to the trial before Pontius Pilate, part one. We'll look at the next section, God willing, next month. But I'll read Matthew 27, beginning in verse one. When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.
And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? You see to it.
Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, it is not lawful to put them into the treasury because they are the price of blood. And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in. Therefore, that field has been called the field of blood to this day.
Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me. Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said to him, It is as you say. And while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished, and at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?
For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release to you?
They said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said to him, Let him be crucified. Then the governor said, Why?
What evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man. You see to it.
And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released Barabbas to them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Amen.
Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for the written Word of the living and true God. We call upon you now to send forth the Holy Spirit who gave us the Word, cause Him to illuminate our hearts and minds, cause us to reflect upon our Lord Jesus Christ and the great love that He exhibits in His life. the fact that He went to that cross on behalf of His people, the fact that He suffered under this shame, under this kind of treatment, all for us men and for our salvation, certainly should draw from us worship and praise and adoration. Help us, Lord God Almighty, to appreciate once again that finished work of the Redeemer on behalf of His people.
Forgive us now for all sin and everything that darkens our understanding, and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, as we have had cause to reflect, the Jews did not possess the authority to engage in capital punishment, and so they had to send Jesus to Pilate so that Pilate would give the execution order. They had already made up their minds a long time ago that they despised him and that they wanted to destroy him. But as I said, they didn't have that lawful authority, so they need Pilate. And so what we have is the trial before Pilate, and it begins in verse 11 and concludes at verse 26.
This morning we'll look at the interrogation of Jesus in verses 11 to 14, and then next time the condemnation of Jesus in verses 15 to 26. And one thing that is intriguing is the similarity between Jesus before the Sanhedrin and Jesus before the Romans. In both instances, at the very end of these trials, you have a condemnation of death. And as well, on the heels of that, you have mockery given over to the Son of Man.
So after the Sanhedrin consigns Him to die for His crime of blasphemy, they then mock Him, they spit on Him, they slap Him. After Pilate delivers him up to be crucified, the next scene is the soldiers mocking him and treating him with scorn and with that sort of miserable treatment. So lots of similarities between the two accounts. And I think the interest of the apostle is to demonstrate that whether it's the Jewish Sanhedrin or whether it's the Roman Empire, Jesus is not going to get a fair shake.
He has come to fulfill what the Father had laid upon him. all that the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 53, and he's not going to shrink back from that. He's going to go to the cross, and he's going to do that for us men and for our salvation. So as we look at this passage, I want to look first at the first question and response in verse 11. Secondly, the accusation by the religious leaders in verse 12, and then the second question and response in verses 13 and 14.
So that's how Pilate interacts with Jesus. He asks a question, and then Jesus responds, or Jesus doesn't respond. Again, reflecting Isaiah 53, verse 7, he was led as a lamb to its slaughter, and he kept his mouth shut. And that's precisely what we see here.
So in terms of the connection, look back for just a moment to chapter 26. Chapter 26, Jesus is before the Sanhedrin, and in verse 36, it says, 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? Now, there is this interlude with reference to the denial of Jesus by Peter.
This is a theological concern for Matthew to include that here. And then in chapter 27 at verses 1 and 2. When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
When we go to verse 11 in chapter 27, now Jesus stood before the governor. He stood before the governor. Calvin makes the observation. So then the son of man stood as a criminal before a mortal man and there permitted himself to be accused and condemned that we may stand boldly before God.
It's a great observation. Christ stood before this pagan so that one day we can stand before God clothed in his righteousness, having been forgiven, successfully redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Now, the governor is Pontius Pilate, who served as the prefect of Judea in A.D. 26 to 36. Now, this is conspicuously his courtroom.
This is conspicuously his courtroom. He's called governor in verses 11, 14, 15, 21, and 23. He's referred to as Pilate in verses 13, 17, 22, and 24. He is the subject of most of the sentences.
He asks six questions, and he makes one declaration. So Christ is in enemy territory. He is with Pontius Pilate. As well, we understand from the parallel passage that Pilate is not sovereign.
Pilate is a man under authority, not just from the Roman emperor, but with reference to God Almighty. in the parallel account, Jesus before Pilate, in John's Gospel. Christ makes this statement in John 19, 11a. You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above. This is a very valuable lesson, and one that, no doubt, Christ, according to his humanity, comforted his soul with.
It is one of those passages that we are mindful of doctrinally, but practically it escapes us from time to time. Take the current situation. It is easy to conclude that the government is the final authority. No, God Most High is the final authority.
Our God is in the heavens. He does whatever He pleases. The COVID-19 pandemic is not some renegade event. It is not some stray.
