The Midnight Trial

A lot of this was the darkest night in the history of the world when, for the sake of expediency, a sacrificial lamb was thrown to the docks.

Jesus said nobody takes my life from me, but I lay down my life for my sheep Renewing Your Mind on the we have been focusing on holy week over the last few days and today versus Monday Thursday on this day we remember the washing of the disciples feet and the Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles today. Dr. RC Sproul Texas to the apostle John's account of those final hours before Jesus death.

This evening I will be reading from portions of the 18th chapter of the gospel according to St. John. Beginning at verse 19, the high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world.

I always taught in synagogues and in the temple where the Jews always sleeps and in secret I've said nothing. Why do you ask me, ask those who have heard me what I said to them, and they they know what I said and what 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. Jesus answered him, if I've spoken evil bear witness of the evil, but if well why do you strike me that Nana sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest then later in verse 28, we read that they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the predatory him and it was early morning that they themselves did not go into the predatory, unless they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover pilot then went out to them and said what accusations you bring against this man and they answered and said if he were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him up to you than pilot said that you taken and judge them according to your law and therefore the Jews said to him, it is not lawful for us to put anyone to death that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what death he would die and Pilate entered the predatory him again called Jesus and said to him, are you the king of the Jews, Jesus answered him, are you speaking for yourself about this or did others tell you this concerning how said, in my view, your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me what have you done the word of God. He was ears to hear, let him hear.

Please be seated before I look at chapter 18. I want to go back earlier in John's Gospel to perhaps the most familiar section of its chapter 3 where we begin reading in verse 16, which I'm sure by now you've all memorized for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be. Say these two verses. John 316 through 17 are filled with optimism and encouragement. But let us read on.

He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he is not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the lights, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God around the world tonight to churches will be observing Maundy Thursday and many of them will be conducting what is called a Tyler Bray service which is a service of darkness because of the things that happened that Thursday evening in Jerusalem. We know that that the Thursday night the night before the Passover feast in Jerusalem. It was a full moon yet that night has to be the darkest night in the history of the world and when we look at the things that transpired between early evening.

Thursday night on into the night into the early hours of the morning and into the afternoon is hard to conceive how many remarkable things transpire. The account begins Thursday evening with Jesus meeting in the upper room to celebrate the Passover one last time with his disciples.

We are told that when evening came, he met there with his friends and instituted the Lord's supper for the first time, but even while they were engaged in this celebration of the Passover, in which Jesus declared a new covenant, that would be made in his blood that would be shed for the remission of their sins to the men who were there at that very table in the hours to come would betray him one by selling him to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver, the other by blaspheming and hotly denying publicly that he even knew Jesus. Also that evening before they left the upper room, Jesus delivered the longest discourse that we find anywhere in sacred Scripture on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Also on that evening Jesus instituted foot washing for his disciples. Also on that evening he announced his last will and testament saying to them before his departure. Let not your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me and in my father's house are many mansions that were not so I would've told you and I'm going to prepare a place for you there so that where I am, you may be with me as well. Was that night that he said to them, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto not as the world giveth, give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled.

Moments later Jesus prayed. What is been called in church history.

His high priestly prayer where he prayed for himself that he might enter again into the glory that he had with his father from the foundation of the world, but principally he focus the prayer is one of intercession for his disciple.

When all this was finished. The meeting broke up with the singing of hymns saw spiritual so they retired from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane not keep in mind all the things that started that evening after the sun had set. Keep in mind that 24 hours later Jesus would be dead and buried and after they left the upper room. He went to Gethsemane where there in anguish in the darkness of the night, he prayed alone to his father saying father, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.

The disciples couldn't watch with him on our they fell asleep while he was wrestling with the father over his vocation and the father obviously gave the answer to his son say no accept this cup before you.

This is your destiny and you must drink it to its bitter dramatics. Then there was the sound of the two malts is a huge contingent of armed soldiers came that there onto the mountain being led by Judas, who came and kissed Jesus with the kiss of death.

Identifying Jesus in the darkness for the soldiers that they might arrest him. They carried their weapons, but they also carried their torches so dark was that night the darkest night in human history.

The soldiers had a job to perform and they had to do it with dispatch. It was a matter of urgency that they arrest Jesus and bring him bound to the Sanhedrin that he may be subjected to the trial of his Jewish authorities why the hurry according to the mission it was inappropriate, improper and illegal for a capital trial to be held at night was also ill legal to have a capital trial that did not last at least two day's as it was incumbent upon the prosecution to interrogates several witnesses, that this was a kangaroo court took place in the dead of night. They had to get their decision done because the person not possible to execute a criminal on the Sabbath day and the Sabbath would begin at dusk on Friday and since the Jews were not permitted to executor to carry out the death penalty under the occupation of the Romans they had to convict Jesus first among the Jewish Sanhedrin and then take him to pilots for the secular judgment and Pilate would only hold court in the morning as usual, he was customer so all their business of expediency had to be done at night. I went back to John 33. Mind you that the gospel tells us that this is the condemnation, that light came into the darkness with the people preferred the darkness rather than the light is not in a strange thing that when we read in the New Testament.

