FAITH BIBLE CHURCH - www.faithbiblechurch.net

RAY RUSS - PASTOR-TEACHER

MATTHEW: THE KING HAS COME, WEEK 179

TITLE: THE KANGAROO COURT OF CAIAPHAS

TEXT: MATTHEW 26:57-68

INTRODUCTION: (1) MANY PEOPLE ARE FASCINATED WITH COURT TRIALS, ESPECIALLY TRIALS OF MOVIE STARS AND HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE.

* FOR EXAMPLE, MANY FOLLOWED THE O.J. TRIAL OR CIRCUS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

** AND MANY OF YOU COULD GIVE ME FACTS ABOUT THE TRIALS. THE JUDGE PRESIDING OVER THE TRIAL WAS WHOM? JUDGE ITO.

*** O.J.'S LEAD LAWYER OF HIS TEAM OF LAWYERS WAS WHOM? JOHNNY COCHRAN.

**** THE FEMALE PROSECUTOR WAS WHOM? MARCIA CLARK.

(2) THE POLICE DETECTIVE WHO SUPPOSEDLY WAS A RACIST AND TAINTED EVIDENCE WAS WHOM? MARK FURMAN.

* AND THE PICTURE IN EVERYBODY'S MIND OF O.J. DURING THE TRIALS WAS WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO PUT ON THE WHAT? THE GLOVE THAT DIDN'T FIT.

** NOW HOW MANY OF YOU GOT ALL 5 ANSWERS RIGHT? A LOT OF YOU. CONFIRMING TO ME THAT FOLLOWING HIGH PROFILE TRIALS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE IS FASCINATING TO MANY PEOPLE.

*** O.J.'S TRIALS CAPTIVATED MILLIONS. AND MANY INDIVIDUALS WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT TRIAL WAS A SHAM AND THAT JUSTICE WAS NOT SERVED. THAT IT WAS A CIRCUS AND THERE WAS NO WAY O.J. SIMPSON WAS GOING TO BE CONVICTED.

**** WELL, WHETHER O.J.'S TRIAL WAS FAIR OR NOT WILL BE ARGUED FOR A LONG TIME.

(3) BUT FOR SURE, ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE TRIAL TOOK PLACE ALMOST 2,000 YEARS AGO IN JERUSALEM, THAT WAS NOT JUST, BUT ILLEGAL AND WAS A SHAM.

* AND THE PERSON ON TRIAL FOR THAT TRIAL WAS PERFECT AND COMPLETELY INNOCENT.

** AND OF COURSE HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST. AND THE JUDGE OF THIS TRIAL WAS THE HIGH PRIEST IN ISRAEL, CAIAPHAS.

*** AND CAIAPHAS RAN A KANGAROO COURT EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE DAY THAT JESUS WAS PRONOUNCED GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DIE, AND IN FACT WOULD DIE A FEW HOURS LATER ON THAT DAY.

**** AND WHEN I USE THE EXPRESSION "KANGAROO COURT" I'M TALKING ABOUT A MOCK COURT IN WHICH THE PRINCIPLES OF LAW AND JUSTICE ARE DISREGARDED OR PERVERTED.

(4) A COURT CHARACTERIZED BY IRRESPONSIBLE, UNAUTHORIZED OR IRREGULAR STATUS OR PROCEDURES.

* A COURT WHERE JUDGMENT OR PUNISHMENT IS GIVEN OUTSIDE OF LEGAL PROCEDURE.

** AND THAT EXACTLY DESCRIBES THE COURT IN WHICH JESUS WAS TRIED IN, IN MATTHEW 26:57-68.

*** AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I'VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, "THE KANGAROO COURT OF CAIAPHAS".

**** AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE'LL LOOK AT 5 POINTS AS WE STUDY MATTHEW 26:57-68 TODAY.

(5) NO. 1 THE CONVENING OF THE SANHEDRIN, VV. 57&58; NO. 2 THE CONSPIRACY TO CONVICT JESUS, VV. 59-61; NO. 3 THE CONFRONTATION BY CAIAPHAS, VV. 62-64; NO. 4 THE CONDEMNATION OF JESUS, VV. 65&66; AND NO. 5 THE CONDUCT OF THE COURT, VV. 67&68.

