Introduction
We live in an age of sensational court cases, dramatically reported by the media; O.J. Simpson, Harvey Weinstein, Slobodan Milosevic, Oscar Pistorius, Donald Trump… powerful politicians and disgraced celebrities facing the music before judge and jury.
But today, we’re going to be thinking about the most famous legal trial the history of the world. It’s the most written about, the most read about, the most spoken about, the most notorious, the most grievous for its dishonesty, and the most shameful for its verdict was the two-stage criminal trial of Jesus of Nazareth. We’re going to look at it in depth today, where Jesus is before the religious authorities, and two weeks’ time, when Jesus will be before the political powers.
As we read on in Matthew's Gospel, you’ll know if you were here last Sunday, that Jesus has just now been arrested. Here he is, on trial for his life. He is staring the death sentence in the face, knowing that his enemies are set on terminating him. And they rough him up and ply him with questions in an attempt to trick him into incriminating himself.
Let’s read what Matthew says about it.
Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council
were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.
But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God - tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Again, Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying - I don’t know the man!” And immediately the cock crowed.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the cock crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
A Rigged Trial
By the standards of any fair legal system, Jesus’ trial was scandalous. It was rotten. It stank of corruption. It was engineered to deliver a miscarriage of justice. It was, in fact, nothing short of a judicial murder.
I am no legal expert, but I have found twelve different reasons why Jesus’ case should have been thrown out. Even according to the first century Jewish legal system, Jesus’ trial should have been declared null, void and invalid.
Here they are, the dirty dozen reasons why Jesus’ trial was a sham…
1. All four Gospels are clear that Jesus was arrested without a charge being made against him.
2. The arrest was arranged by his judges, the chief priests, who thus became the counsel for the prosecution and should have been discharged of their duties for conflict of interest.
3. The law stipulated that any trial had to held in daylight hours, but this one took place at night.
4. The trial took place on private property, in the high priest’s home, not in the public law court as required.
5. The trial began without the accused actually being charged of any offence.
6. The prosecution witnesses brought no consistent evidence, so the case should have been dismissed.
7. Those whose statements disagreed were not charged with perverting the course of justice as they should have been for giving false evidence in court.
8. Jesus was not released without charge when his accusers were shown to be unreliable witnesses.
9. The judge failed to call a single testimony for the defence, failing in his duty of impartiality.
10. The judge made no cross-examination of Jesus' claim to be the Messiah, emotionally rejecting it out of hand.
11. Though offering no resistance, Jesus was physically attacked while in custody, thus punished before a verdict was reached.
12. The sentence of execution was rushed through for the same day, allowing no time for a legal appeal.
For any one of these twelve reasons, Jesus should have walked free. But of course, we know he didn’t.
Do you ever feel that the world has treated you harshly? Do you ever think that you have been dealt an unfair hand?
If ever you do, remember that Jesus’ moral innocence is superior to yours, and his mistreatment was worse. And yet didn’t retaliate, didn’t lash out, didn’t even insist on his rights. He certainly didn’t allow himself to become resentful or bitter.
His patience in suffering is one of the 10,000 reasons he is so worthy of worship. And it’s a gift he wants to give to us.
Pete Williams is an African-American from Georgia who, in 1985 was convicted of aggravated sodomy, kidnapping and rape and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Williams always claimed they got the wrong man, and The Innocence Project took up his case. After thorough investigations, more evidence came to light, and they took the case back to court. Williams was found not guilty. After singing a few lines of Amazing Grace, Pete Williams, now aged 44, walked out of jail a free man and went home to enjoy a steak dinner with his family.
A few days later, he appeared in a news interview, where he said he wasn’t angry about spending half his life thus far behind bars. Instead, he showed amazing mercy and forgiveness. “Anybody can screw up, we all get things wrong,” he said.
People asked how he was able to be so magnanimous, so gracious, so forgiving; and Williams replied that it was after his conversion to Christ in prison. “That’s been my rock” he said.
It’s noteworthy that he didn’t say, “If there was a God of love, he would never have let this happen to me.” His faith in Jesus carried him through years of being falsely labelled a sex offender and it kept his hope alive that one day his innocence would come to light.
Who Is Jesus?
Jesus’ hearing before the chief priests turns on one vital question.
And it comes in v63 where the high priest says to Jesus, “I demand in the name of the living God – tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
People to this day are still judging for themselves and deciding what their answer is to that same basic question.