When we understand the glorious picture of the new heaven and the new earth that one of the things were told is that in the new Jerusalem there will be no night there. There will be no sun or moon or stars or any artificial light, because the Lamb whose radiance and revulsion glory will supply the light from heaven. No darkness in heaven because darkness is the mill you that is preferred by the wicked think for a moment how many diabolical acts that take place in our society even today take place after sundown and before sunup in the Bible says of us in our fallen condition that we are by nature the children of darkness. We prefer the darkness so that we can do those things that can't stand the scrutiny of the light of day and have a kangaroo court driven by expediency to convict the perfect son of God is not something that could possibly have taken place in the light of day. So they drag Jesus first to annex.

Why do him and this had been the high priest, but he had been deposed by Pontius Pilate's predecessor.

Even though the high priest was normally thoughts to rain for his entire life and I said gotten into trouble with the Romans and so they deposed him, but in the mind of the Jews. He was still the leading authority, the Sanhedrin, so they want the gimp first and Annas interrogated him about Jesus claims to be Messiah, and the like. Jesus asked him for the testimonies of look I haven't hit anything.

I've been open about everything that I teach I teach in the temple I dig in the synagogue. I teach where there is a multitude of witnesses, where are your witnesses. The only witnesses they had were false witnesses who were hired to tell lies about Jesus and those witnesses of the defense were not allowed to speak it when Jesus raise that question.

One of the official slapped him across the face and said oh you did talk to the high priest Jesus said if I said something wrong demonstrated if I what I said is right, then why did you slap in the face and said enough. He heard all that he wanted to hear, and he directed that Jesus be sent the Caiaphas who was his son-in-law who was now the reigning high priest and so Jesus as a second trial.

This time still in the night. So with the Jewish authorities who blame Jesus for blasphemy because he claimed to be the son of God. Even that was a violation of Jewish law.

Blasphemy required that one would use the name of God and the profane way.

Jesus didn't do that. Nevertheless, they were convinced that he was guilty of a capital offense, but he also they also noted that Rome would never execute Jesus for blasphemy. They didn't care about that and so they shipped him off the pilot with the charge that Jesus claim to be king and with the message to Pontius Pilate. We have no king but Caesar brought in. The pilot immediately. Pilate understood this was a Jewish problem.

So he sent them off again to see Eric Barrett always wanted to meet Jason Salo conversation were there. Then Eric showed him back to Pilate and you know what happened from there you're familiar with the trial that Jesus endured before Pilate, Pilate said, I find no factor in him.

Pilate stood at the docket may brought Jesus. There after the crown of thorns of in place that is that after been scourged to expand upon the Seneca home. The whole the night was over. Don had broken and in the light of day. They took him away to be crucified in the middle of the day God called a great darkness to fall upon them beloved. This was the darkest night in the history of the world when, for the sake of expediency, a sacrificial lamb was thrown to the docks. Jesus said nobody takes my life from me, but I lay down my life for my she and by nightfall on Friday before the Passover officially began the Passover lamb was killed. Thank you for joining us for this Monday Thursday addition to Renewing Your Mind. I'm Lee Webb, Dr. RC Sproul is reminded us of the events leading up to the crucifixion and even though these events are familiar to us.

It's important for us to recount them to remind ourselves of the penalty our sin deserves, but also to remind ourselves of the incredible links, our Savior went to pay that penalty. Today's message from the Gospel of John is a great example of the clarity. Dr. Spruill brought to passages like this when you contact us today with a donation of any amount would like to send you the hardbound edition of Dr. Sproles commentary on John all of his expositional commentaries help you better understand key themes and help you apply them to your life drawn from decades of careful study and delivered from a pastor's heart this commentaries readable, practical, and thoroughly Bible centered request is nearly 400 page book when you call us at 800-435-4343. You can also make a request and give your gift online@renewingyourmind.org if you found today's sermon by Dr. Spruill helpful. I hope you'll check out ref net is 24 hour Christian Internet radio featuring other sermons by Dr. Spruill are living or teaching fellows and other trusted pastors. You can also hear Bible reading and Christian music we've curated the content so you can be confident that everything you hear is God honoring and solidly biblical.

You can listen anytime@refnet.fm or when you download the free ref net app for your phone or tablet as we commemorate good Friday tomorrow. Dr. Spruill is to its true meaning with a message titled, it is finished. I hope you'll be with us for the next Renewing Your Mind