THE REFORMED WITNESS HOUR"Jesus’ Trial
Before Pilate"
Rev. Carl Haak(e-mail: Rev. Carl Haak) |
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Dear radio friends,
In our program today we begin an exposition of the narrative of our Lord’s
suffering and death upon Calvary’s cross as that narrative is given to us in the
sacred Scriptures, Mark 15. I would ask that
you open that passage with me. In this
narrative of Mark 15 we have the heart and the foundation of the gospel of God’s
grace. It was in this way that God’s Son
gave Himself up for His children so that they might live.
In the words of Peter: “the just
one for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.”
It must be with special reverence and amazement and love in our souls that we
consider this narrative, for, unless He had given Himself for us, we should have perished
everlastingly in our sins. We see Him stand
bound and silent before Pilate so that we might stand free eternally before God.
In this narrative we will see the most brilliant display of the divine mercy of God
over against the backdrop of the most nauseating display of human perversity. But, should we expect it to be otherwise? For if the gospel is the good news of God’s
grace to hell-deserving sinners, then around the cross we would expect to be displayed the
marvels of that divine grace over against the unmentionable and awful evidences of our
human depravity. We will see that God gave
His Son to stand in the place, in the stead of, His chosen ones, in order that those
chosen ones should not be condemned, and so that they should be given the right to stand
before the face of God and His holy angels for eternity.
In verse 1 of Mark 15, Mark gives to us an account of the last part of the
ecclesiastical or religious trial of Jesus, which led to our Lord’s being delivered
over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, to be crucified. There was an early morning gathering of the
Sanhedrin. We read, “And straightway in
the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the
whole council.” They, the council, had
already been meeting throughout the night and had reached their conclusion in a mock
trial. We read of that in chapter 14:63, 64: “Then the high priest rent his clothes, and
saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye
have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of
death.” The Jewish council, in that
night, had condemned Jesus to be worthy of death because He testified that He was the Son
of God in the flesh.
Now we read that they gathered together again in the morning, perhaps at 5:30 or
6:00 — at daybreak. Why do they gather
yet again? Well, the answer is, to give a
semblance of legality to their proceedings of the former night. For a night session was illegal for them. It was accepted in the Jewish laws that there
could not be such a gathering of the council at night.
Furthermore, their proceedings that previous night had been shot through with
illegalities. So they gathered together in
the morning to whitewash this by having a daytime sentencing.
And straightway, after they held their consultation, they bring Him to Pontius
Pilate — to the Roman courts. For the
Roman policy was: first come, first served. If you had urgent business, you would want to
appear before the Roman governor at the first light of the day.
We do well, however, to notice three things that they have done. First of all, they have passed a formal
resolution. They held consultation, we read,
or passed a resolution. The purpose of their
early morning meeting, then, had not been to deliberate, but to pass a resolution for the
death of Jesus Christ. They had deliberated,
and in their kangaroo court they passed a formal resolution that Jesus should be put to
death for blasphemy.
Secondly, there is the forced extradition. They
bound Jesus and carried Him to Pilate. When a
criminal is extradited or transported, he is brought from one jurisdiction to another
jurisdiction. Here, Jesus is not brought from
one state to another, but from one court to another — from the Jewish court to the
Roman court, from the religious court to the civil court.
The third thing we note is that they have unwittingly fulfilled the Lord’s
words, for they deliver Him up to Pilate. Pilate
was the Roman governor in charge of the area of Judea and Samaria and appointed to keep
peace and order. The Jews could not execute
capital punishment. That was in the hands of
Rome. In bringing Him to Pilate, they have
brought to pass the Lord’s own words (Mark 10:33), when the Lord said to His
disciples, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto
the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall
deliver him to the Gentiles.” The way of
the cross, as all of the sufferings of Jesus Christ, were appointed long before in the
counsel of God. Now the moment has come. According to God’s determinate counsel (Acts
2:23), God’s own Son is being delivered over unto the cross. God (Rom. 8:32) spares not His own Son, but
delivers Him up for us all.
Mark gives us, in verses 2-5 of chapter 15, an abbreviated account of what
transpired when they stood before Pilate. (For
a fuller account, I would refer you to John 18:28-32.)
It seems clear that when one was delivered over to the Roman governor, Pilate would
expect that charges would be stated and substantiated.
So we read in John 18:29 that Pilate asked, “What accusation bring ye against
this man?” Pilate is no rubber stamp. They had to prove their case. Evidently the Jews at this point were caught off
guard and respond in a way of arrogance: “If
he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him unto you.” In other words, “We don’t have to bring
a specific charge. Does not our standing as
men of the cloth validate that we would not bring an innocent man to you, Pilate?”
