Jesus, the Christ and the king of the Jews [Matt 26-27] *

Matthew 26:57-68; 27:11-26

Key Verse – Matthew 26:64

Introduction

In last week’s message, there were two events: Jesus made his decision to give his life for his disciples clear as he prayed to his Father, God, in their presence, and he was arrested soon after and tried twice, once before the high priest and again before Pilate.  In these trials, he was charged with and convicted of blasphemy because of his claims to be the Son of God, and treason against the government because of his claims to be the King of the Jews.

As we go through today’s passages, I would like to explore what it means for Jesus to be charged in these two different courts and on these two different accounts.

1.    Jesus’ trial in the high priests’ court

Not long after midnight, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives by a large crowd dispatched by the chief priests and teachers of the law. Jesus was taken immediately to Caiaphas’ house, where all teachers of the law, high priests, and elders had gathered together to make a decision about him. Most likely, the entire Sanhedrin had gathered to try Jesus.

One thing we know about this assembly is that they were composed of a few different sects: the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law, and the Sadducees. The Herodians might have even been a part of this group. Each of these groups had a distinctive perspective on faith and they did not get along well. But at this time, they had all gotten together. When naming these three groups, Matthew expressed it differently, as the high priests and the whole Sanhedrin, meaning that Israel’s entire leadership had gotten together to try Jesus early that morning.

The purpose for this was clear; they were determined to come up with something that would incriminate him enough to be worthy of death (Mark 14:59).

Why? Jesus came and taught people about God’s truth and served them with healings and miracles. As a result, the whole nation followed Jesus. Jesus also rebuked them for their ungodliness and evil; however, instead of repenting of their sins, they decided to kill him out of jealousy. Towards this goal, they mobilized many men to testify against him, but simply they could not find any matching testimonies. The most probable charge was brought up by two men: 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ (Mark 14:57-59).

Jesus said something very similar in John 1, but even this claim was not the same thing that he had said. If this was true, then Jesus was worthy of death, according to the Roman law. However, Jesus was silent; he did not defend himself against this charge, even though it was totally wrong. Although he knew of their evil intentions, Jesus did not defend himself against this charge at all.

When the high priest could not find any tangible evidence or charges against Jesus, he became impatient, got up, and shouted in Jesus’ face:

"Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"(Mark 14:60).

Jesus did not answer; he was determined not to answer. Why? Because he was determined to absorb all the charges, no matter how bad they might be[B1] .

When Jesus did not answer, the high priest became extremely disturbed in fear that he could not get anything out of his mouth and would be unable to get him to make any self-incriminating remarks. His best chance was slipping through his hands, so he got to the bottom of the issue:

"I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." (Matthew 26:63).

He demanded an answer, not just before him, but also before God; therefore, it must be true and genuine. How did Jesus respond?

"You have said so," Jesus replied.” (Matthew 26:64a).

For the first time, he broke the silence and answered the truth about his identity as the Son of the living God, the Messiah; however, he also volunteered more truth about himself.

"But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:64b).

As soon as the high priest heard this, he expressed great indignation and sorrow over Jesus’ words. So he tore his clothes and said,

"He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.” (Matthew 26:65).

What did he mean by this?

By calling himself the Son of the living God, Jesus was claiming to be a deity, a god. This was a violation of the first three of the Ten Commandments. How can a mere man call himself a god, the Son of God?! How dare any human being say that he is the Son of the living God?

So in the high priest’s mind, it was all too clear that Jesus had committed a blasphemy, but he asked the rest. We don’t know how many were there; as little as 20 or as many as 70, if most of the Sanhedrin members were present. Each of them had heard what Jesus said and agreed with the high priest, expressing their indignation in this way:

"He is worthy of death," they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?" (Matthew 26:66b-68).

If Jesus truly was the Son of God, he must be able to do all these things! Because he is God! In their minds, Jesus had no such power, so he could not do it, proving that he was not the Son of God.

According to the Law of Moses, such blasphemers must be stoned to death on the spot; no one should dare to say a word in public that defames the name of God Almighty. However, Jesus seemed to do this affirmatively, unashamedly, and unambiguously. He did this because He was the Son of the living God, standing in front of these sinful men in obedience to his Father.

In their minds, weakness and humility could never be an asset or characteristic of God. How could God still be God in weakness? Even if Jesus may be truly God, I would not believe in such a God!