It is not some consequence of wicked man that happens to arise on earth. The Lord Most High is over all things. As the prophets say, God kills and God makes alive. As the prophet Isaiah says, God creates calamity, adversity.
The Hebrew is actually evil as well as good. And so we need to calm our own hearts and minds with this recognition of this reality that Jesus demonstrates when he is in this straight with reference to this man. You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above. So, though it's conspicuously His courtroom, though it's conspicuously His jurisdiction, though it's conspicuously under His authority, it is not ultimately.
God Most High is over all things, and in that the people of God find great comfort.
First Question and Christ's Response
Now, notice the question that Pilate poses. Now, we're going to go a bit slowly through here because it is very important that we understand the nuances involved in this. We've seen something of Roman jurisprudence when we've moved through the book of Acts. Well, you see a similar sort of reflection here in the gospel narrative.
What happens to the apostle Paul before the civil government had happened previously to the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to that same civil government. So the question, are you the king of the Jews, presupposes previous discussion by the Sanhedrin and Pilate. In other words, the Sanhedrin wants to get Pilate to give the sentence of death upon Jesus. They can't come to Pilate and say, well, he's a blasphemer.
He has different theology than we do. He actually thinks he's the Messiah. That's not what they do when they present the case to Pilate. In Luke's gospel, they depict Jesus as one who forbids people to pay taxes.
That will always arouse the ire of civil government if somebody would deign, refuse, or reject the idea of taxation. But it was patently false. Jesus says, give to Caesar what is Caesar, and give to God what is God's. As well, they tried to picture him as a king.
Now, Messiah, Christ, certainly includes the concept of kingship. But in terms of them saying, he calls himself the king of the Jews, that's what would get Pilate to act. That's what would arouse Pilate. If Jesus was perceived as a competitor or as a contender to the Caesar at the time, or even to the prefect of Judea, well then the civil government must act.
In other words, if it's blasphemy, if it's a theological dispute, if it's a theological debate, Pilate's not going to involve himself. Again, just like Felix and Fastus and Agrippa in the book of Acts when Paul goes up against them. But when there is a matter of sedition or revolution or what would appear to be treason, well, then the civil government will take aim and engage in capital punishment. So the question indicates that they had successfully shaped the charges to ensure Pilate's verdict, and the question reflects the formal charge.
Notice in 27, 37, and they put over his head the accusation written against him, this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. and not, this is the Messiah, this is the one promised by the prophets, but this being the king, he sets himself in antithesis to the kings of his own generation. And so they would have no truck with that. Davies and Allison explain, the title, always spoken by Gentiles as king of the Jews, who use king and Jews instead of Christ and Israel, reappears in verses 29 and 37, and so marks the theme of the chapter. Jesus dies with the king of the Jews over his head.
Here the words convey that Jesus claimed to be the Christ involved kingship and so means political sedition. There can be no king but Caesar. So they framed it and they have shaped it in such a way as to ensure the desired outcome. And after we back off for just a moment, we can see there's nothing new under the sun.
The same sort of corruption that we witness in the politicians today isn't new. Solomon wasn't kidding when he said there is nothing new under the sun. Now, how do we deal with that? We seek, by grace, to function in a manner that is consistent with our Lord's example.
Now, we're not our Lord, so sometimes we're going to have difficulties, sometimes we're going to struggle, and sometimes we're going to have hardship. But the reality is, is that Jesus understands this, and Jesus complies with it for the bigger cause of saving His people. RT France says, King of the Jews is thus an appropriate translation of Jesus' messianic claim into language a Roman governor could say or could understand and must take seriously. So the nature of the complaint lodged against Jesus shows him as a rival to the Roman Empire's political power.
It is based on that reality that Pilate now acts in order to deal with Jesus as a real threat. Not just blasphemy, not just theology, not just a question of Messiahship, but rather he is a contender for the crown and as such he'll rise up against the Empire. Now notice Jesus' response in verse 11. Jesus said to him, it is as you say.
It's similar to what he says in 2664. You can go back there for a moment. 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. Jesus said to him, it is as you said. Now this is a way, an affirmation, the response is affirmative, but there's also this kind of an underlying thought, yes, but not quite as you understand it.
Christ's Kingship Explained
Now turn to John's gospel, John 18, because I think it fleshes it out a little bit more fully. John chapter 18. Jesus before Pilate, and Jesus spells out the qualification there. It is as you said, but not really as you understand it.
Christ's kingship is not designed to overthrow the Roman empire. Christ's kingship is designed to overthrow the hearts of rebel sinners. Christ's kingship is designed to soften those rebel hearts, to save those rebels, to bring them into alliance and federation, to put them as subjects in his gracious kingdom. That's the reason for the coming of the son of man in his first advent.
