Lesson #31

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John

September 21, 2015

Lesson #01

January 13, 2010

Lesson #02

January 13, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

JOHN 18:13-40
Lesson #31
ILLEGAL TRIALS

• Memory Verse: Joh 18:37b “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.”

• Political background:
• Tiberium Caesar (Tiberius) = the Roman Emperor in Rome
• Herod Antipas = Tetrarch over Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and Perea
• Pontius Pilate = Procurator of Judea
• Political groups:
• The Herodians = a Jewish political party antagonistic to Jesus. They had no title or reign but maintained prestige by pleasing their Roman patrons. They were considered by many Jews to be traitorous collaborators.
• The Zealots = A Jewish patriotic political party originated by Judas the Galilean (no relationship to Judas Iscariot) in opposition to Rome. They believed in freedom from Rome at any cost. They hoped Jesus was the Messiah who would free them from Roman bondage. One of the twelve disciples was a Zealot, Simon the Zealot. Possibly Judas Iscariot had some relationship with the group of zealots. They were considered by many Jews to be revolutionaries.
• Read Joh 18:13-27 The religious trials
• There were actually six trials (all illegal) between Jesus’ arrest and his crucifixion. Three of the trials were Jewish and three of the trials were Roman:
• John does not mention all of the trials, so we have to put all the gospels together to arrive at the sequence of events:
• TRIAL #1 (a Jewish hearing)

• Jesus was first taken to the house of Annas, the high priest.
• Annas was the high priest according the Mosaic law. He was probably the Jewish power behind the plot.
• Annas questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teachings.
• This is the trial we see only in this chapter of John because John was present.
• TRIAL #2 (another Jewish hearing)
• Jesus was then taken next door to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest.
• Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas. He was not the legitimate high priest but was more accepted by the Romans.
• This is a secret meeting of some of the Sanhedrin, hastily assembled together at night, illegally, for the purposes of obtaining evidence against Jesus to kill him.
• They brought in false witnesses who did not agree one with the other.
• The evidence: (Joh 2:18-19)
• If the temple were destroyed, Jesus would raise it up in three days. While Jesus referred to his own physical body, they wanted to use his statement to mean that Jesus plotted to destroy the physical temple.
• Jesus did not answer this false interpretation of his words. According to Jewish law, he had a legal right to remain silent.
• TRIAL #3 (a formal Jewish trial)

• At daybreak Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of the Jews. (Luk 22:66-71)
• Did Jesus have a fair trial? In what ways was it unfair and illegal?
• Because the trials were before the 2 high priests, they had to make a pretense of legality by holding a trial before the full membership of the Sanhedrin. (there were 71 members)
• Twenty-three members present was sufficient legally for a capital case. However, there was not supposed to be any capital cases tried during Passover week. [violated]
• Only if the verdict was not guilty could a trial end on the day it began. Otherwise, one night had to pass before the sentence was pronounced. [violated]
• A trial was illegal unless it was held in the temple with at least two witnesses, who had no contact with each other, and examined separately. [violated]
• False testimony was punishable by death.
• Before any evidence of guilt could be produced, all evidence for innocence had to be presented first. [violated]
• What were the religious charges against Jesus?
• Blasphemy was the final religious charge because Jesus claimed to be the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of God. (Mat 26:64)
• They referred to him as the Son of God.
• They are asking him if he is the Messiah.
• Jesus referred to himself as the son of man.
• Both are titles for the Messiah. (Dan 7:13)
• However, Jesus extends his answer to say that he is not only the Messiah but also that he will sit at God’s right hand.
• He makes himself equal to God, the Father.
• How did the high priest know to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah? Jesus had instructed his disciples to tell no one.
• Probably Judas broke his vow of silence and told the priests when he betrayed Jesus.
• How valid were these charges?
• The charges of blasphemy against Jesus were not valid because He was truly God in the flesh doing God’s will at every point.
• How serious were these charges?
• Blasphemy always carried with it a death sentence since Old Testament times. However, the Jews did not have the authority to carry out a death sentence. Therefore, while they thought He deserved death, they had to find a way to bring it about.
• The high priest’s response to Jesus’ “I am” statement (Mar 14:62-63):
• The high priest tore his clothes.
• This was a cultural practice to indicate extreme sorrow and anguish. However, the high priest’s clothes were never to be torn. He violated the Mosaic law when he did this.
• Peter’s denial
• Peter had enough courage to follow the soldiers and Jesus from a distance. (Mar 14:54) into the courtyard of the high priest’s house.
• The wealthy Jewish home in Jerusalem was built with rooms around a square inner courtyard.
• Peter waits for news in the inner courtyard of the house of the high priest, while John entered the house because he knew members of the family of the high priest..
• Three times he is confronted as one of Jesus’ disciples.
• He was recognized as being from Galilee because of his regional accent and his regional clothing.
• The conclusion was that if he was from Galilee he must be one of the disciples.
• Remember that the number three represents the trinity.
• Therefore, Peter is not only denying Jesus, but by denying the Messiah, he is also denying God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit.
• Peter did not flee after the first confrontation or even after the second one. He was torn by fear for his safety and his love for Jesus.
• At the third denial, he curses Jesus’ name. (71)
• When Peter realized he had fulfilled Jesus’ prophecy of denial, he wept in repentance.
• Peter repented, received God’s forgiveness (Joh 21:15-22), and became a strong disciple after the Holy Spirit filled him fifty days later, on the day of Pentecost.
• Peter had said his denial would never happen, but he learned how weak he was. He learned to replace his self-confidence with confidence in God.
• The crow of the cock
• Peter probably did not hear an actual rooster crow.
• The house of the high priest was in the center of Jerusalem where there was a regulation making it illegal to keep live roosters and hens in the city because they defiled holy things.
• The hour of 3 am was known as the “cock crow”. At that hour the Roman guard was changed in the Castle of Antonia next to the temple mount. The sign of the changing of the guard was the blast of a trumpet called gallicinium which means = cockcrow.
• Summary and application:
• The source for the religious proceedings before the Sanhedrin was probably either Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea, or both.
• Both of these religious leaders became believers in Jesus Christ.
• We are as weak as Peter when we trust in our own strength. We need to learn Peter’s lesson of trusting in God’s strength.
• The conditions that make it easy for the Christian to compromise his faith are these:
• Being in the wrong place with the wrong people.
• Personal fear of circumstances rather than reliance upon God.
• Spiritual short-sightedness. The Christian does not have an eternal perspective.
• After the fact, Peter told the rest of his disciples about his denial. He did not have to do that. It is only because he was willing to confess his sin that we know about the denial at all.
• Peter told about his own sin so that we might know the cleansing power, the keeping power, and the glory of the forgiving love of Christ.
• Read 1Pet 1:5 the keeping power of God.
• Read Joh 18:28-40 The Roman trials