Who could think or imagine that God Almighty had come down to be like one of them and was begging for their attention and mercy? It is beyond the human mind and, in human faculties, there is no such possibility imaginable.

So, what were these people actually thinking about Jesus? They were obviously thinking that Jesus was just a son of man, like their fellow members! Son of God! No way! You are just a son of man!

2.    Jesus, a son of man is the Son of Man .

Along this line of thought, Jesus made a very revealing remark. Though he kept silent to so many of the charges, he willingly offered this information; it was so important for them, as well as for us all, to know more about ‘the Jesus’ now standing in front of these powerful dignitaries and authorities in chains as a captive, a prisoner, a criminal.

From now on, they would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.

a.    The Son of Man:

Jesus called himself the Son of Man during his ministry. This title is used more extensively Matthew than in any of the other gospels. It is used in two aspects: one in regards to his earthly nature, and the other, Jesus called himself this when he was talking about coming in his glory. There are a few examples of each of these aspects:

First, we will look at Jesus as the Son of Man, in regards to his earthly human nature. This was a paradoxical reminder of his true identity as the Son of God. He was incarnate in flesh but looked exactly like us in every other aspect of his life. Also, by calling himself the Son of Man, he was clearly reminding his disciples that he was not just a Son of Man, but also the Son of God. 

“The Son of Man coming in glory” is a particular figure that Daniel mentioned in his prophecy (Daniel 7). In this prophecy, there were four beasts that represented succeeding kingdoms. At the end of these beasts’ reigns comes the Son of Man. He bore the figure of a man, representing a kingdom, just as the four beasts were. And just as each beast characterized the nature of different kingdoms, so did the Son of Man. This kingdom was the kingdom of God coming in glory and the king was Jesus.

So by calling himself the Son of Man, Jesus made it clear to those who put their trust in him that, even though he looked and lived like a mere human being, he was not just a human son of man; he was the Son of Man coming in God’s power to establish the godly kingdom foretold by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13).

Simply, the Son of Man was another name for the coming Messiah! But its emphasis was on the fact that Jesus was and looked like any other human being. No one should fail to notice God’s presence in the human Jesus!

When the high priest looked at Jesus in chains, weak and helpless, he could not overcome his own understanding; the same was true for each of the Sanhedrin members. However, by remembering that the Son of Man was not just a human being, but that the Son of Man would come in glory, these people may open their spiritual eyes to see the Son of Man in God’s glory, through this helplessly beaten man.

So Jesus was going up to heaven to be seated beside God Almighty and would come down in glory. Next, let us look at the phrase ‘from now on’.

b.      ‘From now on’

This is a time indicator. What does now mean? It is the time when Jesus was about to suffer and die to redeem men from their sins, in full obedience to God the Father. In a matter of hours, he would die on the cross! In matter of only a few days, he would die, resurrect, and be fully accredited or qualified to sit with God the Father in His glory! Not only that, but with that glory, Jesus will come back to establish God’s eternal kingdom.

This was the essence of the Son of Man’s work: to pay off men’s sins and to fully obey the Father, so that God may be fully honored and glorified. This work earned him a place beside God the Father in glory! Simply speaking, Jesus’ suffering and death had to happen before he could take his place of glory in the heavens. This is clearly explained in Philippians 2:8-9.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:8-9 NIV).

So ‘from now on’ referring to his impending crucifixion, Jesus was certain of his coming glory through his resurrection and ascension into heaven to sit beside God the Father.

Then where, in this helpless figure of Jesus in chains, can we find the power of the Son of God Almighty? Did Jesus temporarily relinquish his power as the Son? No! He used his power to give his life as ransom and to obey God, even to the point of death! This is the power of the Son of God; he did not use the power to judge, condemn, or destroy sinners!

To human eyes, the power is only real when it can destroy and subdue its enemies by force. In such a mindset, no one recognizes Jesus’ power as the Son of God. This is well revealed in 1 Corinthians 1:18.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1Corinthians 1:18 NIV).

During this trial, Jesus was charged with blasphemy and the verdict, according to the Law of Moses delivered by Israel’s religious leaders, was death

3.    Jesus’ trial in the Roman governor, Pilate’s court [Matthew 27:11].

Soon after they decided to pronounce the death sentence on Jesus, the chief priests and the elders brought him before Pilate, the Roman governor. By this time, it was probably already midmorning

“Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "You have said so," Jesus replied.” (Matthew 27:11).