He shall save his people from their sins. So in John 18, we see this qualification given. Notice in verse 34, Jesus answered, 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.
Now, when we look at that as God's people, we get this idea that Jesus' kingdom does not include the world. But that's not what he says. Jesus' kingdom certainly includes the world. Matthew 28, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Revelation 1.5, John greets the people of God in the churches in Asia Minor under the rubric of Christ Jesus, the firstborn from the dead. the faithful witness and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Christ kingship certainly includes this world, brethren. That's what's very perplexing about churches today capitulating to Caesar. No, we bow the knee to Jesus.
He has crown rights in the civil sphere and in the ecclesiastical sphere. There may be overlap between those two spheres, but there's also distinction. and the one doesn't have authority over the other. We would all recoil in terror if a pastor rose up and said, let's engage in execution in the civil state. That's not your jurisdiction.
Exactly. Neither is it king, president, or prime minister to tell us what goes on in the house of God Almighty. It's not their right. His kingdom includes the world, but it's not of the world.
He wasn't voted in through democratic process. He wasn't voted in because he was a good Republican. He wasn't voted in or receives this authority or power as a result of what men said. My kingdom is not of this world.
And then notice what else he goes on to say. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight. You know what Christ is doing there? He's sanctioning the use of the civil sword.
Romans 13 is no joke. The people of government ought to get out of the business of viral control and into the business of criminal punishment and sanctions against rapists and murderers and child molesters. instead of sanctioning that all the while penalizing and punishing people because we actually dare to walk outside of our house to go to the church of the living God. There is fear sovereignty and Christ underscores the necessity at times for kingdoms to take up swords against others. That's what he says.
If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight and they would win by the way. Now notice what else he goes on to say. He says, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from here. Again, in terms of origin, it certainly comprehensively includes it.
The kingdom of Christ is over every square inch. It's not that there's one part or Adam in this universe where Christ doesn't have reign or rule. Now notice in verse 37, Pilate therefore said to him, are you king then? Jesus answered, you say rightly that I am a king.
For this cause I was born. It's a beautiful statement, isn't it? Matthew and Mark and Luke give us the birth narratives. Well, Matthew and Luke specifically.
John begins with what we call the Johannine Prologue. He begins in the beginning, not the beginning in terms of the life and ministry of Jesus according to his humanity, but our beginning, Genesis 1, in the beginning God created. So John starts there and John never indicates anything about the earthly birth. He doesn't give us a nativity account.
But in this instance, look at what Jesus says, "...for this cause I was born." Brethren, Christ is head, Christ is king, Christ has universal empire and absolute authority over all things. But again, it's not of this world. It's not that he's posturing himself as a contender against Pilate or against Caesar. And notice what he goes on to say.
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. How do kings in the earthly realm advance their kingdom? Typically through bloodshed.
I don't know that the irony has been seen by some of the people in our own situation. They're enforcing health orders with loaded guns. Brethren, they're going to jackboot us and tell us it's for our good. Typically, the way that earthly kings advance their kingdoms is by the use of the sword, by the use of the bullet, by the use of the tank, by the use of the B-2 bomber, whatever their options may be.
But not the kingdom of Christ. It's advanced by truth. It's advanced by the proclamation of the Word. See, we don't advance the kingdom of God on earth with military might.
We advance the kingdom of God on earth by preaching, by praying, and by engaging in the things that God has called us to. So if we renege on that, then we are, humanly speaking, stopping the progress of the kingdom. At a time of national pandemic, wouldn't it be the best thing for more churches to be going? Wouldn't it be the best thing for more truth to be preached?
Wouldn't it be the best thing for more persons out there that are distressed, that are dying, that are being marginalized, to hear the gospel of free and sovereign grace? You say, well, brother, that didn't happen prior because people weren't thinking about their mortality. As my beloved has properly pointed out, this is a time where people are stricken with fear. Well, let's preach the gospel to those who are stricken with fear and tell them there's a way to know the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding.
So Christ advances his kingdom by the truth. Revelation 19, it's the sword that proceeds from what? From His mouth! You see, brethren, this is the offensive weapon that Christ's Church has.
It is the proclamation of the truth of God's Holy Word. We cut that off and we stifle the progress of the Kingdom of Jesus here on this earth.
Accusation by the Religious Leaders
So go back now to Matthew 27 to look at, secondly, the accusation by the religious leaders. So you've got this first question and this response by Jesus and Pilate. And now you have the accusation by the religious leaders in verse 12. And while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Now, this word translated accused is a technical term that is always a legal technical term, which means bring charges in court before a human judge. So this is part and parcel of the proceedings. This is witness testimony. I mean, even back then, well, especially back then, Roman jurisprudence was really good.