• TRIAL #4 (a Roman trial before Pilate) (Mat 27:11-14)

• Pilate questions Jesus (2)

• “art thou the king of the Jews?”

• The interpretation of the answer that Jesus gives him is, by reason, left unclear.
• For example, it could mean, “you do well to ask.”
• It could also mean an essential agreement as though to say, “yes, I am what you say.”
• It is the reader of the gospel that must decide whether Jesus is really the King of the Jews.
• The irony is that Jesus is accused of being a king when in fact He failed to take up the public call for a king to rise up and take charge against Rome.
• The results of this trial:
• Pilate wanted to please the Sanhedrin, but Jesus was not as cooperative as he wished. There was no substantial legal evidence against Jesus.
• Pilate found Jesus innocent.
• Like a true politician, Pilate saw his opportunity to pass the responsibility to another roman leader, and sent Jesus to Herod
• TRIAL #5 (a Roman trial before Herod) (

Luk 23:6-12)

• What do we know about Herod Antipas, the tetrarch:
• Herod Antipas inherited his position from his father, king Herod the Great (40 – 4 BC)
• The kingdom of king Herod the Great was divided into three geographical areas, one for each of his sons. His son, Herod Antipas, governed the area of Galilee and Perea.
• Herod Antipas was half Jew. He wanted to be king of the Jews and called himself by that title. The title was given to his father by Rome, but not extended to Herod Antipas. The Jews hated Herod.
• They disliked his compromised bloodline. He was half Jew and half Edomite.
• The Jews also hated Herod’s compromising politics. They viewed Herod Antipas as a spy for Rome.
• Herod Antipas was not a king, though he is often called a king. He had the position of tetrarch which means he was in charge of a certain geographical area.
• Jesus called Herod Antipas, a fox. (Luk 13:31) this word describes his continual political maneuverings and machinations.
• Jesus before Herod Antipas:
• Herod happened to be in Jerusalem during the Passover even though the city of Jerusalem was not in his jurisdiction.
• Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because Jesus’ ministry occurred in Herod’s jurisdiction of Galilee.
• Herod was endeared to Pilate because of this demonstration of deference to Herod’s authority.
• Herod wanted to meet Jesus because he wanted to see Him do a miracle.
• Jesus was silent before Herod to fulfill prophecy. (Psa 33:13)
• The results of the trial before Herod:
• There were no legal charges presented and no legal evidence presented.
• The soldiers mocked Jesus and dressed Him in an elaborate robe belonging to Herod.
• Herod did not find Jesus guilty but agreed to mock him for pretending to be king of the Jews.
• Remember, that was a title that Herod wanted for himself.
• Herod returned Jesus to Pilate.
• God’s historical judgment on Herod Antipas:
• Herod had married the daughter of a Nabataean king, Aretas. He divorced her to marry his brother’s wife.
• Remember that John the Baptist was beheaded for criticizing this action.
• The Nabataean king, Aretas, avenged this affront to his daughter by going to war against Herod Antipas in 36 AD (just a few years after the crucifixion).
• In 39 AD Herod was denounced before the Roman emperor and lived the rest of his life in exile.
• TRIAL #6 (a second Roman trial before Pilate) (Mat 27:15-26 Mark 15:3-15 Luk 23:2)
• The charges against Jesus:
• =1= Jesus was a revolutionary.
• =2= Jesus taught the people not to pay their taxes to Rome.
• =3= Jesus claimed to be a king.
• =4= Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Luk 23:2 Joh 19:7)
• The results of this trial:
• The first two charges were false and not substantiated by legal testimony.
• The last two charges were unrecognized truths about Jesus.
• Jesus was silent and did not defend himself. That behavior surprised Pilate.
• Pilate realized that he had to make a decision about Jesus. He could not ignore the matter. He had tried to pass the responsibility to Herod without success.
