According To Luke: The Verdict On Jesus

 According To Luke: The Verdict On Jesus

Opening Illustration:

In studying for this message, I ran across a funny story. A true story. It happened about 20 years ago in San Francisco. The story starts with a talk radio station. The host of the show asked the listeners to express an opinion. 35% said “yes”. 33% said “no”. 32% said that they were “undecided”. One listener, aghast at the large number of undecideds, called into the show and stated that it was “this sort of apathy that’s ruining America.” 

The only problem with all these responses was that the radio station had never posed a question. The people were listening but they were not attentive. They were tuned in in body but tuned out in mind and spirit. Friends that’s the way we are at church I’m convinced. Our bodies are at church, our mouths are singing, but we really are not tuned in. 

Not only do I think that is the way that many people experience church, that is the way that many of us experience Jesus. We know about Him. We have heard all the stories. We sing about Him. We can quote Him. The only issue is that most people who profess to be Christians don’t know Christ. They have heard of Him but He has never made it to their heart. They have heard instances of Him but Jesus does not influence them. People say that He demonstrated good morality but Jesus has no say over their mortality. 

Do you remember the story about Peter and Jesus found in Matthew 16:13-20? Let me read it for you.

Matthew 16:13-20 ESV

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus asked the disciples the most important question that someone can ask. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Peter pipes up and gives the familiar answer, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Notice that the other disciples are either silent on the matter or they give to Jesus what the crowd thinks and says about Him. Peter gets the answer right but the other disciples are left scratching their heads. 92% of the disciples had no real answer for Jesus. They had an idea, but they were confused and confounded. They were befuddled and bewildered. 

Brothers and sisters I believe that the percentages hold up even today. We have heard the claims about Jesus but many in this world remain undecided about Him. This world has heard His Words and they are still unsure of Him.

Point:

Not us. Not in this church. Church, what do you claim about Jesus? Church, will you be obedient to a man who lived 2000 years ago? Do you really believe that He was born of a virgin? Do you believe that He lived and breathed, that He performed miracles? Do you believe that He died on the cross and rose again 3 days later? Do you confess this morning that Jesus is alive today and that His Spirit is working in your life? Are you undecided, unsure, or do you possess and unwavering commitment to Christ?

When It Comes To Jesus, Are You Undecided, Unsure, or Unwavering?

Background And Context of Luke 23:1-12

If you recall, Jesus has been apprehended by the Chief Priests and the elders. Thanks to Judas, the Temple Guard has taken possession of Jesus. The disciples have scattered. Only Peter remains nearby, but even Peter stands by at a safe distance. Peter has disavowed Jesus and now Jesus is finally on His own. At the conclusion of Luke 22, Jesus stands before the assembly of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes. They begin to question Jesus asking Him if He is indeed the Christ. They flatly ask Jesus if He is the Son of God, and Jesus responds saying “You say that I am.”. From this statement Jesus is passed to the Roman authorities. This is the start of Luke 23. This is where we begin this morning. So, let’s read Luke 23:1-12 and discuss what takes place as Jesus inches ever closer to the cross of Calvery. 

Scripture:

Luke 23:1-12 ESV

Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

Pilate and Herod, Confounded By Christ!

I. Priests Accused vs. 1-3

Luke 23:1-3 ESV

Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”

Point:

The Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin had no real power to kill Jesus. The only way that they could have Jesus executed was to bring him before Pilate and have him tried for crimes against the state. We will talk about Pilate in just a moment. So what were these trumped up crimes that the priests were bringing against Jesus. 

1. Jesus and Taxes

It was just a few weeks ago where we saw the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a question about finances. The asked Jesus about a coin in their possession. They wanted to know if Jesus paid taxes or if Jesus used His finances to give to the Temple. If Jesus said that He gave His money to Rome, Jesus would then be viewed as a traitor to His own people. It would make Jesus a Roman sympathizer. Yet, if Jesus stated that He did not give HIs money to Rome but instead gave all He had to the temple, it would make Jesus a traitor to Rome. This act would make Jesus an enemy of the state. Do you remember Jesus’ famous response. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God. Jesus’ answer while brilliant, was twisted in court to accuse Him of not paying His taxes. The Pharisees accused Jesus of leading His followers to not pay their taxes. 

