Read: Matthew 26:56-68; 27:1-2, 11-31
On his way to the cross, Jesus was put on trial. His trial was no small matter but would alter the course of the world. Though in a different time and setting, it has many familiar elements: charges, witnesses, a defense, and even a verdict. If you thought any recent trials were shocking, consider the depth of irony presented in Jesus’s trial. Everything that happens to Jesus is the opposite of what ought to be the case in a fair trial. From this vantage point, we are left astonished that Jesus bore the reverse of what he deserved so that we might receive the reverse of what we deserve.
1. The Charges: Jesus’s Trial is Our Trial
It might look like Jesus’s trial on the outside, but the first great irony in this passage is that it is ours. In fact, this is the whole world’s trial, and we are not the judge. Jesus reverses the trial by claiming his status as the rightful judge “from now on” (26:64), which is like saying, “You think this is my trial, but it's yours.” He quotes Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 to reveal his ultimate authority over this situation and what will follow. The very charges brought against Jesus are the crimes they are guilty of, which also apply to us. All sin is blasphemy - dishonoring the reputation of God, and it is treason - trying to take the throne from the true king. Pilate tries to exempt himself by declaring innocence, but his effort (like ours) to minimize the weight of our sins is pitiful. We need to be confronted by the seriousness of our sins, or “crimes,” because we need to see that we cannot make up for them on our own.
2. The Defense: Jesus’s Silence is His Answer
It is shocking how many rules were broken in the trial to convict and sentence Jesus. False evidence abounded, the setting was shifty, and it was notoriously rushed. It is an understatement to call it unfair because it was a sham, a complete mockery of justice. Yet, this trial was not just about what the Jewish leaders and Pilate did with Jesus but what we all do with Jesus. We think we are in the position of judge over God, leaving him to prove himself to us in trials of our own making so that we can decide whether to trust him. Jesus does not answer them in this way, nor does he answer us. We say, “God, show us who you are. Explain yourself, and prove it!” In Jesus Christ, God responds, “Ok, I will.” The problem is not the lack of evidence; after all, Jesus healed many people, fed them, drove away evil, pursued the outcasts, and taught a message of love and forgiveness. The real problem is the hearts of the accusers. His words aren’t the answer because He is the answer.
3. The Verdict: Jesus’s Verdict is Our Verdict
Pilate tries to find a way to release Jesus by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and another, Barabbas, a convicted insurrectionist and revolutionary. Ironically, Barabbas in Hebrew means “son of the father.” The final verdict was two-fold. Jesus, the innocent Son of the Father, is condemned, while Barabbas, the guilty “son of the father,” goes free in place of Jesus (27:26). This is how we know that we understand the Gospel: when we can look at Barabbas and say, “that’s me!” Not only was the verdict reversed for Jesus and Barabbas, but Jesus also took the verdict we deserved, and we now receive the verdict he deserved.
When we understand the practical value for us today is immense. Every day, we live under a verdict. We work for those things that make us feel worthy, acceptable, and approved. We might feel good for a while, but it won’t last. We come to the end of ourselves and fail often. But in Christ, we receive a new verdict: “You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus took the verdict of condemnation we deserved so that we could be free. Free for what? As Calvin comments, “The Son of God stood, as a criminal, before mortal man, and there permitted himself to be accused and condemned, that we may stand boldly before God.” We have peace with God forever, and nothing will ever reverse that verdict.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
Which details about Jesus’s trial resonate with you most as unfair or unjust? What motivated the religious leaders to propose this kind of trial? What motivated the crowd to support it?
What are some ways you have put God in the dock (on trial) in your life? What topics or doubts led you to do this? How have you learned to trust God more as the only true judge rather than elevating yourself to the place of judge over Him?
What do you make of Pilate’s attempt to exempt himself by declaring himself “innocent?” Have you ever done something like this? What does this say about allowing ourselves to be confronted by the seriousness of sin?
Why did Jesus remain silent even though he was innocent? Is His answer of silence any less powerful? What does this say about us when we feel like God is silent in our prayers? What “answer” has God provided?
How are you like Barabbas? How does the reversal of his verdict apply to you? Do you wrestle with accepting and believing the verdict that you are not guilty, accepted and free in Christ?
What are some ways in which you try to live for your own verdict? Think about what motivates you each day to work toward feeling approved and validated. What does it look like to live “from” the verdict rather than “for” one?