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 Welcome in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27. Matthew chapter 27. Our focus this morning is on verses 11 to 14. Jesus is now before Pontius Pilate, the Roman trial taking place. But I do want to read beginning in verse 1 of chapter 27. Hear now the word of the living God. 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 30 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 priest 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 it was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying, and they took the 30 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. And 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 person. You see to it. And all the people answered and said, his blood be on us and on our children. And he released Barabbas to them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for the written word of God. And as we were reminded in the few minutes before how we see the determination of the Lord Jesus Christ, certainly standing silent before his accusers is an evidence and a proof of this. And I pray that as Pilate marveled greatly, we would worship greatly, we would adore, we would love, we would honor and praise the Lord Jesus Christ who went to these lengths to save us from our sin. We know he's not in this position because of his own sin, his own rebellion, his own transgression, that he is the great shepherd, the one who has come to save his people from their sins. We ask that you would guide us now as we study the Holy Scriptures. To that end, we pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We pray that he would help us to see the glory of Christ as it is revealed in this section of Scripture. Do forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions. God, when we look at your holiness and your righteousness, when we look at your law, that transcription, that revelation, that declaration of who you are. We see our own waywardness and we see our own rebellion. We see our transgression and iniquity. And we confess those sins now, pleading the merit and the mercy and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, thanking you for the several promises in Scripture to that end. God, you have said that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do this for your glory. Do this for our well-being and for any and all who have come here this morning that are not believers in Jesus Christ. We pray that today would be the day of salvation. Cause them to reflect upon the Lord Jesus Christ, what he went through for sinners. Cause them to see the glory of Christ and may they by your grace believe on him and repent from their sins and know the joy of being found in Christ Jesus. Bless our time together now we pray and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, in verses 11 to 26, as I've already said, we see the trial before Pontius Pilate, and it breaks down into two large sections. And this morning, we'll take up verses 11 to 14, the interrogation of Jesus by Pilate. The Lord willing, next time, we'll notice in verses 15 to 26, the condemnation of Jesus by Pilate. And these two trials before the Roman governor and what Jesus has already went through with reference to the Sanhedrin end in the exact same way. Jesus is found guilty. Jesus is sentenced to death. And one commentator points out, The correlations between the two trials convey futility. The new trial corrects nothing of the first. Roman justice does no better than the Sanhedrin. So they are unified in their opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now certainly Pilate is a whole lot more hesitant with reference to ordering this death sentence upon Jesus. You see it here. You see it in John's gospel. There is a hesitancy and a reluctancy on the part of Pilate to deliver up Jesus for crucifixion. But nevertheless, he does so. Nevertheless, he is culpable. Nevertheless, he is responsible with reference to the death of our Lord. So as we survey verses 11 to 14 this morning under the title, The Interrogation of Jesus by Pilate, we'll notice first the governor's first question and Jesus' response in verse 11. Secondly, the accusation by the religious leaders in verse 12. And then the governor's second question and Jesus' response in verses 13 to 14. Now this, again, is a legal process. I will be referring to a definitive study on this subject. A man by the name of A.N. Sherwin White wrote a book, and it's entitled Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament. And I think it's helpful for us to appeal to that book, to sort of fill in the blanks and see how this is indeed going according to Roman jurisprudence, but ultimately under the sovereignty of God for his glory and the good of our salvation of his people. But note first, with reference to this first question and response, verse 11, now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, are you the king of the Jews? So previously, Christ has gone before the Sanhedrin in chapter 26. They pronounce this condemnation that he is deserving of death for the crime of blasphemy. They have to shape that charge because it's not going to win the day with Pontius Pilate. He's not going to execute somebody for violating a Jewish law concerning blasphemy of Yahweh of Israel. So they have to articulate and shape the charges so that Jesus is perceived to be a threat, and that is precisely what we find happening in this particular passage. Note the reference that Jesus stood before the governor. It's quite the contrast from what Jesus declares in Matthew 25. When Christ comes to judge the living and the dead, it is he that will be seated upon his throne of glory. And now Christ stands before Pontius Pilate. In fact, what we find there is that he is doing this on our behalf. I think John Calvin was absolutely right when he says, so then the son of God stood as a criminal before a mortal man and therefore permitted himself to be accused and condemned that we may stand boldly before God. It's because Christ stood before Pontius Pilate that you and I will ever stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ, washed in that precious blood, given that imputed righteousness, given that acceptance by God through the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you're not a believer here this morning, you need to contemplate on why that is. You need to consider your life