JESUS Stands on Trial

Jesus Stands on Trial

Matthew 27:1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. (him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. (NIV) 

          The disciples were in fear after Jesus had been arrested. They went into hiding, afraid that they would be arrested as well for mere association. Peter, whom Jesus had told would deny him, did so 3 times. He did not want anyone to know that he was a follower of Christ. He did not want to suffer the same fate that he knew was coming to his Master. However, upon the third time of denying Jesus, the rooster crowed as Jesus looked at him. Jesus had prophesied to him earlier and told him that he would deny him. Although at the time, Peter confessed total loyalty unto the death for Jesus, he had succumbed to human fear. Peter, in shame for what he had done, ran away crying and heartbroken.  

          Judas realized that he had been played like a fiddle for the devil. He had betrayed the one person who really loved him. He allowed his human nature and greed to overtake him. He had done the unthinkable by allowing himself to be used as a tool to scheme a plan which would ultimately cause the death of an innocent man. Not just any man, a man whom he had once called friend, master, deliverer, and savior. He realized that he had fulfilled prophesy of long ago, which told of a definitive treachery against the son of Man.

          Judas, after having felt guilt and remorse for what he had done, tried to return the payment he had received for betraying Jesus. However, the religious leaders did not want the payment back. They knew that it was blood money and they had accomplished what they wanted. Neither he nor his money was of any use to them now. The money was as dead to them as Jesus soon would be. As far as they were concerned, their business was over. They never had to see him again.

          Judas, determined not to take the money, dropped the payment on the floor and left. Nevertheless, it was too late. He had already betrayed Jesus. His master was already in the hands of his enemies. Jesus was set to be on trial. Nothing could change what had been done. The decision was final. He had played a role in what could never be undone. He felt that there was no forgiveness for sending the son of God to his death. Overwhelmed by guilt, he decided to do something to end it all; he hung himself.

          Jesus, after being arrested, was taken to the high priest. The high priest questioned Jesus about what he had been teaching his followers. Jesus, knowing that word had already gotten around concerning his messages, told the high priest that nothing he had ever done or said was in secret. Jesus invited the high priest to question his own set of witnesses. Jesus was not about to answer the questions that the high priest already had the answers to.

          It was not going to matter. The high priest’s mind was already made up. He was already found guilty in his eyes. To even indulge the conversation would have been a waste of time. They would accuse him if he answered. They would refuse him if he questioned them. Therefore, Jesus only comment was to say that he would be seated at his Father’s right hand. This inflamed the high priest. The accusations were ready. The people were upset that he would think of himself as being able to sit next to God. The high priest had heard enough and sent Jesus on to Pontius Pilate. 

          Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor. The religious council began to bring accusations against Jesus claiming that he considered himself to be the king of the Jews. Pilate did not consider this to be a serious matter. He did not see anything wrong with what Jesus had done. This was not an issue that Pilate cared to take on. He had other matters of relevant importance. He did not want to be bothered with the Jews’ insignificant religious issues. He was a Roman. He only cared for the things that affected Rome and Jesus was not on the top of his list. 

          Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas because he fell under his jurisdiction. Once Jesus reached Herod, he began to question Jesus. However, Jesus would not answer any of Herod’s questions. Jesus remained silent and ignored him so Herod and the other bystanders began to poke fun at him. They considered him to be a joke and did not take the matter seriously. Once Herod and his circle of friends were done, he had him sent back to Pilate.

          Pilate asked Jesus questions as to if he considered himself the king of the Jews. Jesus’ only response was that he, Pilate, was the one who gave him the title, and that his kingdom was not of this world. Pilate, thinking that Jesus was no more of a threat than a fly went to Jesus’ accusers and asked what crime had he committed. 

Pilate had a huge decision in his hands. He could either let Jesus go and face the wrath of the religious leaders or he could give them the blood that they sought. It was customary during the Passover celebration that a prisoner of the crowd’s choosing could be released. So, Pilate had another prisoner brought out by the name of Barabbas.

          He asked the crowd to make a decision. They could either free Barabbas, who was a revolutionary or Jesus, whom he didn’t find to had done anything wrong. He seemed to have thought that they would choose Jesus over Barabbas, but to his amazement, they chose for Barabbas to be free. Jesus had done no crime that he could see. He had hurt no one that he could tell. He had not resisted their arrest. He only stood and watched as they people shouted, “Barabbas, Barabbas, Free Barabbas!” Pilate, thinking that he was doing Jesus a favor, sent him to be beaten with a sharp-tip whip. Surely, this would be enough punishment to appease the angry crowd. The soldiers as an act of mockery place a crown of thorns on his head as they spit on him and slapped his face repeatedly.     

          They took great pleasure in abusing Jesus. He was humiliated by the Roman soldiers. He was beaten with the sting of the whip coming lash after lash upon his body. The tip of the whip tore into his flesh. The pain was horrible. His blood was everywhere. The agony was indescribable. Just when he was about to recover from the shock of one lash, another, and then another cutting deeper than the previous one would follow. The sting of thorns, tearing into his temple with blood trickling down, was more than any human could bear. 

          To inflict more pain, the soldiers hit him repeatedly on his head with a stick, while the sharpness of the thorns penetrated him even deeper; cutting into his head. Blood flowed down his face and eyes. Pain was felt everywhere on his body where they had beaten and flesh had been ripped off of him. They slapped and punched him repeatedly without mercy. He was beaten so horribly that he was unrecognizable. The face that had once been one of love and compassion was now an outward display of Roman brutality and evil. 

          The soldiers placed a robe on him to mock his being a king. Pilate had him brought back out before the crowd in an attempt to show that he had been punished enough. However, the crowd was not satisfied and was thirsty for even more blood. They began to shout, “Crucify him, crucify him!” They shouted this repeatedly. They showed not mercy. They did not care. They had allowed the devil to turn their hearts cold. No love or empathy was shown. The devil was clapping his hands and bellowing out laughter at the people being used to kill the son of God. The very people he had come to save.

          Pilate asked Jesus if there was anything that he had to say in his own defense. Pilate didn’t understand why Jesus wasn’t pleading with him to spare his life. He had never encountered someone, who on the brink of death, did not want to even try to attempt to save himself. This was unusual. This act of silence was unheard of. Jesus, understanding what was going through Pilate’s mind, only let him know that he did not ultimately have the power. He could be released if he so chose. Only his Father in heaven could make the final decision as to how this played out. Pilate only had earthly power.

          God had the Ultimate Power. The crowd was getting anxious. They were angry. The religious leaders wanted a decision to be made. They would not tolerate insolence to their authority. If Pilate wouldn’t do it, they would take the matter to someone who could. Being under the pressure of the people and with threats to retaliate by taking this matter to Caesar, Pilate decided to send Jesus off to be crucified. He washed his hands of the matter. Even with a warning from his wife concerning a dream that she had regarding Jesus and his innocence, Pilate succumbed to the pressure of politics. He would not risk his career for that of a Jew. He wanted nothing more to do with the mater. He had to appease the people. He would not look weak in the face of his superior. Jesus had to die.