Well, let's ask the Lord's blessing on our time together. We do exalt your name, O Lord. There is no other God besides you. You are the God above all. I am that I am. Besides me, there is no other, you have said. And we praise you that you, our Creator and Redeemer, have called us to be your own. We thank you for Jesus. We thank you, Father, for sending the eternal Son to take on our human flesh to pay the terrible price for our rebellion, our sins. So be with us. Anoint us to have understanding by your Spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen. We are in John chapter 18. This afternoon, we're gonna look at verses 12 through verse 27, through 24, that is. Chapter 18 opens up with Jesus Having been arrested by the betrayer, Judas Iscariot for 30 pieces of silver. We gotta remember something about Judas. Jesus knew all along when he called his disciples that Judas was going to be the betrayer. It says in John 6 that he knew that he, he says, I've chose all of you and yet one of you is a devil. And it refers to, John says he's referring to Judas Iscariot. Satan filled his heart, Satan filled Judas's heart at the Last Supper. Jesus says, whatever you got to do, go do. The deal had already been cut with Judas that week, earlier in the Passover week, for 30 pieces of silver. In other words, Judas says to him, I will lead you to him. And when I lead you to him, You'll know that it is he that you need to arrest, because I will give him whoever I kiss, then that is the one. We know that after Jesus gave that high priestly prayer recorded in John 17, that they cross over the Valley of the Kidron there, go to a garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus will pray. And it says in the text, Judas knew about the place because they often met in that place. So Judas surmised, I know where he'll probably be, so you just follow me. They cross over, and remember, Judas had requested there were others come to arrest Jesus. Now the scripture says a whole cohort Now it doesn't mean, a cohort is 600 Roman soldiers. That doesn't mean that a whole 600 soldiers came out, but it does say it could mean any number of those Roman soldiers. The scripture says it was a multitude, so it was a lot of them, and they had weapons. They were ready to do business, and they had clubs to arrest one man. Is he gonna take a Roman cohort and others to arrest one man? They were determined to get Jesus, is what they were determined to do. When they come, Jesus says, the power of darkness has been given over to you. You know, before he taught in the temples, in the synagogue, he said things that were upsetting to the Pharisees, but it says that the hour had not yet come. But the hour had come. The hour had come for Jesus to be arrested. Now, when it says that the power of darkness had been granted to the devil and his slaves, The devil had filled Judas' heart. The question is this, does Satan know that Jesus' death, that he's inspiring to see that it comes about, does Satan know that in doing that, he sealed his own fate? We know from Genesis 3, when God pronounced the curse upon all the recipients, he says that with regard to the seed of the woman, he says, the seed of the serpent will bruise your heel, but you will crush his head. Colossians 2 makes it very clear that in Jesus' death, He triumphed over specifically the principalities and powers. So does Satan know that in doing this and having Jesus killed by filling Judas's heart, that's his undoing? We don't know for sure, but we do know this. Remember when there were those who were demon-possessed? Remember certain instances Jesus would come up to them and they would say, son of God, What do we have to do with you? Are you here to torment us before the time? What time? You know, Revelation talks about Satan is going to be cast into the lake of fire. He and his demonic realm, along with the false prophet, according to Revelation 20. Do they know? I don't know how to interpret that. In fact, how do the demons know that their doom is sure? some way it seems to indicate that they do. So why did Satan then conspire to have Jesus killed knowing that in killing Jesus he was going to accomplish the purposes of God? Maybe the only way we can say about that is he's such a diabolical rascal of the worst kind, even knowing that it could be his undoing, I'm gonna still do it. You know, evil men will still do evil things, despite the fact they may pay a cost for it, regardless. It was that hour had arrived. And you know, Jesus makes it clear, going up to the Passover week, Jesus had been telling his disciples, he says, look, the son of man, it's recorded in Matthew 16, 21, specifically, he says, I gotta go to Jerusalem. I'm going to be, have to suffer many things at the hands of the chief priests and elders. I must be killed, but I will rise again. He'd been telling them that. And we saw that, So here they come, it is an inevitable thing, Jesus is going to die, and the Son of Man is going to voluntarily lay down his life for the sheep. Now, we've already seen that in John 10, have we not? He says, I'm the good shepherd, and the good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep. And that's exactly what Jesus was doing. Jesus voluntarily went forward knowing what was going to happen. That's why he was praying. In the Garden of Gethsemane, it's not John does record it, but Matthew does. He's sweating drops of blood. Father, if there's any other way besides this, do it. