THE ROYAL TREATMENT
ZECHARIAH 9:9; LUKE 19:28-44
“…HUMBLE, MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, A FOAL, THE COLT
OF A DONKEY…”
PSALM 2:6-9
JESUS IS THE ONE AND ONLY, TRUE KING OF THE
WORLD, INSTALLED UPON THE THRONE OF JERUSALEM
IN ETERNITY PAST, SEALED AS A CERTAINTY BY GOD
THE FATHER.
DANIEL 9:24-26
ONLY JESUS CHRIST COULD FULFILL DANIEL’S
PROPHECY OF THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO
JERUSALEM AND AN ATONING DEATH FOR SINS.
THORNS MUST COME BEFORE CROWNS.
“TRIAL OF THE CENTURY!”
JEWS PROUD OF THEIR LEGAL SYSTEM
BEST OF ITS TIMES
TRUTH WAS CENTRAL TO LEGAL SYSTEM BECAUSE
“GOD IS TRUTH”
“SKOFFLAW”
JUDGES MUST FOCUS ON PURSUIT OF TRUTH:
DEUTERONOMY 16:18-20
EVERY TOWN HAD LOCAL COURT: SANHEDRIN
JERUSALEM SUPREME COURT: GREAT SANHEDRIN
“NO FIGHTING CITY HALL”
70 MEN FROM 3 CATEGORIES:
CHIEF PRIESTS – MOSTLY SADDUCEES
ELDERS – RELIGIOUS & SECULAR ARISTOCRATS
SCRIBES – MOSTLY PHARISEES
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
1. A PUBLIC TRIAL
2. A DEFENSE FOR THE ACCUSED
3. CONFIRMATION OF GUILT BY 2 OR 3 WITNESSES
DEUTERONOMY 17:6; 19:15; HEBREWS 10:28
SEVERE PERJURY PENALTY
THE LAW PRESCRIBED THAT A FALSE WITNESS
RECEIVE THE PUNISHMENT THAT WOULD’VE BEEN
INFLICTED UPON THE ACCUSED IF GUILTY:
DEUTERONOMY 19:16-19.
MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE
IN THEIR MURDEROUS ZEAL TO CONVICT AND EXECUTE
JESUS, THE JERUSALEM SANHEDRIN VIOLATED THE LOFTY
PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS AND METICULOUS CONCERN
FOR JUSTICE THAT MARKED THEIR LEGAL TRADITION.
SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS- PROCEEDINGS AT HIGH PRIEST’S HOME; NOT TEMPLE
- JESUS TRIED WITHOUT A DEFENSE; HIGH PRIEST RENDERED VERDICT
- JESUS FALSELY ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY
- VERDICT IN ONE DAY INSTEAD OF TWO DAYS
- JESUS TRIED ON A FEAST DAY
- CONTRADICTORY TESTIMONY SHOULD’VE NULLIFIED EVIDENCE
“TRIAL BY FIRE”
JESUS’ TRIAL: SIX PHASES:
THREE RELIGIOUS TRIALS BEFORE LEADERS
THREE CIVIL TRIALS BEFORE GENTILES:
PILATE & HEROD
ILLEGAL NIGHTTIME ACTIVITY
TO ANNAS FIRST: JOHN 18:12-13
- RICH & GREEDY; ILLEGAL TEMPLE PROFITS
- NOT QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT ARRAIGNMENT
- BAITING CHRIST TO INCRIMINATE HIMSELF; ILLEGAL
- CHRIST CHALLENGED HIM TO INTERVIEW WITNESSES
- CHRIST ILLEGALLY STRUCK IN THE FACE AS A PRISONER
AT CAIAPHAS’ HOUSE
SANHEDRIN ILLEGALLY GATHERED AT HIS HOUSE
ILLEGALLY GATHERED FOR A TRIAL AT NIGHT
ILLEGALLY GATHERED PRIVATELY VS PUBLICALLY
ILLEGALLY GATHERED ON A FEAST DAY
ILLEGALLY CALLED NO WITNESSES; NO INDICTMENT RENDERED
A DESPERATE HIGH PRIEST
“ARE YOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD?” – MATTHEW 26
“I AM” – MARK 14:62 – “YOU SHALL SEE ME…”
FEIGNS HORROR AND TEARS ROBE – “GUILTY OF DEATH!”
MARK 14:63-65: THEY LOSE ALL SELF-CONTROL!
THIRD RELIGIOUS TRIAL
MARK 15:1; LUKE 22:66-71: THE LIGHT OF MORNING – TO COVER
THEIR TRACKS; “ARE YOU THE SON OF GOD?” “YES I AM” -
WHOLE COUNCIL SENDS JESUS TO PILATE; SANHEDRIN
CONDEMNS ITSELF: ALL THOSE WHO WRONGLY JUDGE JESUS
CHRIST WILL BE RIGHTLY JUDGED BY HIM.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
ONLY ROME COULD RENDER EXECUTION
ENTIRE SANHEDRIN COMES TO PILATE IN SOLIDARITY
IN REALITY, ONLY JESUS HAD THE POWER AND AUTHORITY
OVER HIS OWN LIFE: JOHN 19:10-11.
WHAT ABOUT JUDAS?
MATTHEW 27:3-10
TRUE BIBLICAL REPENTANCE IS NOT PSYCHOLOGICAL
EMOTIONAL HUMAN REMORSE, SEEKING MERELY TO RELIEVE
STRESS AND IMPROVE CIRCUMSTANCES. IT DOES CHANGE
BEHAVIOR, BUT IT IS NOT BEHAVIORAL, IT IS SPIRITUAL.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
THE SORROW OF THE WORLD – REMORSE, WOUNDED PRIDE,
SELF-PITY, UNFULFILLED HOPES – HAS NO HEALING POWER, NO
TRANSFORMING, SAVING, OR REDEEMING CAPABILITY. IT
PRODUCES GUILT, SHAME, RESENTMENT, ANGUISH, DESPAIR,
DEPRESSION, AND HOPELESSNESS, AS WITH JUDAS.