before God right now. You've probably, presumably, heard the gospel at one time or another. You've heard the facts that Christ lived, Christ died, Christ was raised the third day. Why haven't you believed that? Why haven't you come to him? Why haven't you bowed the knee and kissed the son, lest he be angry and you perish in his way when his wrath is kindled but a little? I don't care if you're a hundred. I don't care if you're one. Listen to the blessed truth of the gospel. And if for a moment you've operated under this delusion, well, I know that God is holy and I know that he's provided a way of salvation, but I was taught in a previous church or I was taught in a previous book or I was taught in a previous life that I can't come to the Savior. I can't believe on the Savior. I can't look and live with reference to the Savior because he didn't come for the likes of me. Notice that the Savior is standing before a pagan governor to accomplish salvation for a great multitude that no man can number. Look to this Christ and see his willingness. He doesn't do this simply as a display or as a show. He doesn't go through this whole process simply to demonstrate something other than he came into the world sinners to save. All you need to know is that you're a sinner and Christ is a savior. Look to him and live. Again, I know the kinds of theology that is out there. There's the easy believism. You know, I just raise my hand when every eye is closed and every head is bowed and I say Jesus or I let him into my life and then I go out and live like the devil. That's false. That's wrong. But we don't replace the reality of belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are churches in this community that teach you can't look and live. You can't believe the gospel. It's not really the case that God has commanded all men everywhere to repent. He's only commanded some and that isn't up to you and me. No, he's commanded all men everywhere to Repent. I'm not going to lie to you. You'll only repent. You'll only believe by the grace of God, him enabling you, him empowering you. You don't need to worry about that. You don't need to think about all that. You need to look and live. See the judge standing before a pagan man, and he remains silent. And this silence ought not to be interpreted as anything other than what Pastor Porter mentioned previously. It is his resolute determination to fulfill the will of the Father to save a great multitude that no man can number. Don't perish in your sins. Many of you come every week, and I praise God for that. You don't make a public profession. We haven't baptized anyone for a while. If you are confessing faith in Christ, you ought to be baptized. But if you haven't confessed faith in Christ, you ought to. Do you think the people that in this church are somehow better, somehow wiser, somehow smarter, somehow more developed intellectually. No, God in his grace showed us the glory of Jesus and said, believe. And God in his grace enabled that. Do not leave here without looking at this one who stood before the governor. Notice, the governor is Pontius Pilate, who was the prefect of Judea in AD 26 to AD 36. I'll never forget when the Hamiltons got over, or not the Hamiltons, rather the Santiago's, when they got over to China. I think it was at Christmas time and Mrs. Santiago was giving a bit of a talk to some ladies and they were just perplexed in atheistic, communistic China to hear, what you're saying is true? And Mrs. Santiago goes to the map and says, yes, there's Bethlehem. Yes, there's Jerusalem. Yes, there's the particular cities that are mentioned in the birth narrative of our Lord Jesus. They were just blown away by that. You mean it's on the map? I think sometimes people think that. The Bible isn't historically true. Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect in 8026 to 8036. You cannot like that. You might try to argue against that, but that's simply the reality. And this courtroom, brethren, is conspicuously his. Notice, several times he is referred to as governor. Several times he's referred to by name as Pilate. He asks six questions and makes one declaration. He is the main man with reference to this courtroom. Except for, however, one thing. God is in absolute and sovereign control of the whole thing. As I've said, Pilate mentioned many times, governor mentioned many times, he asks several questions, he makes the declaration, yet it is under the sovereign control of God Most High, for in the parallel in John 19, 11a, Jesus says, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above. So it may be conspicuously his courtroom, but he is conspicuously God's servant, carrying out the plan of the Father such that the Lord Jesus determines to fulfill. Now notice the question that he asks. He says, are you the king of the Jews? Now this question presupposes previous discussion by the Sanhedrin and Pilate. Matthew doesn't give us that, but Luke does. and so does John. In Luke, they come, they say, we have found this fellow perverting the nation, telling people not to pay taxes. You want to get a pagan magistrate on your side? Tell him that somebody is teaching not to pay his taxes. In fact, if you want to get the Canadian government against you, rise up and say, don't pay your taxes. I've seen this happen in the United States. It's not a pretty thing. You don't fight city hall, brethren. There is reality to that. But in Luke 23, that's specifically what they do. They formalize the charge that way. He has asserted kingship and he has forbid others from paying taxes. And in John's gospel, we see that discussion before Jesus is questioned. So the question here, are you the king of the Jews? Presupposes this discussion that's already taken place between the Sanhedrin and between Pilate. The question indicates that they had successfully shape the charges to ensure Pilate's verdict. Notice that Pilate does not say, are you a blasphemer No are you the king of the Jews The charge of blasphemy wouldn have carried the day with Pilate It wouldn have impressed him one bit But the charge that he is a king a rival to Caesar, is something that Pilate has to take seriously. He can't just shrug this off. Now, notice the question reflects the formal charge of chapter 27, verse 37. Notice, and they put up over his head, the accusation written against him, this is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Now, Davies