The King on Trial - Matthew 26:57-68

And.

Matthew 26:57-68: The Trial Before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin

You'll turn with me to Matthew chapter 26 again. Matthew chapter 26. We're looking at verses 57 through 68 this morning the trial of Jesus the King Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords being tried by.

Evil.

And wicked men as We considered last week and we've considered many times in Matthews gospel that the ministry of Jesus was was not one of Some pawn who was being used and taken advantage of by the powers that be of his day.

Jesus's earthly ministry was not as as some would have us believe as some have Co-opted the gospel into twisting it into this class warfare or this this struggle against the ruling class.

Instead.

Jesus's earthly ministry was of a sovereign King Who came as a commoner willingly? Who humbled it humbled himself yet was fully in control of the direction of his mission of his ministry of his calling?

We clearly saw this last week in the passage that we looked at again. It's a theme that we've seen all throughout Matthews gospel, but it was on clear display Last week as we saw this traitor Judas Who sought power in this crowd that he brought with him with their with their weapons we saw Peter who sought power in the sword that he was wielding.

And all the while we saw Jesus who truly had power and Who willingly gave himself up? To these ruling authorities To the group that they had assembled and sent to arrest him. And so now we continue with this account of Jesus's arrest.

He's he's been taken To the house of Caiaphas the high priest and now he will be tried By the Sanhedrin, it's picking up in verse 57. We read those who had seized Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest Where the scribes and the elders were gathered together?

But Peter was following him in a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest and Entered in and sat down with the officers to see the outcome. Now the chief priests and the whole council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus So that they might put him to death.

They did not find any even though many false witnesses came forward but later on two came forward and Said this man stated I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. The high priest stood up and said to him.

Do you not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you? But Jesus kept silent and The high priest said to him I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God.

And Jesus said to him you have said it yourself. Nevertheless, I tell you hereafter You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said he is blasphemed.

What further need do we have of witnesses behold you have now heard the blasphemy. What do you think? And they answered he deserves death. Then they spat in his face and beat him with their fists and others slapped him and Said prophesy to us you Christ.

Who is the one who hit you father? We Thank you this morning As has already been prayed that while the nation's roar the nation's Rage against you and against your anointed and the nation's Plot and scheme and.

Fight.

That you who sit in heaven are firmly established and seated on your throne. You are the sovereign God of the universe who holds Upholds the world by the very word of your power. We thank you that we've seen all throughout Matthew's gospel.

But we have seen particularly over the last couple of weeks a reminder that our Savior Jesus is the sovereign King. That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God.

The Father.

There is one name under heaven by wit by which men must be saved and that is the name Jesus. Father would you be honored and glorified this morning? As we remember the love the ministry the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus.

That we might be called the sons and the daughters of God. We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.

The Sanhedrin’s Rushed and Unjust Trial

So the mob which arrested Jesus has now delivered him over to Caiaphas and to the the council the rest of the Sanhedrin. Your your translation may render this word the council it could possibly say the Sanhedrin.

But that's the group that was assembled here and the Sanhedrin we've talked about this before but as a reminder the Sanhedrin was a was a was a group of priests of Those who were trained in the law. They were Pharisees Sadducees.

This group together formed the legislative and the judicial body of the Jewish people and just as The mob who arrested Jesus thought they were in control of that situation now the Sanhedrin Thinks that they are in control of this trial of of this situation Caiaphas and Sanhedrin and the Sanhedrin think that they are in control of Jesus's fate that they will decide what happens to him.

All of them again blissfully ignorant that it is Jesus who is in control. That things are happening just as Jesus already told his disciples. I saw months ago going back to chapter 16 again when Jesus tells his disciples He tells us from that point on Jesus was telling the disciples That he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the scribes and the Pharisees.

That he would be killed and then he would be raised again on the third day. So this was nothing new to Jesus. This was not a surprise when this group this mob arrived in the garden and it was no surprise When they took him to the house of Caiaphas.

We see in our passage today these three parts of this trial. We see in it the sovereign King who was on trial not because of his sin. But ultimately because of the sin of mankind. It was our sin That brought Jesus to this point at which we arrived today and it is our sin that will lead to the events of the rest of the gospel that we will look at in the coming weeks and Yes, if we're on the same schedule as we have been so far the coming months.

So first of all, we see This unjust trial of a of a just King. At the end of our passage last week, we saw that all of the disciples fled they left and they scattered. And this of course was to fulfill both what Old Testament prophecy said would occur as well as what Jesus said.

Would occur as he was in the upper room with the disciples. He said tonight All of you will fall away on my account. And so the mob now brings Jesus to Caiaphas and to the high priest the religious leaders.