And you couldn't just allege, make an allegation against somebody with no evidence. You couldn't just say, hey, this guy's a horrible monster and he wants to take down your kingdom. Okay, well, let's just execute him. This wasn't the Soviet Union, brethren.
They actually operated according to jurisprudence. They actually were foundational in many ways for what we are supposed to be the inheritors of nowadays. When we see the relinquishment of due process, that ought to horrify not just Christians, it ought to horrify everybody. Every man has a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The moment we jettison that, we might as well take our place with the cows and the horses and the rest of the beasts, because we have thrown off something indicative of man, something that reflects the God who created and who governs and the God who regulates life for His creatures. But anyway, Sherwin White, this fellow that has the classic study on Roman society and Roman law in the New Testament, he says, accusations are duly made by deletores. This was Latin for accuser or informer. The chief priests and elders of the people acting as such.
The account of this is generalized. In practice, there must have been not more than two or three spokesmen. The charge is clearly indicated, not as a charge against a particular Roman law, but as a charge of particular undesirable actions on which Pilate is asked to adjudicate. Mark and Matthew merely hint at the nature of the charge by giving Pilate the question, are you the king of the Jews?
That this means a leader of the resistance is shown by a parallel from Josephus. So when we look at this, what is happening? It's formal. So we've gone from the Sanhedrin, which was formal but limited based on the fact that the Roman government was over the Jews.
Now they've taken it to the next level. This is increased enforcement. This is when the threats are being realized. This is when it's going to come to pass and Christ is at the crucible at this very moment.
Now notice again, It says, while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. It's a beautiful statement concerning his response. Go back again to chapter 26, verses 62 and 63. 62 and 63. 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. See, again, this reflects the prophet Isaiah, the servant of Isaiah 53, the servant of Yahweh, whom Yahweh is pleased to crush or bruise, is the Lord Jesus. Each of those four songs in the prophet Isaiah concerns Messiah, and each gives us various facets of his work when he comes to save his people from their sins.
And as we read at the outset, the idea or concept of substitutionary atonement is prevalent in Isaiah 53. This idea that Jesus just came to set a good example for men. Jesus could set the best example, and he did, but wretched, wicked, vile men don't follow the example. He came to save his people from their sins.
And that meant standing silent before a wretch like Pilate, standing silent before wretches like the Sanhedrin, going along with all of this so that he could stand in our place, take the wrath and fury and punishment of God the Father upon himself and exhaust it fully such that when we die, clothed in his righteousness, having been forgiven by his blood, We don't have to go to hell to make atonement. We go to heaven because Christ has paid the debt. But Christ stands there silent in accordance with the prophet. Now you say, but Butler, he answers.
Yeah, the high priest puts him under oath by the living God. Notice what Jesus doesn't say. Jesus doesn't say in verse 64, well, the whole concept of oath is not right. You know, I've come to suspend that whole month.
No, he answers the question, but for the most part, he is silent in accordance with the prophet. 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. Brethren, that takes great grace, doesn't it?
I mean, remember, everything that makes man, man, Jesus hath. Jesus was true man, but Jesus was a godly man, obviously, because everything in us does not want to be silent in the face of this opposition. Perhaps you saw that Polish pastor in Alberta let the RCMP have it as he chased them out of the sanctuary. Isn't that what we all want to do?
Isn't that what we all want to say? Isn't that how we all want to engage? I'm not suggesting that he was wrong. I'm just simply suggesting it takes grace for the Lord Jesus to stand silently before a kangaroo court.
Notice how John Gill responds. I think he's right on. The chief reason of all of his silence was He had the sins of his people to answer for, and the time of his dying for them was now come, and for which he was ready, and therefore would say nothing to remove these false charges and retard his death." See, Gil's right. There was a righteousness that had to be accomplished.
There was a death that had to be undergone. There was a resurrection that needed to obtain, all in accordance with the Scriptures, all in tune with the covenant of redemption, where the father gives a miserable lot of sinners to his son, and the son covenants and purposes to come and save them. Well, it was according to plan. If Christ is not holy, harmless, and undefiled, we all die in our sins.
If Christ does not fulfill all righteousness, then we suffer in hell. It's not just His blood that is crucial, but it's His life of obedience that is crucial. What is justification? Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all of our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.
So if Christ sidetracks, if Christ engages in tit-for-tat, if Christ goes off, and if Christ sins, then we are all dead and in hell forever. So Christ does what was purposed for Him to do.