and Allison make this observation. The title always spoken by Gentiles, King of the Jews. It's always spoken by Gentiles. They didn't use Christ and Israel. Though Pilate does acknowledge that you call him the Christ or that he calls himself the Christ, but for the most part, the title is always spoken by Gentiles. It reappears again in verses 29 and 37, and so marks a theme of the chapter. Jesus dies with the king of the Jews over his head. Here are the words conveyed that Jesus claimed to be the Christ involved kingship, and so means political sedition. There can be no king but Caesar. See, this is very key and very important. Yes, the Sanhedrin finds him guilty of blasphemy. He has asserted that he is the Christ, but here they're capitalizing on the royal aspect of his appeal to being the Christ. And that's what they bring to Pilate in order to secure this death penalty. France agrees. King of the Jews is thus an appropriate translation of Jesus' messianic claim into a language a Roman governor could understand and must take seriously. So it's a big deal. Political sedition, rebellion, revolution, asserting that one is a king over the standing order. Now notice Jesus' response in verse 11. Jesus said to him, it is as you say. Now this is the same way he answers the Sanhedrin in 2664. It's the same way he answers Judas in 2625. It's an affirmative response, but it's got a qualified meaning. It's an affirmative response, but it's got a qualified meaning. In fact, go back to 26, to the Sanhedrin. Verse 64, Caiaphas puts him under oath, according to verse 63, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Same convention, though here it's a present. Verse 64, it is as you said. It's an affirmative answer, but it's not a yes. It's an affirmative answer, but it bears explanation. And in this particular context, what Jesus does is he explains to Caiaphas the significance. 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 going back to 27, as Jesus stands before Pilate, he affirms, it is as you say. But turn to John 18 to see where he does explain, where he does qualify. And again, he's doing that here in Matthew. Matthew just doesn't report it. The gospel narratives, the gospel writers give us various facets of the life of Jesus Christ. There's no inconsistency, there's no contradiction. What one author doesn't report, another does. And such is the case here in John 18. Notice verse 36 or 33. Then Pilate entered the praetorium again, called Jesus and said to him, are you the king of the Jews? Now John records for us the dialogue. 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? Now Jesus gives the qualification. He gives the explanation. And essentially, you know what he says? Negatively, in the first place, my kingdom is not from this world. It certainly includes the world, but it's not of this world. I think in essence what Jesus is doing in verse 36 is saying, I'm not voted in. I'm not placed upon a throne. I'm not the kind of king that makes war against a pilot or against a Caesar or against the Roman prefect. He is qualifying. It is as you say, but your understanding of kingship means sedition, revolution, rebellion, and rivalry. That's not my purpose. That's not what I'm doing. It is as you say, but he fleshes it out in terms of explanation. My kingdom is not of this world. if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight. You see what he's saying? Pilate, if I wanted to subdue you, if I wanted to take over this piece of property, if I wanted to exercise royal prerogative here, it would happen. It's not the nature of my kingship at this point. It's not the nature of my rule at this point. It's not the nature of the first coming. He says, so that I should not, 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 that I am a king. Again, he's affirming it. 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. Christ has not come in the first coming to exercise this political rule over geopolitical Israel. He's not come to subdue the Roman government. He has come to bear witness to the truth. He has come to live. He has come to die. He has come to be raised the third day. He has come to be a man of God most high who will rule and reign over the kingdom that God has given to him. So you see, Pilate doesn't need to be afraid of Jesus' power in this regard. So go back to Matthew chapter 27. That's the first question, and Jesus responds. Notice secondly, the accusation by the religious leaders in verse 12. While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Now the word translated accused here typically means, in a court of law, to bring legal charges. This is a real-life court scene. It's been amazing for the last 10, 15, 20 years how enamored people are with watching courtroom drama. You know, I say this a lot on Wednesday night. People don't like reading the Bible because they think it's boring. On Wednesday night, we were in 2 Kings 6. It's anything but boring. I can't think of any more well, there's not any more exciting body of literature in the world. Oh, it's boring. I'd rather watch Judge Wapner in People's Court. This is courtroom drama. All according to Roman jurisprudence, all under the sovereign hand of God. But this whole accusation process is part of the courtroom trial. The defendant is asked by the judge, are you guilty? The defendant in this instance says, yes, but not as you understand it. And then the accusers present their case. Sherwin White says, accusations are dewy made by delator. That's Latin for accuser. The chief priests and the 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. Probably wasn't the case that everybody everywhere got to say something, two or three of them. 