They've been waiting patiently for Jesus to get there maybe perhaps impatiently imagine them sitting there on the benches and their priestly garments while while these this mob is Tussling in the garden with Peter and they're arresting Jesus.

They all come in and this rush and flurry of activity and bring Jesus before the Sanhedrin. And so they finally have gotten what they were scheming after. We saw weeks and weeks ago Jesus in the temple preaching and the scribes and the Pharisees wanting to put Jesus to death and starting to plot for a way to Capture him and something that he said to arrest him.

And to charge him with something that he could be put to death for. The question that some scholars have raised was was this trial even legal? It's interesting that that there are scholars who have noted that this trial was in violation of rabbinical law.

Trials were supposed to be held in the daytime. They were supposed to be held and in such a way that the accused or the defendant we would call the defendant was able to answer the charges first or give their own testimony first.

A Conviction could not be reached on the same day that the trial started so there had to be a time delay from the time that the trial started to the time that a sentence was pronounced and so for that reason the trial could not start on the day before the Sabbath or before a festival.

The problem with with this idea of it being illegal was that these rules were not written down. We don't know that they were codified for sure until about 200 years after Jesus after his earthly ministry.

So so while we can't say for sure that this was an illegal gathering. We do know that it was a rushed one. It was a rush to judgment for sure. John alludes to this we see this parallel account of this trial in John's gospel.

The religious leaders after they've tried Jesus in the Sanhedrin they go to the praetorium and John says that it's early in the morning. The implication there is there they're getting pilot out of bed.

He's he's not expecting them. They're concerned about being able to eat the Passover. And so they're in a hurry to get this done. We also know from John's account that the Jewish leaders did not have the ability to impose the death penalty directly.

They could tell pilot and they would tell pilot we believe he's worthy and deserving of death. But they could not meet that punishment out legally on their own. Because they were clients of Rome Judea was a client state was under the authority of Rome.

And so that was a prerogative that Rome withheld for itself this this giving of the capital punishment. And so the religious leaders in our area in a hurry. They've got to get there. They've got to get pilots.

Okay, they've got to get all of this wrapped up in order to be able to celebrate the Passover. And so it's okay. Then if a few corners are cut to get the end result. It's going back to our passage in Matthew.

Matthew points out that Peter Peter's there he goes in and he sits in the courtyard and he's he's listening. To find out what the outcome is going to be. He comes to see the outcome of this trial and as we'll see next week Lord willing Peter is going to experience a trial of his own kind.

His response is. The way he handles his own trial is going to be starkly different from the way that Jesus handles his. Not only was it a hastily assembled trial. But it was one in which the Sanhedrin actively attempted to call false witnesses.

Matthew tells us. They were trying to find someone who could lie and tell false. Don't make false statements about Jesus. The problem is it seems like they couldn't find more than two people who who would agree or they couldn't find two people who would Agree with one another on what they had heard or what they had seen.

Versus 59 and 60 they described this sustained effort on behalf of the Sanhedrin to try to find Someone they kept trying to obtain false testimony. In other words They they found someone but then they nobody could back it up.

So they found somebody else and nobody could back that up and there's this this period that's ongoing. Such that it's it's late in the night when they bring Jesus to the Sanhedrin by the time they get to the Praetorium.

John tells us it was in the morning. This is a trial that probably went on through the night. Trying to assemble this charge against Jesus. So it seems that the challenge was to find those two people who could agree and Finally, they found a couple of people who did agree with one another.

Matthew doesn't say this but it seems like and it's a reasonable assumption to make that. Basically what the Sanhedrin was trying to do was what was to follow the the law that's found in Deuteronomy chapter 19.

Where Moses writing the law under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit says a single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin. Which he has committed on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.

So after repeated attempts to find two people who could agree on what Jesus did or said that was wrong they finally Find a couple of people who have their story straight. And then they show up with their testimony.

We can only assume we can only Speculate that the the attempts that the Sanhedrin made to try to find people that gave them ample time to find a couple of people and Get that story together and then bring them before the body of the Sanhedrin to present their Quote-unquote testimony.

We see that the end result the desired result in verse 59. At the end of verse 59 Matthew tells us what their what their aim was from the beginning. So that they might put Jesus to death. This was not about getting to the truth it was not about Dispensing justice.

The goal was putting Jesus to death and the Sanhedrin worked backwards from that. Everything was in service of that goal so ultimately the testimony that sticks somewhat it comes from from something Jesus himself said and we saw this and Earlier we've we've seen this in in John chapter 2 we talked about this Earlier in our study of the gospel of Matthew.

