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Well you can turn with me in 
your Bibles to John's Gospel, John Chapter 18. We continue 
with the narrative of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. We 
have seen Him betrayed. We have seen Him arrested. He 
had been hauled off before Annas Annas sends him to Caiaphas, 
which is the trial before the Sanhedrin. That's referenced 
in verse 24. And then they bring him to Pontius 
Pilate. So I'll pick up reading in John 
18 at verse 28. Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas 
to the praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves 
did not go into the praetorium, lest they should be defiled, 
but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them 
and said, What accusation do you bring against this man? They 
answered and said to him, If he were not an evildoer, we would 
not have delivered him up to you. Then Pilate said to them, 
You take him and judge him according to your law. Therefore the Jews 
said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death, 
that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke, 
signifying by what death he would die. Then Pilate entered the 
praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to him, Are you the 
king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Are you speaking 
for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning 
me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief 
priests have delivered you to me. What have you done? Jesus 
answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were 
of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be 
delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from 
here. Pilate therefore said to him, Are you a king then? Jesus 
answered, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I 
was born and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should 
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth 
hears my voice. Pilate said to him, what is truth? And when he had said this, he 
went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no fault 
in him at all, but you have a custom that I should release someone 
to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release 
to you the king of the Jews? Then they all cried again saying, 
not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in Heaven, we come to a very sober passage of Scripture. We pray for the ministry of the 
Holy Spirit as we consider our Lord on trial. God, we see the 
great lengths that our blessed Redeemer went through to save 
us from our sins, and may we stand in awe at what we find 
in the Passion narrative. May we stand in awe at the glory 
of God Most High in the saving of His people. And for any and 
all who've come here this morning dead in their trespasses and 
sins, may they hear, or may they see rather, in this passage what 
our God has done in the saving of sinners. And may this be a 
great invitation, a great solicitation to call men to Himself. through 
the preaching of your gospel. We pray that you would be glorified, 
we pray that you would save sinners, sanctify your saints, and forgive 
us now, all of us, of all sin and all corruption, and we pray 
through Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, in John 
18, we see our Lord Jesus Christ arrested, and then in verses 
12 to 14, we see that He is led away first to Annas. And it identifies 
Annas as high priest and then Caiaphas as high priest. We've 
already explained the situation there. So Jesus before the high 
priest, specifically in verses 15 to 23, and then Annas sends 
him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. So before we go to Jesus 
before Pontius Pilate, I want to look at Jesus before the Sanhedrin. And for that, we need to turn 
back to Matthew's gospel in Matthew chapter 26. While you're turning 
there, I'll remind you of the chronology involved in the arrest 
of the Savior. We have this preliminary hearing, 
which, as I mentioned last time, is before Annas in John 18. We 
have the trial before the Sanhedrin, John 18, 24. Jesus is sent to 
Caiaphas, and then we'll pick up that narrative in Matthew's 
gospel in chapter 26. Then he is sent before Pilate 
in John 18, 28 to 38a, and then Pilate learns of his jurisdiction 
under Herod, so he sends him to Herod, according to Luke 23, 
verses 6 to 12. Herod sends him back to Pilate, 
and then we have the decision of Pilate in John 18, 38b, all 
the way to John 19, 16. So that's the chronology of the 
arrest and trial of our blessed Savior. So as I said, we want 
to look at the trial before the Sanhedrin and before the unbelieving 
Jews. You see that in John 18, 24. 
Annas sends him to Caiaphas and here Jesus meets with the Sanhedrin. So in Matthew 26, verses 57 to 
67, I want to consider briefly four things. First, the setting 
in verses 57 and 58. Secondly, the witnesses in verses 
59 to 61. Third, the examination in verses 
62 to 64. And then finally, the formal 
charges of our Lord in verses 65 to 68. And then, of course, 
they send him back to Pilate. But note first the setting in 
verse 57. And those who had made hold of 
Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes 
and the elders were assembled. So he had stood before Annas 
by way of a preliminary hearing. Annas, according to 1824, then 
sends him to Caiaphas for this official ecclesiastical hearing. In other words, Jesus appears 
before church, in the broadest sense, and then state with reference 
to Pilate. Then notice specifically with 
reference to the witnesses in verses 59 to 61. Now the chief 
priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony 
against Jesus. Note, to put him to death, They 
already had it in their minds. You go all the way back in Matthew's 
Gospel to Matthew chapter 12, and then subsequent to that, 
you see this constant plotting on the part of the unbelieving 
Jews to put the Lord Jesus Christ to death. This is no way to convene 
a particular trial. You don't enter into the trial 
with your mind made up that we're going to kill this particular 
offender. If you go in with that presupposition or you go in with 
that prejudice, you're going to do everything you can to secure 
that particular verdict. And so Matthew gives us an understanding 
as to what's going on here. They sought false testimony against 
Jesus to put him to death. And that's why they ultimately 
find him guilty here and deliver him up to Pontius Pilate. They 
hated Jesus. They rejected Jesus. They despised 
Jesus. And everything in them wanted 
to rid the world of Jesus. Notice, as the narrative continues, 
Peter followed him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. 