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. I'm not sure if there's a law written in the law books that says, you can't claim to be the Prime Minister of Canada. But certainly if you claim to be the Prime Minister of Canada, you could potentially be a threat. So I don't know, and I think Sherwin White is saying this. Sherwin Williams, no. Sherwin White, this isn't the painter. This is the historian here. But what happens is, not that there was a law, thou shalt not claim to be the Roman king, but if you claim to be the Roman king, that was an undesirable claim to make. So he says, Mark and Matthew merely hint at the nature of the charge by giving Pilate the question, are you a king of the Jews? That this means a leader of the resistance is shown by a parallel from Josephus. He gives that parallel. If you're interested in that, you can follow it out later. But a leader of the resistance, you see what's at stake here? We don't know what the accusations are that they are speaking forth, but we suppose or suppose that they would indeed legitimize the claims that they are making that he has claimed to be the king of the Jews. Now, note Christ's response here. It's similar as to when Jesus was before the Sanhedrin. In chapter 26, verses 62 and 63, Caiaphas is just amazed and incredulous at the thought that Jesus won't respond. As we learn later, so is Pilate. But it's an application of Isaiah 53, 7. Isaiah 53, 7 says, 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. I'm going argue this morning that this is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53, 7. And it's not this kind of a fulfillment where Jesus was reading his Bible, which he did. Jesus, according to his humanity, would have read scripture, would have meditated upon scripture, would have learned of his own messianic task as he read the scripture. But I doubt he came to 53, 7 and then made a mental note on that day in his devotions and said, okay, when I stand before the Sanhedrin and when I stand before Pontius Pilate, I need to remember to be quiet so that it fulfills Isaiah 53, 7. Now, Isaiah 53, 7 describes before the fact the very conduct of the Savior, highlighting again that resolute determination. That silence causes Pilate to marvel greatly. That silence ought to cause us to worship greatly. Because what Isaiah 53, 7 says is true of our beloved Jesus at this point. He is oppressed, he is afflicted, yet he opens not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it shears his silent, so he opened not his mouth. Now, could Jesus have answered these charges? Could Jesus have shut the mouths of his accusers? Could Jesus have frustrated the plans and the purposes of the Sanhedrin along with Pilate and won the day with his great intellect and his ability? Absolutely. Why is he silent? Because he's going to die for you and me. Why is he silent? Because the Father sent him on this task. Why is he silent? Because we're blasphemous. Why is he silent? Because we sin with our tongues more than we drink water. Why is he silent? because we revile, we slander, we gossip, we transgress, we lack conformity under God's law. His silence in this instance is absolutely crucial for persons who do nothing but sin with their tongues. His silence is a resolved, a resolute determination of our Savior to fulfill God's purpose. John Gill says, the chief reason of all concerning 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, some might read this and go, well, that's just pathetic. He's standing there and he's not saying a word. That's not pathetic. That's beautiful. That's why we should worship. Because of that silence, sinners like us have everlasting life. Now note thirdly, the governor's second question and response. Notice in verse 13, then Pilate said to him, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? I think we're supposed to understand that just like it's read. Don't you know what's happening? Don't you know what's being done here? Don't you hear how many charges they have brought before you? Have you not entered into the to the gravity of this situation? It's kind of like a parent with their child and the child is in a bad state and they don't understand and the parent kind of wants to grab them and say, don't you realize what you've done? Don't you realize where this is heading? Don't you realize what is the inevitable consequence if you don't repent, if you don't forsake, if you don't stop? That's the kind of incredulity I think that Pilate possesses at this particular time. Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? The gravity of the situation is implied by the question, How many things? You're charged with sedition, charged with rebellion, charged with revolution. The incredulity behind the question is this. Bangle makes this observation, no one is wont to be silent when his life is at stake. Have you noticed that? There is this intrinsic desirability on the part of human beings to live. Now, I realize there are suicides. I realize the narrative previous to this recorded the suicide of Judas. But for the most part, generally speaking, we all have this innate drive to preserve life, don't we? You look puzzled. I think it's in all of us. And when a man is standing on trial and he doesn't open his mouth to answer his accusers, you can understand the incredulity of Pilate. You could understand he's never seen something like this. He's never witnessed anything like this. Now, brethren, I will argue that Pilate is a conflicted man. I certainly don't think he was a Christian man. I think he's a saint in the Coptic church. I would never grant that because he is guilty and he is culpable and he is responsible. And I will end this morning by hoping to prove that. But nevertheless, he is conflicted. Why is trying to grant amnesty to Jesus. He has a wife that says, you need to distance yourself from this just man because I had a wretched dream about him. Pilate engages in this hand-washing ceremony. It doesn't avail with God. I doubt it avails of the mob, but at least in his own conscience, he thinks that this is something he ought to do to absolve himself of this. In John 19, 12, it says he continued to look for a way to release Jesus. In our passage, he says that he knew they delivered him up because of envy. Another way we could translate that is rivalry. He was a threat, not to Caesar. He was a threat to those wretched Jewish leaders, is who he was a threat to. He was a threat to the Pharisees. He was a threat to the Sadducees. They didn't care one whit about Caesar all of their language to the contrary We have no king but Caesar is what these wretched men actually say This is a travesty in terms of justice but again under the blessing of God it is the means of our salvation For us men and for our salvation he went through these things on our behalf. No one is want to be silent when his life is at stake. But then as well, we need to appreciate the legal procedure behind the question. Sherwin White again says, Roman judges disliked sentencing an undefended man as much as an inadequately accused man. Let me just read that again. Roman