But John in John chapter 2 he records the words of Jesus where Jesus says destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said it took 46 years to build this temple and you'll raise it up in three days.

Then John tells us he was speaking of the temple of his body. So this is the these are the words that it seems that these two witnesses Came up with and and make this claim that. So now the charge brought against Jesus Supposedly is that he said he was going to destroy the temple a claim that no one took him seriously on.

It seems that at the time that he made it at this point the high priest Invites Jesus to respond to the allegations. There's a there's a challenge initially.

Do you.

Have anything to say to. This is basically what Caiaphas says to him. What is it that these men are testifying against you? This is a a Show trial. Jesus knew that Caiaphas was not interested in the truth.

He wasn't interested in justice. He was interested in Jesus's death. So this was a show trial not unlike the show trials that we've. We saw during the Cold War that would take place in the Soviet Union the ones that take place in China and North Korea today.

The the end result was already determined before Jesus was even brought into the Sanhedrin. We know that it was determined from really even before Jesus came into Jerusalem a Week almost a week before.

So it's for this reason that Jesus doesn't respond. He knows that these are theatrics. This is all just drama that's being put together. To go through the motions to try to give some legitimacy to what they're doing, but not only is this.

Right a.

Fake false attempt at a court trial on the part of the Sanhedrin, but it's also a Fulfillment of prophecy as we saw in Isaiah 53 last week. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he did not open his mouth like a lamb lamb that is led to slaughter.

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers. So he did not open his mouth and not content with his silence the high priest now compels Jesus to talk. The word in the New American Standard many translations believe the King James.

New King James rendered this word as a juror. I adjure you by the Living God. Some translations say I place you under an oath and that's really the idea that Caiaphas was getting at here to adjure is to Is to solemnly urge someone to do something in in a legal sense a juror Specifically means to compel someone to put someone under oath to tell the truth.

Interestingly Jesus doesn't ask or Caiaphas doesn't ask Jesus if he if he made the quote that he was going to destroy the temple. But what he asks him. Is I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ The Son of God.

So he doesn't even refer back to the testimony that they tried so hard to get. And he thinks that in doing this he's trapped Jesus. He's he's given this statement and it's as has either a yes or no answer.

And if you answer, yes that you are the Christ the Son of the Living God. Then you're guilty of blasphemy. And if you say no, then we're just gonna say that you've said it before and you're still gonna be guilty.

He thinks that he's trapped Jesus again this man believes that he's in control of the situation. That he can then get an okay from pilot and then be home in time for Passover. But the contrast between the injustice of the Sanhedrin on one hand and the and the righteousness of Jesus is striking.

As theatrical and clumsy and desperate as this sham trial is Jesus's response is equally just as steady and calm and firm and confident. He doesn't respond to Caiaphas's demand to make an oath to swear an oath.

Instead he essentially says to Caiaphas you're you're answering your own question. I'm not telling you something that you haven't already said but the implications behind Jesus's response are far more reaching than that.

It's far beyond what Caiaphas can imagine and what he can read into at that moment. There are a couple of aspects of Jesus's response that that call us back to our previous study in Matthew so far. First Jesus says you have said it yourself.

That's his response to Caiaphas. If this sounds familiar, it's because Jesus just recently has said this same thing to someone else. Now someone was Judas at the Last Supper. Saw this weeks ago, but in response to to Judas's Deceitfully feigned innocence when he says it surely it's not I rabbi.

You have said it yourself is the same reply that Jesus gives to Judas. Jesus knew the deceit that was in Judas's heart and the purpose of Judas's question. It was not like the disciples who said is it is it I Lord?

This this attitude of the disciples who were searching their hearts and humility and asking themselves and asking Jesus. Could I become so deceived that I would betray you? Judas's question instead was intended to throw Jesus off.

Maybe to figure out what Jesus knew if he was on to him or not. Likewise Caiaphas is not interested in rooting out Blasphemy or false teaching. He's interested in holding on to the power that he has. Just as Jesus was fully aware of Judas's evil intentions.

So he is fully aware of Caiaphas's evil intentions. And the second part of Jesus's response points back to to a study previously in Matthew as well the next phrase Says you have said it yourself. Nevertheless.

I tell you Some translations render this but I say to you Which which really reflects the more terse, it's more succinct words of Jesus that he speaks that are recorded in the Greek. And and this this formula here.

You've said it yourself, but I say to you Reminds us of Jesus's words back in chapter 5 of Matthew the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus repeatedly gives this formula you've heard it said you have read it said but I say to you the point Jesus was making in the Sermon on the Mount was to show the Jewish people that the Mosaic laws and Obedience to the Mosaic laws were far more reaching than they could imagine that the prohibition of Against murder did not stop at just the physical act.

