Luke 22:54, 63-71
Countdown to the Cross
No gospel writer gives all the details of Jesus’ trials and
crucifixion. As throughout the entire life of Jesus, each writer
gives us but a portion, focusing more on the events that the Holy
Spirit lead him to focus upon. That being said, let’s do a Countdown
to the Cross as in Luke’s gospel.
I. There were Four Interrogations
A. Some of the interrogations had multiple parts, but Jesus was
examined by four primary parties.
B. Jesus was examined by:
1. The Sanhedrin
a. \\#Luke 22:66\\ calls them "the elders of the people,
and the chief priests, and the scribes."
b. This is the governing body of the Jews, the Supreme
Court if you please.
c. Luke tells us something that was slightly different.
(1) \\#Luke 22:66\\ indicates that the Sanhedrin
asked Him if He were the Christ in the morning,
with Jesus being left in the hands of tormentors
\\#Luke 22:63-65\\ who beat him through the
night.
(2) Matthew (and the other writers) indicate that
Jesus was interrogated throughout the night.
(3) Is there a discrepancy?
(a) I do not think so.
(b) The unnamed tormentors were the Sanhedrim
and their soldiers.
(c) They questioned and beat on Jesus through
the night but before they delivered Jesus to
Pilate in the morning, they asked Him one
last time if He were the Christ or not.
(d) The last question is what Luke recorded in
\\#Luke 22:66\\.
d. Consider what was being done to Jesus by the religious
and judicial leaders of the land.
(1) They were questioning, but they were also beating
and mocking Jesus.
(2) Of course, if it had been in their power, they
would have killed Jesus in the most painful way
they could years ago!
(3) Learn a lesson about man’s nature.
(a) It is inherently evil.
(b) They did not have to treat Jesus or anyone
else that way.
(c) A conscience is a gift of God that must be
energized and maintained by the Holy Ghost.
1Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience seared with a hot iron;
2. Pilate
a. Pilate had several opportunities to question Jesus.
b. \\#Luke 23:1-5\\ The First
(1) Pilate was different in his interrogation of
Jesus—at least at the first.
(2) Pilate did not mock Jesus or have Him beaten.
(a) Instead, Pilate talked with Jesus.
(b) The conversation turned deep as recorded
by John \\#John 18:28-38\\.
(c) Pilate could be just as cruel as anyone, but
on this day, he wanted to help Jesus.
(d) For whatever the reason, the Holy Spirit was
attempting to speak to Pilate.
Matthew 27:19 When he (Pilate) 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.
(e) Why?
i. It was always God's plan for Jesus to
go to the cross.
ii. Perhaps God just wanted someone to
stand up for His Son and He chose
Pilate to do so.
iii. Isn't it good when God shows up even in
the situations that have to turn out
bad?
(3) The Jews threatened Pilate saying he would not be
loyal to Caesar if he released Jesus.
(4) There were several strange things here:
(a) The Jews seemed interested in Caesar’s well
being. Normally, they could have cared
less.
(b) Pilate seemed concerned about this one Man.
It seems certain that Pilate had others
killed for little if not for no reason, but
for some reason, Pilate sought to release
Jesus.
(c) Pilate buckled under the Jews. While not
unheard of, it was rare for any Roman
official to be too concerned about the Jews
as they were known to be trouble makers and
rebellious to the Romans.
(5) Pilate saw a way out of dealing with Jesus by
sending Him to Herod who was ruler over Galilee.
c. \\#Luke 23:13-25\\ The Second
(1) Pilate attempted to reason with the Jews to
release Jesus.
(2) \\#Luke 23:16\\ He even offered to beat Jesus
instead.
Luke 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and
release [him].
(3) \\#Luke 23:17-18\\ And gave them a change to
release either Jesus or Barabbas, a rebel and a
murderer.
Luke 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one
unto them at the feast.)
18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away
with this [man], and release unto us Barabbas:
(4) The people chose to let the murderer go and
insisted that Jesus be crucified.
3. Herod \\#Luke 23:6-12\\
a. Much like the other interrogations, Herod questioned,
beat, and mocked Jesus.
b. \\#Luke 23:9\\ However, Jesus would not even speak to
Herod, probably because he was such a wicked man.
(1) It was this Herod who had beheaded John the
Baptist.
(2) \\#Luke 23:8\\ Even at that point, he only wanted
to see Jesus so he could see a miracle of some
sort.
4. The People
Luke 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him,
crucify him.
a. It was the people of Israel who demanded Jesus be
crucified and Barabbas be freed.
b. They were stirred by the religious leaders, but the
chose was theirs.
c. Matthew recorded their answer this way:
Matthew 27:25 Then answered all the people, and
said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children.
C. This was a blood-thirsty mob!
1. The account of Jesus’ interrogation covers from 22:54
through 23:25, but there is very little else to say about
those verses.
2. This was man at his worst hour!
3. Yet, this were not what we would call earth's worst men.
a. They were not pedophiles, kidnappers, or murderers.
b. They were common men being stirred up by the devil.
II. There were Three Pronouncements of Innocence
Luke 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests
and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
Luke 23:14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this
man unto me, as one that perverteth the people:
and, behold, I, having examined him before you,
have found no fault in this man touching those
things whereof ye accuse him:
Luke 23:22 And he said unto them the third time,
Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no
cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise
him, and let him go.
A. Pilate was the closest thing to an unbiased judge Jesus would
see.
1. \\#Luke 23:14\\ Pilate did his job.
2. \\#Luke 23:22\\ He could not find even a reason to
imprison Jesus, let along kill Him!
B. Here is the irony.
1. We have some COMMON people behaving the worst people can
behave and judging the one sinless Man to walk the earth.
2. There will soon come a day when the sinless Man will
judge the worse and the common men.
III. There were Two who Bore the Cross
A. Again, some would say we have another contradiction.
Luke 23:26 And as they led him away, they laid
hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of
the country, and on him they laid the cross, that
he might bear it after Jesus.
John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth
into a place called the place of a skull, which
is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
B. Matthew tells us when Simon started carrying the cross.
Matthew 27:32 And as they came out (most likely
of the city), they found a man of Cyrene, Simon
by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
C. Simon is the only ray of goodness in this whole section.
1. It is not going to get any better for a while!
2. There were a nation of Jews who could have helped Jesus,
a. There was an army of Romans,
b. There was an upper room of disciples,
c. There was legion of followers,
d. But only one man took even a little bit of the
suffering of Jesus on that day—and he had to be
compelled.
3. This man is a picture of us.
a. Why must we suffer at all?
b. Answer: Any suffering we experience is a little bit of
suffering Jesus did not have to experience.
IV. There was One Cross that Counted.
Luke 23:32 And there were also two other,
malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33 And when they were come to the place, which
is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and
the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left.
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