The Trial Matthew 27:11-26 The Trial Matthew 27:11-26

“Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ but Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge - to the great amazement of the governors. Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast 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?’ For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

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.’ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ asked the governor. ‘Barabbas,’ they answered. ‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked. They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ 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.’ All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. -- Matthew 27:11-26 TNIV

I. The Interrogation (11-14) “Are you the king of the Jews?”

II. The Amnesty (15-21) “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Messiah?”

III. The Verdict (22-26) “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

IV. The Question “Who’s really responsible for the death of Jesus?”

A. ______ - What motivated him was _______. “Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?’… He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12:4-6) “Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.” (Matthew 26:14-15) Judas money

B. _________ and the _____ - What motivated them was _____. “A large crowd found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.” (John 12:9-11) “So when the crowd has gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ For he knew it as out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.” (Matthew 27:17-18) Jews envy Caiaphas

C. ______ and the ________ -- What motivated them was ____. “The whole assembly … began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.’ … Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate … had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” (Luke 23:2; Mark 15;15) “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!’ Then he released Barabbas … and handed Jesus over to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:24-26) Pilate Romans fear

D. ____ the _______ -- What motivated him was ____. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer … for he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10, 12) God Father love “This man was handed over to you by God’;s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” (Acts 2:23)

E. ___ and ____ -- Our sins sent him to the cross. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities … We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6) “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.” (Romans3:25 NLT) Me You

The Bottom Line: “As we face the cross … we can say to ourselves both ‘I did it, my sins sent him there,’ and ‘he did it, his love took him there.’” (John Stott, the Cross, p.61)