THE ROYAL TREATMENT

ZECHARIAH 9:9; LUKE 19:28-44

“…HUMBLE, MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, A FOAL, THE COLT

OF A DONKEY…”

PSALM 2:6-9

JESUS IS THE ONE AND ONLY, TRUE KING OF THE

WORLD, INSTALLED UPON THE THRONE OF JERUSALEM

IN ETERNITY PAST, SEALED AS A CERTAINTY BY GOD

THE FATHER.

DANIEL 9:24-26

ONLY JESUS CHRIST COULD FULFILL DANIEL’S

PROPHECY OF THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO

JERUSALEM AND AN ATONING DEATH FOR SINS.

THORNS MUST COME BEFORE CROWNS.

“TRIAL OF THE CENTURY!”

JEWS PROUD OF THEIR LEGAL SYSTEM

BEST OF ITS TIMES

TRUTH WAS CENTRAL TO LEGAL SYSTEM BECAUSE

“GOD IS TRUTH”

“SKOFFLAW”

JUDGES MUST FOCUS ON PURSUIT OF TRUTH:

DEUTERONOMY 16:18-20

EVERY TOWN HAD LOCAL COURT: SANHEDRIN

JERUSALEM SUPREME COURT: GREAT SANHEDRIN

“NO FIGHTING CITY HALL”

70 MEN FROM 3 CATEGORIES:

CHIEF PRIESTS – MOSTLY SADDUCEES

ELDERS – RELIGIOUS & SECULAR ARISTOCRATS

SCRIBES – MOSTLY PHARISEES

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

1. A PUBLIC TRIAL

2. A DEFENSE FOR THE ACCUSED

3. CONFIRMATION OF GUILT BY 2 OR 3 WITNESSES

DEUTERONOMY 17:6; 19:15; HEBREWS 10:28

SEVERE PERJURY PENALTY

THE LAW PRESCRIBED THAT A FALSE WITNESS

RECEIVE THE PUNISHMENT THAT WOULD’VE BEEN

INFLICTED UPON THE ACCUSED IF GUILTY:

DEUTERONOMY 19:16-19.

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

IN THEIR MURDEROUS ZEAL TO CONVICT AND EXECUTE

JESUS, THE JERUSALEM SANHEDRIN VIOLATED THE LOFTY

PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS AND METICULOUS CONCERN

FOR JUSTICE THAT MARKED THEIR LEGAL TRADITION.

SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS- PROCEEDINGS AT HIGH PRIEST’S HOME; NOT TEMPLE

- JESUS TRIED WITHOUT A DEFENSE; HIGH PRIEST RENDERED VERDICT

- JESUS FALSELY ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY

- VERDICT IN ONE DAY INSTEAD OF TWO DAYS

- JESUS TRIED ON A FEAST DAY

- CONTRADICTORY TESTIMONY SHOULD’VE NULLIFIED EVIDENCE

“TRIAL BY FIRE”

JESUS’ TRIAL: SIX PHASES:

THREE RELIGIOUS TRIALS BEFORE LEADERS

THREE CIVIL TRIALS BEFORE GENTILES:

PILATE & HEROD

ILLEGAL NIGHTTIME ACTIVITY

TO ANNAS FIRST: JOHN 18:12-13

- RICH & GREEDY; ILLEGAL TEMPLE PROFITS

- NOT QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT ARRAIGNMENT

- BAITING CHRIST TO INCRIMINATE HIMSELF; ILLEGAL

- CHRIST CHALLENGED HIM TO INTERVIEW WITNESSES

- CHRIST ILLEGALLY STRUCK IN THE FACE AS A PRISONER

AT CAIAPHAS’ HOUSE

SANHEDRIN ILLEGALLY GATHERED AT HIS HOUSE

ILLEGALLY GATHERED FOR A TRIAL AT NIGHT

ILLEGALLY GATHERED PRIVATELY VS PUBLICALLY

ILLEGALLY GATHERED ON A FEAST DAY

ILLEGALLY CALLED NO WITNESSES; NO INDICTMENT RENDERED

A DESPERATE HIGH PRIEST

“ARE YOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD?” – MATTHEW 26

“I AM” – MARK 14:62 – “YOU SHALL SEE ME…”

FEIGNS HORROR AND TEARS ROBE – “GUILTY OF DEATH!”