And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. We saw 
that last week, Jesus before Annas testifying or making that 
good confession, and Peter withdrawing, Peter denying the very Savior 
that bought him. Peter engaged in a cowardice 
before a servant girl after having wielded the sword against an 
officer of the temple, and he hacked off Malchus's ear. But 
then notice as we continue in verses 59 and following. It says, 
Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false 
testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but found none. 
Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. 
But at last, two false witnesses came forward and said, This fellow 
said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it 
in three days. Now, this is a very serious charge. I mean, that, Matthew tells us, 
there were many false witnesses, is a bad thing. But none of these 
false witnesses were legitimate enough for the Sanhedrin to proceed 
with except for this particular charge. Notice again at the end 
of verse 61, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build 
it in three days. Now the gravity of that charge 
is obvious. The Romans wouldn't have a vested 
interest in the religion of Judaism. They wouldn't have a vested interest 
in the pride of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. But they would 
have a vested interest in the destruction of a temple under 
their jurisdiction. And so the pagans would be incensed 
and outraged at the thought of somebody who was fomenting revolution 
to the point of actually bringing down a temple. The background 
to this as well is the prophet Jeremiah. In a temple sermon 
in Jeremiah chapter 7, Jeremiah tells them that the city is going 
to be destroyed and that the temple is going to be sacked, 
which took place under Babylon. So when we see Jesus here, he 
is standing on the shoulders of Jeremiah before him, when 
Jeremiah was facing a light crowd of ungodly, vile wretches that 
had rejected the very word of the living and true God. We'll 
see later, just by way of an illusion, that Stephen is up 
on the same charges according to Acts 6, 13, and 14. He had 
listened to Jesus. He had understood the doctrine 
of Jesus. And so when Stephen says, it's 
no longer temple that is the focus of God's attention, but 
it is rather Christ, the reason why the temple stood to point 
forward to him, Stephen was brought up on charges for wanting to 
desecrate the temple. And so this is a very grave charge. In terms of the actual ministry 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, why do you think that they perhaps 
were convinced that he was anti-temple? Well, first of all, Jesus wasn't 
anti-temple. He was anti the abuse of temple. He was anti the misuse of temple. He was anti this group of people 
that saw their prestige tied up in a building and yet they 
lived as godless wretches. But with reference to Jesus' 
ministry in Matthew's gospel, turn to Matthew 12. Matthew chapter 
12, a passage where Jesus highlights that He is a greater prophet, 
a greater priest, and a greater king. But in Matthew 12, 6, he 
highlights that he is the one greater than the temple. Notice, 
12, 6, yet I say to you that in this place there is one greater 
than the temple. Notice in Matthew's gospel at 
chapter 21. chapter 21, verses 12 and 13. Again, very Jeremiah-ic 
on his part in terms of temple sermon, calling out the rebellion 
and the wickedness of the people of God at that time. In fact, 
he cites Jeremiah 7 and verse 11. But if you notice in Matthew 
21, 12, then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out 
all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned 
the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold 
doves. And he said to them, it is written, My house shall be 
called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. 
Notice then in Matthew 23, Matthew chapter 23, Jesus laments over 
Jerusalem and mentions the desolation of their house. Notice in 23, 
37, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and 
stones those who are sent to her, how often I wanted to gather 
your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her 
wings, but you were not willing. see your house is left to you 
desolate, for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you 
say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." And 
then of course the prophetic ministry of our Lord Jesus in 
Matthew 24, verses 1 and following, where He prophesies specifically 
concerning the destruction of the temple. So that he spoke 
about the temple, nobody can deny. But what these persons 
are claiming he said relative to the temple is a falsehood. 
Back to 2660, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple 
of God and to build it in three days. If you turn to John's gospel, 
John chapter 2, John chapter 2, we see the backdrop for their 
Misinterpretation. John chapter 2, which is connected 
to a cleansing of the temple. Notice specifically in verse 
19. Jesus answered and said to them, destroy this temple and 
in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, it has 
taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it 
up in three days? Now note the theology in verses 
21 and 22, but he was speaking of the temple of his body. Therefore, 
when he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that 
he had said this to them, and they believed the scripture and 
the word which Jesus had said. So back to our text in Matthew 
26. Listen to how they misrepresent 
what Jesus says. I am able to destroy the temple 
of God and to build it in three days. That's not what he said. 
He doesn't say, I am able to destroy, though obviously he 
is, according to his divinity, and certainly according to his 
humanity. A bit of C4, he'd be able to take it right down. There'd 
be no trouble, no difficulty whatsoever. But they put it in 
his mouth that he said, I am able to destroy. That's not what 
he was saying. He says, destroy this temple, 
and in three days, I will raise it up. The theology, 22 and 23, 
explains that it's the temple of his body. It's him that the 
temple pointed to. It's him that the temple typified. It's him that gave the very rationale 
to the temple, not the other way around. And so they misinterpret 
or misquote Jesus, and then they misinterpret his words. they 
miss the very point and then they pin this on him as if he 
is a revolutionary, as if he is strapped with C4, and as if 
he is a threat to the Roman Empire and to the ecclesiastical state 
of the Jews at that particular time. And as I said, this continues 
on with Stephen in Acts 6, 13, and 14. He is brought to trial 
for speaking ill of Moses, speaking ill of the law, and speaking 
ill of the temple. So you've got Jeremiah, Jesus, 
and Stephen. Not anti-temple, but the anti-bastardization 
of the temple by persons who had no regard for the law of 
God, but saw that as the badge of their identity. So then that 
brings us to the examination proper in the Sanhedrin in verses 
62 to 64. Note the question of the high 
priest in verse 62. We're back in Matthew 26. And 
the high priest arose and said to him, do you answer nothing? 
