Sermon #85                                                                  Series: Matthew

 

            Title:                THE TRIAL OF OUR LORD

            Text:                Matthew 27:11-26

            Readings:        Office: Lindsay Campbell     Aud. Mark Henson

            Subject:           Christ’s Trial Before Pilate

            Date:               Tuesday Evening - June 11, 1996

            Tape # S-63

 

Introduction:

 

            Our text present us with a very strange event. Here the Judge of all the earth stands to be judged of wicked men! He that shall soon judge the world in righteousness is judged most unrighteously. He that shall one day set upon the throne of judgment with ten thousands of his saints and angels, stands as a prisoner before the bar of men. Never in the pages of history was justice so violently and deliberately abused. The Son of God is denied the rights of justice given to a common thief or murderer. Before one witness is produced to testify against him, before any evidence is weighed, the Lord of glory was beaten, mocked, stripped, and abused by the vile hatred of men. Who can comprehend the depths of humiliation endured by the God-man? That one “Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God,” now “Made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, ever the death of the cross.”

 

            My subject is The Trial of Our Lord. Judas made good on his bargain to betray our Lord. No sooner did he kiss the Savior than the high priests had his hands bound and led him away. These wolves of the night thirst and long to be sucking the blood of the Lamb of God. Their revenge and malice would not allow any delay. They could not sleep until they had his precious, innocent blood. Therefore, they resolved to kill him as soon as possible. But, so that it would not look like downright murder, they formalized it with a trial. You are familiar with the story. Let me just remind you of the events of that night.

 

            Our Redeemer was arrested in the garden, and hurried along the road which crosses the brook of Kidron. A second time he was made like unto David, who passed over that brook, weeping as he went. The brook Kidron was that into which all the filth of the Temple sacrifices was thrown. Now Christ was led to that black stream, as though he were some foul and filthy thing. He was led into Jerusalem by the sheep-gate, the gate through which the lambs of passover were always led. Little did those men understand that they were fulfilling to the very letter those types which God had ordained by the law of Moses. These wicked men led the Lamb of God to slaughter. May the Lord himself sanctify our hearts as we follow our Redeemer through his trial and cruel mockery.

 

1.       First, they led Immanuel to the house of Annas, the ex-high priest – Here they made a brief call to gratify the blood thirsty wretch with the sight of his victim.

2.       Then they hurriedly brought the Son of God to the house of Caiaphas – There the members of the Sanhedrin were assembled, to take counsel against the Lord and against his Anointed.

3.       Third, they took the Lamb of God through the streets to the hall of Pilate. There they sought a legal sentence of execution to be pronounced upon Christ.

4.       Pilate sent the blood thirsty crowd to Herod, the governor of Galilee.

5.       Finally, the Lord of Glory is returned to Pilate’s judgment hall, where he is tried, beaten, mocked, and sentenced to die. This is where we find him in our text.

 

Proposition:

 

            Though nothing worthy of bonds or of death could be found in him, our Lord Jesus Christ was condemned to be nailed to a cross, and there to hang until he died.

 

Divisions:

 

            I want you to observe three things in our text:

 

1.      A Trial Was Held, Proving The Innocency of Christ.

2.      A Sentence Was Passed, Proclaiming The Guilt and Depravity of Man.

3.      A Substitution Was Made, Portraying The Nature of Christ’s Atonement.

 

I.  In the first place, A Trial Was Held, Proving The Innocency of Christ.

 

            It was the intention of these wicked men to make it appear that Jesus Christ was a sinful man, worthy of death. But, by their deeds, God proved, beyond every shadow of doubt, that Jesus Christ is “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.”

 

            Remember, our Lord was about to be offered up as the Lamb of God, a Sacrifice for Sin. The Sacrificial lamb must be examined to be sure that it has no blemish. And so it was necessary that the Lamb of God be found by those who crucified him to be “a Lamb without blemish and without spot.” The over-ruling hand of God so ordered the events of his trial, that even when his enemies were his judges, they could find no fault and prove nothing against him.