* SO WE'LL LOOK AT THE CONVENING, THE CONSPIRACY, THE CONFRONTATION, THE CONDEMNATION AND THE CONDUCT UNDER THE TITLE "THE KANGAROO COURT OF CAIAPHAS".

** AND TO BEGIN WITH, LOOK AT V. 57 WHERE WE'LL START TO SEE OUR FIRST POINT THIS MORNING, THE CONVENING OF THE SANHEDRIN. LOOK AT MATTHEW 26:57 PLEASE.

I. THE CONVENING, (READ V. 57)

A. NOW MATTHEW HERE TALKS ABOUT PHASE II OF THE JEWISH TRIAL OF JESUS, THE TRIAL BEFORE CAIAPHAS.

* FOR THE PRELIMINARY HEARING BEFORE ANNAS THE FATHER-IN-LAW OF CAIAPHAS HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, TALKED ABOUT IN JOHN 18:12&13.

** NOW ANNAS HAD SERVED AS HIGH PRIEST FOR A PERIOD OF 4 TO 5 YEARS.

*** AND ALTHOUGH HE HAD BEEN REPLACED AS RULING HIGH PRIEST BY THE ROMANS, HE CONTINUED TO CARRY THE TITLE, FOR THE JEWS LOOKED TO HIM AS HIGH PRIEST.

**** FOR YOU SEE HIGH PRIESTS WERE TO SERVE FOR LIFE. BUT THE POSITION BECAME POLITICIZED BY ROME, AS THEY OCCUPIED ISRAEL AND IT BECAME AN APPOINTED OFFICE.

1. SO ANNAS WAS STILL VIEWED AS THE HIGH PRIEST, ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT THE RULING HIGH PRIEST, CAIAPHAS WAS.

* YET HE STILL HAD A LOT OF POWER AND INFLUENCE, LARGELY THROUGH THE 5 SONS WHO SUCCEEDED HIM AND NOW THROUGH CAIAPHAS HIS SON-IN-LAW.

** AND IN TAKING JESUS TO ANNAS FIRST WOULD ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS: NO. 1 THE JEWS WOULD WANT HIS AUTHORIZATION AS THE REAL POWER TO MOVE ON TO CAIAPHAS; AND NO. 2 IT WOULD ALLOW CAIAPHAS TO ASSEMBLE THE SANHEDRIN AT HIS OWN HOUSE.

*** NOW MATTHEW PICKS UP WITH PHASE 2 OF CHRIST'S RELIGIOUS TRIAL WITH CAIAPHAS WHO WAS THE OFFICIAL HIGH PRIEST OF THAT DAY, AND THE SCRIBES AND ELDERS, ACCORDING TO V. 57, HAD ASSEMBLED WITH HIM AT HIS HOUSE.

**** AND THE SCRIBES AND ELDERS HERE REPRESENT THE SUPREME JEWISH COUNCIL CALLED THE SANHEDRIN.

1. AND THE SANHEDRIN CONSISTED OF 70 MEMBERS PLUS THE HIGH PRIEST, WHO MADE 71 SO THERE COULD BE NO TIES ON A MAJORITY VOTE.

* AND MOST LIKELY ALL OF THE SANHEDRIN WERE NOT INVITED TO THIS KANGAROO COURT, MOST SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO WOULD PROTEST WHAT WAS GOING ON, LIKE JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA, FOR ACCORDING TO LUKE 23:50&51, "HE HAD NOT CONSENTED TO THE PLAN AND ACTION", SPEAKING OF THE SANHEDRIN.

** SO CAIAPHAS CONVENES THIS KANGAROO COURT ILLEGALLY AT NIGHT TO TRY A MAN WHO HAD NOT BEEN INDICTED, FOR NO OFFICIAL CHARGE HAD BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST JESUS.

*** AND GUESS WHO WAS FOLLOWING JESUS DURING THIS TIME FROM A DISTANCE? PETER. LOOK AT V. 58 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 58. NOW DURING ALL OF THIS, PETER WAS FOLLOWING JESUS AT A DISTANCE, AFAR OFF.

* AND FIRST TO THE HOUSE OF ANNAS AND THEN AS FAR AS THE COURTYARD OF CAIAPHAS.