What is it these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent. At this point, you should hear, 
no pun intended, the prophet Isaiah. When Jesus keeps silent, 
Isaiah 53 had said He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He 
opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter 
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His 
mouth. So Jesus remains silent. He then 
does eventually answer. But look at what the issue is 
for the Jews. Verse 63, Jesus kept silent, 
and the high priest answered and said to him, I put you under 
oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, 
the Son of God. That's their problem. Notice 
they don't say, are you planning to destroy the temple? Did you 
purchase something off Amazon that's going to help you build 
a fuse? Are your purposes nefarious with reference to the ecclesiastical 
state and the civil state here in the Roman Empire? That's not 
what they care about. What they care about is Jesus' 
oft-repeated insistence that he came from the Father. that he was God from God, light 
from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in 
being with the Father, through whom all things were made. Their 
beef was with his claim to being the Messiah as prophesied by 
Moses and the prophets. So when he comes onto the scene 
and he speaks the truth to them, they want to pick up stones and 
throw them at him because he, a man, is making himself out 
to be equal with God. This is their issue. Tell us. 
He puts him under oath. Tell us. if you are the Christ, 
if you are the Messiah, if you are the Son of God. This is their 
issue. It's not about temples. It's 
not about the cult. It's not about the state. It's 
not about anything other than this man has made himself equal 
with the God revealed in the Old Testament. Now, note the 
response of Jesus in verse 64. Jesus said to him, As you said, 
he affirms it. He confirms it. In fact, Ryle 
makes the observation. The unconverted Jew can never 
tell us at the present day that his forefathers were left in 
ignorance that Jesus was the Messiah. There's no possible 
hint of that in the New Testament documents, that Jesus never claimed 
to be the Messiah, that Jesus never asserted himself to be 
the Son of God, that Jesus never said that he was the one that 
was fulfilling the prophecy. Of course he did. John 5, you 
search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal 
life, but these are they which testify of me. Or, before Abraham 
was, I am. The constant emphasis on his 
having been sent by the Father. Ryle is bang on. And don't think 
Ryle is just speculating that in the future there might be 
those who are inclined to deny that Jesus ever presented himself 
as the Messiah. I know of a particular book written 
on that very theme. I know there's a book out there 
written on, probably more, I just, my fallible and very narrow focus 
in terms of what I know, but I know for sure there's one that 
wants to exonerate unbelieving Jews by saying, well, Jesus never 
offered himself or never stated that he was the Messiah. He couldn't 
have done it more unequivocally, and He does it right here. Notice 
again, nevertheless, it is as you said, nevertheless I say 
to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the 
right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. So He 
affirms it and then He amplifies it. He affirms it, it is as you 
said, and then he says, nevertheless, nevertheless, I say to you hereafter, 
and it won't be long hereafter, and I don't want to get too detailed 
here, but suffice to say, I think this is a reference to his coming 
in judgment in AD 70. This hereafter you, plural, Sanhedrin, 
you will see the Son of Man coming in power. When? When the Roman 
armies surround Jerusalem. When the Roman armies desecrate 
the temple. When the Roman armies sack this 
city once and for all, and your house is left to you. Again, 
that's a longer argument, but I think that's what he's referring 
to. And note the invocation of Son of Man terminology. That's 
Danielic, that's Daniel 7, 13, and 14. That son of man, in contrast 
with the beastly images, that son of man who has universal 
authority, dominion, power, and glory. Son of man is the favorite 
title of Jesus of himself in Matthew's gospel. And it's not 
underscoring according to his humanity-ness. I think it's underscoring 
according to his divinity-ness. I think that title on Jesus' 
mouth in Matthew's gospel underscores that blessed reality that He 
is that One who has universal authority and power. And that 
brings us to the formal charges. Note the formal charge of blasphemy 
in verse 65. Then the high priest tore his 
clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy. What further need 
do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard his 
blasphemy. What do you think? They answered 
and said, He is deserving of death. Then they spat in his 
face and beat him. And others struck him with the 
palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy to us, Christ, who is 
the one who struck you? This is mob violence. This is 
degeneracy. This is degradation to the level 
of beasts. In fact, beasts act better than 
this in many instances and on many accounts. What further need 
do we have of evidence? Said no legit court ever. What further need do we have 
of cross-examination? Said no legit court ever. And 
brethren, just by way of an aside, we're gonna see Jesus before 
the Sanhedrin, and we're gonna see Jesus before Pontius Pilate. 
