Welcome to another message from the Gospel of Mark. We're talking about a very sad story, but a very necessary story. In verse 63 of the 22nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we're preaching from the Greek text, bringing in the English, talking about the trial of Jesus. The trials of Jesus. There were six trials. five times Pontius Pilate declared Jesus innocent of the charges that they had accused him of. Cai hoi andres, hoi sine econtes, alto ne paison, alto Drei Derontes. And the man, the ones having him under arrest. Now, these were not Romans at this time. They were not Roman guards at the tomb of Jesus. when he was buried. The Jews asked for a Roman guard, but he just told them, go do the best you can. I'm not going to waste any more time with you. Pontius Pilate wrote quite a convincing letter. I know a lot of people don't believe in that, but if you study history, you'll realize that the Jews, the Gentiles, and everybody else that were contemporary with Pontius Pilate were quoting his letter at that time, during that very period of time. So that letter is very, very true and factual. He had met Jesus before, told Jesus one time. He said, I'll protect you whatever they do to you. And he said, when my time comes, there's nothing you can do. Well, he wrote a letter to his father-in-law, which was Tiberius Caesar, and told him what had happened in this trial. He had to explain himself because this was roaring all over the world. The news of this was going all over the world, all over the known world, all down into Egypt, all through Arabia, all the way to Europe and Rome. And the men, the ones having him under arrest, seen a-contes, that means together, holding him together, they kept on insulting and mocking him. That's third person plural, imperfect indicative activity, n-a-pi-zo, m-pi-zo. They kept on mocking and insulting and beating him. Derontes. We got our word derision from this word. Derontes. That's nomine plural masculine present participle active from dero. His face, eyes, and lips were probably so swollen by these beatings that people could hardly even recognize him. He was emasculated. Just absolutely chewed up. chewed up, masticated, chewed up. They are doing their The devil is wild with ecstasy here. The devil is just wild with ecstasy and all of his little imps in this area, all of these Jews, that he had hold of their hearts and their minds and knew what he did. When Jesus was born in the world, Herod tried to kill him. The devil used Herod to try to kill him. It didn't work. All the time during his ministry, the very time that he announced his ministry, this day he said, Herod, Nazareth, this day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. And they wanted to kill him. What did he deserve to be killed? Because he knew more about the Word of God than they did. because he was the originator of the Word of God. He was the Word of God, the very Word of God, the Hathabar, the Jehovah, the Old Testament. 64, kai peri kalipsantes auton eparonton legontes profitosum tis esten ho paisasi. Again, we read that in Greek. and having put a cover around his head, a blindfold on him. They covered his whole head. And they kept on interrogating him, saying, you prophesied. Who it is, the one beating you up? Who is it, the one slapping you? Who slapped you that time? Who punched you this time? The God of Heaven? They knew what they were doing. They were doing the devil's dirt. They were doing the devil's heat, heating. Kai hetera pola blasfamontes elegon eis auton. And different, many different things. Blaspheming. Blaspheming him. What do you do when you're blaspheming somebody? That is a continuous thing because that's a participle. present participle active, they're continuing to blaspheme him. How would you blaspheme the Son of God today? There is no God but Allah and he has no companion. That's blasphemy. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. That is blasphemy. To bow down to a priest and confess your sins is blasphemy. To say that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God is blasphemy. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the Eternal God. And yet He was allowing Himself to be beaten and abused like this. Many, they kept on blaspheming Him and they kept on saying unto Him, They kept on insulting him. You're so powerful. Release yourself now. Who's doing this? Who's slapping you? Who's beating you? Who punched you? Verse 66. Now Jesus is before the Sanhedrin. Another den of thieves and rats. Kai ho segenato hemera sine ecte, to presbyterion, tu laon, tu lao that is, archeres ti, kai, gramites, kai, ape gagon, auton es, to sinadrion, auton. And when it became day, it was assembled, the elders, the body of elders, the rulers, the officials, the 23 elders of the Sanhedrin court, the 23 scribes, and the 23 chief priests and one high priest. That's the Sanhedrin now. 23, 23, 23, 23 scribes, 23 elders, and 23 chief priests and Pharisees, and one high priest. That's the 70. By the way, the Sanhedrin was instituted by Moses' father-in-law. And he told