 

A.  The Son of God was Examined On Three Separate Occasions.

 

            They took him from one judge to another, from one court to another, seeking some grounds for putting him to death.

 

1.  He was first examined by or ecclesiastical court in the house of Caiaphas the high-priest.

 

            The court here was the Jewish Sanhedrin. They were the most honored and respected men of the nation. They were supposed to be a court of seventy honorable, sober, learned, and faithful men. But it was now reduced to a pack of malicious Scribes and Pharisees. Over this mob of blood-thirsty, self-righteous men, Caiaphas was the head. It was Caiaphas who led the examination.

 

1.      They questioned Christ about his doctrine.

2.      They sought false witnesses against the Lord.

3.      They questioned Christ about his claims of Deity and Messiahship.

 

When he gave answer, they began to mock him, spit on him, and beat him. (Mark 14:61-65).

 

NOTE: It was at this point, which they rebelled. These Jews would gladly have received Christ as a savior to deliver them from Roman bondage – But they would not worship him as God and bow to him as Lord. And this is the point of man’s rebellion today.

 

NOTE: Nothing gives more positive proof of our gospel than the humiliation of Christ before these men – Our gospel message is no invention of man – Surely, if Christ were not himself the Son of God, he would have told them now.

 

2.  Then our Lord was brought before Pilate, to be examined.

 

            These very righteous Jews would not come into Pilate’s house, lest they should defile themselves or the Passover. So Pilate came out to them; and on the pavement he examined the Lamb of God. (John 18:28-29).

 

a.  The Jews brought three charges against our Redeemer.

 

1.       They accused him of refusing to pay tribute to Caesar.

2.       They accused him of stirring us sedition.

3.       They accused him of blasphemy.

 

But they could produce no proof or any count.

 

b.  Then Pilate personally examined the Savior.

 

1.       He asked him about his claims as King of the Jews.

2.       He asked him “What is truth?”

 

Perhaps he said this in sarcasm. But the Truth was standing before him. And he knew it.

 

3.  Pilate then sent Jesus to Herod.

 

            There again, our Lord was examined, but nothing was found against him. Herod and his soldiers mocked and beat God’s eternal Son, and sent him back to Pilate.

 

4.  Now, The Immaculate Lamb of God stands again before Pilate.

 

            Pilate took him and beat him severely. He was there humbled, mocked and scourged. Pilate hoped by this means to satisfy the anger of the mob. But it would not do.

 

B.  The Verdict was Passed – Immanuel was found innocent of all charges. But these men cared nothing for that.

 

C.  Pilate Presented Jesus To The Crowd Proclaiming “Behold Your King!”

 

            Can you get the picture? There is the bleeding Lamb of God – A crown of thorns is upon his head. A reed is in his hand. A mock robe is on his back. And Pilate says, “Behold your King!”

 

1.      Listen to me, This one is indeed The King.

2.      But these wicked men despised God’s anointed King – They clamored for his blood – “Crucify him!” Crucify him!”

3.      These Jews assumed full responsibility for Immanuel’s blood – “His blood be upon us and upon our children.”

 

D.   Let This Proof Of Our Lord’s Innocency Comfort Your Heart.

 

            We ought to be deeply thankful that our great Substitute was in all respects perfect, and that our Surety was a complete and faultless Surety.

 

            Who among us can number his sins? We leave undone the things we ought to do and do the things we ought not to do every day of our lives. But here is our comfort – Christ the righteous has undertaken to stand in our place, to pay the debt we owe, and fulfil the law we have broken. He did fulfil the law completely. He satisfied its demands. He accomplished all its requirements. He was the second Adam, who had “clean hands and a pure heart,” and could therefore enter with boldness into God’s holy hill. He is our Righteousness. In him all believers are counted perfect fulfillers of the law. The eyes of a holy God beholds us in Christ, clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness. For Christ’s sake God can now say of the believer, “I find no fault in him at all.”