And you're gonna see an abuse and a misuse of justice. I realize 
that many of us are concerned with the direction Western civilization 
is going. We often get concerned about 
court cases and things or persons that don't win and the way that 
sometimes justice seems to be twisted and manipulated and used 
against the righteous. There ain't nothing new under 
the sun. This ain't the first epoch in the history of the world 
where somebody got a bad shake in a court. Jesus got a bad shake 
before the Jewish Sanhedrin, ecclesiastically, and before 
Pontius Pilate. Pilate's gonna confess three 
times, I find no guilt in him. Pilate's gonna try to barter 
a deal. I'll give you Barabbas. Pilate's wife is gonna say, I 
have nothing to do with this just man. Pilate himself knows 
that the Jews delivered him up because of envy. And yet Pilate, 
the gutless coward, turns him over to be crucified. Brethren, 
there's no new thing under the sun. I'm not saying we don't 
just turn a blind eye to the travesties going on in the criminal 
justice system. I'm not saying that, but I am 
suggesting that it's not us that's the first time that ever bad 
things have happened to. Consider Naboth and his land. In 1 Kings chapter 21, Ahab wanted 
to annex it for his own vineyard. Well, how does he get it? Well, 
Ahab's pretty much gonna chicken out, and Jezebel basically says, 
no, you get right back in there. You get that land. My daddy was 
a Phoenician king, and if he wanted a piece of land, he'd 
get that piece of land. So what do they do? They concoct 
false witnesses. Funny, where do you find false 
witnesses? Is there a website? Meet a few false witnesses, go 
down to the city square. Hey, anybody want to be a false 
witness? They always seem to be there. That's what happens 
in the case of Aboth. A couple of false witnesses who 
charge him with what? Blasphemy. What happens? He's executed. It's unfair. It's unjust. It's painful as 
righteous people to watch that, but I'm not butting so it's to 
mitigate the offense. This is a sin-cursed, fallen 
world. And more often than not, sin-cursed, 
fallen people engage in misjustice or injustice. They engage in, 
you know, corruption in terms of the judiciary. So, Jesus is 
getting a bum deal. Notice the text. the charge of 
blasphemy, they indict him, they give the verdict in verse 66, 
and then they mistreat him, verses 67 and 68. They weren't supposed 
to do this. If you read Deuteronomy 25, which 
deals with the case of corporal punishment for a criminal offender 
in civil society, you treat him with respect. You treat them 
with respect. A criminal offense, yeah. We're 
not supposed to go hog wild on criminal offenders and abuse 
them senselessly. I believe in execution by the 
civil state. I believe in corporal punishment 
if sanctioned by God. I believe in all that, but it 
must be done humanely. We're not dealing with an incorrigible 
pig. Well, we're not dealing with, 
let's take the favor of the day, the baby whale. I'm not for clubbing 
baby whales, but brethren, we are to treat criminals with dignity. The Bible demands that. For them to spit, for them to 
slap, for them to buffet him, for them to just lose their minds 
and, oh, we got him now. This is horrifying behavior. This is absolutely horrifying 
behavior on the part of persons that were actually charged with 
being the highest judiciary in Israel at that time. The Sanhedrin, 
the 70 plus 1. The elders, the Pharisees, the 
Sadducees, the dignified men, the sorts of fellows that would 
stand on the street corner and pray thus with themselves. I 
thank you, God. I thank you that I'm not like 
other men. I thank you that I'm not a murderer. 
I thank you that I'm not an adulterer. I thank you that I'm not an extortioner. 
I thank you that I'm not like this publican here. These kind 
of men that sounded the trumpet when they gave. The kind of men 
that wanted to make sure everybody saw their religiosity and their 
piety have devolved beyond animals. They have devolved beyond animals 
in their slapping, and in their spitting, and in their striking, 
and in their mockery, prophesy to us, Christ, who is the one 
who struck you? You're such a prophet. You're 
the son of the living God. You're the Messiah promised. 
Well, then you should, you know, prophecy should be easy. Tell 
us who slapped you. Before we get back to John, stop 
at Luke, Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23, just to see 
again how this was manipulated by the Sanhedrin to get the guilty 
verdict from Pilate. Blowing up a temple would certainly 
involve the civil state. Pilate would have certainly wanted 
to be involved in that. But just to make sure that everything 
was good, Luke 23 verse one, then the whole multitude of them 
arose and led him to Pilate. And they began to accuse him 
saying, we found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding 
to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ the 
King. You see, they've got to go a little bit broader than 
blasphemy. And arguably, if he's not gonna blow up a temple, Pilate 
doesn't really need to be involved in this. But tax evasion? Pilate needs to be involved. 
Usurping Pilate or usurping the emperor, the Caesar? Yeah, Pilate 
needs to be involved. If, according to the supposition, 
Jesus is successful, he overthrows the temple, he desecrates the 
city, and he assumes the role of Caesar in the country, boy, 
Pilate would be in big trouble, and Pilate knows that. So they're 
building their case against Jesus. Notice again in verse five in 
Luke 23, but they were the more fierce saying, he stirs up the 
people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee 
to this place. In other words, he is a national 
threat. Everywhere he goes, he stirs 
up people. Everywhere he goes, he tells 
them not to pay their taxes. Everywhere he goes, he asserts 
of his own kingship. Pilate, we can't have this. So 
let's go back to John. John 18, we see the trial before 
the Sanhedrin, and now we come to the deliverance of Jesus to 
Pilate. There's a lot going on in here, 
and I don't want to try to throw it all into one sermon, so we're 
going to split the narrative in half from 28 and following. 
