Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Opening - Something about the Three Musketeers...

Main Idea - There is ONE Person who is for ALL People

Transition -

1.

1. THE MAN was Arrested by Men (vs.

12)

Continuing from the last verses, I hope you are still amazed at the picture John painted in verses 1-11, particularly verses 4-7...

This was a minuscule, powerful display of Jesus’ majesty and might.

With three words He knocked hundreds of hardened, skilled Roman soldiers on their back!

As He uttered those divine words, He clearly let them know that He was no vicim of this evil plot hatched by the Jewish leadership and carried out by Judas.

No, He was not a victim!

He was letting them know that He was ALLOWING them to arrest Him.

We know why He allowed this farce of an arrest to take place…we know why He, in His wise, providential plan submitted Himself to this ridiculous treatment by the one He created.

He submitted Himself to their evil plan because He knew how necessary it was for the possibility of their redemption and the redemption and salvation of generations to come.

Jesus was as bold and fearless as a lion!

And His motivation for His boldness and fearlessness in part was His deep love for those whom He created!

He knew what those Jewish leaders needed, He knew what those Roman soldiers needed.

He knew what all people of all time needed and He was willing to subject Himself to pain, suffering and humiliation - ending on the most ignominious death, hanging naked on a cross of wood!

And it was His death that would truly demonstrated His power!

Because it was only through His death that we would have the possibility of everlasting life...

Ravi Zacharias - “The power that bring to life that which is dead within us, the prophets pointed to Him, the Psalms sang about Him, the Proverbs elucidated His wisdom, the Gospel writers narrated His life story, the Acts of the Apostles told us how the church built itself upon that foundation, the epistles tell us of all the truths that He not only enunciated, but was incarnating Himself and then finally that majestic book of Revelation where the doors are open and we get a glimpse into the heavens itself where the angels are present and the elders are casting all their crowns upon Him.

The Word and the Power of God.

The final and the only bridge that can break down all the barriers...”

“The power that bring to life that which is dead within us, the prophets pointed to Him, the Psalms sang about Him, the Proverbs elucidated His wisdom, the Gospel writers narrated His life story, the Acts of the Apostles told us how the church built itself upon that foundation, the epistles tell us of all the truths that He not only enunciated, but was incarnating Himself and then finally that majestic book of Revelation where the doors are open and we get a glimpse into the heavens itself where the angels are present and the elders are casting all their crowns upon Him.

The Word and the Power of God.

The final and the only bridge that can break down all the barriers between man and the church

What barriers?

Well, the primary barrier is that we are enemies of God and it is ONLY through the Sacrifice of Christ that we have the HOPE people desperately long for...

And this is why...

THE MAN - the GOD/MAN!

allowed a band of soldiers, their captain and the officers of the the Jews to arrest and bind Him!

Illustrate - In the movie, Man of Steel, Superman was arrested.... SM speaking to the captain, “just because I’m more powerful than you doesn’t mean I’m your enemy.”

Apply - This act calls for Worship and praise!

Review - There is One Person who is for All People

There is One Man who is for All Men

THE MAN was Arrested by Men

2. THE ONLY HIGH PRIEST Stood Before a High Priest (vs.

13)

So after Jesus was arrested and bound, the first place they brought Him was to Annas.

John is the only gospel to mention this interaction.

In fact, let me give you the order of events that happened so early that morning...

Explain -

Jesus’ Six Trials

Religious Trials

Before Annas -

Before Caiaphas -

Before Caiaphas

Before the Sanhedrin -

Before the Sanhedrin

Civil Trials

Civil Trials

Before Pilate -

Before Pilate

Before Herod -

Before Herod

Before Pilate -

Before Pilate

Louis A. Barbieri, Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.

J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 84.

This passage can be somewhat confusing, because it seems to indicate that there are two High-Priests.

Or, at least it makes it confusing as to whom actually is the high priest.

If we were left to the synoptic gospels, we would conclude that Caiaphas was the High Priest because he is the only one mentioned.

It is because of John’s gospel that hear of Annas.

So? What’s the story here?

Well, the soldiers did, in fact, bring Jesus to Annas first as somewhat of an informal meeting between he and Jesus.

But why Annas?

Well, Annas, at one point was the High Priest.

He was Hight Priest between A.D. 6 and A.D. 15 (By the way - A.D. stands for Anno Domini, which is Latin for “year of our Lord,” and it means the number of years since the birth of Jesus Christ.)

Illustrate -

Annas was appointed High Priest by Quirinus who was the Roman governor of Syria.

Annas we removed from the position of High Priest by Pilate’s predecessor, Valerius Gratus in A.D. 15.

According to Jewish law, the High Priest was High Priest for life and no doubt the Jews disregarded his disposal by the Governor.

Annas still continued to wield great power and influence.

After all, the High Priest was at the pinnacle of power over the Jewish nation.

Evidently Annas’s power and influence remained considerable even after his removal from that office.

Like an American Supreme Court justice, the high priest held a lifetime appointment.

Deposition of a high priest by the pagan Romans would have been strongly resented by the Jews.

Consequently, Annas may still have been referred to as high priest among the populace, as a sort of high priest emeritus.

Such a practice, evidenced in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus, tends to clear up those references in the NT to Annas as high priest during the same chronological period as Caiaphas (; , ; ).

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Annas,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 115.

In this passage, we see Jesus brought before Annas and then in verses 19-24, he questions the Lord.

After His questioning in the informal meeting, he sends Him to Caiaphas, the true High priest at the time.

Yet, as you can see, they are still under the subjugation of Rome.

In this passage, we see Jesus brought before Annas and then in verses 19-24, he questions the Lord.

After His questioning in the informal meeting, he sends Him to Caiaphas, the true High priest at the time.

As you read through this narrative in John’s gospel, you will see these vignettes.

Vignettes that fill in the gaps left by the other gospels.

I am planning to treat each of these snapshots separately to see what we can learn from Jesus journey to the cross.

I say all of this to say, we will see Annas and Caiaphas again later in this chapter.

We will follow the flow of the narrative and see what we can see.

But until then, I would like you to ruminate on this profound truth.

While it is true that Jesus was now standing before the head of the High Priests, Annas, the High Priest Annas should have known that the one standing in front of him was the almighty High Priest of all time.

Annas may have had the title at one point and now his Son-in-law carries that same title.

And Annas may have had a great deal of clout with the Jewish leadership and people, but He was nothing as He stood before Jesus.

Ironically Annas stood before His GREAT HIGH PRIEST and failed to see Jesus for who he truly was and is.

Role of the High Priest - He was the supreme religious leader in all of Israel.

His heritage was traced all the way back to Aaron, the brother of Moses.

The High Priest oversaw all the work of the suborinant priests ()

It was only the High Priest that could wear the Urim and the Thummin (engraved dice-like stones used to determine truth or falsity).

So they would be able to determine the will of God for the people of God...

Significance of the High Priest - Remember the High Priest was the mediator between God and man.

He was the go-between, because God’s people needed a representative who could stand before a holy God on their behalf.