PILATE IN LUKE 23:1-25
ROMAN GOVERNOR OF JUDEA; PROUD, ARROGANT
CONFIDENT IN HIMSELF & HIS AUTHORITY; BRUTAL
AMBITIOUS & HIGHLY POLITICAL
SELF-PROTECTIVE; “FEAR OF MAN”
JOHN 18:28-38
PILATE WAS PERPLEXED; WAS JESUS A THREAT TO
ROME? A POLITICAL/MILITARY KING? WHY WERE
THE JEWS SO SET ON JESUS’ DEATH?
PILATE SAYS “NOT GUILTY”
“MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD; NOT OF THIS REALM. YOU
SAY CORRECTLY THAT I AM A KING. FOR THIS I WAS BORN, FOR
THIS I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD, TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH.
EVERYONE WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE.” PILATE –
SKEPTICAL, CYNICAL, IN DESPAIR OF FINDING TRUTH, “WHAT IS
TRUTH?” – JOHN 18
HEROD ANTIPAS – THE FOX
LUKE 23:8-12; TETRARCH OF GALILEE & PERAEA; WORLDLY,
SEXUALLY IMMORAL, SELF-EXALTING BUILDER; REBUKED
BY JOHN THE BAPTIST & MURDERED HIM; “FOX” =
“CRAFTY & WORTHLESS” – LUKE 13:32
WORTHLESS, WORLDLY HEROD
“HEARD ABOUT JESUS AND HOPED TO SEE A MIRACLE”
“DO NOT GIVE WHAT IS HOLY TO DOGS AND DO NOT
THROW YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE” – MATT. 7:6
SIMON OF CYRENE IN LUKE 23:26
A JEW FROM MODERN DAY LIBYA; A SIGNIFICANT JEWISH
AREA CAME TO JERUSALEM FOR THE FEASTS – ACTS 2:10;
6:9 – DRAWN BY GOD FOR THIS HUMILIATING TASK –
MARK 15:21; ROMANS 16:13 – LEADS TO HIS SALVATION!
FRUIT OF HUMILIATION
SIMON, HIS WIFE, TWO SONS EMBRACE CHRIST AS MESSIAH;
CHURCH IN CYRENE GROWS STRONG AND SENDS OUT
MISSIONARIES TO ANTIOCH – ACTS 11:20 – LUCIUS FROM
CYRENE SERVES AS A PASTOR IN ANTIOCH! ACTS 13:1; SIMON
CARRIED CHRIST’S CROSS BECAUSE CHRIST WAS NOT GUILTY
WOMEN OF JERUSALEM
PROFESSIONAL MOURNERS, NOT FAMILY AND
FRIENDS; BUT GENUINE SORROW NONETHELESS;
SYMPATHETIC & TENDER TOWARD JESUS, BUT NOT
TRUE BELIEVERS – MANY ARE LIKE THEM!
JESUS’ RESPONSE
NOT THANKS; REBUKE – “STOP WEEPING FOR ME”
“DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM” = ALL OF ISRAEL
NOT HE, BUT THEY AND ALL ISRAEL WERE THE REAL
VICTIMS BECAUSE JUDGMENT WAS COMING IN 70 A.D. BY
ROME – A PREVIEW OF AWFUL FINAL JUDGMENT ON MAN.
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
LUKE 23:32-43
“TRULY” = THIS WAS HARD TO BELIEVE!
RECOGNIZED HIS GUILT; RECOGNIZED JESUS WAS
MESSIAH; RECOGNIZED CONFESSION & FAITH REQUIRED
THE HEAVENLY FATHER
ACCEPTED DEATH OF HIS ONLY SON AS ATONING
PAYMENT FOR MAN’S SIN. “INTO YOUR HANDS I
COMMEND MY SPIRIT” =
FELLOWSHIP WITH FATHER RESTORED!
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA
LUKE 23:50-56
A STORY OF SALVATION SET AGAINST NATIONAL
REJECTION OF CHRIST: A SECRET DISCIPLE NOW A PUBLIC
DISCIPLE! A TRUE BELIEVER “WAITING FOR THE KINGDOM
OF GOD.”
MATTHEW 12:40
“THE SON OF MAN MUST BE THREE DAYS AND THREE
NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.”
CRUCIFIED VICTIMS AFFORDED NO OFFICIAL BURIAL
OR GRAVE; MERELY THROWN INTO A PIT.
RISKY BUSINESS
JOSEPH & NICODEMUS RISKED THEIR LIVES TO
DECLARE THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS AND CARE FOR
HIS BODY TO GIVE HIM A PROPER BURIAL.
THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
GOD PROVIDENTIALLY WORKS IN EVERY SITUATION TO
ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE, AND THE BURIAL OF HIS SON
WAS NO EXCEPTION.
WHERE HAVE YOU SEEN GOD’S PROVIDENCE IN THE
DIFFICULTIES OF YOUR OWN LIFE?
RAISE YOUR PALMS!WHO ARE YOU MOST LIKE?
WHO DO YOU LEAST WANT TO BE LIKE?
WHO DO YOU MOST WANT TO IMITATE?
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE JESUS IN HIS ENCOUNTERS
DURING THE LAST MOMENTS OF HIS LIFE?