We're going to do 28 to 32, and then next time we'll pick up 
the latter half of chapter 18. But here, the deliverance of 
Jesus to Pilate in verses 28 to 32. And as far as the deliverance 
of Jesus to Pilate, the text is specific. The text is conspicuous 
that there were two parties involved. First, the unbelieving Jews in 
verses 28 to 31, and then secondly, the divine decree in verse 32. So Jesus is delivered up to Pontius 
Pilate. First, let's look at the Jewish 
authorities in verses 28 to 31. And there's three things here 
that we should appreciate. And by appreciate, I don't mean 
commend. I mean that we should discover, that we should see. 
I am convinced, you know, this isn't one of the kinds of sermons 
that there's gonna be a list of practical applications at 
the end. Go out and don't be like the Sanhedrin. That's a 
good practical application. Go out and don't be a pilot. 
Yeah, yeah, that's good. You know what one of the main 
practical applications of a sermon like this is? Redeemed sinner. See how much your Savior loves 
you. See the lengths to which He went to save you and I from 
our sin. And if you're not a believer 
and you're kind of wondering, will he accept me? Will he receive 
me? I know that you've preached before 
in John 6, 37, all that the father gives me will come to me and 
the one who comes to me, I will certainly not cast out. But how 
do I know it's for real? How do I know John 3, 16 is real? God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten son. How do I know that? Well, I would 
suggest you see what Jesus did to save sinners. See what Jesus 
went through for guilty, vile, helpless we. Spotless Lamb of 
God was He. Full atonement can it be? Hallelujah, 
what a Savior. In other words, what we find 
in this trial before the Sanhedrin is gross injustice and our Lord 
takes it. What we see here before Pontius 
Pilate is gross injustice, but our Lord takes it. To validate 
gross injustice? No, to save us from our sins. So note, with reference to the 
Jewish authorities in verses 28 to 31, we see first their 
hypocrisy in verse 28, their hypocrisy. Then they led Jesus 
from Caiaphas, we just saw that in Matthew's gospel, We just, 
then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. That's the 
palace guard. That's where Pilate was. The word is broad. Sometimes 
it refers to the soldiers themselves. Here, I think they are coming 
for official adjudication with Pontius Pilate. They want Jesus 
dead. They want him gone. They want 
him liquidated. They want to rid the earth of 
this one who stirs up the people from Galilee to Judea. So notice 
again, they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was 
early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, 
lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 
Now, John structures his narrative in large part on Passover. It's 
Passover here. And as a result of Passover, 
there's a demand for ceremonial purity, cleanliness. You know, the whole book of Leviticus? 
And you kind of get the rationale as to where they're going. We're 
going to eat the feast of Passover. But that being said, we can't 
defile ourselves with the praetorium. We can't get that heathen filth 
on us. I mean, after all, we've got 
to be pure for the feast. They're engaged in the act of 
murder. They are bringing in holy, harmless, 
and undefiled man to be put to death. The irony here is incredible 
and invokes some of the times that Jesus butted heads with 
these men in his ministry. Remember Matthew 15. Matthew 
15, it's all about this external cleanliness. It's all about this, 
what goes, you know, into a man. And Jesus says, that's not the 
issue. The issue is what comes out of 
the man. What about Jesus when He upbraids 
them in Matthew 23, 23 and 24? Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, 
and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, 
mercy, and faith. These guys are concerned for 
ceremonial purity while breaking the sixth commandment. Listen 
to Calvin, but these hypocrites, though they are so full of malice, 
ambition, fraud, cruelty, and avarice, that they almost infect 
heaven and earth with their abominable smell, are only afraid of external 
pollutions. So then it is an intolerable 
mockery that they expect to please God, provided that they do not 
contract defilement by touching some unclean thing, though they 
have disregarded true purity. We can't go into the praetorium. We will be rendered ineffective 
to participate in the Passover. Yeah, but you're breaking the 
sixth commandment. Do you know what's interesting? 
Remember last time we saw there's a bit of ambiguity intended by 
the apostle in his narrative in terms of the high priest. 
Annas and Caiaphas. It's easy to explain. But who's 
the real high priest in the narrative? It's Jesus. And think about this 
for just a moment. These unbelieving Jewish leaders, 
in their fastidiousness not to defile themselves so they can 
participate in the Passover, are unwittingly delivering the 
true Passover into the very hand of the enemy that's going to 
kill him. the Lamb of God who takes away 
the sin of the world. Do you ever wonder why the psalmist 
says that the wrath of man praises God? It's for things like this. They are participating, not willingly, 
not happily, and certainly not knowingly, in the true Passover. The feast that they want to celebrate 
was intended to point to the Savior they're delivering up 
to be crucified. You couldn't make this up. Divine 
sovereignty, intending for God's blessing in the midst of these 
things. Christ, our Passover, Paul says 
in 1 Corinthians 5, was sacrificed for us. They don't wanna get 
defiled, and in the midst of it, they're committing an act 
of murder, but God is going to use that to sanction and to prove 
the true Passover sacrifice that's going to avail for the salvation 
of all those whom the Father had given Him. So you've got 
their hypocrisy. But then notice secondly, you've 
got their lawlessness in verses 29 and 30. Verse 29, what accusation 
do you bring against this man? Brethren, Pilate, other than 
being a gutless coward, comes off with more integrity in this 
passage than the Sanhedrin. What accusation do you bring 
against this man? Now, it's true, Pilate's already 
participated a bit. In chapter 18, at verse three, 
that detachment of Roman soldiers didn't come autonomously without 
any, you know, Pilate involvement. But most likely, that detachment 
of soldiers was to make sure there wasn't an outbreak during 
the feast in the city that would spread and cause bigger problems 
in the empire. But here, Pilate is doing his 
job. He's doing what a man, a magistrate, 
a judge is supposed to do. What accusation? You're coming 
to my court. You're going to present this 
man as an evildoer. You're going to need to pony 
up some evidence. You're going to need to provide 
some testimony. Pilots doing what pilots supposed 
to be doing. He is engaged in due diligence 
as a judge. In fact, the civil court in the 
trial of Jesus is doing more due diligence and engaged in 
due process over and against the Sanhedrin. So notice the 
response. If he were not an evildoer, we 
would not have delivered him up to you. that this crime took place, the 
execution of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, you think you've had it 
tough in court? If he were not an evildoer, we 
would not have brought him to you. So no accusation? No evidence? know nothing in 
terms of testimony or testifying. They engage in what's called 
in logic and informal fallacy, which is to beg the question. 
