https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8dueq8wp29szip/20220315-Study_AaronL-TrialofChristPt3.m4a?dl=0

Gospels In Harmony – The Trial of “The Christ” – Part 3

Matt 27:13-26, Mark 15:11-15, Luke 23:18-25, John 18:40, John 19:1-16

[Study Aired March 15, 2022]

Matt 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Matt 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Matt 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
Matt 27:16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
Matt 27:17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
Matt 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
Matt 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
Matt 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
Luke 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this [man], and release unto us Barabbas:
Luke 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 
Luke 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Matt 27:21 Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
Mark 15:12 What will ye then that I shall do [unto him] whom ye call the King of the Jews?
Matt 27:22 What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? [They] all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
Luke 23:22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let [him] go.
John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold the man!
Luke 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. 
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
Matt 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye [to it].
Matt 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children.
John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
John 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
John 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Luke 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Mark 15:15 And [so] Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged [him], to be crucified.
John 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led [him] away.

In our last study we investigated the sin of envy and saw how it applies to each of us and what we must do to combat that sin. 

Matt 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Matt 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Matt 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
Matt 27:16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
Matt 27:17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
Matt 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

Today’s study we will see that no matter what Pilate desired, and even Pilate’s wife desired, they cannot convince the chief priests and elders to release Christ.

Matt 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
Matt 27:20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
Luke 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this [man], and release unto us Barabbas:
Luke 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)

They all cried out for Barabbas to be released. Let’s look at the meaning of Barabbas, and this will all make sense. 

Barabbas = son of shame, confusion

What is confusion?

Lev 18:22-23 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Confusion is the lust of the flesh. Spiritually speaking, it is following the doctrines of Babylon. Also it is dealing with how to interpret the scriptures. If not done properly this causes confusion.

1Cor 14:27-33 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

This is what the world chooses. This is the state of mind of mankind without Christ. Christ is the opposite of the desires of the flesh. They chose Barabbas because it was written in their book to do so.

Barabbas = son of shame, confusion

Psa 109:29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

Pilate speaks to them again, advocating for the release of Jesus.

Luke 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Matt 27:21 Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
Mark 15:12 What will ye then that I shall do [unto him] whom ye call the King of the Jews?
Matt 27:22 What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? [They] all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
Luke 23:22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let [him] go.
John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold the man!
Pilate mocked the elders by dressing him up as a king which stirred them up even more.
Luke 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. 
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

As we saw in earlier studies, they had not established two or three witnesses against Jesus and therefore proceeded with twisting the words of Christ and used them as a confession.

John 5:15-18 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

John 10:31-38 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Here are the laws they accused Christ of breaking:

Lev 24:13-16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Duet 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

They do not believe Jesus was sent by God as a true prophet, “the Truth”, and therefore they believe He is blaspheming the name of the Lord and was not commanded to speak for God. Pilate sees they will not back down from their decision.

Matt 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye [to it].
Matt 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children.
John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power [at all] against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Jesus proclaims the sovereignty of His Father to Pilate. Christ has not tried to defend himself because He understood His destiny. Everything He was doing is for the sake of the elect to be an example to them. Christ knows that the flesh must die so the new man will live.

Rom 8:1-5 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2Cor 5:14-17 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Finally, Pilate must give in and hand Christ over to them.

John 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
John 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Luke 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Mark 15:15 And [so] Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged [him], to be crucified.
John 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led [him] away.

Notice when this happens – the sixth hour. This symbolizes that the flesh must be destroyed because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom.

John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

1 Cor 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

This is Christ’s ending of preparing for his death which started in the following verses.

John 12:1-8 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

This is the end of the trial of “the Christ”, and the sentence is death by the cross. We must take comfort in this because we have the same destiny. The following verses describe how we die to the flesh.

Php 2:1-11 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.