** AND OUT OF A CONFLICTING MIXTURE OF COWARDICE AND COMMITMENT, OUT OF FEAR AND LOVE OR FEAR, LOVE AND GUILT, PETER TRIED TO BE AS NEAR HIS LORD AS HE THOUGHT HE COULD WITHOUT BEING DISCOVERED, AND HE SAT DOWN WITH THE OFFICIALS IN THE COURTYARD AREA TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

*** NOW THE FACT THAT PETER AND OTHERS WERE SITTING IN THE COURTYARD OF THE HIGH PRIEST REVEALS SOME MORE INFRACTIONS OF JEWISH LEGAL PROTOCOL.

**** FOR AS WE'LL SEE, THIS WILL BE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TRIAL, AND JEWISH LEGAL PROTOCOL DEMANDED THAT THIS KIND OF TRIAL BE HELD IN THE TEMPLE AND ONLY IN PUBLIC.

1. AND THE PRIVATE MEETING AT CAIAPHAS' HOUSE CLEARLY VIOLATED BOTH STIPULATIONS. PETER IS IN THE COURTYARD OF CAIAPHAS' HOUSE, SO IT'S NOT IN THE TEMPLE AND NOT PUBLIC, THE OFFICERS ARE OUT THERE ALSO.

* AND A QUICK APPLICATION HERE, NOT ABOUT THE ILLEGAL ASPECT OF THIS TRIAL, BUT ABOUT PETER.

** AND THAT IS IN PETER'S DOWNWARD PROGRESSION TO DENYING CHRIST 3 TIMES, WHICH LORD WILLING WE'LL STUDY NEXT WEEK, IT CONTINUES HERE IN V. 58 BY FOLLOWING JESUS FROM A DISTANCE, FROM AFAR OFF.

*** FOR YOU SEE UNLESS YOU FOLLOW JESUS CLOSELY, YOU'LL DRIFT AND DO THINGS YOU THOUGHT YOU NEVER WOULD DO.

**** YOU IN ESSENCE WILL DENY CHRIST BY YOUR LIFE AND LIPS. WE MUST FOLLOW CHRIST CLOSELY, NOT FROM A DISTANCE, STUDY HIS WORD, APPLYING HIS WORD, COMMUNING WITH HIM IN PRAYER AND BEING INVOLVED IN THE FAMILY OF FAMILIES, THE CHURCH.

2. IF YOU ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM ANY OF THESE THINGS YOU WILL DRIFT AND BE TAKEN IN BY THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.

* AND THAT'S WHY HEBREWS 3:13 SAYS: (READ IT).

** AND THAT'S WHY HEBREWS 10:23-25 SAYS: "LET US HOLD FAST THE CONFESSION OF OUR HOPE WITHOUT WAVERING, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL;"

V. 24 - "AND LET US CONSIDER HOW TO STIMULATE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS"

V. 25 - "NOT FORSAKING OUR OWN ASSEMBLING TOGETHER, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, AND ALL THE MORE, AS YOU SEE THE DAY DRAWING NEAR."

*** AND BELOVED, WE WILL WAVER AND DRIFT IF WE ARE NOT OBEDIENT TO THESE TRUTHS.

**** AND PETER PROBABLY JUSTIFIED TO HIMSELF THAT FOLLOWING AFAR OFF WAS O.K. JUST AS SOME OF YOU JUSTIFY CERTAIN THINGS, BUT THE RESULTS ARE DISASTROUS AS WE'LL SEE.

3. BELOVED, FOLLOW CLOSE TO THE PRESCRIBED PLAN THAT GOD HAS LAID OUT IN HIS WORD AND BUILD YOUR PRIORITIES AROUND THAT!

* NOW I MUST MOVE ON IF I AM GOING TO GET THROUGH OUR TEXT TODAY. LOOK AT V. 59 PLEASE WHERE WE'LL START TO SEE OUR 2'D POINT TODAY, THE CONSPIRACY.

II. THE CONSPIRACY, (READ V. 59)

A. NOW V. 59 REINFORCES THE TRUTH THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS GATHERING WAS NOT TO HOLD A FAIR TRIAL BUT RATHER TO LEGALIZE THEIR PLOT TO KILL JESUS, THIS TRULY WAS A KANGAROO COURT.

* FOR IT SAYS IN V. 59 THAT THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE WHOLE COUNCIL, THE SANHEDRIN, KEPT TRYING TO FIND FALSE WITNESSES, NOT JUST WITNESSES.

