Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB000024B
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00:01 Welcome back.
00:02 We're comparing Peter's experience with that of Judas. 00:05 And we've noticed that both seemed--initially, 00:09 superficially, you might think they both repented. 00:11 But Judas really repented over the fact 00:14 that it didn't workout. 00:15 The consequences were not as he intended. 00:18 Peter's heart was repentant but not Judas. 00:21 Judas never repented. 00:22 See when we read there in the Garden of Gethsemane, 00:25 when Judas with that mob approach Jesus, 00:31 Jesus addressed him as friend. 00:32 And he could see that loving face, forgiving face of Jesus. 00:38 Peter after three times of denial of Jesus, 00:46 he sees the same face, the same expression. 00:49 Jesus could not say anything to him but there is very, 00:52 very interesting is that the same face of Jesus 00:56 brings one person to repent. 00:58 He felt so guilty for what he did to Jesus. 01:03 His heart is broken. His heart was broken. 01:05 He wanted to cry because of that. 01:07 But another reaction that we have, 01:11 that one off Judas actually-- he made him to be sorry, 01:18 to repent because of the consequences, 01:20 you know, what he did to Jesus. Yes. 01:23 Now we must press on with the story. 01:25 Please. 01:26 And they take the money from Judas 01:28 and buy a potter's field and then it says in verse 11, 01:32 Now Jesus stood before the Governor, 01:34 and the Governor asked Him. 01:35 So now we've gone to another phase. 01:37 Actually, we really have to read verses one and two. 01:39 Okay, when morning came, all the chief priests 01:42 and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus 01:44 to put him to death. 01:46 And they bound him and led him away 01:47 and delivered him to Pilate, the governor. 01:49 Ranko, just one more time, just very briefly, 01:52 what are a few things that indicate 01:53 the illegality of this trial? 01:56 It was at night, that was one of the factors 01:58 and that was illegal, a night trial. 02:00 There're few things we have to keep in mind. 02:03 What were the duties of the Sanhedrin? 02:06 Sanhedrin was intended to act as a council for defense 02:11 of a guilty person, to defend 02:13 guilty person before the Romans. 02:15 What do we have here? 02:16 The accusers. 02:18 Second one, the sentence could not be executed 02:22 on the same day as a trial, 02:23 but they were so eager to bring 02:25 Jesus very early in the morning 02:27 and the execution is done the same day, 02:31 before the sunset, before the Passover starts. 02:33 The next one, the hearing could not be heard 02:36 during the night. 02:38 That's exactly where they did it. 02:39 And the final one, trial could not be held 02:41 on eve of the Sabbath or on eve of the festival day. 02:46 This, you see, they broke all the rules and regulations. 02:52 So now it moves from just a Jewish trial or hearing. 02:57 Now we get the Romans involved. 02:58 So one more time let's be reminded, 03:01 a Roman procurator-- he was put by Romans 03:06 in charge of Judea, instead of Herod the great's son, 03:12 Archelaus, who was expelled from Romans 03:15 after few years of his terrible, terrible rule there in-- 03:20 So now Pilate was in charge. 03:21 We have to keep in mind 03:23 that Pilate did not reside in Jerusalem. 03:27 His residence was in Caesarea, 03:31 so he resided there. 03:33 When we go to Caesarea, there are so many ruins there. 03:37 We can see how magnificent place, 03:40 you know, Herod the Great built in honors of Caesar. 03:45 But during-- at the time of festivals, 03:49 when many Jews from all over the Roman Empire 03:54 came there to Jerusalem, the procurator 03:57 would come there to Jerusalem 03:59 and reside in Herod's palace there. 04:02 Why? 04:03 Because it was during the festivals that the Jewish 04:05 people would retell all the stories 04:10 of their expectations of the Messiah. 04:12 And it was the best opportunity for them that the riot starts 04:16 in the rebellion against the Romans. 04:17 So the procurator would come there to Jerusalem 04:20 just to watch, to be sure that everything, 04:23 everything is okay. 04:24 That's why Pilate, at that time, was in Jerusalem. 04:27 And the Roman authorities are not gonna be impressed 04:31 by a religious argument among Jesus and the Pharisees. 04:35 What they're concerned about is these people 04:38 rising up in rebellion. 04:39 Because there were--there'd been many rebellions. 04:41 There had been many attempts. 04:43 Being assigned to rule over the Jews was not an easy task. 04:46 So we see the situation changing. 04:51 So can you read from verse 11 04:53 that you see how the trial took place. 04:55 Now Jesus stood before the Governor, 04:56 and the Governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 04:59 and Jesus said, "You have said so." 05:02 But when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, 05:05 He made no answer. 05:06 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do you not hear many things 05:09 they testify against You?" 05:11 But He gave him no answer, not even a single charge, 05:14 so that the governor wondered greatly. 05:18 We have to understand that the trial took place 05:23 in certain building. 05:27 The tradition favors the tower of Antonia. 05:31 That actually was near the temple 05:34 and marked the beginning of Via Dolorosa, that place. 05:40 However, the evidence supports that praetorian 05:42 was in the palace of Herod, 05:45 where Roman procurators resided 05:48 during those days of the festival, 05:50 there in Jerusalem. 05:52 So, you know, they brought Jesus early in the morning, 05:55 you know, the Roman governors and procurators 05:59 they like--they were drinking and spending, you know, 06:03 good part of the night in drinking and having fun. 06:06 But in the morning they wanted to sleep. 06:10 So Pilate was not happy that they woke him up. 06:14 And what was the accusation? 