Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

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We will be in Matthew 26 today, but we are going to start in John 18, so please turn in your Bibles to John 18… and here’s why…

The general reason is I enjoy harmonizing the Gospels.

Taking all four gospels…and placing them side by side… to get the full picture and full sequencing of what happened in Jesus’ ministry.

And, there are great Harmony of the Gospels books that do the leg work for you.

I recommend adding one to your study library.

The specific reason we are starting in John 18 is because John records the first of Jesus’ three religious trials.

Matthew, who wrote thematically... and not chronologically... did not need to record the first trial to prove to his Jewish audience that Jesus was their king.

There were six trials of Jesus altogether.

Three religious trials, that we will look at today, and three civil trials, that we will look at next week.

Before we get into the word, a quick recap where we are…

It is Thursday night of the Passover week… already Friday in Jewish reckoning, and Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal in the Upper Room.

Jesus predicted Judas would betray Him… Judas leaves to do so… and Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper.

Then, they left the city proper of Jerusalem… singing a hymn… likely Ps 118… and Jesus predicts all the disciples would scatter from Him, as He was struck… and that Peter would deny Him three times.

They crossed the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane…

… and the disciples failed Jesus… He asked them to ‘watch and pray’, but they slept.

Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Then the betrayer, Judas, who Satan had entered, arrived with about 600 Roman Soldiers, Jewish Temple Police, and Jewish Religious leaders.

Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss… a repeated and fervent kiss… the same Gk.

word for “kiss”… given to the prodigal son by his father…

They ask for Jesus.

He said, “I am.” (ĕgō eimi) And, all 600+ men fall over.

And, while He didn’t have to... Jesus let them lay their hands on Him and take Him.

The disciples ask, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

Peter actually did and cut off the right ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest.

Jesus rebukes this action.

Jesus did not need Peter’s defense… He could ask the Father and He would send 12 legions of angels.

If your God NEEDS YOUR defense, you’ve got the wrong God.

Jesus didn’t need Peter’s rescue… He was in total control.

He was in control even through the travesty of these trials we will look at this week and next.

There’s no modern equivalent to the illegalities of Jesus’ trials, but let me paint this picture to help you understand just how bad it was…

Imagine you’re leading a 24 hour prayer gathering… and at 2am, the SWAT team arrives and takes you directly to court… without formal charges… in the middle of the night you stand before 2 different judges…

They have you beaten, mocked, and spit in you face…

And, they break their own laws to pin a false charge on you so they can sentence you to death...

This week and next, we will witness the outrage of Jesus’ trials…

The title of today’s sermon is “The Religious Trials.”

Let’s Pray!

Let’s pick up in John 18:12-23 looking quickly at the first religious trial.

“Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him.

Amazing… the God of the universe allows Himself to be bound by His creation.

V13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.

We talked a few weeks ago in depth about Annas and Caiphas…

Annas was the High Priest from 6-15 A.D.... and High Priest rightfully, but was removed by Rome and Caiphas was appointed from 18-36 A.D.

Though... Annas still had considerable power behind the scenes… as clearly evidenced by this scene where Jesus is brought to Annas first.

V14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Back in John 11:50 Caiphas prophesied as such...

John 11:51-52 reads “Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.”

Caiphas was able to prophesy… not because of himself personally, but because of his position as high priest…

God moved on Caiphas to prophesy truth that Jesus would die for all mankind to gather them back to God.

Still today this gathering is happening.

V15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.

[John] Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.

16 But Peter stood at the door outside.

Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.

17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

He said, “I am not.”

The servant girl seems to recognize both John and Peter as disciples, and questions Peter.

This is Peter’s first of three denials.

V18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.

And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

This seems to be a preliminary trial… an evaluation of the case, prior to the other hearings.

Annas asks questions about Jesus’ disciples and His teachings.

Given the past plotting and intentions against Jesus, we can assume these questions are not objective, nor honest.

They are designed to find fault… to formulate a charge… which Annas will find neither.

V20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world.

I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.

Jesus did not, and still does not have anything to hide.

The truth of the Bible is available.

Just open the book… a simple thing many accusers of Jesus still fail to do.

Jesus taught openly and not in secret… you should never wonder about transparency with doctrines.

Cults are not transparent.

They have additional books, secret teachings, hidden sayings… they would be guilty before Annas.

The Book of Mormon writes about ancient cities, like “Bountiful”, and ancient battles, but can produce no archaeological evidence.

But, there is vast archaeological evidence for the Bible.

One ex.

related to our teaching today… in the second trial, we will encounter the high priest Caiaphas…

Well, in 1990 the Caiphas Ossuary was discovered…

An ossuary is comparable to a casket.

This one was not plain, as customary, but ornately decorated bearing an Aramaic inscription, “Joseph son of Caiphas” and inside were the remains of a 60 year old man… Joseph Caiphas’ age at death.

Openly and not in secret.

V21 [Jesus continues…] Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them.

Indeed they know what I said.”

22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

Beating an accused, but not convicted prisoner was illegal.

Imagine standing before a judge and being smacked in the court room for your answer.

Jesus demonstrated poise and logic…