But Pilate, at that particular point, showed that he had some principle. That is, although Pilate was a self-seeking man, a
tortured man, a pathetic man, a cowardly man, yet, at that point, he responded to the
Jews: “Take ye him and judge him
according to your law.” He was
acquainted, evidently, with the Jewish law that there had to be witnesses. Therefore, he says to them, “If all you say
is that I must take your word for it, I give him back to you.”
The Jews responded, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. Pilate, we want His death! And death must be inflicted by Rome, the
government. Further, we want crucifixion. We have come in order to have Him crucified.” Now, the Jews, of course, did not bring the charge
that they have agreed upon. In their council
meeting they have agreed upon the charge of blasphemy:
“He says He is the Son of God.” Pilate’s
laws said nothing about that. That could not
bring upon one the civil verdict of death. So
they will try to convince Pilate that this is one man who attempts to overthrow the
authority of Rome. The Jews believe that they
can convince Pilate that Jesus is guilty of perverting the nation.
So, at that point, the Jews begin to charge Jesus with many things, all requiring
death by crucifixion. We read in Luke 23:1,
“And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation,
and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.” All those things would be especially odious to
Pilate as the governor.
They said that He was perverting the nation — literally, crooked. In other words, they are saying to Pilate,
“We would be on a steady course, but this man is turning us off the course.” They believe that this is going to prick up
Pilate’s ears. Further, “We have
found him forbidding to give tribute to Caesar.”
Now, that was a bold-faced lie. Three
days earlier they had tried to ensnare Jesus on the question of tribute to Caesar. They thought that they could place the Lord on the
horns of a dilemma. And our Lord had
answered, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and the things that
are God’s give to Him.” But yet
they are seeking to get Pilate on their side.
Then they say to Pilate, he makes himself a Messiah, a king. That, too, is a lie. They mean that He tries to make himself an earthly
king. But the Lord had made it abundantly
plain to them that He was no earthly king but a spiritual king. Pilate knew that there was at that time a
tremendous expectancy among the Jews for a Messiah, for a political, for an earthly leader
to break the back of the Roman rule. So, if
they wanted it to register with Pilate that this was someone deserving of crucifixion,
they seek to formulate those accusations calculated to touch the raw nerve of
Pilate’s political sensitivity.
This leads Pilate to ask Jesus two questions.
We read in Mark 15:2, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” Remember that they had struck Jesus upon His face
with their knuckles and they had spit upon Him and they had buffeted Him. There were no ice-packs to place upon His wounds,
bruises, and contusions. There had been none
to wash away the dried blood. So it is almost
in a whisper of contempt that Pilate asks: “You,
you the king of the Jews?” Try to hear
it as Pilate would say it. Here is a man
bound before him, deposited at his court of scrutiny with welts, bruises, and dried blood. “You? The
king of the Jews?” And Jesus answered: “Thou sayest it.” A clear affirmation, a quiet, calm affirmation. “As you have said — not, of course, as
the Jews conceive of it, not as an earthly king but a spiritual kingdom. My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is established upon truth and
righteousness. Yes, that is who I am. I am God’s King.”
It was at this point that the Jews intensified, evidently, their accusation. We read in verse 3, “And the chief priests
accused him of many things: but he answered
nothing.” They let loose a barrage of
accusations, many unsubstantiated accusations. Try
to picture it. Try to understand what the
Holy Spirit sets before us here. Pilate has
asked, “You are the king of the Jews?” Jesus
answered affirmatively. Then from every
direction there is a great chorus of voices hurling accusations against Jesus. And in the midst of it, Pilate observes Jesus. He stands there as the Son of God, majestically,
but bruised and bloodied — and silent.
This leads Pilate to his second question, verse 4, “And Pilate asked him
again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against
thee.” Pilate can no longer keep it in
him. He looks upon the scene as the governor
of the Jews. Many a time had he seen a man
brought before his bar. There, hammer and
tong, one would accuse, and the accused would follow it by a vehement denial. But our Lord does not answer — not so much
as one reply. Pilate marvels: “Aren’t you going to answer?”
“But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled” (v. 5).
The Lord, in all of His sinlessness, would not stoop to dignify the accusations
with a response. It was His silence that tore
at Pilate. He marveled. He could not understand. This was no ordinary man. And Pilate begins to fear and look for a way to
avoid this issue and decides that he will send Him off to Herod.
What is the significance of all of this for us?