It’s the most important question in life, actually. “Do I agree that Jesus is who he says he is?” Your entire life’s destiny, in this world and the next, depends on the answer you give. Everyone has to make their mind up. Plenty already have; more books have been written about Jesus than about anyone else in history.
Who do you think Jesus is? If you cannot instantly give an answer to that question, why don’t you consider doing Alpha next month? It will really help you think through this most crucial of questions.
So the trial begins. By now, it’s gone midnight. Jesus is led into the high priest’s house. Peter follows cautiously at a distance.
They look for evidence to convict him but, as v60 shows, no one can point out anything wrong with him. No testimony can be used. The other Gospels explain that people come forward and make up stories to accuse him but they contradict each other. It’s a pig’s breakfast of a case for the prosecution.
In v61 they misquote him, changing the meaning of the words he spoke. They can’t even really agree about what he didn’t say.
So the high priest looks at Jesus and says, “Well, what have you got to say for yourself?” Jesus has just listened to a litany of flawed testimony, fabricated statements and fictitious evidence, fake news and inaccurate quotes. And he gives it the contempt it deserves, offering no answer.
So, as I said, the big question comes in v63 and here it is. “I demand in the name of the living God – tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Firstly, “Are you the Messiah, that is the Christ, the Anointed One? Are you the Chosen One we Jews have long been waiting for?
For many centuries, they had been awaiting a Saviour, a great deliverer. The prophets said he would come one day. Every baby born into the Jewish nation, people wondered, is this the special one? Could this be the great leader who will rise up and change our fortunes?
So the high priest says to Jesus, “Well then, is it you? You’ve got quite a following. News about you has travelled. People say you might be our Messiah. Is this who you think you are?”
The thing is, as we’ve seen throughout Matthew's Gospel, these leaders have already decided that Jesus cannot be the Messiah. Everything about him is wrong.
He heals people on the sabbath - t’s not allowed.
He eats without ceremonially washing his hands - it’s against the rules.
He touches lepers - which is not only gross, it’s contagious.
He mixes with outcasts, tax collectors and sinners - all the wrong people.
He walks on water - showing complete disregard for health and safety.
He is much more popular than them - which is intolerable.
So they know one thing for sure; this man, whatever else he is, cannot be the Messiah. Like so many people today, they write Jesus off without even bothering to investigate.
And then the high priest asks, “Are you the Son of God?” In other words, do you claim some kind of unique and special relationship with almighty God? Have you come to earth from heaven? Or are you God himself in human form?”
And Jesus’ answer is clear and emphatic. “You said it.” Yes, that’s exactly who I am.
In other words, “I’m not just a wise teacher, a charismatic leader, a remarkable healer, or a social revolutionary
Jesus is all those things, but that isn’t why they killed him. They killed him because he said, “I am the Messiah, the Son of God, in fact God the Son.”
What Jesus says here in v64 is not ambiguous, or enigmatic. Not to the men who are interrogating him. He claims the identity of a figure from the Old Testament Book of Daniel; standing at the right hand of the Mighty One, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
This is important. This is who Jesus says he is.
In Daniel 7, written about 550 BC, there’s a dramatic vision of eternity with the revelation of a powerful figure from heaven but who is described as being “like a Son of Man.”
That points to some kind a heavenly being, clearly, but one who’s going to take on humanity; he’s going to have flesh and blood, he’ll be one of us.
And this great figure comes with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days, God Almighty, and he is given authority, glory and sovereign power.
So who is it? Is it some kind of angel or archangel? Is that who Jesus says he is? Some sort of created spiritual being who will be sent as God’s messenger?
No. It can’t be. It goes on to say, “All nations and peoples of every language will worship him.” This is huge. Everyone should bow down and adore him. Angels in the Bible always say, “Don’t bow down to me, I’m just an ambassador. Worship God.”
And look, it says, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
He rules an unshakeable, unparalleled, invincible kingdom that will never end. This is as big as it gets. Almighty and ever-living God is going to come as flesh and blood into human history, and everyone is to exalt and honour and revere him.
Jesus says, “That’s who I am.”
That’s why the high priest tears his clothes in horror and shouts, “Blasphemy!”
That’s why they condemn him to death.
That’s why they spit in his face.
That’s why they blindfold him, and tease him, and beat him up.