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will. He understood what was about to face him was going to be horrible suffering. But he did it anyway, didn't he? He did it anyway because he knew that's the only way we're gonna be saved. You know, when he came, when that arresting party, we were told last week, we looked at this, when that arresting party came and Judas will give him a kiss and Jesus will say to him, you, a friend, kissing me? You know, what a low-down act that you've done, Judas. But then we know it fulfilled prophecy. Psalm says it would be a friend that would lift up his heel against him. And when Jesus, to show that Jesus is in control of the whole situation, when this mob, I could say it's a mob, shows up with sheaths, swords, and clubs to get one man, Jesus wasn't hiding. In fact, he goes out to them. Where is he? And he says, I am he. And it says that they just fell back onto the ground. You know, when Jesus said that, remember when Moses asked, who am I to say when I go to Egypt that has sent me? And he says, tell them that I am, has sent you. And so the eternal son here, He voluntarily goes out to meet his accusers, his arresters, knowing what is about to come. He will lay down his life for the sheep. Now, Jesus had been praying for them. Remember, he says, Father, I don't want you to remove them from out of the world, but I do want you to do this. I want you to protect them from the evil one. but I have a task for them to do. And the task is what? To proclaim the gospel to the world, the Great Commission. And in carrying out that Great Commission, I want you, Father, to protect them. And he says, and not one of them, is lost. Jesus says, I've guarded them and not one of them is lost. Now remember, we looked at last time here, when that mob came up to arrest Jesus and Judas betrays him with that kiss, remember Peter, it says, John is the one who mentions Peter by name and mentions by name the one that he took the ear off. I mentioned last week, Peter may have been not going for the ear, maybe going for the whole head, just cut the ear. And Jesus immediately rebukes Peter. Peter, put your sword up. And he says, and if you look at, for example, John 18, 11, look what Jesus says to Peter. after he took the ear off of Malchus, the high priest's slave. Jesus therefore said to Peter, put the sword into the sheath, the cup which the father has given me. Shall I not drink it? Now, it's helpful to get the full picture of this. Since we're preaching through John, I'm primarily mentioning John's account, but I am gonna bring out some of the other aspects in Matthew to help us out here. So if you want to get the full picture, go to Matthew, like 27, go to Mark 14, and go to Luke 22, and you'll see something that one mentions gospel writer, but the other doesn't. There is no contradiction is from their recollection, that's how they related it. And from all of these accounts, we get the full picture. So when Peter takes that sword out, Jesus rebukes him. I've got to do this, Peter. He says, I can't turn away from this. Put your sword out. And he says to Peter, all those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. In other words, Peter, my kingdom is not going to be advanced by physical force. That's not how you're going to promote my kingdom. You're gonna promote my kingdom by preaching the gospel to all creatures, is how you're gonna promote my kingdom. And we're gonna see a little bit later on in John 18, when Jesus is brought before Pilate, where Jesus says, if my king, well, first of all, we're going to see Pilate says to him, are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus says, you have spoken it. In other words, yeah, I am. He says, but my kingdom is not of this world. Because if my kingdom was of this world, my followers would be fighting right now. Now Peter was about to, he was defending Jesus. But as Jesus says, this is not how you're gonna advance my kingdom. I've got to go and die is what I've got to do. So we're told in our text, in chapter 12, verse 12, that Jesus has led to Caiaphas. He's the high priest of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews. And what, here a trial will take place, if you want to call it a trial. It was a mock trial, if there was ever a mock trial. Because one thing is for sure, Caiaphas was determined to kill Jesus. at whatever cost. Now to prove that, we've already seen that, I want you to turn, look back to John, well look what verse 14 or John 18 says. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. Now I want you to turn back to John 11 and look at verses 47 through 53. John 11, 47 through 53. Now here's what's incredible about this, what we're about to look at. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead to the astounding of all those who were present. And in verse 47, it says, therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council and were saying, what are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. They acknowledge that Jesus was a wonder worker. They didn't deny that. If we let him go on like this, all men will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them, you know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation should not perish. And now this, he did not say on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation. Did he know he was prophesying? No, but he was. And here, what it says is, Caiaphas was determined to kill Jesus, and if there is an ultimate pragmatist, it was Caiaphas. The end justifies the means. It's better to kill Jesus, the great wonder-doer, sign raising people from the dead, it's better that he die than the Romans take over the country. But we're gonna see Is that gonna stop the Romans? No, I don't think so. We're gonna see here in a few moments just what Jesus says during this mock trial. So, I want you to turn to get a more full picture of what's taking place. John is very, just summarizes it, but Matthew goes a little bit more detail. So I want us to turn over to Matthew 26. Turn to Matthew 26. And look at verses 59 through 66. Matthew 26. We'll start at verse 57. And those who had seized Jesus, led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together, but Peter also was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in and sat down with the officers to see the outcome." In other