If he weren't an evildoer, we wouldn't be here. In other words, 
our ecclesiastical court has settled the situation. You just 
need to buy off on it. You don't need an accusation. 
You don't need any witness testimony. You just need to trust us and 
kill him. You see what motivates these 
men? When you're after a guilty verdict, you're gonna get a guilty 
verdict. And again, Jesus isn't, well, 
wait a minute. What about my rights? Let me 
call Marty. Let me get the JCCF down here. 
And again, I'm not suggesting we shouldn't call Marty or the 
JCCF. Not at all. I've called Marty 
and the JCCF. Been very helpful. That's not 
Jesus. Like a sheep before its shearers 
is silent, so is he. Why? For us men and for our salvation. It really is a beautifully applicable, 
wonderful sermon to draw out our love for the Lord Jesus. 
They assume the truth of their conclusion. He's guilty. We know 
it. And we wouldn't have brought 
him to you if he wasn't. So kill him. That's what they 
say. And that brings us then to the 
impotence of the Jews in verse 31. What's he saying? He's saying, I'm not going to 
be part of this kangaroo court. I'm not going to condemn a man 
that I've not even heard an accusation about. that has not been able 
to testify for himself. The book of Acts provides for 
us a window in to Roman jurisprudence. And in Acts 26, specifically, 
I'm sorry, Acts 25, verse 16, fastest to Agrippa, it is not 
the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before 
the accused meets the accusers face to face and has opportunity 
to answer for himself concerning the charge against him. We call 
that due process. We call that equal equity under 
the law. We call that the normal price 
of doing business in a civil polity. So Pilate, in essence, 
is calling them out, saying, if you're not going to follow 
the rules of evidence, if you're not going to allow for cross-examination, 
if you're not going to allow him to testify in terms of his 
own role, then you guys go judge him. I don't want this in my 
court. I don't want this on my hands. 
I don't want it to be the case that some two-bit Roman governor 
in Judea is the guy who's giving death orders to men that haven't 
even been convicted by any rules of evidence. In some sense, he 
sounds like Galileo in Acts chapter 18. There's an instance there, 
again, a window into Roman jurisprudence. Acts 18, 12, when Galileo was 
proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against 
Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, this fellow persuades 
men to worship God contrary to the law. And when Paul was about 
to open his mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, if it were a matter 
of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason 
why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words 
and names and your own law, look to it yourselves, for I do not 
want to be a judge of such matters. In other words, if it's an intramural 
debate about theology, Galileo's not going to step in and crush 
Paul with the heavy boot of the Roman state. Well, that's kind 
of what Pilate's doing back in John 18. You go ahead and you 
take him and you judge him according to your law. Now, note the response 
of the Jews there in 31b. Therefore, the Jews said to him, 
it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. Now, typically, 
and I think there's merit and value for this interpretation, 
under Roman law, they did not have the prerogative, some commentators 
speculate, of about 40 years prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, 
which took place in AD 70. So, as a subject nation, they 
didn't have the right for capital punishment. But they have a lot 
of involvement. Once Pilate makes the order, 
he hands them over to the Jews. So they were involved in some 
sense. They executed Stephen. We have no response or no word 
that they were held to account for that. I'm not sure. But broadly 
speaking, they could be referring to, under the civil state of 
Rome, we don't have capital offense prerogative. But as well, their 
own Jewish law. It's the Passover. You're not 
going to execute somebody based on false witness. There's enough 
of a conscience in these wretches to realize, yeah, that would 
require even a bit more chutzpah than even we can conjure up at 
this point. But they admit their impotence 
in verse 31. It is not lawful for us to put 
anyone to death. Again, whether under the Roman 
law, or under their own law, they are acknowledging their 
impotence before Him. So that's the deliverance of 
Jesus by the Jewish authorities. But then notice in verse 32, 
the deliverance of Jesus by divine authority. Verse 32, that the 
saying of Jesus might be fulfilled. Look again at verse 9 in 18, 
that the saying might be fulfilled which he spoke. You see what 
the evangelist is doing? He's citing Jesus' words in the 
formula of, as the scripture says, as the scripture says. You see this often in New Testament 
quotations of Old Testament texts, as the scripture says, or it 
is fulfilled according to the scripture. He's treating Jesus 
as the authoritative Word, which, of course, John knows that he 
is, because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and 
dwelt among us. But back to verse 32, that the 
saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying by 
what death he would die. So the words of Jesus. Jesus, 
according to his humanity, learned of his messianic purpose, reading 
scripture. Psalm 1-2 tells us that godly 
man meditates upon the law day and night. Luke's gospel tells 
us he increased in wisdom and stature. Again, according to 
his humanity, there was growth. And part of that growth was his 
own messianic consciousness, reading scripture for himself, 
knowing his trajectory, knowing what was gonna happen to him. 