Second Question and Christ's Silence
Now let's look thirdly and finally at the second question and the response. Notice the question of Pilate, verse 27. I'm sorry, not verse 27, verse 13, then Pilate said to him, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he answered him not one word so that the governor marveled greatly.
Now in the first place, the question is probably like, don't you hear what's happening? Are you immune to this? These fellows are asking me to render a capital sentence. These Jewish leaders, they despise you, they hate you, but the charges they've laid against you are very serious.
So, I think there's a bit of incredulity on the part of Pilate. Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? In other words, you're not in a great place here. This isn't a good showing for you here.
This isn't helping your case or your cause at all. And then the gravity of the situation is underscored by the many things. See, the gospel narratives, the entirety of the Bible, don't give us every single word in an interchange. They're summaries.
They don't give us every jot and dill. In fact, if you look at this in verse 12, and while he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, They didn't just make their one statement. They probably were loaded for bear. They wanted him to be executed.
They're going to make their case as best as they can. They're going to engage in rhetoric. They're going to engage in everything they can to make their case good so that Pilate renders the judgment. And so Pilate says, don't you hear how many things they're laying against you?
And then in terms of, again, the incredulity involved in the question, one man says, no one is wont to be silent when his life is at stake. In other words, you're not going to offer up a defense. This is ultimately why Pilate gives the sentence, at least under the rubric of having some degree of compliance with jurisprudence. There was no counter evidence, there was no rejection, there was no statement on behalf of Jesus.
Certainly the qualification of John 18, but that wasn't enough to turn the mind of Pilate away from the mob of Jews and unbelievers. And then in terms of the legal procedure, Sherwin-White again says, Roman judges disliked sentencing an undefended man as much as an inadequately accused man. We saw that in Acts 25.16, Festus' words to Agrippa II. To them I answer, 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.
So we have this situation now where they've laid out these accusations, they've presented the case, and now Pilate needs to make a ruling. Pilate needs to render a verdict. Again, it's a capital offense. And the fact that we see Pilate conflicted in the narrative, the fact that Pilate's wife tells him, have no dealings with this man, the fact that Pilate, on three occasions in both Luke and John, testifies to the innocence of Jesus, shows us something of the perplexity going on in his own heart.
So he's at least got some sort of a connection to jurisprudence, some sort of a desire to at least look like he's rendering in accordance with Roman law. But again, notice the response of our Lord. Verse 14, but he answered him, not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. Spurgeon nails this.
He says, Jesus answered nothing. for he was there as his people's representative. And though he had not sinned, they were guilty of all that was falsely laid to his charge. He might have cleared himself of every accusation that was brought against him, but that would have left the load of guilt upon those whose place he came to take. So he answered never a word.
Such silence was sublime.
Justification: Forgiveness and Imputed Righteousness
So brethren, as we move through passages like these, we reflect upon our King, we reflect upon our Redeemer, we reflect upon our Savior, and we reflect upon the salvation wrought out by Him. As I've hoped, or I hope I've explained many times, and just by citing Westminster Shorter Catechism in terms of justification, it's not just forgiveness that we need, it's righteousness. It's not just cleansing in the precious blood, because if we're cleansed in the precious blood, we're brought back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then it's up to us to secure a righteousness by which we enter into heaven.
This is the heresy of Roman Catholicism. This is the heresy of new perspective on Paul. This is the heresy of federal vision, or those adherents to it that engage in this. It's not just forgiveness, but there is a positive imputation of the righteousness of Christ received by faith.
If we are not clothed in the righteousness of another, then we better be clothed in the righteousness of ourselves, or else we're going to go to hell. But in the gospel, our blessed Savior answers for everything. We get both forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with God, such that we are clothed in that righteousness and will enter into the presence of God Most High. He doesn't put us back in a position of probation, but rather He secures us.
And as Paul is able to rehearse in Ephesians chapter 1, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Roman Catholics can't say, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but we can. It's the reality that Christ paid it all, and Christ performed it all, and that we in the gospel receive not only forgiveness, but that righteousness that avails with God. And before we close and move to some practical observations,
Pilate's Amazement and Isaiah's Fulfillment
look at the amazement indicated here. But he answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. There's a possible allusion here to the prophet Isaiah. In that fourth servant song we read, so he shall sprinkle, the new King James margin has, startle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. The reality is that the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled, not just in terms of the silence of the Savior, but in terms of the amazement or the startlement of the nations who are confronted by Israel's God. It is most glorious to see the way that the New Testament authors weave the Old Testament narrative into their gospel narratives to show us, in fact, that Christ is the man that the prophets wrote of. Now, in terms of the human element, why do you think he was amazed?