As I said when we began, we should not be amazed to see, in this narrative, the
most lucid display of God’s grace over against the most lurid display of sin’s
power and ugliness. But I see especially
three applications.
First of all, let us behold our glorious Lord who, when He was delivered over for
us, to bear the condemnation of our sins, answered not a word. He stands in perfect composure. He offers no defense for Himself. We construct the circumstances. He stands before Pilate. He stands before
We should not be amazed to see, in this narrative,
the most lucid display of God’s grace
over against the most lurid display
of sin’s power and ugliness.
the wild and the hateful and the false
and the vindictive, spiteful accusations hurled against Him by the Jews. And He answers nothing. Why? Because
the Son of God willingly and in love has come under the accusation of our sin. We have the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7, “He
was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” The one who bears our iniquities does not open His
mouth in legitimate self-defense. For the
heavenly Father, now, has called Him to take upon Himself our condemnation, our sins, the
sins of all those whom He has chosen to give to Jesus.
And so submissive is He, so filled with love to the Father and love for us, that He
is utterly silent before those vicious charges.
He does this because He knew that beyond Pilate’s court is the cross. The Lord is saying, “To that cross I must go. There I must receive accusations which are true
— that is, all the accusations of God’s holy law against the sins of My children
and people. These I must answer by bearing
that wrath of God and answering, ‘I love Thee, O Lord,’ for them.” And to make it very plain, He opened not His
mouth. If He opened His mouth at that point,
He would not be our Savior. But He kept His
mouth closed so that ours might be opened in praise today.
The second application that I see is this. We
have a very powerful example to those who suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ in
well-doing. The gospel of Mark was written
primarily to Roman Christians who, with the apostle Paul, were receiving opposition and
persecution. They were being brought before
rulers and kings and were being accused of many slanderous things. Christ, now, is our example of enduring slander
for His name in patience. We read of this in
I Peter 2:20-23. There the apostle Peter
highlights an aspect of Christ’s suffering. He
says to us that when the Lord was reviled, He reviled not again. That word “reviled” means
“destructive, tearing down speech, untrue, false.” He did not respond, thus leaving us, says Peter,
an example that we should follow in His steps. Christ
knew as He stood before Pilate that day that all of the accusations brought against Him
were false. Yet, He answers not a word. He is our example, then, of suffering patiently in
His service.
Christ, now, is our example of
enduring slander for His name in patience.
The third thing that we should see is this. Behold
our sin and God’s grace. Look upon the
human nature, the human heart devoid of God’s grace, as it is reflected in the chief
priests and in the Jews — as it is reflected even in those who are immersed in
religious orthodoxy. Why, we read in the
Scriptures that the Jews and the chief priests would not go up into Pilate’s judgment
hall themselves — that is, they were very scrupulous.
For it was the time of their feast and they were concerned that they observe their
regulations of purity. They have been
plotting murder throughout the night. They
are filled with hatred. But, they say,
“Oh, we must not be found in the Gentiles’ courts on the holy feast day. Oh, how terrible it would be if we place so much
as the sole of our foot within this man Pilate’s court on the Jewish festival
day.” Yet, within their heart they were
filled with hatred and murder. They are the
picture of that religion which is devoid of daily, personal knowledge of one’s own
sin. This is the religion that knows all the
right places, all the right words, and all the right external deeds — but does not
have the experience of the grace of God upon the heart, to be humbled before the holy God,
in the knowledge of one’s own filthiness and sin.
The picture here is of the heart that knows nothing, nothing at all, of its own sin
and of the holiness of God. It is a heart,
then, that can lie. It can hate. It can devise evil.
It can lust. It can envy. And at the same time, in its outward deeds, it
can be scrupulous over the external details, all the while churning within in cruel sin.
But this is a picture also of what we are.
This is a picture of our human nature. This
is a picture of our sin. This is what we are
by nature. This is what we amount to before
the eyes of God. This is what we are without
the grace of God. We are vile, wretched,
hateful, envious sinners. And this is the
grace of God. For God gave His Son, not for
the righteous, but for sinners chosen of His grace.
And God will show us now. He will show
us our sin at the cross. Do not point the
finger here. See yourself. Confess by the grace of God that “I brought
this upon Him. This is what I am.” And this is the grace of God and the love of
Jesus, for He gives Himself to death for us.
Christ Himself gave Himself over to be innocently condemned in order that we might
never be condemned, in order that we might stand cleared before God. When you see that, you will, by His grace, love
Him. You will trust Him. You will obey Him.
And you will worship Him.
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, we thank Thee for Thy holy Word.
And we pray for its blessing upon our hearts in this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.