But but anyone who had had a murderous or slanderous thought was guilty that the prohibition of adultery was not just against Involvement or Partaking in the physical act but anyone who harbored an adulterous thought was guilty.

The rabbis had all sorts of laws and tests and proofs to determine whether someone had crossed over some Arbitrary line in this line or that law, but Jesus all along in this gospel has been saying I'm.

It's not about the outward appearance. It's not about what you're doing outwardly. It's about your heart. Sin begins in our hearts. It takes root in our hearts. Righteousness is only an outflow of a heart that has been regenerated through Jesus Christ.

So now Jesus is taking this statement from Caiaphas that he's making this this relative simpleton who fashions himself as this shrewd and cunning leader of the Jewish people and Jesus shows how little Understanding Caiaphas has of what he's saying of the of the implications of what he's saying of the person who he's speaking to.

Yes, Caiaphas what you say is true and I know why you've said it but what you're saying has implications behind Your simple imaginations and your machinations. It's not just that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.

But the events of the coming hours and days will demonstrate without any question that Jesus was speaking the truth. Jesus is declaring That what he promises is imminent. From now on you will see. But see what?

What is it that Jesus is saying they will see? Well, there's two promises that are made in the Old Testament that will soon be fulfilled. The first one is that Jesus will sit at the right hand of the Father.

We saw this in our reading this morning from Psalm 110. That Jesus will be sitting in a position of authority he will rule and he will reign. Second that Jesus will come upon the clouds of heaven. Again, this passage in Daniel that we read last week is an illusion that Jesus is making here a reference that Jesus is making.

Daniel says I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming and He came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion glory and a kingdom.

That all the people's nations and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting Dominion which will not pass away. And his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. Jesus says to Caiaphas that this is eminent.

It will happen soon. What Daniel is speaking of here of Jesus coming into the clouds is Jesus coming on the clouds of glory. To the throne to the father. It's a rain that Jesus says will take place and it's going to take place soon.

The rain of which Daniel spoke refers to The reign of Jesus a reign in which Jesus has dominion over every people and nation language. They would serve him. I mentioned that this last week, but as as Jesus at the end of Matthew's gospel He records that Jesus before he ascends into heaven before he comes on the clouds of heaven to his throne.

Jesus tells the disciples all authority and heaven and on earth has been given to me. Jesus defeated sin on the cross. He defeated death by leaving the tomb empty. Therefore Jesus could say rightly that God had the father had given him all authority in heaven on earth.

So Jesus's response to Caiaphas is part a promise of victory for those who would follow him. I Can't help but wonder as Peter is sitting back in the courtyard and he's hearing this these words if he thought back on that later.

On.

But this is also a word of judgment and woe To Caiaphas and the other enemies of God who have gathered there. Third. We see This condemnation and contempt of the wicked. We've already seen that this trial had only one acceptable outcome and that was Jesus's death.

So the guilty verdict and the sentencing are not surprising to us. They don't take us by surprise. The theatrics continue as we see Caiaphas's physical response. He tears his robe. Throughout the Old Testament.

There are numerous examples of When followers of God would tear their robes. Jacob tore his robes when he thought Joseph had been killed. David and his mighty men tore their robes when they learned that Saul and Jonathan had been killed.

Job tore his robe when he was notified that all of your children had been killed and all of your possessions are gone. King Josiah when the book of the law was rediscovered. There was a period of time where the nation of Israel was without the law That was given to them and when the book of the law was rediscovered and King Josiah realizes the extent of Israel's rebellion Says that he tore his robes and he wept.

And.

Joel calls for a tearing a rending of the heart and true repentance rather than an outward physical tearing of clothes.

And.

So in the Old Testament, it is clear that the tearing of one's clothes is done in a time of deep distress sadness and repentance on the other hand. Interestingly the book of Leviticus says in two places that the high priest says never to tear his robes.

Even if he's mourning for the loss of a family member. And so this act of Caiaphas is in violation of the very law that he's supposed to be upholding that it's also a Double wrong because it's it's not done in mourning and it's certainly not done in repentance.

It's done in this sinful anger and wrath. It's an action that's intended to agitate the Sanhedrin into action to work them up into a fervor against Jesus.

And.

Invoking the name of God while at the same time denying the divinity of Jesus. Caiaphas is committing the very blasphemy Of which he is accusing Jesus. And of course this all has its intended effect the Sanhedrin immediately Returns this guilty verdict and a sentence of death.

Their actions don't just end with this miscarriage of justice. They then share in the blasphemy of Caiaphas by coming to Jesus and Spitting in Jesus face beating him with their fists slapping him. These are all very personal.