2. Jesus Is King

Next they accused Jesus of claiming to be a King. The term “Messiah”, “Master”, and “Lord” was used often in and around Jesus’ ministry and Jesus never shied away from the titles. The Pharisees accused Jesus of leading an insurrection against the Roman government. They accused Him of trying to overthrow Roman rule and setting up for Himself a new kingdom, an earthly kingdom. 

Point:

Clearly, in both cases, these accusations were lies about Jesus. These men, hungry for power, just wanted to see Jesus destroyed. They desired to see His movement destroyed. 

Point:

This first response towards Jesus of accusation is as old as time itself and is clearly Satanic in nature. Satan is God’s great enemy and therefore the enemy of all Christians. Satan has many names and one of those names is The Accuser. I find it interesting that in the last moments of Jesus life on earth, that He would stand accused of lies. 

Brothers and sisters, the world shares many responses to Jesus and one primary response is to simply lie about Him. Jesus is not real. Jesus never lived. Jesus is not a historical figure. Jesus is a liar. Christianity is evil. Believe it or not I have been hearing that great lie on the regular recently. Friends not only does this world lie about Jesus, not only does Satan try to accuse Christ, he also tries to accuse you. Satan the accuser desires to remind believers of their sin and their unworthiness of a place in God’s family and in this way sow doubt into their hearts and minds. Satan wants to make Christians fear for their salvation and forget God’s love and faithfulness. Satan says, “Look at your sinfulness”; God says, “Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.”

Point:

Here is some good news about the accusations of the world and the Chief Accuser himself. He has set the Devil’s fate. In Revelation 20:10, the Apostle John states, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Just as we can be certain of Jesus’ identity, we can also be certain of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Remember Ephesians 1:13-14.

Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Pilate and Herod, Confounded By Christ!

I. Priests Accused vs. 1-3

II. Pilate Refused vs. 4-7

Luke 23:4-7

4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” 6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 

Point:

So one response to Jesus is to simply lie about Him. Discredit Him. There is another response that the world often delivers and we see it in the person of Pilate. Before we go any further, let’s talk about Pilate. Who is he? Why is he significant to this story?

Point:

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36, serving under Emperor Tiberius. Pilate is absolutely a real person as he is mentioned by serval non Biblical writers including: Tacitus, Philo, and Josephus. 

In the Bible, Pontius Pilate is mentioned solely in connection with the trials and crucifixion of Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) portray Pilate as reluctant to crucify Jesus. Pilate calls the charges against Jesus “baseless” and several times declares Jesus to be not guilty: “What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty”.

I believe that something spiritual was taking place in Pilate’s life. When confronted by Jesus, he saw no guilt in Him. He recognized His purity, His innocence, and His holiness. Pilate’s wife sent him a message not to have anything to do with Jesus but Pilate’s conscience was already bothering him. In John’s Gospel, Pilate goes so far as to ask Jesus to define “truth”. Pilate in his questioning, in his dealings, reminds me of Nicodemus. Pilate’s conscience was stirred, he recognized Jesus’ holiness, and he is on a search for truth. Pilate is so close yet so far away. Whenever I read about Pilate I am taken back to the parable of the soils in Matthew 13.

Scripture

Matthew 13:1-9 ESV

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Point:

Pilate is so close. He is so near. He is within a breath of his life being altered, his heart being renovated, and his spirit being transformed but he misses it. The seed of the Gospel falls along his path but the thorns of this world choked out the seed. 

You see friends, that is another response that we see in this world. People hear the Gospel. They come so close yet they refuse. There is no good reason as to why this happens. Sadly more people refuse the Gospel than accept it. 

Matthew 7:13 NLT

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.

Jesus even reminds the disciples that there will be many who hear the truth, see the truth, but they will deny the truth. 

Matthew 10:14 NLT

If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.

Point:

So how did Jesus respond to people who refused to believe that He was their Savior (Matthew 10-11)? The first thing He did was turn to Praise the Father. At first, it may seem like this is the opposite of what we should do. Why should we praise God when our friends and family have refused Jesus as their Savior? Observing Jesus’ response in verses 25-26 of Matthew 11 shows us why we should praise the Father.