** NOW MATTHEW CLEARLY STATES THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FALSE TESTIMONY WAS TO FIND CAUSE FOR PUTTING JESUS TO DEATH.

*** AND THE GRAMMAR HERE GIVES FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THAT FOR THE VERB KEPT TRYING OR SOUGHT OR WERE LOOKING, DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE IS IN THE IMPERFECT TENSE INDICATING A CONTINUAL PROCESS, THAT THEY KEPT ON SEEKING.

**** AND THE CONSPIRACY WAS, THEY WANTED JESUS DEAD AND WOULD DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY TO SEE IT HAPPEN.

1. THEY KEPT TRYING TO FIND FALSE WITNESSES BECAUSE TRUE WITNESSES WOULD NOT GIVE THEM CAUSE TO KILL JESUS.

* AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY FALSE WITNESSES, WHICH CLEARLY SHOWS THE INNOCENCE OF CHRIST, LOOK AT V. 60 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 60. NOW THE SANHEDRIN COULD NOT FIND ANY LEGITIMATE FALSE WITNESSES, ALTHOUGH MANY FALSE WITNESSES CAME FORWARD.

* MEANING, THERE WERE MANY WHO WERE WILLING TO PERJURE THEMSELVES, BUT NONE WERE FOUND CREDIBLE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN A CHARGE AGAINST HIM.

** FOR ACCORDING TO MARK 14:56 THE FALSE WITNESSES CONTRADICTED ONE ANOTHER, THEIR TESTIMONIES DID NOT AGREE.

*** MARK 14:56 SAYS: "FOR MANY WERE GIVING FALSE TESTIMONY AGAINST HIM AND YET THEIR TESTIMONY WAS NOT CONSISTENT."

**** SO THEY COULDN'T EVEN FIND LIARS WHO WERE CLEVER ENOUGH TO FABRICATE A TALE THAT AGREED WITH THE LIES OF OTHERS.

1. AND THE FRUSTRATION OF THE SANHEDRIN MUST HAVE CONTINUED UNTIL "LATER ON TWO WITNESSES FINALLY CAME FORWARD" WITH A CHARGE THAT SEEMED USABLE. LOOK AT V. 61 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 61. NOW THESE TWO WITNESSES PERVERT A STATEMENT THAT JESUS MADE EARLY ON IN HIS MINISTRY IN JOHN 2:19.

* FOR JOHN 2:19 SAYS: "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, "DESTROY THIS TEMPLE, AND IN THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP."

** NOW WE KNOW THAT IN THIS VERSE JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY AND WHEN THEY KILL HIS BODY, IN 3 DAYS HE WILL RISE FROM THE DEAD.

*** WELL, THESE TWO WITNESSES PERVERT JESUS' WORDS AND SAY JESUS SAID, "I AM ABLE TO DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND TO REBUILD IT IN 3 DAYS."

**** AND THEY STATE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND APPLY IT TO THE TEMPLE OF GOD AT JERUSALEM.

1. AND THE PROBLEM WITH THESE WITNESSES WAS, THAT NOT EVEN THEIR TESTIMONY OF HOW THEY STATED THAT JESUS WOULD DESTROY THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE AGREED.

* FOR MARK 14:59 SAYS: "AND NOT EVEN IN THIS RESPECT WAS THEIR TESTIMONY CONSISTENT."

** SO THEIR TESTIMONY WAS NOT CREDIBLE EITHER. AND THIS TRIAL IS IN TROUBLE, BUT CAIAPHAS WILL STEP IN AND SAVE IT.

*** BUT ANOTHER QUICK APPLICATION HERE BEFORE WE GO ON TO OUR NEXT POINT.

**** AND THAT IS, THE FACT THAT NOT A SINGLE CREDIBLE WITNESS COULD BE FOUND TO CONVICT JESUS OF WRONGDOING IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST APOLOGETICS IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE FOR HIS SINLESSNESS, HIS MORAL AND SPIRITUAL PERFECTION.

2. FOR IF ANY FAULT COULD HAVE BEEN FOUND IN HIM, IT WOULD HAVE COME TO LIGHT.

* AND EVEN IF DEMONS HAD TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION, IT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN PRESENTED.

** BUT THERE WAS NONE, JESUS WAS PERFECT AND WOULD BECOME THE PERFECT SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE. SO THERE WERE NO CREDIBLE WITNESSES.

