The Day Christ Died – The Trial, Part 2

Remember the very public trial of O.J. Simpson back in 1995? It was quite a spectacle – on the front pages of the newspapers for weeks on end. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on it. People were sharply divided over the question of his guilt or innocence. But one thing was clear – the person on trial was clearly O.J. Simpson.

Over the past couple of weeks approaching Easter, we’ve been looking at a different trial – a trial of far greater significance in the history of the human race. It is the trial of Jesus. And the interesting thing about the trial of Jesus is that the one who was on trial – the defendant – hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, quite the opposite – the defendant had gone around doing good – and we’re still feeling the effects of the good he did today.

The trial of Jesus was not really about the question of His guilt or innocence. Indeed, halfway through the trial, his accusers changed the charges. In the first phase of the trial, the Jewish Sanhedrin had convicted him of blasphemy, but when they brought him to Pilate, they changed the charges and accused him of something totally different – sedition, of plotting against the Roman government; in other words, treason.

In this legal proceeding that took place early on Good Friday morning, it was not the defendant who was on trial; it was the prosecutors, the judge, the jury, the people around Jesus, who were really on trial. Jesus was innocent, and Jesus comported himself as one who was innocent – he was at peace, he was silent in the face of the false charges that they hurled against him.

You see, it really wasn’t Jesus who was on trial on Good Friday – it was all of humanity – it was us. We were there in the house of Caiaphas, we were there in the Praetorium of Pilate. And in the face of the sinless innocence of the Son of God, our guilt is revealed – revealed in the reactions and responses of many of the characters who were physically present that day.

The trial of Jesus did not establish His guilt or innocence; it established our guilt in the face of His innocence.

I’d like us to look at three of the guilty today – Judas, Herod, and Pilate.

Last week, we looked at the initial Jewish phase of the trial, which took place at the house of Annas, the house of Caiaphas, and the meeting place of the Sanhedrin. We saw how Peter denied his Lord in the courtyard of Caiaphas.

Now, with the verdict of the Sanhedrin, we move into the second phase of the trial – the Roman phase. But before we do, we have another personal parenthesis in the Gospel accounts – the story of what happened to Judas.

Judas - the Suicide (Matthew 27:3-10)

Matthew 27:3-10 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said; “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

There is an additional comment from Luke on this story, found in the book of Acts 1:18-19…

Acts 1:18-19 (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

There seems to be an apparent contradiction between these two accounts of how Judas met his end. And the fact that the apparent contradiction was allowed to exist without being edited out over the centuries speaks well of the authenticity of the NT

There really is no contradiction – the logical explanation is that Judas hung himself. His body may have hung there for days while decomposing. It either fell down or was cut down and split open from decay, causing his bowels to spill out. And saying that Judas bought the field was just another way of saying that the chief priests bought the field with the money that belonged to Judas.

But let’s look at Judas. In Verse 4 of Matthew 27, Judas says “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” The awful realization of what he had done in betraying Jesus to his enemies for thirty pieces of silver had dawned upon him. He had sold Jesus out. He had evidently seen at least part of the Jewish trial, and seen Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin. Perhaps he hadn’t foreseen what his act of betrayal would lead to, but now the result was obvious, and Judas was overcome with remorse for what he had done.

He confessed, “I have sinned.” If you’re ever going to come back to God, this is how you start – with a recognition of your own sin. Judas then says, “I have betrayed innocent blood” – and in that statement he shows that he has recognized Jesus’ true character – his innocence, purity, holiness.

Judas recognized his own sinfulness, and he recognized Jesus’ holiness. But where did that lead him? It led him to despair. His confession didn’t lead to cleansing. Overwhelmed with guilt, he went to the Temple to give back the money. If ever there was a place where a guilt-ridden sinner should have found release and forgiveness, surely it should have been at the Temple!

But he didn’t find it there. Look at what the chief priests and the elders said in response to his confession. They said: “What is that to us? Your sin is your responsibility. It’s your problem.” What kind of spiritual leaders are these? The priests are supposed to stand between God and the people. They are supposed to mediate with God for the sin of the people. Yet these priests could care less about the sin of Judas. They could care less about his guilt.

So Judas flings the thirty pieces of silver down on the temple floor, goes out and commits suicide. He has remorse, but he doesn’t have repentance. Remorse is feeling bad about what you’ve done, but it doesn’t take the next step – it doesn’t take you to the cross for forgiveness. Judas’s remorse led to self-hatred. He literally opted to pay for his own sins, but in doing so, he died in his sins and was forever cut off from God. He died without ever knowing forgiveness.