06:18 We saw it. 06:19 He was the one who claimed to sit 06:21 at the right hand of God. 06:22 He's that messianic figure. He claimed to be king. 06:24 So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" 06:29 If you are, then only one consequences. 06:32 So the sentence is already pronounced. 06:35 But Jesus does not answer. 06:38 And Pilate is surprised, "Why don't you respond?" 06:42 in verse 18. 06:43 "Do you see how many people are testifying against you?" 06:46 So, Glenn, what's going on? 06:48 It's interesting, Pilate is trying to get at the truth, 06:51 but Jesus is not speaking here. 06:55 And really, we are just focusing here 06:58 on the account in Matthew, 07:01 but we when we look-- when we read also John, 07:03 because John was evidently present there and also Luke, 07:08 we see many, many more details. 07:11 Actually, Pilate was making every effort 07:17 to appeal to the emotions, 07:21 to the feelings of the people, to their senses, 07:23 that they were doing wrong 07:25 but actually nothing, nothing helped. 07:27 Finally, what he did according to other gospels, 07:29 he scourged Jesus. 07:31 We'll talk about scourging little bit later. 07:33 But finally he decided to make a final move 07:39 and very important act. 07:42 And what was that, Glenn, please would you read 07:48 from verse 18 to verse 25--to 26. 07:56 And I might now add that Jesus 07:58 did have a conversation with Pilate. 08:00 We see through the other gospels, 08:02 in which He is really reaching out to him. 08:06 The one who is--he thinks he holds Jesus life in his hand, 08:10 Jesus says, no, you don't. 08:11 Actually, there're many things. 08:13 When we read the gospel of Luke, 08:14 there're two trials before Herod-- 08:16 before Pilate, Pilate did not want to be involved-- 08:20 He's looking for a way out. 08:22 He sent him to Herod Antipas who was at that time 08:24 in Jerusalem for the festival. 08:26 So Antipas send Jesus back to Pilate. 08:29 I mean, we see that Pilate had great struggles 08:34 within himself. 08:35 He did not want to do-- that cruel man 08:37 who crucified so many people, killed them, 08:40 many innocent people. 08:41 He now tried to save people. 08:43 And now he is moving to the final act 08:45 and it's from verse 20. 08:47 He finally figures the way out. Yeah. 08:49 And it says, "Now at the feast the governor 08:52 was accustomed to release to the crowd 08:56 one prisoner whom they wanted. 08:57 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas." 09:01 Is that the only way that he's known, Ranko? 09:03 Barabbas, we have that name here. 09:07 I would state it after the text. 09:09 Sorry, sorry. 09:10 "And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 09:13 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to him, 09:16 'Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas 09:19 or Jesus who's called the Christ?' 09:22 " So he gives them the choice, 09:23 "Who do you want me to release?" 09:24 "For he knew that it was out of envy 09:26 that they had delivered him up. 09:28 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, 09:29 his wife sent word to him, 'Have nothing to do with 09:32 that righteous man, for I have had suffered 09:34 much over him today in a dream.' 09:36 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded 09:38 the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 09:42 The governor asked again, "Which of the two 09:45 do you want me to release to you?" 09:47 And they said, 'Barabbas.' 09:48 Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do 09:50 with Jesus who is called the Christ? 09:52 And they said, 'Let him be crucified!' 09:54 And he said, 'Why, what evil has he done?' 09:58 They shouted all the more, 'Let him be crucified!' 10:01 'Let him be crucified!'" 10:04 Can you imagine what's going on? 10:07 All demonic forces are stirring up people to do it. 10:10 But Pilate wants to do something. 10:13 Can you imagine that cruel man, 10:15 try to appeal to their emotions and to their feelings? 10:18 So what does he do? 10:20 He brings another prisoner and his name is Barabbas. 10:25 What is the meaning of the name Barabbas? 10:27 It's Aramaic. 10:29 Bar, it means the son, and Abba father, 10:33 son of the father, he puts in there. 10:36 By the way, we have some ancient versions 10:40 of the New Testament translate into Syriac and Coptic language. 10:45 Actually they have something very interesting there. 10:48 They state that Barabbas name was actually Yeshua, 10:53 which is Jesus. 10:55 So his name was Jesus Barabbas. 10:58 So they're left with a clear choice 11:00 between these two individuals. 11:02 We really have to explain who Barabbas was. 11:04 We know that he was probably like that man 11:08 who beat, and you know, harmed that person 11:14 in the parable of the good Samaritan. 11:17 They were robbers. They are bandits there. 11:20 They put all people in terror everywhere 11:25 and he was sentenced to death 11:27 and Pilate said, let me put that man, 11:30 the people would not choose him because they knew 11:32 how much they suffered because of him. 11:35 I will by this way I will save Jesus Christ. 11:38 But amazingly and here comes the moment. 11:41 Can you imagine, Pilate stands there 11:45 and he says "Do you want me 11:47 to release to you Jesus the Messiah?" 11:51 You're waiting for him or Jesus Barabbas. 11:56 And what was the decision that people made? 11:59 And it's very clear that Pilate knew 12:01 that Jesus was innocent, and so did the crowd 12:03 and so did the priest. 12:05 And yet, as you said, the devil stirs them up. 12:08 Give us Jesus Barabbas. 12:10 What shall I do with Jesus the Messiah, crucify Him? 12:13 Why? 12:14 There is no answer, there is no reason, 12:16 crucify Him, crucify Him, 12:18 His blood upon us and our children. 12:22 What is going on? 12:23 I would like to say to the viewers, 12:30 2,000 years ago, the Jewish leaders, 12:32 they had to make decision. 12:35 Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called Christ. 12:39 Today we face the same decision. 12:44 Are we going to accept Jesus Christ 12:47 as our personal savior? 12:48 Choice is our. |
Revised 2023-12-26