him, Moses, look out. Jethro said, Moses, look out from among you. Get men that cannot be bribed. Get men that love God. Get men that won't vary from the truth at all. These people were liars, perjurers, and murderers, and thieves. Jesus told them they were. Both and scribes. And they led away him unto the counsel of them. Now first of all, he wasn't even accused of being beaten. You couldn't touch a man. You couldn't do anything harmful or derogatory to him at all until he was brought before the court. You didn't do anything, you didn't harm a prisoner at all under Jewish or Roman culture unless he was tried first. First and secondary murder was about to be committed by the whole Sanhedrin court. first and secondary murder, and it's premeditated. They've been planning this for years. Not only was there a hit, a contract out on Jesus, there was a contract out on Lazarus. Some of the laws of Sanhedrin, many of the laws of trial and execution were broken here. illegal for them to assemble at night and to hold a trial. It was illegal to bind a person before he was formally charged or beaten. It was illegal to beat a man before he was found guilty. It was illegal to try a man the same day that he was arrested. And it was illegal to execute a person on the same day that he was tried. They're breaking all the rules. But see, they make the rules. It was illegal to pay a witness to testify against a person. This is what you call perjury and bribery. Jethro said, find men that cannot be bribed, find men that are honest, find men that are true men that believe in God. Now these people said they believed God, but they sure didn't act like it. A person could not be charged with a crime unless the individuals appeared in person who accused him. The authors of the Sanhedrin would not enter Pilate's quarters because they would be defiled and could not keep the Passover Sabbath or the High Sabbaths, the Sabbaths of Sabbaths. They observed the small points of the law but committed murder, false witness, perjury. They were hypocrites, as Jesus called them, actors and hypocrites. 2267 Logontes A.C.A. Ho Christos Epon Hemen Epon De Atois Ion Hemen Epon Ume Pistiol Sante saying if you are the Christ you saved us. Now they wanted him to say he was the Christ because they didn't believe And if he said he was a Christ, then they could accuse him of being impersonating God. They knew he was Christ. He had performed all the miracles that the Old Testament prophets said that Christ would perform. And he said to them, If to ye I may know not, ye may believe. If I may say to you, know not, you will believe. They did not wish to believe that he was a Christ. All the proof that he was the Christ had all been openly decreed and declared beyond a single shadow of a doubt. He raised the dead. He healed lepers. He healed the blind. That was Messianic Christianity. The only one that ever did that was to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Hamashiach. Now the cross-reference to all of this is in Matthew 26, 63-66, Luke 22, 67-71, which we're reading, and Mark 14, 61-63, and John also, in John 18, 19-21. Ede eroteso. Ume apocrythete. And if I question, know not, ye may answer. Apo tu nin de este, hopios tu antropou, cate minos, ec dexion tes dinamios tu theou. He said, but from now on, from now onward, that little adverb of time there, nin, from now on and afterwards, ye shall be the son of man sitting out of the right side of the power of God." A title of the Messiah from the book of Daniel. A title of the Messiah from the book of Daniel. Epen de ponte si un e ho hios tuthiu, ho de pros autos efe himes legete, hote ego eime, And they said, and all of they said, You, therefore, are the Son of God? They're questioning. But the one toward them, he said, You, ye say that I am. Now he's quoting Ego Amy. He told them before that he was the great I am. He said that before Abraham was, I am. That's Exodus 3.14, he's quoting. And the ones they said, why yet? We have a need of a witness, ourselves, for we heard from his own mouth of them. Now let's go back and read this from the Amplified Bible up to where we are. 23 or 2263. Now the man who had Jesus in custody treated him with contempt. and scoffed at and ridiculed him and beat him. They blindfolded him also and asked him, prophesy. Who is it that struck you? These are the Jews. These aren't Roman soldiers. These are Jews. These are the Herodian guard. Remember, there was probably thousands of them. The word was oklos there, and oklos is five to ten thousand. Now, from the Herodian guard, there was probably between 600 and 900 soldiers. They went out to arrest Jesus like they were going to go conquer some foreign city. They knew who He was. And these are them that are blaspheming God right here. And they said many other evil and slanderous and insulting words against Him and reviling Him. And as soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders and the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him into the council, the Sanhedrin. Remember, the Seventy. And they said, If you are the Christ, the