MARK 14:63-65: THEY LOSE ALL SELF-CONTROL!

THIRD RELIGIOUS TRIAL

MARK 15:1; LUKE 22:66-71: THE LIGHT OF MORNING – TO COVER

THEIR TRACKS; “ARE YOU THE SON OF GOD?” “YES I AM” -

WHOLE COUNCIL SENDS JESUS TO PILATE; SANHEDRIN

CONDEMNS ITSELF: ALL THOSE WHO WRONGLY JUDGE JESUS

CHRIST WILL BE RIGHTLY JUDGED BY HIM.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

ONLY ROME COULD RENDER EXECUTION

ENTIRE SANHEDRIN COMES TO PILATE IN SOLIDARITY

IN REALITY, ONLY JESUS HAD THE POWER AND AUTHORITY

OVER HIS OWN LIFE: JOHN 19:10-11.

WHAT ABOUT JUDAS?

MATTHEW 27:3-10

TRUE BIBLICAL REPENTANCE IS NOT PSYCHOLOGICAL

EMOTIONAL HUMAN REMORSE, SEEKING MERELY TO RELIEVE

STRESS AND IMPROVE CIRCUMSTANCES. IT DOES CHANGE

BEHAVIOR, BUT IT IS NOT BEHAVIORAL, IT IS SPIRITUAL.

2 CORINTHIANS 7:10

THE SORROW OF THE WORLD – REMORSE, WOUNDED PRIDE,

SELF-PITY, UNFULFILLED HOPES – HAS NO HEALING POWER, NO

TRANSFORMING, SAVING, OR REDEEMING CAPABILITY. IT

PRODUCES GUILT, SHAME, RESENTMENT, ANGUISH, DESPAIR,

DEPRESSION, AND HOPELESSNESS, AS WITH JUDAS.

PILATE IN LUKE 23:1-25

ROMAN GOVERNOR OF JUDEA; PROUD, ARROGANT

CONFIDENT IN HIMSELF & HIS AUTHORITY; BRUTAL

AMBITIOUS & HIGHLY POLITICAL

SELF-PROTECTIVE; “FEAR OF MAN”

JOHN 18:28-38

PILATE WAS PERPLEXED; WAS JESUS A THREAT TO

ROME? A POLITICAL/MILITARY KING? WHY WERE

THE JEWS SO SET ON JESUS’ DEATH?

PILATE SAYS “NOT GUILTY”

“MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD; NOT OF THIS REALM. YOU

SAY CORRECTLY THAT I AM A KING. FOR THIS I WAS BORN, FOR

THIS I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD, TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH.

EVERYONE WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE.” PILATE –

SKEPTICAL, CYNICAL, IN DESPAIR OF FINDING TRUTH, “WHAT IS

TRUTH?” – JOHN 18

HEROD ANTIPAS – THE FOX

LUKE 23:8-12; TETRARCH OF GALILEE & PERAEA; WORLDLY,

SEXUALLY IMMORAL, SELF-EXALTING BUILDER; REBUKED

BY JOHN THE BAPTIST & MURDERED HIM; “FOX” =

“CRAFTY & WORTHLESS” – LUKE 13:32

WORTHLESS, WORLDLY HEROD

“HEARD ABOUT JESUS AND HOPED TO SEE A MIRACLE”

“DO NOT GIVE WHAT IS HOLY TO DOGS AND DO NOT

THROW YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE” – MATT. 7:6

SIMON OF CYRENE IN LUKE 23:26

A JEW FROM MODERN DAY LIBYA; A SIGNIFICANT JEWISH

AREA CAME TO JERUSALEM FOR THE FEASTS – ACTS 2:10;

6:9 – DRAWN BY GOD FOR THIS HUMILIATING TASK –

MARK 15:21; ROMANS 16:13 – LEADS TO HIS SALVATION!