The primary charge against Jesus was that he claimed to be the king of the Jews. What might be the significance of this?
During the time of his trial, there were no kings; all the kings were either called tetrarch or Governor. If anyone was called king, this was seen as an offense to the one and only king, Caesar.

But when Pilate looked at him, Jesus seemed too mild and calm to be a king. So, Pilate first asked him if he was the king of the Jews. Surprisingly, Jesus answered ‘you have said so.’ Calmly but firmly, Jesus affirmed that he was the king of the Jews. The Jewish people had not had a king for a long time, more than 500 years at least; for the last 80 years, Jews had been under Roman power. So Jesus’ assertion that he was the king of Jews was strange and puzzling; he did not have an army or any power to be the king of the Jews.  In the ordinary sense, Pilate could not understand the idea that Jesus was a king and a threat to Roman power.

When the chief priests and elders sensed that Pilate was not convinced of their charges, they made many accusations against Jesus, but he did not respond to any of them.

“But Jesus made no reply, not even a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.” (Matthew 27:14).

Why was Pilate so greatly amazed?

It is more than likely that Pilate had conducted many trials and seen pretty much all kinds of human responses to many different criminal charges. Many of them would cry, yell, shout, become angry, plead, and beg with bitterness and sorrow. He had never seen a man behave like Jesus. Though the charge was very serious, though people were making so many charges against him, Jesus was calm with peace and dignity. How was such a thing possible when facing certain death?

Also, Jesus was called the Messiah. Pilate was not unaware of the fact that Jesus had done many powerful works; however, here, he was unperturbed and did not exercise any of his power. It seemed as if he really was a king, though he was in chains.

What did Pilate know about why Jesus was brought to him?

“For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.” (Matthew 27:18).

The high priests and the elders brought many charges against Jesus, but Pilate knew the situation well and was convinced that Jesus was innocent. Simply, the charges made against Jesus were out of their own self-interest! In addition, it was not only him who felt this way:

“While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." (Matthew 27:19).

With his own conviction as well as his wife’s warning, Pilate decided to avoid any judgment on Jesus. So he offered a solution:

“Now it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" (Matthew 27:15-17).

Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds, who joined them in condemning him to death. Were they coerced by these authorities? It is possible, not likely. They persuaded them,  by injecting their reasoning and ideas to them; the crowd concurred with the priests’ influential arguments. How could a powerless man be the Messiah? He was in chains with ragged clothes. Could this man be the Messiah? No! So the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus.

Crucifixion was the worst form of execution. It was used frequently by the Romans, particularly on rebels against the Roman authority. These crowds wanted to treat Jesus like those rebels. Since he claimed to be the king of Jews, he was rebelling against the current governing authorities.

This was the result of their angst; their hopes, thought to be fully proven yet fully disappointed, were shattered and they felt betrayed by Jesus, the Son of God.  

How high was their angst?

“They shouted all the louder! Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:23).

Could Pilate overcome the force of this crowd? Was his conviction strong enough to release Jesus against their overwhelming demands? He could not overcome them.

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" (Matthew 27:24).

Pilate yielded to their decision and turned Jesus over to be crucified; however, he could not escape his conviction that Jesus was innocent and that he had become a part of the murder of the Messiah, the King of the Jews! So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" (Matthew   ).

He evaded his responsibility. He had the power to release Jesus, but he did not because of his fear that he might lose his job. He rejected Jesus just as much as the religious leaders and the crowd did[B2] . This means that, despite their varying forms of rejection, they each concurred and acted in line with the religious leaders in condemning Jesus on the accounts of blasphemy and rebellion against human authority. What was the nature of the rejection that led to Jesus’ condemnation? We will explore this as we review the three forms of their rejection:

·         The high priests and Sanhedrin: in order to uphold their power and authority to claim that they were right and Jesus, the Son of God, was wrong, they resided in their own self-righteousness in the Law. Who might fit into this category today? There are many religious orders in this world, who pursue their own righteousness. If God is living, true, and righteous, then He must accept their good behavior and grant them His blessings. But Jesus did not do so. Because of this he shall not be the Messiah. So, they reject Jesus’ way of salvation insisting on their ways.  