Messiah, tell us. But he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe. I have already shown you, and you didn't believe. Every miracle that Jesus did He told that person to go to the priest, go to your local synagogue, or to Jerusalem, and show them that you have been healed, and they will have to give you a declaration that you are healed. They had to give him a certificate of healing, and every one of these scribes had written those declarations, grinning their teeth all the way. He said to them, if I tell you, you will not believe, you will not trust in, cleave to and rely on what I say. And if I question you, you will not answer. He asked them one time, he said, they asked him, by whose authority do you do these miracles? And he said, I'll ask you one question. If you can answer that question, I will answer you. Now he told them already that he's the Messiah. plainly. I am the Messiah. He cleansed the temple. He ran them off. He said, My father, you have made my father's house a den of thieves instead of a house of prayer. But hereafter and from this time on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Psalm 110 verse 1 is what he's quoting. All fulfilled scripture. They said, You are the Son of God then? And he said to them, It is just as you said, I am, Ego, Emi. I am that I am. I am that I am. The eternal God. The eternally existing one. In the beginning kept on being the Word and the Word kept on being toward the God or kept on being God. Inseparable from God. Because the Word kept on being God. And the word word there is ha-the-var from Greek, or from the Hebrew into the Greek, a literal translation. But ha-the-var in the Old Testament, when they referred to the name of God, Jehovah, they said ha-the-var. The modern Jews say Adonai. Sometimes they say Hashem, the name. Jesus said, I am. I am the eternal God. I am the Eternal One. I am the One that appeared unto Moses. John 1.14 says, Kaihologos sarxaganato, and the Jehovah flesh He became and dwelt among us. And we beheld the glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1.18 says, No man has seen God, but the only begotten God, that One being in the bosom of the Father, that One has led Himself out. irrefutable scriptures. He said that he was God. John said that he was God. He kept on being God. And they said, what further evidence do we need? For we have heard it from his own mouth. We have heard it ourselves from his own mouth. Let's go on a little further now in 23rd chapter. Anaston, Hapon, To, Plaithos, Auton, Agagon, Auton, Epiton, Pilaton. Pilate knew who Jesus was and he tried to get him set free. And having risen up all the multitude, the Plaithos of them, they led him to Pilate. They'd add him to Pilate. They wouldn't go in there. They would defile themselves. Forget about the murder they were going to commit. Forget about the false charges they were bringing against him. Forget about the contempt. Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not keep on murdering. Thou shalt not keep on lying. Thou shalt not keep on murdering. Thou shalt not keep on bearing false witness. Thou shalt not keep on committing adultery. That's what they were. Unregenerated rats. Unregenerated rats. Unregenerated heathens, yet they were the high and mighty. Colunto, Forus, Caesare, Didona, Caelaconta, Hiauton, Christon, Boslea, Hinae. And they began to accuse him before Pilate. Now this is what they're saying to Pilate. Now Pilate knows who they are. Pilate told his father-in-law, Tiberius Caesar, these people would sell their own mothers for an advantage. They have no truth in them. He said, Jesus, he said he's the greatest sage, he's the greatest philosopher of all time. He said he's the greatest man that ever lived, if it's even lawful to call him man. And he also sent a letter and told them that they ought to make him, recognize him as God by the Roman Senate. Now it didn't happen, but he wrote that letter. So did Tiberius. The Senate did not declare it. This one we found perverting the nation. Dios trefonta. Perverting the nation of us. And forbidding tribute to Caesar. Now he knew they were lying. He knew they were lying. This is an outright lie. You read his letter to Tiberius Caesar. He said he was honorable to us and honorable to our nation. He said, the kingdom that I'm from is not of this world. He said to them, render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. And they asked him the question. He said, shall we pay tribute to Rome, to Caesar, to the Roman government? And he said, give me a coin. Whose face is that on the coin? They said, well, Caesar's. He said, render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Render unto God that which is God's. liars. And they began to accuse him, saying, this one we found perverting the nation of us, and forbidding tribute to Caesar, and to give, and saying himself, Christ, the king to be. Christ, the king to be. Now it doesn't say, uh, Tain, Basilea here, but it's there. by understanding. He said that he is the king to be. 23 verse 3, Hode Pilatos eroteson auton legon ca hobis baslias