So along the way, he announces to his apostles what's gonna 
happen to him. He does it in Matthew 16, he 
does it in Matthew 17, and he does it in Matthew 20. He says, 
the Son of Man must be delivered up. Now that must there is a 
divine must. It's not a possible must. It 
is absolutely essential that the Son of Man be delivered up. 
What's he speaking about? If the Son of Man is not delivered 
up, then we'll be delivered up to everlasting hell for our sins, 
our transgression, and our rebellion against the living and true God. 
If the Son of Man is not delivered up for us men and for our salvation, 
we will be delivered up on that final day to the lake of fire. 
So this divine necessity in Matthew, I'm sorry, in John's gospel, 
he speaks to it as well. Look at John 3.14. John 3.14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent 
in the wilderness, Even so, note the language, must the Son of 
Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, 
but have eternal life. Notice as well in John 8, 28. 
John 8, 28, then Jesus said, when you lift up the Son of Man, 
then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing of myself, 
but as my Father taught me, I speak these things. So notice, when 
you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and 
that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I 
speak these things. And then in John 12, 32 and 33. John 12, 32. And I, if I am lifted 
up from the earth, will draw all to myself, all peoples to 
myself. This he said, signifying by what 
death he would die. So what we have in 1832. after 
28 to 31 showing us the unbelieving Jews and their involvement in 
the crucifixion of our Lord. And what we're gonna see in verses 
33 and following in terms of the Gentile Pontius Pilate and 
his involvement in the crucifixion of our Lord, John the theologian 
wants to make sure we don't believe or understand for a moment that 
these men are acting untethered from the sovereignty of God, 
that they've just run amok. They're off the leash, they're 
off the reservation, things are spiraling. Who's in control here? It's the high priest that's the 
true Passover sacrifice. It's the Lord of glory who remains 
silent before his accusers. It's the Lord of glory who in 
other places says, do you not think I could call multitudes 
of angels and they would come to my rescue or my aid? If my 
kingdom, he's gonna say to Pilate, were of this world, my servants 
would fight. Which, by the way, authorizes 
fighting amongst civil polities in certain instances. But when 
he says that, my servants would fight. What's the necessary implication? And they would win. They would 
mop you guys up. That's not what he's here for. 
That's not the cause he's advancing. It's not political power. It's 
not some geopolitical prestige for a particular body politic. 
It's about advancing the truth. What is truth, Pilate says. I 
always wonder how he said that. I really wonder how Pilate said 
that. Was it perhaps exasperated? But 
what is truth? I mean, a guy living in the first 
century heard a lot of philosophy. A guy living in the first century 
with his particular job heard a lot of false testimony. We 
see enough in the account that we know he knows he's innocent. 
We know he knows the unbelieving Jews are full of envy. It could 
be just a, what is truth? Yeah, it could be. I think it 
could be. But it could also be, what is 
truth? He's standing before a man that spoke like not other men. But notice we've got that Jesus 
is compliant with all of this. So verse 32, that the saying 
of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke signifying by 
what death he would die. Verse 32 is a bit of theology 
and it's a bit of a help so that we don't get up out of our seats 
and scream. at the Sanhedrin, and scream 
at Pilate. I think a little bit of a scream's 
okay, but he wants us to know that God is in control of all 
this. This is his purpose, this is his plan. The governor, Pilate, 
will declare Jesus innocent, verse 38 and 19, four and six. The governor will attempt to 
release him, 18, 39 and 40, and then 19, 12. The governor will 
deliver him up to crucifixion, 19, 16. The governor, along with 
the unbelieving Jews, are subject to divine sovereignty, according 
to 1911. Isn't this how the apostles pray 
in Acts 4? 4. Truly against your holy servant 
Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with 
the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 
to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before 
to be done. Yes, they're guilty. Yes, they're 
culpable. Yes, they're responsible. Yes, 
they're lawless. Yes, they're wretched. But yes, 
they're being overruled by the power of God Most High, who is 
able to take crooked things and make them straight. who's able 
to take the envy and the jealousy and the ruthlessness of Joseph's 
brothers and put Joseph in a position of power. And with that theological 
statement in Genesis 50, 20, you meant this for evil, but 
God overruled it for good. The Lord God Most High is working 
in the midst of these miscreants, in the midst of these God-hating 
rebels, to bring about redemption for the elect. Aquinas says the 
words might be fulfilled do not indicate the intention the Jews 
had, but the arrangement of God's providence. Gil says, which was 
brought about this way by the providence of God, conducting 
this whole affair, and was cheerfully submitted to by Christ in great 
love to his people, to redeem them from the curse of the law, 
being hereby made a curse for them. Brethren, see the love 
of Christ for guilty sinners. Unbeliever, see the love of Christ 
for guilty sinners. Don't say, well, I'm not gonna 
come to him, he might not receive me. What do you mean he might 
not receive you? Those who come to him in faith, 
he will not cast out. It's His job, it's His function, 
it's why He came. Why did Jesus assume our humanity? To live for us, to die for us, 
and to be raised again for us, so that any of us that look to 
Him in faith will have everlasting life. It's the whole purpose 
in John 3, 14, just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, 
so must the Son of Man be lifted up. What's the point? Look to 
Him in faith and live. Come to Him and be forgiven. 
