CRUCIAL QUESTIONS
Opening Prayer
Lord, we Your people are in no doubt as to Your identity.
Read LUKE 22:63–23:25
The Guards Mock Jesus
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to him.
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You say that I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they 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.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17] [a]
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
Footnotes:
a Luke 23:17 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 27:15 and Mark 15:6.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
“He comes to break oppression, / to set the captives free, / to take away transgression / and rule in equity.”(James Montgomery, 1771–1854, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”)
The fate of Jesus along with that of our salvation rests on four questions. First, “If you are the Messiah, … tell us” (67). Jesus is the Messiah, (Luke 24:26) but this question purports to incriminate him in the eyes of Rome. It does not even deserve a direct answer. He is not their envisioned political/military Messiah, sent for Israel’s liberation. He is much more than something so mundane. Jesus replies with his preferred title, the Son of Man, who will reign at God’s right hand. (Daniel 7:13,14) Hereafter (see 69) he, not they, will adjudicate and not just for Israel but for all people. The cross furnishes his pathway to such ultimate authority.
They clearly understand his implication and ask the second question: “Are you then the Son of God?” (70). This echoes the temptation of Jesus at the start of his ministry, “If you are the Son of God … “ (Luke 4:3,9), raising the question of how the Son was to fulfill his Father’s will. Jesus, however, faithfully fulfills his Father’s calling, knowing it is the Father’s will to drink from this cup of suffering (Luke 22:42). His reply implies “you have worked it out,” but they now have enough to march him off to Pilate, who asks the third question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (23:3).
Jesus answers Pilate indirectly, but his meaning is unmistakable. Pilate, however, remains unconvinced of any treason, prompting his final question: “What crime has this man committed?” (22). God’s Son, our Messiah, perfectly fulfilled his Father’s will as the innocent one who went to his death for us. The titles used in these four questions and in the replies of Jesus reveal his identity and show the extent of the salvation enjoyed by all who believe in him thereafter.
Apply
In the light of these four questions, if you were interrogated about your faith, how would you explain the meaning of Jesus’ death in contemporary language?
Closing prayer
Lord, thank You for carrying out the will of the Father to the very end, so that we could live forever with You.
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