*** SO CAIAPHAS HAS TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING AND HE WILL AS HE CONFRONTS JESUS, OUR 3'D POINT TODAY, THE CONFRONTATION. LOOK AT V. 62 PLEASE.

III. THE CONFRONTATION, (READ V. 62)

A. NOW CAIAPHAS HAS TO DO SOMETHING TO PULL THIS TRIAL OUT OF IT'S NOSEDIVE. IT'S GOING TO CRASH AND BURN.

* HE HAS TO INDUCE JESUS INTO MAKING MORE ELABORATE CLAIMS. SO HE SAYS "DO YOU MAKE NO ANSWER?" WHAT IS IT THAT THESE MEN ARE TESTIFYING AGAINST YOU?"

** AND AGAIN, HE IS TRYING TO STEER JESUS INTO SELF-INCRIMINATION. BUT JESUS DIDN'T ANSWER. LOOK AT V. 63 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 63. NOW JESUS KEPT SILENT, HE DIDN'T ANSWER CAIAPHAS. JESUS STOOD MAJESTICALLY SILENT.

* AND JOHN MACARTHUR IN HIS COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 24-28 INSIGHTFULLY SAYS THIS ABOUT JESUS' SILENCE AND I QUOTE:

** "IT WAS THE SILENCE OF INNOCENCE, THE SILENCE OF DIGNITY, THE SILENCE OF INTEGRITY, THE SILENCE OF INFINITE TRUST IN HIS HEAVENLY FATHER. IT WAS SILENCE IN WHICH THE LYING WORDS AGAINST HIM REVERBERATED IN THE EARS OF THE GUILTY JUDGES AND OF THE FALSE WITNESSES THEY HAD BRIBED." (END QUOTE)

*** AND BELOVED, CHRIST'S SILENCE WAS A MAJESTIC CALM SILENCE, WHICH REMINDS US OF ISAIAH 53:7 (READ IT). ALSO READ I PETER 2:22&23.

**** AND WHAT A PATTERN JESUS IS HERE FOR US, COMMITTING HIMSELF TO HIS FATHER AND FULFILLING HIS FATHER'S WILL. AND HE DOESN'T ANSWER FALSE ACCUSATIONS.

1. WELL, GOADED BY THAT SILENCE, THE ENRAGED HIGH PRIEST CONTINUED TO BADGER JESUS.

* AND APPEALING TO THE MOST SACRED OATH A JEW COULD UTTER, CAIAPHAS IN THE REST OF V. 63 DEMANDED THAT JESUS EITHER AFFIRM OR DENY HIS MESSIAHSHIP OR DEITY.

** FOR CAIAPHAS KNEW WHAT JESUS CLAIMED. SO HE SAYS IN EFFECT, "ANSWER MY QUESTION TRUTHFULLY, ON THE BASIS THAT YOU ARE STANDING BEFORE THE LIVING GOD WHO KNOWS ALL THINGS."

*** AND JESUS, QUOTE UNDER OATH, ANSWERS CAIAPHAS, FOR HE CANNOT LIE ABOUT WHO HE IS. LOOK AT V. 64 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 64. NOW JESUS ANSWERS CAIAPHAS, THAT WHAT HE SAID WAS TRUE, "I AM THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, YOU HAVE SAID IT YOURSELF."

* JESUS SAID YES, IT IS AS YOU SAY AND MARK 14:62 EVEN SAYS IT IN A CLEARER WAY, HIS ANSWER IS "I AM".

** AND JESUS GAVE THE AFFIRMATION THE SANHEDRIN HAD BEEN WAITING TO HEAR, "I AM THE MESSIAH, I AM GOD."

*** FOR CAIAPHAS KNEW FROM JEWISH THOUGHT WHAT THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD MEANT, THE MESSIAH, GOD THE SON.

**** BUT JESUS EVEN WENT BEYOND THAT, REFERRING TO PSALM 110:1 AND DANIEL 7:13 JESUS ADDED, NOT ONLY AM I THE MESSIAH AND THE SON OF GOD, "BUT ONE DAY YOU WILL SEE ME GLORIFIED WITH MY FATHER IN HEAVEN AND RETURNING TO EARTH AS YOUR JUDGE!"

