Matthew 26:36-75 Jesus on Trial

Chuck Musselwhite

Matthew • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Intro:

America has an insatiable appetite for legal TV shows

Starting with shows like Perry Mason people have been riveted by a good trial

Law & Order is one of the top reruns in TV history

Lately, Jen and I have been watching a show called Accused

It ‘s a different twist in that it starts with someone in jail and then shows how the person is either exonerated or convicted in court

Many times it will show how the person is set up and then freed but as this week’s show started I looked at my wife and said, this guy is guilty

Because that is the reason you watch these shows, to figure it out at the beginning of the show

Today we are going to look at the trial of Jesus

This trial is more than just a hearing in a court room

It starts in the garden with him praying so fervently that he sweated drops of blood

It includes a lynch mob coming to get him and Jesus showing us how he restrained his power

It finishes up with him being deserted and denied by those closest to him

Trials are often more than just the conflict

Read Matthew 26:36-39

Transition:

The Jews had always prided themselves on their sense of fairness and justice, and rightly so.

The judicial systems in the modern Western world have their foundations in the legal system of ancient Israel, which itself was founded on the standards set forth in their Scriptures, the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 16:18 ESV

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

They determined that any community that had at least 120 men who were heads of families could form a local council.

In later years, after the Babylonian exile, that council often was composed of the synagogue leadership.

The council came to be known as a sanhedrin

The Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was composed of 70 chief priests, elders, and scribes, with the high priest making a total of 71.

Rabbinical requirements guaranteed an accused criminal the right to a public trial, to defense counsel, and conviction only on the testimony of at least two reliable witnesses.

Trials were therefore always open to public scrutiny, and the defendant had the right to bring forth evidence and witnesses in his own behalf, no matter how damning the evidence and testimony against him might be.

To guard against false witnessing, whether given out of revenge or for a bribe, the Mosaic law prescribed that a person who knowingly gave false testimony would suffer the punishment the accused would suffer if found guilty

Rabbinical law required that a sentence of death could not be carried out until the third day after it was rendered and that during the intervening day the members of the court were to fast.

That provision had the effect of preventing a trial during a feast, when fasting was prohibited.

The delay of execution also provided additional time for evidence or testimony to be discovered in the defendant’s behalf.

There was always to be presumption of innocence, and great latitude was given the accused in presenting his defense

I start with all of this because Jesus got nothing of this

He was presumed guilty without evidence, not given counsel to represent, the trial happened in the middle of the night, and they didn’t wait 3 days for execution

They wanted him dead before passover

I. Prayer in the Garden vs. 36-46

The trial didn’t start in the High priest’s home

It started in the garden as Jesus prepared himself

I firmly believe that Jesus was able to endure what was about to happen because he labored in prayer

vs. 36-39 Jesus in Deep Distress

Gethsemane means “olive press.” There, olives from the neighborhood were crushed for their oil. So too, the Son of God would be crushed here.

He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed: Jesus was disturbed; in part from knowing the physical horror waiting for Him at the cross.

My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death: But more so, Jesus was distressed at the spiritual horror waiting for Him on the cross.

Jesus would stand in the place of guilty sinners and receive all the spiritual punishment sinners deserve

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

vs. 39 If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me:

Repeatedly in the Old Testament, the cup is a powerful picture of the wrath and judgment of God.

The cup didn’t represent death, but judgment.

Jesus was unafraid of death, and when He had finished His work on the cross – the work of receiving and bearing and satisfying the righteous judgment of God the Father upon our sin – when He finished that work, He simply yielded Himself to death as His choice.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will:

Jesus came to a point of decision in Gethsemane.

It wasn’t that He had not decided before nor had consented before, but now He had come upon a unique point of decision.

He drank the cup at Calvary, but He decided once for all to drink it at Gethsemane.

vs. 40-46 Jesus wins the Battle of Prayer

vs. 40 Could you not watch with Me one hour?

Jesus valued and desired the help of His friends in this battle of prayer and decision.

But even without their help, He endured in prayer until the battle was won.

vs. 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation:

Jesus knew Peter would fail; yet He encouraged him to victory, knowing that the resources were found in watching and praying.

If Peter woke up (both physically and spiritually), and drew close in dependence on God, he could have kept from denying Jesus at the critical hour.

Mark 13:33 ESV

Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.

Jesus found victory at the cross by succeeding in the struggle in Gethsemane.