The amazement was most likely due to the fact that he had never witnessed such a thing before. You know how many people stood in Pilate's court and said, well, it wasn't me. I wasn't there. I got an alibi.
I was with my wife. There's always something that we'll say, right? There's always something we'll pony up. There's always something we'll do in order to defend ourselves.
So Pilate actually gets a holy, harmless, undefiled man in his courtroom, and Pilate is amazed that that man says nothing in terms of his own defense. Whatever he does or doesn't say, Pilate nevertheless, on three occasions, again recorded in Luke and recorded in John, and I'll show you how it's recorded here in Matthew as well, confesses the innocence of the Lord Jesus. The amazement gave way to his decision to condemn Christ. Again, Sherwin White says the accusers allege facts and the judge decides what to make of them.
Since there was no defense, Pilate had no option but to convict. That was the essence of the system. Now, before he convicts and before he sends him away to be crucified, he engages in what I call the Barabbas bargain. We'll see that, God willing, next time we gather together for the Lord's Supper.
It was customary at the time of the Passover to release a prisoner. And so Pilate says, do you want Barabbas released or do you want Jesus released? Why would he do that? Again, he's got a pang of conscience.
I mean, he's not the devil. He's certainly devil-ish, but he's not the devil. He's weak-kneed. He's a coward.
He's afraid. He's governed by mob mentality instead of by what is right. But nevertheless, even himself, he says, do you want me to release this Jesus? Oh, no, we want Barabbas.
Talk about the wickedness of man. If you ever doubt total depravity, just read the Passion Narratives. I mean, if you ever doubt the reality of sin, just read the Passion Narratives. This man was holy, harmless, and undefiled.
He didn't do anything wrong. See, brethren, if you and I end up in a courtroom and we're innocent of a particular offense, we're guilty of a whole lot of other things. You can never say that about Christ. He was like a lamb led before the shearers.
He kept his mouth silent as they're about to engage in this lawlessness.
Application: Pilate's Complicity
Now, in terms of some final thoughts, in the first place, the complicity of Pilate. The complicity of Pilate, Davies and Allison comment, while we agree with all commentators that Matthew enhanced the guilt of the Jewish authorities, we are, against many, persuaded that the text excuses the Romans. In other words, we are unpersuaded that the text excuses the Romans. In other words, some say, well, it's Jewish guilt that's highlighted by Matthew.
They say that Jewish guilt is highlighted by John. Such that John and Matthew, and I know this is bizarre, but this is the world in which we live, they are accused of being anti-Semites. Brethren, they were Jews. You just don't know how weird it can get.
I mean, you know, in a topsy-turvy, sinful world, anything goes. And we are witnessing that in spades in our own generation. I mean, lies are promoted and deception is told, and it's just like unquestioned. We have a whole media designed to carry water for that sort of thing.
It's very frustrating. It's very distressing. But again, nothing new under the sun. But in terms of this reality, the reference in John 19 11 to the greater sin of the Jews indicates that Pilate did in fact sin.
The ones who delivered me up to you have the greater sin. Well, just because Pilate's isn't the greater sin doesn't mean he's not sinful. As well, the absence of Pilate's threefold confession of Jesus' innocence is not altogether lacking in Matthew's account. In the first place, he attempts to grant amnesty to Jesus, the Barabbas' bargain, in the following section.
Secondly, he knew the Jews handed Jesus over due to envy. Look at that in verse 18. He knew that they had handed him over because of envy. There was a rivalry.
They didn't like this, that Jesus went about teaching and everybody listened to him. And he oftentimes indicted the religious leaders. Do you think they just were neutral in that? No, they were incensed by that.
It enraged them. And that's what's driving and motivating them. And even Pilate sees this. I mean, it's not hard to sort of figure it out when you just look at the text.
He heard his wife's testimony concerning Jesus' innocence in verse 19. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him saying, have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him. Now, brethren, behind every not even good man, somewhat decent man, there's a good woman. So I don't think he just listened to this and forgot it.
It probably made an impact on him. His wife comes to him and says, you don't want to go down this road. It's not a good thing for you to attach yourself to. And I don't think it means it in terms of political suicide.
He obviously chooses the political expediency. But with reference to this fear, I doubt it's because, well, if you go down this road, it's going to hurt your career. No, you're going to be going against the living and true God. Whatever's happening in terms of this particular scenario, there are greater implications and ramifications than what you are currently aware of.
And then as well, he seeks to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' death. Notice in verse 24, when Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it. And he refers to Jesus as a just person or as a just man.