- D. A. CARSON'S SURVEY AT THIS POINT IS EXCELLENT, HE SAID AND I QUOTE, "JESUS IS TELLING THE MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN THAT FROM THEN ON THEY WOULD NOT SEE HIM AS HE NOW STANDS BEFORE THEM, BUT ONLY IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE UNDISPUTED KING MESSIAH AND SOVEREIGN JUDGE." (END QUOTE)

1. WELL THAT WAS ALL CAIAPHAS NEEDED TO HEAR. HE GOT WHAT HE WANTED OUT OF JESUS. AND ALTHOUGH THESE WORDS ARE TRUE, IT IS WHAT CAIAPHAS NEEDS TO CONDEMN JESUS.

* WHICH IS OUR 4TH POINT TODAY, THE CONDEMNATION, LOOK AT V. 65 PLEASE.

IV. THE CONDEMNATION, (READ V. 65)

A. NOW CAIAPHAS PUTS ON THE SHOW HERE, HE TEARS HIS ROBES MAKING IT LOOK LIKE HE IS HORRIFIED BY THIS BLASPHEMY.

* BY HIS THEATRICS, CAIAPHAS DRAMATICALLY GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF DEFENDING GOD'S NAME, BUT INWARDLY HE HAD TO BE JUMPING FOR JOY.

** HE FINALLY HAD JESUS WHERE HE WANTED HIM. JESUS HAD BLASPHEMED. AND OF COURSE THOSE WORDS WOULD HAVE BEEN BLASPHEMY FOR ANYONE ELSE SAYING THEM, BUT NOT FOR JESUS, FOR THOSE WORDS WERE TRUE.

*** AND THERE WAS NO MORE NEED TO TRY TO DRUM UP FALSE WITNESSES, BECAUSE THE WHOLE COUNSEL HEARD WHAT JESUS SAID. THE WHOLE SANHEDRIN HEARD HIS BLASPHEMY ACCORDING TO CAIAPHAS.

**** SO CAIAPHAS ASKS A QUESTION IN V. 66, LOOK AT V. 66 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 66. NOW CAIAPHAS BROUGHT THE TRIAL TO AN END BY DECLARING NO FURTHER NEED OF WITNESSES IN V. 65; HE HAD ENOUGH TO CHARGE JESUS WITH BLASPHEMY WHICH COULD BRING THE DEATH PENALTY.

* SO THE QUESTION, "WHAT FURTHER NEED" IN V. 65 WAS RHETORICAL NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TO CLOSE THE CASE.

** SO THE QUESTION HERE IN V. 66, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?" WAS CALLING FOR A VOTE FROM THE COURT.

*** AND WHAT HE WAS CALLING FOR WAS A VERBAL VOTE FOR SUPPORT OF HIS ASSESSMENT, THAT JESUS HAD BLASPHEMED, WHICH HE KNEW WOULD CALL FOR DEATH.

**** AND WITH ONE VOICE, THE DECISION APPEARS UNANIMOUS WITH THE SANHEDRIN MEMBERS THAT HAD BEEN INVITED, "HE IS DESERVING OF DEATH!"

1. THEY CONDEMNED JESUS TO DEATH. AND THERE WAS NO POLLING OR VOTES COUNTED, THEY VERBALLY CONDEMNED JESUS TO DEATH, AND CONDEMNING HIM VERBALLY WAS ILLEGAL, THEY NEEDED TO VOTE AND HAVE THE RESULTS TABULATED BY THE SCRIBES.

* BUT WHAT'S ANOTHER LITTLE VIOLATION OF JUDICIAL PROTOCOL, FOR THIS IS NOT A TRIAL BUT A PLOT, A PLANNED MURDER. IT'S A SHAM. AND THEY CONDEMN JESUS, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 5TH AND LAST POINT TODAY, THE CONDUCT OF THE SANHEDRIN, LOOK AT V. 67 PLEASE.

V. THE CONDUCT, (READ V. 67)

A. NOW THE CONDUCT OF THE SANHEDRIN AT THIS POINT IS ABHORRENT, DESPICABLE.

* HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THEIR PURPOSE, THEY BEGAN TO CELEBRATE BY PHYSICALLY ABUSING CHRIST.

** AND THE LANGUAGE HERE DESCRIBES BRUTAL TREATMENT.

*** NO. 1 THEY SPIT IN CHRIST'S FACE, AND TO THE JEWS, THE SUPREME INSULT WAS TO SPIT IN ANOTHER'S FACE. IT WAS HUMILIATING AND DEMEANING.