judges. Now, again, I think we can have this view of Pilate. On the one hand, that he's a saint. He's somehow a Christian. He's somehow a believer. I don't believe that. But he wasn't a piker either. He managed to function as a prefect for 10 years in a difficult situation. I'm not here to defend him or champion his cause, but he was a Roman judge. He had seen a lot of things in his life. He had to deal with a lot of things in his life. And as Sherwin White points out, one of the things, a Roman judge is disliked sentencing an undefended man as much as an inadequately accused man. He wants Jesus to talk. He wants Jesus to speak up. He wants Jesus to give defense. He wants Jesus to say something because as a Roman judge, he doesn't want to turn over a man who hasn't had adequate representation. You see the same thing in Festus's words to Agrippa II in Acts 25, verse 16, with reference to the apostle Paul. Festus says, to them I answered, it is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accuser face to face and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him. So on the one hand, we don't want to exalt Pilate or Festus and say these were godly men. But on the other hand, we don't want to diminish it to the point where they were just pikers and inadequate and they had no clue whatsoever what they were doing. No, Roman jurisprudence, for as bad as it was applied here, was nevertheless a decent thing. Hearing or meeting your accusers, having legitimate defense. Those are bedrock of our legal jurisprudence system. It's good stuff. So Pilate here is asking him, Pilate here is wanting him most likely to give a testimony. Now notice the response. The Lord Christ doesn't answer Pilate. Verse 14a, he answered him not one word. He doesn't answer Pilate. He doesn't answer his accusers. He willingly submits to the trial knowing that his time had come for him to die in the place of sinners. Now that brings us to that issue. Why was it necessary that Jesus die? Why does he go through Matthew 27, 11 to 14? Why in the world didn't he testify? Why in the world didn't he bring these, you know, legions of angels to destroy his enemies? Why didn't Jesus vindicate himself of these malicious and false charges. The very purpose for which the Son of God came was to die. That's everything in our religion, isn't it? It's been interpreted as something that's foolish to Greeks, and it's a scandal to Jews, but to those who are being saved, Christ's the power and wisdom of God, right? It is for this reason that he came, because the Bible teaches us that God is a holy God. He is pure. He is righteous. He is most high. The prophet said his eye is too pure to approve any evil. Now, when you consider that in relation to our situation, that's terrifying, isn't it? if God's eye is too pure to approve of any evil. And then we search the scriptures to say, what is it that describes us? All we like sheep have gone astray. There is none righteous, no, not one. To commit sin is like drinking for a fool. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand? Within the covenant community, the prophet Isaiah says, all our righteousness says are like filthy rags. It's offensive, isn't it? The literal rendition is very offensive, like a menstrual rag. I've been thinking about this recently when I take my dog out for a walk. My wife, Rebecca, got me those little bags that you take. I'm sure that when you walk your dog, you do this so you're a good neighbor, you love your neighbor as yourself. These bags are scented. I think it's the canine equivalent to scented toilet paper. Why? Isn't that us? We're like that bag that's scented on the outside, but what are the contents like on the inside? I think that's the point in Isaiah's prophecy. All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags in your sight. That's the covenant community. That's Israel. That's not the pagans. We're not to surmise that the pagans are any better off. Why did Jesus go through this? Because that holy God must punish sinful men. That's just basic, you know, justice in God's universe. you feel it in your own heart when you hear of a man that gets convicted of a crime or a pedophile or he's a rapist and he goes on trial you want the judge to throw the book at him well that's what God must do with reference to the cosmic trees and we have all perpetuated from the womb the only way that that rod of God's justice doesn't find its place in our hearts and lives is if there's a substitute, if there is a curse bearer, if there is one who takes the punishment that is due for us. That's why he stands silent. That's why he opened not his mouth. That's why he didn't say, well, on that day I was here. I can be alibied. No, he doesn't say a word to Pilate. He doesn't say a word to his accusers because he's going to take the wrath and fury of God for us. This is the point. This is why he came. Spurgeon made this observation. Jesus answered him 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, Spurgeon says, was sublime. Praise God for that silence. Notice Pilate's response, so that the governor was marveled greatly. There might be an allusion here to Isaiah 52, 15. And I think that, you know, in light of the fact that Jesus is the suffering servant, 53, 7 is certainly in the backdrop. Isaiah 52, 15 says, And so he shall sprinkle, or better, startle in the margin 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 nations, the kings, they're startled. They're amazed. They marvel greatly at the reality of Israel's king. Notice, the amazement was most likely due to the fact that he had never witnessed such a thing before. I mean, what about you? You get called into the courtroom and it's your time to defend yourself. Do you just sit there quietly? Oh yeah, brother, I'm just like Jesus. No, probably not. I didn't do it! I wasn't there! Ask my wife. We don't ever just sit silent. At all. Let alone when the judge has us up on a capital charge. He had never seen such thing. Now, again, as a Roman prefect with 10 years of experience, or at least by this time, seven or eight years or six years of experience, he would have asked questions. He would have wanted to know the sort of character that he was dealing with in terms of his courtroom. What would he have heard? He would have heard them say, well, he's quite the skilled speaker. He's able to put together some sentences. In fact, after the Sermon on the Mount, everybody was just marveling because he spoke, not like the scribe spoke, but as one having authority. Perhaps Pilate was a bit surprised that this man, who's known as a great orator, isn't saying a word. Never seen anything like this, and it causes him to greatly marvel, but it doesn't keep him from condemning the Lord Jesus Christ. And in light of the fact that Jesus remains silent, he won't say anything else in this gospel record up until his death, until the cross. When he says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? But this is part of the process. He answered him not one word so that the governor marveled greatly, but that amazement did not restrain him from his decision to condemn Christ. Back to Sherwin White. 