Assaults.

This is not like taking a long sword and and and killing someone with it in battle. These are very personal Derogatory assaults that are that are meant to Assault not Jesus not only his physical body but Emotionally mentally as well against Jesus.

They mocked Jesus by referring to him as the Messiah the anointed one. Jesus is being condemned by wicked men. Yet. He is the only one without sin. He's silent in the midst of these blasphemous words and actions and yet he is completely sovereign.

Like a lamb led to the slaughter. He opened not his mouth. We read these this passage passage last week. As we read the passages that are to come we We may be tempted to feel contempt and even hatred for these Jewish religious leaders.

To be sure their actions were rooted in pride. The temple system was originally was given by God as a shadow and a type that pointed forward to Christ to Christ as the cornerstone. To the church as the spiritual dwelling that is being built up into the house of God as Peter tells us.

And now this physical system that has shown its limitations and its failings was passing away. Because the perfect had come. And this led not to dropping everything and following Jesus as the religious leader should have.

The Pharisees who knew the law should have been the first ones to say Jesus I'll follow you you have the words of life. They should have been the first ones to drop everything they had and follow Jesus and yet we see it is Peter and it's James and it's John and the other disciples who leave everything they have to follow him.

Instead the actions of the religious leaders led to envy and hatred. It led to this idolatrous holding on to these traditions and trappings of this system that was meant to point to Jesus as the perfect fulfillment.

God caused the iniquity of us all to fall.

Upon him.

Unfortunately this account and the ones to come in Matthew's gospel had been used by some throughout history. Even recent history to stir up hatred against the Jewish people. That as the reasoning goes because the Jews condemned Jesus to death that they deserve death.

When we return to God's Word to the words of Isaiah we see clearly the reason for Jesus is suffering. Jesus bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our Iniquities.

God caused the iniquity of all of us to fall upon him. God was free that was pleased to crush Jesus. For Jesus to offer himself as a guilt offering. If I focus on the sin of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin and I gloss over my sin that put Jesus in this sham trial in the first place.

That put Jesus inherits crosshairs as an infant that put Jesus in agony in the garden. That would soon put Jesus on the cross. If I gloss over all of my sin that made this necessary. Then I am I much better off than Caiaphas who charged Jesus with blasphemy while he himself was committing blasphemy.

When we sin against a righteous God. Is it is it any better than the Sanhedrin who would slap and beat and spit on Jesus.

But here.

In this account and here in the words of Isaiah Here we see the good news That intertwined with the suffering of the servant in Isaiah's prophecy. There's the benefit and the purpose of this suffering.

By his scourgings we are healed. Jesus took our iniquities on himself. Isaiah looked ahead to the time when Jesus would justify the many that he would bear the sin for many He would intercede for the transgressors.

Remember that ultimately it was not the hatred and the jealousy of the Jewish leaders that put Jesus on the cross. It was not the aloof arrogance of Pilate who put Jesus on the cross. It was your sin it was my sin that required an atonement that only Jesus could secure and procure.

If you find Yourself in the outer court watching Jesus's trial. If you've even found yourself in the place of Caiaphas in the Sanhedrin Uttering blasphemy against Jesus if you find yourself in a self-righteous position this morning of fixating on the sin of these rulers while ignoring your own then this Is a gracious reminder that it pleased The God of the universe to put Jesus to death.

That God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. So that we might become the righteousness of God through Jesus Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross.

And for this reason also God has highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth and Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

These things were done that the glory of God would be displayed and thanks be to God be to God these things were done. That as God's enemies We his mockers would be forgiven that we would be adopted as his sons and daughters.

Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ our Savior King rules and he reigns now He sits at the right hand of our Father in heaven as our King and as our perfect high priest. That he continues forever. He holds this priesthood permanently and therefore he is also able to save to the other most forever those who draw near to God.

Through him.

Since he always lives to make intercession for those of us who call upon him for salvation. Father we thank you for the reminder this day of the great cost of Our sin against you. Thank you that you are gracious to remind us of the cost of our rebellion.

Of our arrogance of our pride of our selfishness but oh father, we're. We're so thankful that you don't leave us with that. That you also remind us in your word of the great love that you have for us.

Of the great love that you have for me. That with the Apostle Paul That I can affirm and I can say that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners moon among whom I am the foremost of all and yet for this reason I Found mercy.

So that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus might demonstrate his perfect patience as An example of those who would believe in him for eternal life. Now father to you the King Eternal immortal invisible the only God to you alone be honor and glory forever and ever in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen, I'll stand as we sing together.