There is no doubt in my mind that, in spite of what he did, had Judas sought forgiveness from Jesus, he would have found it. But he didn’t seek it, so he wound up dead.

It seems to me that there are many people like Judas. They may not ever commit suicide as he did, but they take the same approach toward their own spiritual condition. They know that they are sinners; they know that God is holy. But they don’t see a solution to that dilemma. They shrug their shoulders in despair and say “I’m too far gone – God could not or would not forgive me.” And so they turn their backs on him and, instead of walking to Calvary, they walk down that pathway that leads ultimately to the Field of Blood. They put themselves beyond the reach of God’s grace.

If only Judas had availed himself of the grace and goodness of God – there would have been room at the cross for him.

Herod - the Sensualist (Luke 23:6-12)

After pronouncing their verdict, the Jews took Jesus through the early morning streets of Jerusalem to the Fortress Antonia – that towering forbidding military structure that loomed over the ramparts of the Temple. There, they sought Pilate’s official residence while he was in Jerusalem, the residence of the governor was known as the Praetorium.

But the Jews didn’t enter the Praetorium because they were afraid that they would become ceremonially defiled and rendered unclean for the Feast of Passover. How ironic! They were about to demand the execution of the Son of God, yet they were worried about their religious purity! So Pilate came out to them.

The Jews accused Jesus of subverting the nation, refusing to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be the Messiah, a king. Pilate said “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own laws.” But the Jews replied “We have no right to execute anyone.”

So Pilate reluctantly went back inside and called Jesus to him for a private hearing. It didn’t take him too long to establish that the Jews had no case against him – here was an innocent man. He went back out to the chief priests and said “I find no basis for a charge against this man”. But the Jews insisted “He’s been stirring people up all over Judea, starting in Galilee.”

When Pilate heard “Galilee” he thought he had found a way out – a way to pass the buck. So we pick up the story in Luke 23:6…

On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Now the Herod in question is not the Herod who was around at the birth of Jesus. That man was known as Herod the Great. This man is one of his sons – Herod Antipas, who had been given control over the region of Galilee and Perea.

This Herod is mentioned in the NT more often than any other Herod. He married the daughter of Aretas, king of Nabatea, but divorced her in order to marry his niece Herodias, who at the time, was the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip.

John the Baptist criticized him for doing this, so Herod had John imprisoned and ultimately executed at the behest of Herodias’ daughter Salome.

Herod was a ruthless, sensual man. He lived in luxury and depravity. He was used to doing what he wanted and getting what he wanted. Because he was the ruler of Galilee during the ministry of Jesus, he had obviously heard about Jesus but had never met him. Now he was going to have his opportunity. Let’s continue in verse 8…

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.

That day Herod and Pilate became friends — before this they had been enemies.

Herod is representative of the type of person who is interested in Jesus – he has a curiosity about Jesus – but it is a curiosity rooted in his own sensuality – his compulsive search for thrills and excitement. Herod is a man who was ruled by his own appetites – the appetite for pleasure, for novelty, the appetite for entertainment.

Apparently, he was a great enthusiast of spiritual signs and wonders – he had heard the stories, and now he was wanting to see Jesus perform some miracle that would amaze him and his entourage.

But Jesus didn’t cooperate. Not only did he not perform any miracle, he didn’t even answer Herod’s questions. He didn’t even open his mouth.

Jesus committed the ultimate sin in the eyes of a sensualist: he was boring. So Herod tried to rescue the situation – to inject a little interest into it – by making sport of Jesus. If someone doesn’t impress you; you mock him. So Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus, dressed him an elegant robe – oh the irony of it! – and sent him back to Pilate.

There are many people today who, like Herod, will come to Jesus in order to be impressed. And these people give every appearance of being true spiritual seekers. But the basis of their seeking is to fulfill their own desires. Like the Athenians in Paul’s day, they loved to have their ears tickled with the latest ideas. And what they were seeking wasn’t the truth, it was the tickling.

As long as the signs and wonders and miracles are coming through the pipeline, these folks are on board. But let Jesus become boring – or let God fall silent – and they’re out of there.

Their allegiance is predicated on their appetites; their interest only a product of their desire to be impressed, entertained. Herod was such a person.