·         The crowds: Jesus failed to meet their needs, i.e. as the Messiah. They believed that God was merciful and must save them, regardless of their sins; however, Jesus failed to meet their expectations for salvation. Many in this crowd saw Jesus doing miracles and even received much love and healing from him. Even though they were sure of Jesus’ power as the Savior for their lives, they just found out that he was captured and condemned. Simply, he did not meet their expectations. This is evident in Jesus’ arrest and sentencing as a blasphemer. Who belonged in this category? One typical example is Judas. Though he had seen all of Jesus’ godliness, as soon as it was certain that Jesus would die, he jumped ship to benefit himself[BJ3] .

·         Pilate: he rejected Jesus for his personal wellbeing, even though he had position and authority on this; as long as someone has no security over his life, they will make the political decision, not based on the truth but based on their own benefit and the common good. Pilate had to face Jesus, not by his own choice but because he was forced to by the world. He thought that whatever happened to Jesus was irrelevant to him, but he did not know that all humankind must face Jesus and give an answer to him for whatever he did, whether good or bad. He blew his only and best chance to welcome the Son of the living God by refusing to honor him in the fullness of his power. Simply, he could have stood with the truth that Jesus was innocent. He could have not washed his hand, saying, I am innocent of his blood (Matthew 27:24b). Jesus’ life was at his disposal by his own authority, something no one can escape.

In this way, all have participated in charging Jesus of blasphemy and rebellion, but, actually, these two charges must be turned against us for it is us who have dishonored God and rebelliously rejected Him and His authority. Paul describes the essence of men’s sin in this way:

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21 NIV).

”There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."¹ (Romans 3:11-12 NIV).

How did Jesus handle these accusations?

Jesus did not defend himself. The most prominent ‘action’ noted here is his silence. He kept silence before both Caiaphas and Pilate. Caiaphas was frustrated by Jesus’ silence but Pilate was greatly amazed by it. What was the reason for Jesus’ silent response? It signified his determination and will to bear all the wrongs and evils of these people on himself. Jesus’ silence was not weakness or helplessness! In silence, he absorbed all their wrongdoings so as not to charge them as they were doing to the Son of God.

What was the sentence? It was execution by crucifixion. This sentencing took into consdieration the verdict that he was guilty of both blasphemy and rebellion. Anyone who blasphemed must be put to death, even by crucifixion.  Jesus suffered on the cross, not because they were the worst human beings, but because of the sins that we committed; blasphemy and rebellion against God is worthy of such judgment. His execution by crucifixion was the worst of its kind, speaking of just how vile and ungodly our sins are.

During the whole events of Jesus’ Passion, this was the time of when people most interacted. The main purpose of this interaction was to charge Jesus and turn the people away from him. Jesus took the charges and kept silent, in order for their sins to not be held against them.

What does this mean for us? Jesus said this to those who wanted to follow him as their King and Savior.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24 NIV).

Could you accept the charges brought against you, no matter what happens to you? Or would you want to defend yourself? The world’s conflicts converge on one issue: who is right and who is wrong? Who should take the blame? According to my understanding, I am right and good, and anyone who is against me is bad and wrong. So I prescribe this remedy - you have to repent or you will be punished. The problem here is that it is not just ‘you’, ‘he’, or she who did wrong; ‘I’ have done just as much evil and wrong as anyone else.

Jesus clearly communicated his will to give his life as ransom; this was confirmed when he prayed before God the Father. He carried out this will while he was on trial. Jesus’ most important work at this time was to be silent against all the charges they brought against him. He took all the charges upon himself and absorbed them in silence,  so that their sins would not come back to them!

Likewise, Jesus took away all our sins; because of this, we become his children and servants, are enabled to love him, and call him our Lord and Savior. He said this sobering word: if we want to follow him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him.

It all comes down to one thing: how will we handle all the charges made against us? We can defend ourselves with all of our abilities, throwing around our intelligent arguments, reasoning, bitter anger, threats, and so on. Or we can take up our cross and follow Jesus in his silence toward all the charges made against him, even though he knew very well how evil those charges were!

Jesus is our Messiah and  King. He is worthy of our praise and honor, because he bore all our sins. He is worthy to follow; his life is truth and that life must be ours as well.

May God richly bless you in Christ!