FRUIT OF HUMILIATION

SIMON, HIS WIFE, TWO SONS EMBRACE CHRIST AS MESSIAH;

CHURCH IN CYRENE GROWS STRONG AND SENDS OUT

MISSIONARIES TO ANTIOCH – ACTS 11:20 – LUCIUS FROM

CYRENE SERVES AS A PASTOR IN ANTIOCH! ACTS 13:1; SIMON

CARRIED CHRIST’S CROSS BECAUSE CHRIST WAS NOT GUILTY

WOMEN OF JERUSALEM

PROFESSIONAL MOURNERS, NOT FAMILY AND

FRIENDS; BUT GENUINE SORROW NONETHELESS;

SYMPATHETIC & TENDER TOWARD JESUS, BUT NOT

TRUE BELIEVERS – MANY ARE LIKE THEM!

JESUS’ RESPONSE

NOT THANKS; REBUKE – “STOP WEEPING FOR ME”

“DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM” = ALL OF ISRAEL

NOT HE, BUT THEY AND ALL ISRAEL WERE THE REAL

VICTIMS BECAUSE JUDGMENT WAS COMING IN 70 A.D. BY

ROME – A PREVIEW OF AWFUL FINAL JUDGMENT ON MAN.

THE THIEF ON THE CROSS

LUKE 23:32-43

“TRULY” = THIS WAS HARD TO BELIEVE!

RECOGNIZED HIS GUILT; RECOGNIZED JESUS WAS

MESSIAH; RECOGNIZED CONFESSION & FAITH REQUIRED

THE HEAVENLY FATHER

ACCEPTED DEATH OF HIS ONLY SON AS ATONING

PAYMENT FOR MAN’S SIN. “INTO YOUR HANDS I

COMMEND MY SPIRIT” =

FELLOWSHIP WITH FATHER RESTORED!

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA

LUKE 23:50-56

A STORY OF SALVATION SET AGAINST NATIONAL

REJECTION OF CHRIST: A SECRET DISCIPLE NOW A PUBLIC

DISCIPLE! A TRUE BELIEVER “WAITING FOR THE KINGDOM

OF GOD.”

ISAIAH 53:9

“HIS GRAVE WAS ASSIGNED WITH WICKED MEN; YET

HE WAS WITH A RICH MAN IN HIS DEATH.”

MATTHEW 12:40

“THE SON OF MAN MUST BE THREE DAYS AND THREE

NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.”

CRUCIFIED VICTIMS AFFORDED NO OFFICIAL BURIAL

OR GRAVE; MERELY THROWN INTO A PIT.

RISKY BUSINESS

JOSEPH & NICODEMUS RISKED THEIR LIVES TO

DECLARE THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS AND CARE FOR

HIS BODY TO GIVE HIM A PROPER BURIAL.

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

GOD PROVIDENTIALLY WORKS IN EVERY SITUATION TO

ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE, AND THE BURIAL OF HIS SON

WAS NO EXCEPTION.

WHERE HAVE YOU SEEN GOD’S PROVIDENCE IN THE

DIFFICULTIES OF YOUR OWN LIFE?

RAISE YOUR PALMS!WHO ARE YOU MOST LIKE?

WHO DO YOU LEAST WANT TO BE LIKE?

WHO DO YOU MOST WANT TO IMITATE?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE JESUS IN HIS ENCOUNTERS

DURING THE LAST MOMENTS OF HIS LIFE?

HOSANNA!

IF GOD DIVINELY SUPERINTENDED IN EVERY DETAIL OF HIS

SON’S DYING MOMENTS, HE WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU

IN DEATH AND IN LIFE.

YOU MUST HAVE THORNS BEFORE CROWNS, BUT CHRIST

CAN FASHION ANY THORN INTO A CROWN.