Pilate - the Survivor (Mark 15:1-15)

Mark 15:1-15 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Pilate served as the 5^(th) Roman governor (procurator) of Judea. He served from 26-36 AD
Extra biblical sources – Josephus, Tacitus, and Philo
A former soldier, an equestrian official, prob had connections w. Sejanus the commander of the praetorian guard.
Married to Claudia, granddaughter of Augustus Caesar and daughter of third wife of Tiberius Caesar
- This gave Pilate “connections” in the Emperor’s household
- E.g. Normally procurators were not allowed to bring their wives to their provincial post, but an exception was made here
Had 5,000 men under his command in Judea
Judea as a minor province was under the authority of governor of Syria, but the governor of Judea enjoyed considerable latitude in administering his own province.
Pilate’s 11 years in Judea were not happy ones. 4 incidents illustrate his unpopularity w. the Jews
- sent garrison troops to Jerusalem w. Imperial standards displaying the Emperor’s image – caused a riot
- hung shields dedicated to the Emperor on the walls of his Jerusalem residence. Jews sent delegation to Rome to protest – Emperor Tiberius ordered shields removed.
- tried to finance water supply for Jerusalem out of temple funds – a riot ensued which was put down violently by troops – many Jews killed (cf. Luke 13:1?)
- in his 10^(th) year, violently broke up a group of religious fanatics who were trying to excavate the holy vessels of Moses that were supposedly buried on Mt. Gerizim. The city council of Samaria protested this action to the governor of Syria and Pilate was recalled to Rome to answer for the incident. On his way to Rome, his father-in-law Tiberius died. Pilate was tried by Caligula, and found guilty of incompetence. He was sent into exile, where rumor has it he ultimately committed suicide.
- Legend has it that he is buried somewhere near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland and his ghost haunts the place as he tries to wash his hands of the blood of Jesus in the waters of the lake.
On the whole, however, Pilate must have been generally satisfactory to the Roman Emperor, as he was allowed to retain office for so long in a difficult province. Ruling Judea was no walk in the park!

When you read the accounts of Jesus’ trial, you find that the Gospel writers cast Pilate in a better light than they do the Jewish religious leaders. They state that Pilate tried to find a way to release Jesus, at least initially, and then only reluctantly did he yield to the Jews’ demands to crucify Jesus.

This favourable opinion of Pilate can be seen in later Christian writings:

Tertullian – he was a “Christian by conscience”
Origen – his wife Claudia became a convert
Ethiopian Coptic Church canonized Pilate and his wife; to this day celebrate June 25 as his feast day

But none of that can take away the fact that Pilate condemned to death a man he knew to be innocent. The washing of his hands couldn’t take away the guilt in his heart. He even went against the advice of his wife Claudia.

So why did he do it? He did it for survival. By this time, Pilate had ruled Judea for several years. While the post was difficult, perhaps it would lead to something better – something higher – something closer to home, closer to Rome. But in order for that to happen, Pilate had to keep his record clean and his options open.

He didn’t know much about this Jesus, but he knew that he was innocent. He knew that he didn’t deserve to be crucified. He wanted to release him. But when the Jews said “If you release him, you are no friend of Caesar’s” that did it, as far as Pilate was concerned.

Why stick out his neck for some two-bit Galilean prophet, innocent or otherwise. The Jews were adamant – Jesus had to die. So Pilate ultimately caved in and gave them what they wanted. Why? Because it was the right thing to do? No. Because it was the smart thing to do.

Smart for Pilate. Smart for Pilate’s career. Smart for Pilate’s reputation. Politically expedient to keep the Jewish rulers under control. This was an I.O.U. that he might be able to cash in later when he really needed to.

Pilate was a survivor. And that was the basis on which he related to Jesus.

There are many people today who do likewise when it comes to Jesus. Being known as a follower of Jesus, a supporter of Jesus, a Christian may not be a terribly smart thing to be nowadays. It can be limiting – limiting on your career, on your reputation, on the kind of people who might want you to be in their circle of friends.

If you live life in order to be a survivor, you live it on the basis of what’s best for me. The TV show Survivor is right on the money in that respect. Do whatever you have to do in order to survive. Lie, cheat, steal, backstab your friends – whatever it takes to survive for another episode and get one step closer to the million bucks. Pilate would have been a natural on Survivor.

Yet what did Jesus say? “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36). The calculus of survival will sooner or later force you to turn your back on him, wash your hands of him, in what you perceive to be your own best interests.

And only in the end will you find out that you have missed it all.

Judas, the suicide

Herod, the sensualist

Pilate, the survivor

All turned their backs on Jesus for various reasons, and at his trial, showed their guilt to the world.

What about you? What are you going to do with Jesus? What is your response going to be?