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. You see, it's a purposeful silence, yes, to fulfill scripture, but as well as Gil said, so that he doesn't retard his death. The hour had come, we've just been reminded. See, my betrayer is at hand. As Cam pointed out, this arise and let us go was not him running and hiding, but going to the betrayer and to the armed men. The hour is upon the Lord Christ. He will not shrink back from his duty. He will not shrink back from the obligations placed upon him in the covenant of redemption. He will not shrink back from his meat, which is to do the will of him who sent him. That's how the silence ought to be interpreted. Pilate understands that. Now Pilate goes into sort of, let's try to preserve him mode, but we see the Jews and their hesitant, or rather their resistance. So I just want to end with a couple of thoughts. We'll pick up the rest of the trial, God willing, next time. But the complicity of Pilate. Some suggest that Matthew specifically does not show Pilate's complicity. That Matthew's purpose, I think I mentioned to you this in a previous sermon, that Matthew had an anti-Semitic sort of flavor tone, as does John. I mean, they were anti-Semitic in their construction of the narrative, and they wanted to make the Jews look as bad as they could possibly do. Again, I don't think that's the case, but that's one of the theories out there. But in that, or in light of that, We need to appreciate his complicity in the text before us. In John 19.11, Jesus says the greater sin involved in this whole affair is that the Jews delivered him up to Pilate. What does that imply? That Pilate sinned. You can't get away from that. And his sin was, in some sense more noxious. I mean it's bad enough when one brazenly sins and does wicked things. It's terrible when persons see what's happening and say nothing. You see this in the account in 1 Kings when Ahab wants Naboth's vineyard. When good men don't stand up to a tyrant and allow him to get away with mayhem. It's pathetic and wicked. or when it says in the latter portion of that section that Jezebel incited Ahab to this conduct. Does that exonerate Ahab? No, I think it doubly condemns him. Not only does he go through this wicked act, but he submits to his own wife in this wicked act. It's terrible, isn't it? So Pilate here, arguably, I mean again I'm not justifying the Jews by any stretch but he did in fact sin. Now in Luke and John we have three admissions on Pilate's part that Jesus was without guilt. Think about that. The judge in the hearing of the entire courtroom says I find no fault in him. I find no fault in him. I find no fault in him and yet the crowd screams away with him away with him, crucify him. It is a travesty and a tragedy. So in Luke 23, 4, 14, and 22, and then in John 18, 38, 19, 4, and 6, Pilate threefold confesses that Jesus is innocent. But that testimony of Christ's innocence is not absent from our passage. Notice he attempts to grant amnesty to Jesus. That's the purpose of this Barabbas incident or narrative. Probably Pilate's thinking, of course, they're going to choose to see Jesus freed over Barabbas. Barabbas is a wretch. He'd be like saying, do you want, you know, Adolf Hitler or Joe Blow from down the street? Give us Joe Blow. What? How did that happen? You wouldn't expect it. Barabbas was notorious. victorious. He didn't just thief at Walmart. He was an insurrectionist. He was a revolutionary. He was probably a terrorist of sorts. So he tries to grant amnesty to Jesus, and he uses Barabbas as the means by which to do it, which any thinking, sane body of people would have said, well, give us Jesus. As well, he knew the Jews handed Jesus over due to rivalry. Notice in verse 18, for he knew that they had handed him over because of envy or rivalry or jealousy. They didn't like him. He heard his wife's testimony concerning Jesus' innocence. Now, that's an intriguing passage, verse 19. That's a very intriguing passage. We don't know all the dimensions. We don't know all the ins and outs. It's just briefly reported to us that it happened. But brethren, if your wife said that to you, wouldn't that have some sort of ringing effect upon your heart? Oh no, he's a pagan. He doesn't care about his wife. The guy loved his wife probably. She says, have nothing to do with that just man. I have been perplexed in a dream about him. They heard that. He knew that as well. He seeks to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' death, according to verse 24. And then if you're in the King James tradition, he refers to Jesus as a just person. I am innocent of the blood of this just man, you see to it. Now, based on the variants and based on the manuscripts, based on Luke and John and what we find concerning Pilate's, you know, true feelings concerning Jesus, I don't think just is to be regarded as absent. I think it's another admission on the part of Pilate that he is, in fact, a just man. The governor nevertheless gives the order that Jesus be crucified. Now, there are those who have taken passages, especially verse 25 and charged into anti and that wrong We not to be anti We not to look at every Jew today and say oh you the Christ Jews No don do that That is anti-Semitic, and it's wrong. Everybody, to some degree, was responsible for the death of Jesus within the narrative itself. The betrayer was a disciple. Now, he wasn't the real deal, but he was in the disciple community, and he betrays the Lord Jesus. This Roman governor knows he's dealing with an innocent man, and yet he gives the death sentence. And of course, the Jews, they're guilty. On the one hand, we don't want to be anti-Semitic, but on the other