Peter – just like us – failed in later temptation because he failed to watch and pray.

The spiritual battle is often won or lost before the crisis comes.

Speaking kindly about the disciples Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

vs. 44 Prayed the third time, saying the same words:

This shows us that it is not unspiritual to make the same request to God several times.

Some hyper-spiritual people believe that if we ask for something more than once, it proves that we don’t have faith.

That may be true for some in some situations, but Jesus shows us that repeated prayer can be completely consistent with steadfast faith.

vs. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand:

Jesus knew Judas and those who would arrest Him were on the way.

He could have run and escaped the agony waiting for Him at the cross, but Jesus rose to meet Judas. He was in complete control of all events.

II. Mob Arrests Jesus vs. 47-56

Jesus remained calm during his trial even though it was a mob scene

Jesus shows us how to deal with trials in the midst of chaos

vs. 47-50 Betrayed w/ a Kiss

As Jesus finishes up praying a mob appears

They clearly regarded Jesus as a dangerous man and came to take Him with great force.

Judas is leading the mob and gave them a signal who to arrest by who he kissed

He was probably paid for his knowledge of where Jesus would be

Judas warmly greeted Jesus, even giving Him the customary kiss.

But the kiss only precisely identified Jesus to the authorities who came to arrest Jesus.

In John 18 we learn that Jesus was the one to address the mob

He asked who they were seeking

They answered Jesus of Nazareth

Look what happens

John 18:6 ESV

When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

This often isn’t emphasized in the story but it demonstrates a powerful point

Jesus had to the power to resist them with his words yet he willingly submitted to them

vs. 51-56 Arrest of Jesus

Peter didn’t get that memo

He draws a sword and lops off a the ear of the High Priest’s servant

Matthew doesn’t tell us it Peter, but leave it to John to let us know

John 18:10 ESV

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Jesus tells him to put the sword away

Then he utters some wisdom in the midst of the chaos

Those who live by the sword die by the sword

Scripture had to be fulfilled or he would ask his father of 12 legions of angels

With all power at His disposal, Jesus was in total command.

He was not the victim of circumstance, but He managed circumstances for the fulfillment of prophecy.

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled:

At this point, all the disciples scattered, running for their own safety.

A few (Peter and John, at least) followed back to see what would happen at a distance.

None of them stood beside Jesus

III. The Unjust Trial of Jesus vs. 57-68

Jesus’ haters broke every rule on a fair trial

They were so off base that Jesus had to help them push it through

vs. 57-58 Jesus before Caiaphas

The mob takes Jesus to Caiaphas’ house

This was not the first appearance of Jesus before a judge or official on the night of His betrayal.

On that night and the day of His crucifixion, Jesus actually stood in trial several times before different judges.

Before Jesus came to the home of Caiaphas (the official high priest), He was led to the home of Annas, who was the ex-high priest and the “power behind the throne” of the high priest

This nighttime trial was illegal according to the Sanhedrin’s own laws and regulations.

According to Jewish law, all criminal trials must begin and end in the daylight.

vs. 59-61 1st Trial before Sanhedrin

This is a remarkable testimony to the life and integrity of Jesus.

For having lived such a public life and performed such a public ministry, it was difficult to find even false testimony against Him.

John 2:19 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

vs. 62-64 Jesus Testifies

Remarkably, Jesus kept silent and answered nothing until it was absolutely necessary in obedience for Him to speak.

Jesus could have mounted a magnificent defense here, calling forth all the various witnesses to His deity, power and character.

The people He taught, the people He healed, the dead risen, the blind who see, even the demons themselves testified to His deity

Yet he didn’t speak a word

Isaiah 53:7 ESV

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Jesus didn’t answer until he had to

When he answered it was with power and authority

He affirms what they asked him and then he added they would see the son of man sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds

Way to stir the pot

vs. 65-68 Sanhedrin Reacts w/ Brutality

Their verdict reveals the depths of man’s depravity.

God, in total perfection, came to earth, lived among men, and this was man’s reply to God.

They spat in His face and beat Him:

They spit on Him; they hit Him with their fists; they slapped Him with their open hands.

It is easy to think that they did this because they didn’t know who He was.

That is true in one sense, because they would not admit to themselves that He was indeed the Messiah and the Son of God.

Yet in another sense it is not true at all, because by nature man is an enemy of God

Isaiah 50:6 ESV

I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.