John 18:13-27
Jesus’ Trial
Last week, we looked at Jesus’ arrest. Tonight, let’s consider the
events of that long night.
Time - We do not know for certain how the events played out that
night. There was a supper which we would suppose started around
evening. Then Jesus left the Upper Room and, I believe, walked
around the city before ending on the Mount of Olives where Jesus was
arrested. I would suppose the arrest occurred around midnight but
that is just a guess. It had to be late enough that eleven grown
men were falling asleep.
So we suppose from midnight to daybreak, Jesus was examined by the
Jews.
I. \\#13\\ The interrogation stated with Annas.
A. Annas was the father-in-law to the High Priest, Caiaphas, but
that is only part of the story.
B. Understand that the Jews were no longer in charge of their
country. They were occupied by the Romans.
1. While the high priest was supposed to have been a direct
descendent of Aaron, Moses’ brother and the first high
priest, the office had been filled by the Romans for
years.
2. The way the office was secured was through favors and
bribes.
3. History says Annas was the high priest from 6 to 15 AD
(we are around 30 AD now), but he gained such influence
over the office that each of his five sons, his son-in-
law, and his grandson all held the office.
4. Obviously, he exerted much of his will through them as is
seen in the fact that Jesus was taken FIRST to Annas.
5. It appears to me that Annas and Caiaphas lived in the
same compound.
a. The high priest’s home was located in several
different areas of the city over the years.
b. Caiaphas’ home or palace as it is called, was very
large and contained several courts.
c. The Jews believe they have located Caiaphas’ Palace
and you can visit the spot today. There is even a
"basement" if you please where it may be that Jesus
was kept if there was anytime between His standing
before Caiaphas and Pilate. There were no stairs
down at that time (although they have since been
added). In those days, they let the prisoner down
by a rope into the stone dungeon.
http://www.bible-history.com/HighPriests/NTHIGHPRIESTSAnnas.htm
http://www.bible-history.com/jerusalem/firstcenturyjerusalem_palac
e_of_caiaphas.html
C. Peter began his downward spiral early.
1. He had attempted to defend Jesus but fled when stopped
by Jesus.
a. Although that was not the best course of action, I
see no shame in that.
b. The truth is that Peter just did not understand.
(1) His first thought was to fight but Jesus said
not to.
(2) His second thought was to run and he may have
even thought Jesus would too.
2. But afterward, things took a definite downward turn.
a. \\#15-16\\ Peter and another disciple gained
admittance. That other disciple was probably John
who personally knew the High Priest.
b. \\#17\\ Peter made his first denial of Jesus as he
was walking through the gate!
c. \\#18\\ Peter warmed himself by the fire WITH the
officers who had arrested Jesus!
(1) Peter was not just cold of hands. He was cold
of heart!
(2) Granted, Peter may have been attempting to get
information but that is not the way the Bible
presents it.
(3) It gives the image that Peter just went over to
stand with the very officers who had arrested
and would crucify Jesus.
(4) Christian, don’t stand in the way of sinners!
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in
the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful.
(a) Their fire is not our fire!
(b) Do you remember the shape took when He came
upon the Christians? Tongues of fire!
D. Note some other things that happened early that night.
1. Peter’s first denial.
2. \\#19\\ The first line of questioning was about His
disciples.
a. Even before being asked about His doctrine, Jesus was
asked about His disciples.
b. If God can be embarrassed, it must have embarrassing
to have to explain why most of the disciples had run
away and why one was outside warming himself by the
fire of iniquity with the minions of hell.
3. \\#22\\ Jesus’ first physical abuse. This is the first
record of Jesus being slapped.
4. Of course we all do know the entire midnight trial was an
illegal sham!
II. \\#24\\ Jesus Before Caiaphas
A. At some undisclosed time, Annas sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas.
1. By the time Jesus was slapped, He had been transferred
over.
2. Not much is said about Caiaphas, although we are told
that the high priest asked Jesus some questions \\#19\\.
B. By this time, Jesus’ fate was firmly fixed. In fact, before
Jesus was ever arrested, His fate was fixed.
C. It was during Caiaphas’ examination that Peter denied the
Lord a second time.
1. This time, the accuser was a relative of Malchus, the man
whose ear Peter had cut off.
2. Supposing that this man was there when Jesus was
arrested, he likely would have remembered Peter’s face!
III. \\#18:28-19:15\\ Jesus Before Pilate
A. \\#28\\ Jesus was taken to Pilate’s Hall of Judgment.
1. I have stood in that place.
2. It had been buried but had been dug out and today looks
something like a cave. It is underground and the ceiling
is low but you are standing on the same stone Jesus stood
on!
B. Pilate immediately seemed to resist the Jews in crucifying
Jesus.
1. Pilate was a ruler appointed by Caesar.
2. He would have been a Gentile.
3. Maybe he was just tired of the Jews or perhaps something
in his heart felt wrong.
4. Pilate’s wife also resistant to harming Jesus.
Matt 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment
seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou
nothing to do with that just man: for I have
suffered many things this day in a dream because
of him.
C. Pilate did several things to get out of judging Jesus.
1. \\#31\\ He refused and told the Jews to judge Jesus.
a. Of course their response was that they could not
lawfully have Jesus executed.
b. Yet, that did not stop them from stoning Stephen in
Acts 7.
c. Why did the Jewish leaders work so hard to get
Pilate’s approval? I think it was God wanting to
make it clear that Jesus came to die for the world
and that the world rejected Jesus—not just the Jews.