hand, we don't want to minimize the reality of what scripture records for us. Jesus says in John 19, it is greater guilt for you of having handed me over to you. Now, brethren, if we understand the Olivet Discourse and we understand the emphasis in verse 25, certainly we ought not to perpetuate anti-Semitism and blame every generation of Jews for the death of Jesus Christ. I think verse 25 was carried out very literally in AD 70 vis-a-vis what we see in Matthew chapter 24. You don't hold post AD 70 generations of Jews as the Christ killers. That's wrong. It's anti-Semitic and it's wrong and we're not supposed to do it. But to charge Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John as being anti-Semitic for reporting facts is wrong too. You see, we go the other way. Well, anything we ever possibly say can be seen as anti-Semitic, so we can't advance the truth of the gospel. That's wrong too. It is never wrong to tell the truth concerning what happened. And if Matthew emphasizes Jewish guilt, Matthew had a reason to do so. Not to the minimization of Pilate, because Pilate comes off very poorly in this passage as well. Listen to Davies and Allison. Instead of conducting an objective inquiry and justly acting upon the outcome, he rather gives cowardly heed to the hostile Jewish leaders and the crowd they have agitated. The governor allows injustice to prevail and his underlings torture Jesus. I mean, I forget what happens after this, right? Verses 27 to 31. What do they do? They torture Jesus. How anybody in their right mind can claim that Pilate was somehow a saved man or Pilate should be considered the patron saint of what, Roman jurisprudence? I don't know what is beyond me. His underlings torture Jesus after the death sentence is given. And it's intriguing, brethren, as we'll move through the narrative. There were two scourgings. Remember Pilate had him scourged once to try and appease the Jews? You remember that, right? But they wanted to press onward. There was always a scourging accompanying crucifixion. And it was particularly nasty. It was particularly nasty. If you were sentenced to death by crucifixion, that meant scourging beforehand. Christ was beaten twice. Christ went to the cross again in this silence to save us from our sins. It's just absolutely mind-blowing. Notice, secondly, the wickedness of the religious leaders, the Jewish leaders here. They conspire to commit murder in 26, 3 to 5. They bargain with the betrayer in 26, 14 to 16. They condemn the Lord in the trial before the Sanhedrin. They reject the claim that Christ is innocent. Remember in 27, 4? Pilate says he's innocent. So what? See to it yourself. We don't care. We don't want to let pesky fact get in the way of a good crucifixion. They deliver Jesus to the Roman governor so he will carry out capital punishment. That's the purpose here. That's why they've delivered him up. They don't have authorization. They don't have jurisdiction with reference to capital sentencing. They need Pilate to give them what they want. And at this point, they want the blood of Jesus. And I think Pilate's absolutely right because of envy, because of jealousy, because of rivalry. They don't care that he's a competitor with Caesar. They care that he's a competitor with the Sanhedrin. That's what's underscoring these men and their rage against our Lord Jesus Christ. They persistently urge the multitudes to side with their decision. Notice in verse 20, we'll see this more next week. The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. So in the courtroom, they're accusing Jesus with many charges. Outside of the courtroom, what are they doing? They're appealing to the multitudes. Ask for Barabbas. Ask for Barabbas. Again, any sane thinking human being would have said, why would we want Barabbas? Barabbas is a threat. Barabbas is a mean man. Barabbas is a bad dude. Why would we ask for Barabbas? Because we want to destroy Jesus. Oh, yeah. Oh yeah. And then they manipulate Pilate in order to carry out their design. John 19, 12 says, 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. I think their wickedness is even compounded and highlighted based on Pilate's rationale. In other words, if you bring this man to be delivered into the hands of Pilate and you want to see him destroyed and Pilate is just, you know, sidestepping every step of the way. He's hesitant. He is resistant. He wants to grant amnesty to Jesus. You can hear the immigration people going nuts. There it is. There's our biblical rationale for amnesty. He wants to do this. He wants to get Jesus out of his court, not necessarily to the cross. And yet these men grow more vehement in their opposition. It's like no rationality, no sanity, no facts can penetrate these wicked, hardened hearts. They do come off poorly in the narrative, brethren. I'm not going to lie to you or suggest otherwise. Their wickedness is compounded by the various voices testifying to Jesus' innocence. Listen to France. Even Judas the traitor, the Gentile woman of verse 19, that's Pilate's wife. So even Judas the traitor, the Gentile woman, and the hard-bitten Roman governor can see what the leaders and crowd refuse to acknowledge. there's witnesses coming out of the woodwork saying no he hasn't done anything he's innocent pilot three times i find no guilt in him and these men are hardened in their hearts these men are are resolved as well christ has a resolute determination certainly these religious leaders have a resolute determination and that resolution is to get him out of the way We will not have this man to rule over us. You see Psalm 2 in the narrative. You see it as well in the Luke passage. Luke records for us when Pilate sends Jesus to Herod. You know what it says at the end? Now Pilate and Herod became friendly toward one another. Prior to that, they had been at odds. Pilate thinks for a moment, hey, I could send him over to Herod because he's got jurisdiction over the Galileans. You see, Pilate is not itchy to get Jesus on that cross. Pilate is doing everything he can to not send Jesus to the cross insofar as he tries to pass the buck over to Herod. But they had not been previously friendly toward one another, but in this unison against Jesus, that had brought them together. It's the Psalm 2, Rage of the Nations. leaders, counselors, leaders and rulers taking counsel together against Yahweh and against his Christ. That's in view in this