 

            Truly, the Son of God, our Substitute “knew no sin.” And God compelled those who crucified him to confess his perfect Innocence. The Lamb of God was examined publicly and privately, and he was without blemish and without spot. It must be so, because he who undertakes to be a Substitute for sinners must be sinless.

 

II. But the innocence of Christ did not have any bearing with this crowd – They wanted blood. And so, A Sentence was Passed, Proclaiming The Guilt And Depravity of Man. “And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.”

 

            The crowd cried “Crucify him! Crucify him!” And Pilate, willing to please the crowd Sentenced Our Redeemer to die upon the cross.

 

A.  The Son of God Was Sentenced To Die!

 

            I dare say that Pilate knew what he was doing. There standing before him was the embodiment of meekness, innocence, love, and purity. He tried, in vain, to wash his hands of the innocent blood. I expect that those blood-stained hands still torment his conscience in hell. But he gave the sentence – “Jesus of Nazareth must be nailed to a cross and hung up to die!”

 

1.      This was a most unjust and unrighteous sentence.

2.      It was a cruel sentence – The Lamb of God must die a violent, cruel, tormenting death.

3.      It was a merciless sentence.

4.      Though they knew it not these men were under the dominion and control of that One whom they sentenced to die.

 

a.      They were fulfilling the very words of Scripture – He must be crucified.

b.      They were fulfilling the words of Christ himself.

c.      They were accomplishing the purpose of the Almighty.

d.      The Lord of Glory voluntarily gave himself up to the will of the people.

 

B.  But This Sentence Proclaims Most Glaringly The Guilt and Depravity of The Human Heart.

 

            The Pharisees and the Roman soldiers, Jews and Gentiles, Pilate and Herod were of one mind in this matter; they hated the Son of God, and determined to murder him.

 

1.      We all had a hand in the crucifixion of Christ.

2.      Some of you are at this moment repeating this hellish crime.

 

a.      You mock his deity by your unbelief.

b.      You rebel against his Kingly authority.

c.      You despise his precious blood.

 

3.      This is ever the cry of man’s wicked free-will. “Crucify him! Crucify him! We will not have this man to rule over us!”

 

I press upon you this day the claims of King Jesus. Bow down and worship him this moment. Trust his blood now. Or God will require his blood at your hands. Do you think your unbelief is a light thing?

 

III.  I must say one more thing – A Substitution Was Made, Portraying The Nature of Christ’s Atonement. “He released unto them Barabbas.” Pilate condemned the innocent and released the guilty. This is real Substitution. It wonderfully portrays the nature of our Lord’s sacrifice. The innocent One dies in the place of the guilty and the guilty one goes free.

 

A.  Barabbas Was Justly Condemned.

 

1.      He was guilty.

2.      He was sentenced to die.

 

B.  Christ Took Barabbas’ Place On The Cursed Tree.

 

1.      He took Barabbas’ shame and torment.

2.      He died in Barabbas place.

3.      Barabbas went free.

 

C.  This Is Just What Happened With Us. (II Cor. 5:21).

 

1.      We were guilty.

2.      Christ took our place.

3.      Now we go free.

 

Application:

 

1.  What are we to learn from this Trial Of Our Lord?

 

a.  We learn the depths of our Lord’s humiliation.

b.  We learn the depths of human depravity.

c.  We learn the depths of Christ’s love.

d.  We learn the meaning of substitution.

 

Since the Son of God was arraigned and condemned before Pilate’s bar, no believer shall ever be arraigned and condemned before God’s bar.

 

2.  What must we do, who are redeemed by Christ?

 

a.  Love Christ -

b.  Trust him -  } The price of your pardon is the precious blood of Christ.

c.  Obey him -

 

3.  What must you do, who yet in your sins?

 

a.  You must believe on Christ.

b.  You must bow to his royal authority.

c.  You must be washed in the blood – If you despise and reject the Son of God, God will require you to pay forever in hell.