What a thing! God himself, the creator of the universe, the author of life, the source of beauty and everything good comes to earth – and what do we do? We, our human race, sit on a bench with a wig and gown and we put him in the dock. Then we break every rule in the book, rig the trial, smash the gavel on the desk and pronounce him guilty.
And Peter…
I wonder how much of these proceedings Peter got wind of outside in the courtyard. Were there leaks about how things were going from people going in and out of the house? Did Peter hear raised voices from within?
All we know is that there are three occasions when people blow his cover.
A girl recognises his face in v69 as someone who was walking around with Jesus the Galilean. “Didn’t I see you two together?”
It’s late. Peter’s tired. He is stressed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he says in front of everyone and, the other Gospels tell us, he moves away from the light of the fire where people can recognise him.
Then in v71, after wondering, “where have I seen that guy before?”, her colleague remembers that he was hanging out with the other disciples. “Yeah,” she says in earshot of everyone around, “this man was with Jesus of Nazareth, I’m sure it was him!”
Peter’s heart starts to beat faster, his throat tightens, his hands begin to sweat. Again, he says, “No, definitely not, it’s just some bloke who looks like me.” And he swears on oath that it’s a case of mistaken identity.
And then in v73, this time a group of bystanders notice the distinctive way he talks. No one talks like that round here. “It must be you, with your northern accent!”
Peter loses it. “God damn it; A curse on me if I’m lying, I don’t know the man, I’ve never met him in my life. He means nothing to me at all.”
And the instant these words leave his lips, a cock crows.
Peter buries his face in his hands and heads off into the night, a broken man, tears running down his face. “What have I just done?”
Jesus is his best friend. For three years they have eaten together, laughed and cried together, travelled everywhere together, seen amazing things together.
Peter has seen thousands spellbound by Jesus’ preaching, he’s seen Jesus cast out demons, heal the sick (including his own mother-in-law), and raise the dead.
At Jesus’ command, Peter has let down nets into a lake that yielded no fish all night and then been unable to haul in the catch, such is its size.
At Jesus’ command he left a boat and began to walk on water. Then, as his fears got the better if his faith, Jesus saved him from drowning.
He has seen it all, and done it all. Jesus is his leader, his hero.
A few hours earlier, Jesus says to the twelve, “You will all fall away.” Peter says, “Oh no! Everyone else might, but not me. Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
And Jesus says, “But you will, Peter. Not once, not twice, but three times, before daybreak, before the cock crows.
Listen, God knows we will let him down; he knows when, and he knows how badly. He knows where will fall into sin and he knows how.
He knows how wretched things can get, how estranged from him we can become.
The devil wants to bring condemnation and shame and heaviness every time we let God down. He’ll say, “You are such a failure. You always mess things up, don’t you? You’re pathetic. You will never change. This is who you are. God doesn’t love you.”
But how many of us have done what Peter did here? Honestly?
Someone asks, “Oh, what did you do at the weekend?” and you say, “Oh, this and that.”
Then you feel gutted. You feel sick. Why did I keep quiet? Why didn’t I just say it? “I was in church actually, and it was great.”
If you can relate to that, let today be a day for tears, like it was for Peter, and make the decision to return to what it was like when your faith was young.
Ending
As I close, I want to end on a note of hope. When you read the Bible through, you see that however you feel you’ve let the side down, or you’re unqualified, you’re in good company. Noah, for example, got so drunk he exposed himself, Abraham was so ancient the Bible says he was as good as dead, Sara was impatient, Jacob was a con man, Moses made pathetic excuses, Miriam was a gossip, Gideon was insecure, Elijah was depressed, David was an adulterer, Jonah ran away from God, Zaccheus was a crook, Mary Magdalene had seven demons, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Paul was an accomplice to murder, and Lazarus was four days dead...
All these people are Bible heroes. All of them, like Peter, were flawed. But all of them had a future and a hope from the God of grace. Because, as someone once said, God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!
The 19th Century Church of Scotland minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne used to say, “For every one look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ."
So look to Jesus. The innocent one. Look to the Messiah, the chosen one at the right hand of the Mighty One, the Ancient of Days; he’s coming again on the clouds of heaven, and to him belongs authority, glory, majesty and sovereign power.
Let’s stand to pray…
Sermon preached at King's Church Darlington, 25 February 2024
