions.  Herod and his men mock Jesus, even putting a royal robe on him, and then Herod sends him back to Pilate.  

How did Jesus, Son of God, God in the flesh stand still and let these vile men mistreat him as they did?  Because he knew his purpose, he knew it was the will of his Father, he knew how much he loved you and me.

Thank You, Jesus.