Come to Him and receive a righteousness that now brings you accepted 
before God. Come to Him in faith and you'll 
have everlasting life. You'll see the confirmation, 
the validity, the blessedness of a John 3 16. God so loved 
the world that He gave His only begotten Son that everyone who 
believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This 
passage underscores the lengths to which the Savior went to save 
guilty, vile, helpless sinners. It's beautiful. I don't think 
there's anything more practical. More practical even than husbands 
love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself 
for her. Wives submit to your own husbands as unto the Lord. 
Very practical to be sure, but those emphases come as a blessed 
attendant to those who've appropriated the reality of how good a Savior 
Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished for us. Brethren, you know as 
well as I do, if we were before this Sanhedrin, if we were before 
Pontius Pilate, you probably couldn't keep our mouths shut. 
That's a lie. That's false testimony. I never 
said I was going to destroy the temple. I want my lawyer. I want 
intervention. Again, not necessarily bad. If 
you're being crushed by an oppressive state, that's okay. You can invoke 
your rights in that state. But with our Lord, He doesn't 
do that. With our Lord, He's like a sheep before its shears. 
Our Lord goes to these lengths to save us from our sin. Real 
quick, in conclusion, the deliverance to death by man. We see their 
utter wretchedness, and I'll just run quick through these. 
The sinfulness is seen in their already agreed upon verdict, 
even prior to the hearing. They already knew the decision 
was made. We're dispatching him. This is 
it. We're gonna deal with the Jesus issue. We're gonna live 
happily ever after. The sinfulness is seen in the 
willingness of the Sanhedrin to violate their own law. Their 
own law. Doesn't the ninth commandment 
say, you shall not bear false witness. It certainly must mean 
as well. If you're in a position of political 
power, you're not supposed to grab witnesses that are going 
to violate the ninth commandment in service to your particular 
end. As well, the sinfulness is seen in the united effort 
of both Jews and Gentiles in the crucifixion of the Son of 
God. We've got Psalm 2, 1 to 3, played 
out right before our eyes. Again, that's how the apostles 
interpret it in Acts chapter 4. And the sinfulness is seen 
in the willingness of men to perjure themselves in capital 
crimes. I didn't mention it, but the 
necessity for witnesses was absolutely there. Numbers 35, Deuteronomy 
17, Deuteronomy 19. You cannot proceed on a capital 
crime without two or three witnesses. That's foundational. So they 
needed those witnesses. They needed that false testimony. 
They couldn't have used true testimony because that wouldn't 
have made their case. They had to get liars and perjurers and 
men that were going to come in there and distort and miscite 
the words of Christ. So we see the deliverance to 
death by man and their utter wretchedness, but we see the 
deliverance to death by the Father and His utter graciousness. Utter 
graciousness, the promise of Genesis 3.15, I will put enmity 
between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. 
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. The 
typology, Genesis 22.8, my son, God will provide for himself 
the lamb for a burnt offering. 22, 13, and 14. Then Abraham 
lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught 
in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the 
ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 
And Abraham called the name of the place the Lord will provide. 
As it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall 
be provided. Promise, Genesis 3. We've got typology, Genesis 
22. We've got prophecy, Isaiah 53. Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise 
him. He has put him to grief. When you make this soul an offering 
for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and 
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. We've got 
provision. John 1.29, behold the Lamb of 
God who takes away the sin of the world. And we've got explanation 
or theological amplification by the apostle in Romans 8, 31 
to 34, especially verse 32. He who did not spare his own 
son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with 
him also freely give us all things? It's not talking about the unbelieving 
Sanhedrin. It's not talking about Pontius 
Pilate. It's talking about God. God prophesied in Isaiah 53, 
it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. So you see, the divine decree 
behind this deliverance to Pontius Pilate underscores the graciousness 
of our sovereign God, the blessedness of our glorious Lord Jesus, and 
the reality that there is salvation to be had in Him who lived, who 
died, who was raised again, so that everyone who looks to Him 
in faith will have everlasting life. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for 
what the Word incarnate did on our behalf. And what a glorious 
Savior to go to these lengths to save us from our sins. And 
not just the wrath of man that we see in the Sanhedrin and in 
Pontius Pilate, but the wrath and fury of God Most High when 
He bore our sin on the cross, when He took our punishment on 
the cross, when He satisfied divine justice on the cross. 
We bless you and we praise you for so great a salvation, and 
we pray that multitudes, by grace, would believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ today, and some, hopefully, in this very place, that they 
would call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and know the joy of being 
found in Him. And we ask this in Jesus' name. 
Amen. Let us stand and sing praise 
to the God of heaven and earth, 572, the Gloria Patri, and we'll 
stand together.