tun iudeon hode apokrethes auto fc leges. And Pilate interrogated him saying, now he knows who he is, by the way, He's already met him before. Pilate said he walked into the basilica, and he said, he said, I'm a man half Spanish and half Roman, and fear is not in my constitution. But he said when he walked in there, he said, my feet were fastened. I could not speak a word. He said the very look of him was of a god. And now he's seeing him again. Now he has to question him like this before these rats. He's got to. He's a judge. Saying, uh, are you the king of the Jews? The one having answered to him, he said, you, you say it, you said it. It's affirmative, I am the king of the Jews. Now who was on the throne? Who was the throne over Judea? It was Herod. Herod. Herod was a imposter. We find when Jesus goes to Herod, he doesn't answer a word to him because he has no authority. He is Esau's descendant, not Jacob's descendant. Here we have the land of the tribe of Judah, the real king of Israel. Pontius Pilate knew who the king of Israel was. It was Jesus. Ode Pilate said to the chief priests and to the crowd, this five to 10,000 people, oh this is plural, to the crowds, this is 10 to 20,000 people, And that place was completely full. Pontius Pilate, he said, every time I would try to defend Jesus, he said it was a roar like the hounds of hell had surrounded the Basilica. He said, I thought the building from the snapping and the screaming of their feet and the yells of the hyenas, I thought the place was going to fall down. I thought the infernal regions of hell had been turned loose on us. The Father of all darkness was there, inspiring all of these rats. And the crowds, nothing, I find crime in this man. I don't find a crime. I don't find a shortcoming in this man at all, in this one. 23 and verse 5. Hoi de episco un. Logon te hote anasisi. but the ones they kept on insisting saying that he excites, this is an uprising, he causes an uprising among the people, teaching according to the entire throughout all the entire Judea and even having begun from Galilee unto here. Now, Jesus goes to Herod. And Pilate having heard He questioned if the man was a Galilean, and he knew he was. Pilate doesn't want to have anything to do with this. Pilate's wife had a great dream, and she told him, have nothing to do with this righteous man. Have nothing to do with him. Pontius Pilate didn't want to have anything to do wrong to him. He told Jesus that he would try to defend him, but Jesus said, oh prince of this earth, Those that have their hands upon me are those of great guilt. But he said, when my time comes, there's nothing that you can do to protect me. And that is how it is ordained from the eternal ages to now. Pontius Pilate ships him off over there to Herod. And Herod is all excited. Cai epimus hote ecte succusia herodeu. Aston, Anna, Pampsen, Auton, Trost, Erodane, Onta, Kai, Auto, and Erusalemois, in Tautas, Teis, Hemerus. And having known that out of the authority of Herod he is, he knew it. He knew it already. He knew who Jesus was. He said, I find no fault in him five times. Pontius Pilate declared Jesus innocent five times. Five is the number of grace, remember. And he sent him up to Herod, being also in Jerusalem. It's actually plural in some parts of Jerusalem. There was a lot of parts of Jerusalem, north, south, east, west, midst, and everything else. In these the days, he was there. Herod was there. Ho de Herodes. I don't own a soon a cadre. leon ain gar ex ekinon chronon thelon ede alto deato aquin peri alto chi elpizane ti semion aden heaf alto genomino. And Herod, having seen of Jesus, he rejoiced greatly For he kept on being out of a long time, a long period of time, many times, wishing to see some miracle, because to hear concerning him, and he kept on hoping some sign to see by the agents of him being brought about. Let's go back and read this. now up to this point. Then in 23 and verse 1, then the whole assembly got up and conducted Jesus before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, asserting that he found this man perverting and misleading, corrupting and turning away our nation and forbidding to pay tribute to Caesar, saying that he is himself is Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, the King. So Pilate asked him. He had to. He had to question him as a judge. Are you the king of the Jews? And he answered him, it is just as you say I am. And Pilate said to the chief priests and the thrones, I find no guilt or crime in this man. He told the truth. He was the king. The one on the throne was not the king. And they were urgent and emphatic, saying, he stirs up and excites the people, teaching throughout all Judea and from Galilee, and he began even to this place. Upon hearing this, Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean. He knew, but he had to publicly say this. And when he found out certainly that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him up to Herod, a higher authority who was also in Jerusalem in those days. He's the king of the Jews, you know. Imposter. Herod