If you're using a non-King James tradition, that is a textual variant, but I think it's to be there and read and understood. Pilate knows the score, and yet Pilate capitulates. You see, brethren, it's not just a present modern situation. The reality is that politicians politicize.
And instead of governing or ruling or leading based on the simple question, what is right? They oftentimes do it based on the more complex question, what is politically expedient? That is very unfortunate and it should affect the people of God who live in body politics. It should cause us to reflect very seriously on who we vote for.
It should cause us to reflect very seriously on the reality that integrity and loyalty and being men of your word is absolutely crucial. Flip-flopping, deceiving liars that are seeking to court the favor of mobs Aren't men to be trusted in high positions of authority? I wouldn't trust them handing out carts at Walmart, let alone giving them the prerogative to govern a body politic. What have we done to ourselves?
Why are we in this place? Because we've accepted the maxim, oh, they're just politicians and that's all they do is lie. Then fire them! Get rid of them!
Put men in that have integrity, whose yes is yes and whose no, no. Why does he capitulate to the mob? Because they're a mob and they're going to riot if he doesn't. He's understanding this reality.
If he says, I'm going to let Jesus go, then all these people are going to start burning cars. They're going to start looting businesses. They're going to start trashing the city. And Pilate doesn't want that.
So political expedience says, we'll go ahead and deliver Jesus Christ over to be crucified. Now again, this is under the authority, the plan, the purpose, the decree, and covenant of God Most High. And we rejoice in that in a most blessed way because this is what He did for us and for our salvation. But in terms of the humanity of it, let us never forget, brethren, and this is something that really bugs me.
If I could just share my heart, oh, you're too tied to this world. You think too much about this, that, and the other. Did not our Lord teach us to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven? Does God's will for earth include abortion clinics and euthanizing elderly, euthanizing mental illness?
I mean, that's as ghoulish as one can imagine. Again, that's why it rings so hollow when they want me to wash my hands and they want me to stay inside and they don't want me to go to church because I might murder people. Oh, you don't want any competitors? You don't want any rivals?
You want the monopoly on murder? That's what you're about? Brethren, it is hollow and that the people of God are not awakened to this or awakening up to this is distressing. It is distressing to the core.
Jesus taught us to pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. When I read Revelation 21 and 22, I don't see people prevented from going to the house of God to worship God. I don't see people sanctioned or terminated because they're inconvenient. I don't see that in the New Jerusalem, and our blessed Savior tells us to pray, not in some idealistic, utopian way that it's always going to obtain on earth, but the people of God hunger and thirst for righteousness.
The people of God desire the health of image-bearers, not just redeemed people. There is a creational aspect. We are all in this together. Creatures under God.
Some shouldn't enslave others. Some shouldn't murder others. Some shouldn't target others. That's the will of God, brethren, and that's what the people of God need to be concerned about.
And then the governor nevertheless gives this order that Jesus be crucified. In this, he's similar with Judas Iscariot. Judas tries to rid himself of guilt by saying that he sinned by betraying innocent blood. Pilate tries by saying, I am innocent of the blood of this Josh person.
You see similarity between Judas and Pilate. Both the chief priest to Judas and Pilate to the people say, you see to it. Let's pass the buck. You deal with it.
And then as well, Judas throws the money away to get rid of the guilt. Pilate washes his hands. Pilate, you're getting a lot more than the washing of hands. You're going to eat the blood of the one that you sent to that cross.
That's the only thing, the only way whereby guilty sinners lose their stains. It is through precious blood, not the hand-washing ceremony that Pilate engages in here. And then Judas involves the religious leaders in blood guilt. Pilate involves all the people in blood guilt.
Look at verse 25. And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us and on our children." So Judas is dealing with the leaders. Their blood guilt is evident in their truck with Judas. And now Pilate, before all the people, has involved every single one of Israel under that blood guilt.
And I believe, brethren, this is why, in that sermon, in Acts 2, when Peter is standing on the day of Pentecost to preach the gospel to Jerusalem's sinners, he says, the promise is for you and your children and all those who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. I don't want to offend, I don't want to trigger, I don't want to hurt you, but that's not a paedo-baptism text. It is a Jerusalem sinner text. Jerusalem sinners, guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ, can find mercy and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ.
That's Peter's point when he says, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. For what? For the remission of sins. It is most blessed what we have in the Christian gospel, and it's most blessed when we preach it and promote it.
Wickedness of the Religious Leaders
Secondly, the wickedness of the religious leaders. I'll just run through the list. They conspire to commit murder. They bargain with the betrayer.
They condemn the Lord in the trial before the Sanhedrin. They reject the claim that Christ's innocent. They deliver Jesus to the Roman governor so he will carry out capital punishment. They persistently urge the multitudes to side with their decision.