**** NO. 2, THEY BEAT HIM WITH THEIR FISTS AND OTHERS SLAPPED HIM.

1. AND THE TERM SLAPPED IN THE GREEK MAY BE BETTER TRANSLATED AS "STRUCK HIM WITH STICKS". * FOR YOU CAN SEE THE GREEK WORD FOR SLAPPED ON THE SCREEN. AND IT IS THE GREEK WORD HRAP-ID-ZO WHICH IT'S PRIMARY MEANING IS TO SMITE WITH A ROD OR STAFF.

** SO THEY AS A KIND OF LYNCH MOB ARE LIT. BEATING JESUS UP. AND WHILE THEY ARE HITTING HIM, THEY ARE MOCKING JESUS. LOOK AT V. 68 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 68. NOW LUKE REPORTS IN HIS PARALLEL ACCOUNT IN LUKE 22:64 AFTER BLINDFOLDING JESUS THEY DEMANDED SARCASTICALLY, "PROPHESY WHO IS THE ONE WHO HIT YOU."

* AND HERE THEY ARE MOCKING JESUS, AS V. 68 HERE SAYS, "YOU CHRIST", FOR THEY KNEW THAT THE CHRIST WOULD BE GOD AND WAS OMNISCIENT.

** AND THE FRIGHTENING THING WAS, JESUS DID KNOW WHO THEY WERE. AND THEY HAVE TO STAND BEFORE JESUS ONE DAY.

*** BUT ALSO LUKE REPORTS IN LUKE 22:65 THAT "THEY WERE SAYING MANY OTHER THINGS AGAINST HIM, BLASPHEMING."

**** AND THE TRUE BLASPHEMERS HERE WERE THE ACCUSERS, NOT THE ACCUSED.

1. AND WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY THROUGH SPITTING UPON, BEATING AND MOCKING JESUS, IT SAYS THEY TURNED HIM OVER TO THE TEMPLE POLICE FOR FURTHER MALTREATMENT IN MARK 14:65.

** AND BELOVED, THIS ABUSE OF CHRIST WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE CIVIL TRIAL OF JESUS LEADING TO THE AGONY OF THE CROSS.

AND AS I WRAP UP OUR TEXT TODAY (1) THE THOUGHT JUMPS OUT AT ME THAT JESUS WENT THROUGH THIS TO PLEASE HIS FATHER, YES, BUT ALSO HE DID IT FOR ME!

* AND TRUE BELIEVER, JESUS DID THAT FOR YOU ALSO. IT WAS FOR OUR SIN THAT HE WOULD SUFFER AND DIE.

** AND MY POINT IS, DO WE NEED ANY MORE MOTIVATION TO LIVE FOR JESUS FULLY? DO WE NEED ANY MORE MOTIVATION TO SELL OUT FOR THE LORD?

*** I MEAN JUST SIMPLY THINK ABOUT WHAT JESUS WENT THROUGH, BELIEVER, FOR YOU. HE DID NOT DESERVE THIS. THIS WAS UNFAIR. NO ONE CAME TO HIS DEFENSE, NO ONE SPOKE IN HIS FAVOR. **** HE WAS LEFT TO BEAR HIS AFFLICTION ALL ALONE.

(2) AND ALL I CAN SAY AND THEN PRAY IS, HIS SELFLESSNESS AND SACRIFICE SHOULD BE THE ULTIMATE MOTIVATION FOR US TO SLAY THE DRAGON OF SELFISHNESS AND ME-ISM THAT SO PERMEATES 21ST CENTURY CHRISTIANITY IN AMERICA.

* I MEAN I SAY THIS AS KINDLY AS I CAN, BUT I HAVE NEVER LIVED IN A TIME WHERE I SEE MANY, NOT ALL BELIEVERS, NOT HAVING ANYTHING LEFT FOR JESUS WITH TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURE.

** THEY'RE TOO BUSY TO DO EVEN VERY LITTLE THINGS FOR JESUS. AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT OUR BUSYNESS, BUT OUR PRIORITIES.

*** DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THINK ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES IN LIGHT OF VV. 67&68 OF OUR TEXT TODAY. AND REMEMBER JESUS WENT THROUGH THAT YES FOR HIS FATHER, BUT ALSO FOR US. (LET'S PRAY)