passion narrative. Well, we end on the glory of Christ. We see first his royalty. It is as you say. He affirms that he is indeed God. He is indeed king. He affirms that this is accurate. And we couple this statement with what he says before the Sanhedrin in chapter 26 and verse 64. He is the Danielic son of man who comes on the clouds of heaven. He is the Psalm 110 enthroned king priest. He is the Messiah that was promised by God to Israel. He is the king according to 2 Samuel chapter 7. He was uniquely the Davidic son and the son of God most high. He is royal. He is kingly. This charge is accurate. This is Jesus, the king of the Jews. Again, written by Gentiles, written by pagans, but we know the comprehensiveness of it. When he's on the cross, even the religious leaders refer to him as the king of Israel. Again, that distinction. Gentiles only see him as the king of the Jews, at least in this context. But the true people of God know him as the king over all. And notice as well his resolve. It's very intriguing that Cam read Mark 14 and emphasized those particular points concerning Christ's resolve. I really don't need to continue because he already did it, but I'll summarize by saying this. His silence showed the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. And that's very important, brethren, because Isaiah puts forth Jesus as the suffering servant. Isaiah puts forth Jesus as the Davidic Messiah. Isaiah puts forth Jesus in all these particular ways. And we see in the Passion narrative that he is in fact that Isaiahic prophetic figure. As well, his silence showed his resolve to accomplish the mission given to him by his father. You remember how many times we've seen it, we've covered it. We've been in Matthew's gospel for a while. When Jesus begins to go to Jerusalem in Matthew 16, he says, I must go. He repeats himself in Matthew 17, I must go. He repeats himself in Matthew 20, I must go. What's he showing? His resolute determination to do what the Father had given him in order to save his people from their sins. The fact that he is silent here indicates that self-same thing. This is resolute determination to fulfill the plan and purpose of the Father. It is to be understood in light of Matthew 20, 28, for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. That silence ought to be viewed in light of Matthew 26, 28. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Brethren, Pilate marveled greatly at that silence. I suggest that all of us marvel greatly at that silence as well and let it draw out our hearts and worship. If you're not a Christian, let you hear that silence and let that be the means by which you look to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, if that's his resolved determination, if that's what he undergoes, if he sits there and listens, or rather stands there and listens to the accusations of godless men and says nothing to resist them, nothing to reject them, nothing to rebuff them, that does demonstrate how much he loves his father and how much he loves sinners. I ought to believe in him. I ought to look at him. I ought to live in him. This is the point of the narrative. His silence showed his resolve to save his people from their sins. So I think it's one of the difficulties when you preach expositorily. You kind of forget stuff that happened in the past. I guess a good preacher wouldn't let you forget stuff that happened in the past, so I'm confessing that now and reminding you of something that happened in the past. How does a book start? I know there's a genealogy. If you have the old King James, you get put off by the regats. But there's an important reason for that. He's showing us connection between Jesus and Abraham and Jesus and David. That's crucial. Two covenantal figures of Old Testament history. We need to know that Jesus is connected. He's connected to Abraham. He's connected to David. But then Jesus is born. Jesus is named. What's the significance of the naming? You should call his name Jesus. Why? Because it's one of the more popular ones in this day and age. Some of your Bible versions might have Jesus Barabbas. Some suggest that it was dropped deliberately because you didn't want to call anybody else Jesus. France says it was one of the most popular names in that time frame, in that first century setting. So call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. That's how the believer hears the silence. That's how unbelievers this morning should hear the silence. It's the means by which he 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. J.C. Ryle says, 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. I think the bishop is absolutely right. What do we see with the guilty on the day of judgment? According to Romans 3, and all the world may be silent before God. you talk a lot now but if you're an unbeliever on that day of judgment you'll have nothing to say you can't blame someone else you can't say well it was my brother it was my sister you're going to be silent before God the only boldness that is afforded to anyone at that time is what we have in Christ and even then I don't think we're going to be you know making a whole bunch of noise we're going to be very happy we're clothed in the righteousness of Christ and hearing what the judge of all the universe has to say. So look to Christ, the silent one, who showed his resolve, his determination, his compliance with the covenant with his father for the salvation of his people. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the silence of our Lord Jesus Christ. How we praise you that he went through what he went through on behalf of sinners. how we praise you that he lived in obedience to the law. He died as a sacrifice and substitute at the cross and he was raised the third day. And God is dark and as dismal as this passage or this section in Matthew 27 is. Let us never forget Matthew 28. He is risen. He is enthroned at the right hand of the majesty on high. He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead. On that day, he will not stand before a pagan governor but he will sit upon a throne of glory. May we all be prepared to meet him on that day. May we all be prepared now because of your grace. May we look to Jesus Christ in faith and may we be forgiven and clothed with the righteousness of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Go with us now, we pray, and we ask in Jesus' name, amen.