They manipulate Pilate in order to carry out their design. In John 19, 12, from then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out saying, if you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. Brethren, I don't doubt it's a tough position. to engage in a particular path that people hate, that people oppose, that people reject, or people despise.
But because something is tough doesn't mean you back down. It doesn't mean you stop. It doesn't mean you say, oh yeah, I'm going to give up this this innocent man to suffer Roman execution or Roman crucifixion for crimes he didn't commit, so I can capitulate to this mob who's whiny and crying and emotional and trying to dictate the terms upon which a government functions? Brethren, that is not to be the case.
Pilot, kowtow to this mob. And then as well, their wickedness is compounded by the Pilate's various attempts to not crucify Jesus. You can't read the narrative, Jesus before Pilate, and come away saying, oh, Pilate's right on board. He can't wait to execute Jesus.
That's not the case at all. Persons, commentators, theologians have questioned, in John's account, when Pilate says, what is truth? See what exegesis can't do? It can't give us inflection.
It can't give us tone. It's like when you text people, sometimes you don't know their tone. They might say something that's a joke, and unless they put a happy face, you think they're mad at you or something. I mean, we have a whole new way to communicate now with thumbs up and happy face is an old spiel.
But tone, right? A lot of people see it as, you know, Pilate was dismissive. Well, what is truth? I'm not always convinced of that.
It might have been, well, what is truth? I mean, here's a Roman prefect governing Judea at the time of the Roman Empire. There's lots of philosophies. There's lots of truth systems, as it were.
There's lots of things. And here's Jesus standing before him. And on three occasions, Pilate sees he's done nothing wrong. He's done nothing wrong.
He's done nothing wrong. So when Jesus speaks of truth and Pilate says, what is truth? Again, it could be dismissive. What is truth?
Doesn't matter. Or it could have been, what is truth? The reality is, or the irony is, is that truth is standing right before him. The way the truth and the life is standing right there, that close, and yet Pilate rejects him, Pilate dismisses him, and Pilate ultimately gives him up to be crucified.
What a horrible thing to be a coward.
The Glory and Resolve of Christ
Thirdly, we see the glory of Christ. His royalty is on display. His royalty is on display. He is described as the King of the Jews.
It is as you said. He is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. He is the Christ of God. He is the one with universal reign and empire and authority.
He's the Danielic Son of Man, that 713-14 man that comes into the very presence of the Ancient of Days. And the Ancient of Days confers upon Him a kingdom and dominion and universal authority and reign. He is the royal one of Israel, and he is standing before Pontius Pilate, but it's not just his royal position, but it's also his resolve. His silence showed the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, and his silence showed his resolve to accomplish the mission given to him by his father.
Brethren, the active obedience of Christ is crucial. If you've ever heard the name J. Gresham Machen, he was a great theologian in the early part of the 20th century. He lived in America.
That's not why he was great. Just happens to be the instance or happens to be the case. But according to historians, according to his biographer, the last thing that man said as he was about to breathe his last was, well, he sent a telegraph to a friend, and he said, I'm so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it.
I'd like that to be my last words. If anybody happens to be there and I'm on my choking gasp, tell me to recite that, right? The forgiveness of sins and the righteousness that avails with God. That's what Christ is doing.
Christ does what he does for the glory of the Father and for the good of us. Christ is going through this mockery, this content, this ignominy, not because He deserves it, but because you and I deserve it. But He goes in our place, takes the wrath and curse and fury of God, and saves His people from their sins. John Calvin said, Christ, therefore, was at that time silent, that He may now be our advocate, and by His intercession may deliver us from condemnation.
He was silent that we may boast that by his grace we are righteous. And Ryle said, to those silent sufferings, believers owe all their peace and hope. Through them, they will have boldness in the day of judgment, who in themselves would have nothing to say. Amen.
Well, let's close in a word of prayer.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for the Son of Man. We thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ and what he went through on our behalf. It truly is amazing, God. We sing amazing grace, and yet at times it seems so not amazing to us.
We don't celebrate as we ought. We don't rejoice as we ought. We don't pray and preach and proclaim and worship as we ought in light of these great redemptive truths. God, help us to be those who respond in a way that is appropriate.
We see that pattern in the catechism of guilt, grace, gratitude. Help us to express that gratitude in the public worship, in private worship, in family worship, in the way that we conduct ourselves on a daily basis in light of this salvation. And God, help us to reflect upon this in each and every moment of the day, When we're downcast, when we're distressed, help us to remember that blessed stanza of the hymn that Jesus paid it all. And we ask in His most blessed name.
Amen.