First of all, we know that God is still the Lord of Heaven and Earth (Matthew 11:25). This reminds us that He is in control of everything around us. He was there in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) and He will be there in the end (Revelation 1:8). It is important that we praise God even when friends and family refuse to believe. It is a confession of our belief in the midst of their unbelief.

Second, we are able to praise God because we know it is He who reveals Himself and His Son to the unbeliever (Matthew 11:25). We can praise God because we are confident that it is not our inability to communicate that has prevented our friends and family from accepting Jesus as their Savior. Romans 1 says that God has made Himself known to all men but that some men have foolishly ignored or even suppressed that knowledge. Even though they know He exists, they refuse to have a relationship with Him. They think this is wise, but Paul concludes that it is really foolishness (Romans 1:18-23). We praise God because we know that He is the one who reveals Jesus, and not ourselves.

Point:

So, thus far we have seen two responses to Christ as He looks towards the cross. First, there is accusation. The world simply lies about Christ, why He came, and the truth that He brought into the world. Second is to simply refuse His message of forgiveness, grace, and salvation. What is the next response?

Pilate and Herod, Confounded By Christ!

I. Priests Accused vs. 1-3

II. Pilate Refused vs. 4-7

III. Herod Abused vs. 8-11

Luke 23:8-11

8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

Point:

Pilate does not want anything to do with Jesus. He can not find any fault in Him. Realizing that Jesus is actually a Galilean, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod. Pilate hopes that he will remove the pressure from the Sanhedrin and that he can finally wash his hands of Jesus. Pilate’s wife is in an uproar after all and pushing Jesus off on someone else will solve all of his problems. As a Galilean, Jesus falls under the jurisdiction of Herod. So, who is this Herod figure and what was his response to Jesus?

Well he actually goes by the name Herod Antipas. His father was Herod the Great and Herod the Great was responsible for killing all the children under 2 during the time of Jesus’ birth. After Herod the Great’s death, his son Herod Antipas came into power. He was a completely amoral man who divorced his first wife so that he could marry his half brother’s wife Herodias. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, preached against the unholy union and Herod had John beheaded. As Jesus’ ministry became more well-known, Herod Antipas began to fear that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. Apparently, he wanted to kill Jesus as well, and this was reported to Jesus by some Jewish leaders in Galilee who hoped to entice Him into moving on to a different area. Jesus, unafraid, replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”

Point:

In verse 8 we see that Herod is extremely glad to have Jesus in his presence. Why? Why would someone of such considerable evil be excited to have Jesus so close? The reason is because he wanted to turn Jesus into a dancing monkey. He wanted Jesus to perform party favors. He wanted to turn Jesus into the court jester. In fact, when Jesus would not do the bidding of Herod, Herod dressed Jesus up and mocked Him. Herod took Jesus, and made Him a punchline, a joke, a washed up has been. 

Point:

One response to Jesus is to disregard Him and lie about Him. Another response is to refuse the message of salvation all together. The last response we will see this morning to mock the message of Christ. The temptation of the world is to make Jesus into a punchline. We see this regularly in our media. Television shows, movies, and music mock Jesus. 

Remember John Lennon, the famous singer songwriter from the Beatles? He is quoted as saying that Christianity will end, it will disappear. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we (the Beatles) are more famous than Him. I remember a famous story about Marilyn Monroe, Billy Graham was conducting a revival in Hollywood and he felt compelled by God to visit the starlet. She listened to Mr. Graham but told him, “I don’t need your God”.

Point:

How sad that Pilate and Herod were so close to Jesus yet denied Him. They stood face to face with their creator and denied him and mocked Him. 

Galatians 6:7 ESV

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Psalm 1:1 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Point:

So, what will be your reaction to Jesus? Will you disregard Him. Will you hear HIs message of salvation and truth and run from it? Will you be close to Jesus and simple reject Him? It is my prayer that you will hear the truth of Christ and accept Him. 

Remember I Peter 2: 4-5. 

I Peter 2:4-5 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

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