• All people eventually come to a point in their life where they must decide what they will do with Jesus.
• Pilate’s plan:
• Pilate decides to present the two prisoners (Barabbas and Jesus) to the crowd and let the people decide who is to be released.
• Pilate says it was a custom to release a prisoner at Passover.
• There are no other manuscripts outside of the Bible that refer to this peculiar custom.
• Who was Barabbas?
• Barabbas was a convicted thief and murderer guilty of leading an insurrection against Rome. He robbed Romans to get money for the revolutionary activities of his group.
• The name, Barabbas, means = son of the father. He was the son of a rabbi in a distinguished family.
• Barabbas had another name as well. It was the name, Jesus, which was a common name at that time.
• Because Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and Barabbas was guilty, he thought the crowd would call for the release of Jesus.
• Then the religious leaders would have the crowd to blame for Jesus’ release. Pilate would be off the hook.
• Pilate washes his hands of the responsibility of Jesus’ blood.
• This act was a Jewish custom (Deu 21:1-9)
• However much Pilate wanted to be free of this responsibility, he was still responsible to God.
• Pilate was warned not to make judgment on Jesus:
• His sense of justice and Roman law warned him.
• His conscience warned him that Jesus was innocent.
• His wife’s dreams warned him.
• Much to Pilate’s surprise, the crowd, swayed by the religious leaders, called for the release of Barabbas.
• Jesus received the death penalty.
• Jesus, who was innocent, must take the place of Barabbas.
• What does Barabbas represent?
• Barabbas represents all sinful, guilty human beings.
• The cross on which Jesus died was Barabbas’ cross.
• But it was our cross as well.
• Jesus took Barabbas’ place.
• But Jesus took our place as well.
• Jesus died for Barabbas’ sins.
• But Jesus died for our sins as well.
• Summary and application:
• It is the sinful crowd that calls for crucifixion.
• Who is responsible for the death of Jesus?
• Society always holds those in authority responsible.
• The Nuremberg trials of Hitler’s officers is an example.
• God always holds those in authority responsible.
• King Saul’s failure as a king is an example.
• The Jews accepted responsibility (Mat 27:25)
• The consequences:
• God placed a spiritual veil over their spiritual eyes so that they would not understand and accept Christ nationally until the second coming of Christ.
• The Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 ad was God’s judgment on the religious system that condemned Jesus.
• The Roman’s culpability despite the washing of hands:
• We have discussed the end of Herod’s political power and Pilate’s political power, both in 36 AD.
• God’s responsibility:
• The whole plan of crucifixion was God’s plan before the foundation of the world.
• Jesus had heavenly power to deliver himself from the power of Rome.
• Jesus was not martyred. He gave up his life willingly as the bearer of man’s burden of sin.
• The responsibility of all men:
• All humans are sinners. It is sin that nailed Christ to the cross. He became sin for us on the cross taking on himself all of our sin.
• Therefore, we and our sin is responsible for Christ’s death!
• It is the issue of sin that caused the crucifixion.

HOMEWORK
John 19:1-37
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Joh 18:13-40
• Explain why it was wrong for Peter to follow Jesus into the inner courtyard of the high priest’s house when it was not wrong for John to follow Jesus even into the house of the high priest.
• Have you ever experienced anything like Peter being confronted about his faith? Relate your experience here about how you handled the situation.

• Preparation for Joh 19:1-37
• Read Joh 19:1-37 and the corresponding scriptures: Mat 27:15-26 and 32-56; Mar 15:6-15 and 21-41; Luk 23:18-49
• What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ power?
• What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ ministry?

• Memory verse: John 19:11