2. He declared at least three times that Jesus had done
nothing wrong. \\#John 18:38, 19:4, 19:6\\
3. \\#Matt 27:24\\ He washed his hands in water saying
that he had no part in Jesus’ death.
4. Personally, I believe that the beating the soldiers gave
Jesus, the scourging, and the release of Barabbas were
all attempts of Pilate to stop the crucifixion of Jesus.
D. Why was Pilate so determined to stop the crucifixion?
1. We cannot know for the Bible does not tell us.
2. I wonder if Pilate was not called by God to be a defense
attorney to this matter.
a. Not to defend Jesus.
b. BUT THE JEWS.
3. It will not surprise me if one day at the Great White
Throne these Jews say to God, "If you had just tried to
stop us…" and then Pilate will be summoned.
4. Pilate might say, "God put me there to stop you! I told
you Jesus was innocent! I tried to reason with you and
bargain with you, but you would not listen!"
5. All of their arguments will cease.
6. I think God put Pilate there to cause the Jews to give the
Jews an opportunity to come to their senses, but they did
not.
E. Pilate examined Jesus.
1. \\#33\\ He asked if Jesus was the king of the Jews.
a. This was the charge that the Jewish leaders had
brought against Jesus, that Jesus wanted to overthrow
Caesar.
b. You can understand why Pilate was suspicious of the
Jewish leaders for turning Jesus over for that charge
for every Jew wanted to overthrow Caesar!
c. If the charge were true, then Jesus would need to be
crucified for it was treason against Caesar and it
was Pilate’s duty to protect the throne.
d. Jesus’ answer was that His kingdom was not of this
world.
(1) Jesus did not deny He was the King of Jews. That
would have been a lie.
(2) Jesus then offered Pilate a bit of assurance.
(a) His servants would not fight!
(b) Christians do not fight for the glory of
Jesus. We will wait and let Him do it.
2Thess 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with
us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and
from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his
saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was
believed) in that day.
(3) Jesus told Pilate His purpose for being on the
earth.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art
thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest
that I am a king. To this end was I born, and
for this cause came I into the world, that I
should bear witness unto the truth. Every one
that is of the truth heareth my voice.
(a) To bring truth.
(b) \\#38\\ "What is truth?" - Pilate shared
his own view. He was a bit of agnostic.
He did not believe one could know the
truth.
(c) In just a few hours, two men stood in the
presence of God and with "humble" actions
and damned their souls.
i. Judas kissed the Door to heaven and
went to hell.
ii. Pilate questioned Truth Himself and
refused to believe.
iii. What irony! What sadness!
2. From this point, Pilate no longer believed Jesus was
worthy of death.
a. \\#18:38\\ Pilate makes His first ruling.
b. \\#18:39-40\\ Pilate offers Barabbas instead.
c. \\#19:1-5\\ Pilate will let his solders abuse Jesus
and even scourge Him.
3. \\#19:6-7\\ And that would just be the beginning for the
chief rulers will let on to their real reason for wanting
Jesus killed.
a. Because He claimed to be the Son of God!
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law,
and by our law he ought to die, because he made
himself the Son of God.
b. And that will cause a realization and a fear to come
upon this powerful man!
John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he was the more afraid;
c. And he will work even harder to release Jesus.
John 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought
to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying,
If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s
friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh
against Caesar.
d. And in the end, Pilate will give in to the Jews.
IV. Consider three things as I close.
A. Tainted
1. These leaders did not want to go into Pilate’s home
because they felt it would leave them unclean, tainted.
2. These men had bought a traitor; lied about Jesus; paid
liars to lie about Jesus; conducted an illegal; sham
of a trial; and now wanted to crucify a Man for no legal
reason were concerned about being made unclean by going
into a Gentile man’s house!
3. These men had no spiritual, legal, moral, or even
reasonable understanding.
4. They were the epitome of the expression the end justifies
the means.
5. Let us be above board in all things!
B. \\#John 18:28\\ Time
1. The Jews did not want to enter into the Gentile home of
Pilate for it would defile them and they wanted to "eat
the Passover."
2. \\#John 19:14\\ says it was the day of preparation for the
Passover."
3. If you hold to the theory that Jesus died on Good Friday,
how can they be preparing for the Passover which occurred
on Thursday? John makes it clear that Jesus was
crucified BEFORE it was time to eat the Passover.
C. Thankful
1. What I am about to say will sound strange, but we owe
all of these killers a debt a thanks.
2. Jesus had to die. Had He not died, we would be forever
lost.
3. It is a strange thing that God has done but by using these
evil men to accomplish His will and work, we owe them a
debt a thanks.
a. They will spend eternity in hell.
b. But their actions—by God’s grace and our faith—gave
us the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven.
4. We cannot thank them, but we can thank their kind.
a. When you are attacked for your faith, you are being
attacked by the children of those who killed Jesus.
b. Confuse them to no end by telling them thank you for
making your salvation possible!
(1) If they ask what you mean, tell them!
(2) "It was your ancestors who crucified Jesus, making
my salvation possible—and I am eternally
grateful!"
(3) And if they ask you who their ancestor was that
killed Jesus and how they are related, tell
them that they and those who killed Jesus all
have the same father, the devil \\#John 8:44\\.
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