the Great was appointed king of the Jews by Anthony and Cleopatra. and he turned Israel into a Roman city. Hippodrome and all. Chaliceum, Chaliceum and all. And now when Eric saw Jesus, he was excitingly, exceedingly glad and he had a eager, eagerly desire to see him for a long time because what he had heard concerning him and he was hoping to witness some sign, some striking evidence or spectacular performance done by him. They didn't have television back in those days. They didn't even have radio. This is exciting. He wants to see a soap opera in motion. Jesus did not even answer him. And he asked him many questions. And he made no reply, as according to Isaiah 53 and verse 7. Let's go on a little bit further. Epi rota Dei autonem legoes hecanoes. I'll tell us they were they I'll talk right now I'm told I'll tell and he kept on interrogating him in many words but he had nothing in no way did he answer him Jesus knew that Herod was an imposter the throne on which he sat was not his and Jesus refused to recognize him 23 in verse 10 Aes te caeson, de hoi archedrius, cae hoi grammites, etonos caragoruntos alto. And they stood for a while. That is third person pluriperfect indicative acting from histamine. Aes te caeson, and they stood for a while and the chief priest and the scribes vehemently accusing him, vehemently accusing him. Exo than ses, de auton cae ho herodes, centoes stratum asin, autu cae impaxos, peribalon S. Theta, Lompron, Anna Pampson, Auton To Pilate, Pilato that is. And having despised him also, Herod, with the one soldier, says temple guards now, these Jewish temple guards, the Herodian guard. And having mocked, and having thrown around clothing splendid, He sent him back to Pilate. Ego nonta de philoi. Ho te herodes. Cai ho palatos in alte te hemera met alelon. Pro paroxon gar in ecthra. Ontes pros altus. And they became friends, both of them, Herod and Pilate, in the same day with one another. They had previously kept on having hatred toward one another. Let's read these last few verses and we'll stop right here at verse number 12. Verse number eight, six. Upon hearing this Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean and when he had found out certainly he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, a higher authority supposedly, who was also in Jerusalem in those days. He was the Tetrarch, remember? Ruler over a quarter. Four sons of Herod had different rulerships. And when Aaron saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had eagerly desired to see him for a long time because of what he had heard concerning him, and he was hoping to witness some great sign, some striking evidence and spectacular performance done by him. So he asked him any questions, and he made no reply. Meanwhile, the chief priests and the scribes stood by, continuing vehemently and violently to accuse him. Devil inspired. Devil inspired. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt, and scoffed him, and ridiculed him, and dressing him up in bright and gorgeous preparables, and sending him back to Pilate. Isaiah 53 and verse 8 is fulfilled in this verse. And that very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other, though they had been an entity before this. This is a sad story. A sad story of the of the demons of hell turn loose on the Son of God. The demons of hell turn loose on the Son of God. Can you imagine the old devil standing over there to the side watching all this going on? But I'm going to tell you something, Genesis 3.15 was being fulfilled here. I will put active hatred between your seed, Satan's seed. and her seed, the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ. And you shall bruise him as to the heel, you will deal him a crippling blow, which is right here. But he shall deal you a deadly blow. One day, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire. That's the finale of all the history of his reckless career. Do you have Salvation. Do you own salvation that was so freely given to you by our Lord and Savior? Do you have it in your possession? For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Here he's paying for our sins. Our sins are put upon him. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Reading stories like this, which is history, what happened to our Lord and Savior, ought to make us strive to do more for our Lord and Savior, not because of works, not to get to heaven, but only to glorify our Lord and Savior that saved us so freely. Our Heavenly Father, we send this message out. I know it will do its job wherever it goes. Father, forgive me where I fail you. Help us to honor and glorify you always, and the son, your son, that so freely gave of his life for us, and so suffered the shame and the ridicule when he could have just struck them all down instantly with the sword of his mouth. Father, forgive us for we fail you. I pray for all those children you've given me out there, all over the whole world. Touch each and every heart with your word. Comfort them, encourage them in every way. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.