words, Peter wanted to see just what was going to happen here. Now the chief priest and the whole council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order that he might put him to death. And they did not find any. In other words, they were having a hard time getting at least two or more witnesses together. But we're told, it came about later on, two came forward and said, this man stated, I'm able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days. And the high priest stood up and said to him, Do you make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you? But Jesus kept silent, and the high priest said to him, I adjure you. In other words, I'm putting you under oath, Jesus, as the high priest. I adjure you by the living God. Tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, you have said it yourself, nevertheless I tell you, thereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robe saying, he has blasphemed, what further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you've heard the blasphemy. What do you think? And they answered and said, he is deserving of death. Now, remember this, the text says they were trying to get witnesses and they were having a hard time until two came. Why two witnesses? Well, let's turn, this is important here, Let's see what the law of Moses has to say. So I want you, keep your hand in John 18, but I want you to turn over to Deuteronomy 19. Deuteronomy 19, verses 15 through 21. A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed. On the evidence of two or three witnesses, a matter shall be confirmed. If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in the office in those days. And the judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witnesses is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. And the rest will hear and be afraid and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. Now, it takes two or more witnesses to confirm a fact. But here's the deal. If I'm going to bear witness that so-and-so did this act, I better be telling the truth because it says the judge is going to investigate. If they find out I'm a liar, whatever the nature of the offense was, then whatever the penalty was for that offense, the lex talionis, the justice commensurate of the nature of the crime shall be done to me. So if it's a murder, if it's a capital murder case, then if I bear false witness, then I'm subject to the penalty of death. Well, blasphemy in the Old Testament was punishable by death. And the Sanhedrin, they had arranged, and Caiaphas was behind this, they were gonna be sure that they had two witnesses. And they finally found two false witnesses. Now, in this regard, notice in this account what these men were saying to Jesus. He said that he would destroy this temple. Is that what Jesus said? What they did was they twisted the truth is what they did. Here's what Jesus actually said. Turn to John 2, 19 and you'll see what Jesus actually said. Jesus answered to them, destroy the temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews therefore said, it take 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days? But he was speaking of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said, and they believed the scriptures of the word which Jesus had spoken. These witnesses twisted it to make Jesus sound like he was out to physically himself to destroy the Jewish temple when he was always talking about his body. But you see, if you're determined for someone to be guilty ahead of time, you'll do whatever it takes. If you have to get false witnesses, then you'll do it. Caiaphas was determined to kill Jesus. And you know what is so sad about that is, he's the head of the Sanhedrin. Caiaphas is going to use the law of Moses in a way and will openly violate the law of Moses in order to kill Jesus. Because he's gonna get false witnesses against him. And they're gonna distort what actually was said. In this regard, Jesus, John refers to it this, back to John 18. Jesus said, you know, he was silent for a while, but in his defense, Jesus says, I've never said anything in secret. Everything that I've ever said has been in public, has been in the temple, it's been in the synagogue. In fact, Jesus says, go ask people. You want an eyewitness testimony? Go ask the people what I preached and they'll tell you. But they weren't interested in that. Caiaphas wasn't interested in this. He wasn't interested in the truth. He was only interested in killing Jesus so that by one man, his death, they would be spared from Roman wrath. Now, with regard to blasphemy, It was a facade all along. We do know that in Deuteronomy chapter 13, the penalty for being a false prophet was you were put to death. So what Caiaphas was seeking to do was to prove that Jesus was a false prophet. And what better way in Caiaphas' mind to prove that Jesus is a false prophet, but to try to get him to admit something of open blasphemy. And that's why when Jesus kept silent, Caiaphas says, I adjure you by the living God, tell us plainly, are you the Christ? You have said it. He tears his robe, we don't need him. He said it. Here's the blasphemy, we got him. He's worthy of death. And they all said yes, put him to death. I want you to go back to Matthew 26, because this is important. So when Caiaphas puts him under oath to admit, are you the Christ, and he says he is, look at verse 64. It's momentous what Jesus says. You have said it yourself, meaning, yeah, I am the Christ. Nevertheless, I tell you thereafter, you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. That phraseology, coming on the clouds, is an Old Testament phraseology used at least four times in the Old Testament all with references of God coming on clouds. It's coming on clouds of judgment. He came on clouds against Egypt. He came on clouds against Babylon. He came on clouds against Eden. It was a sign of judgment. Let's back up. We're gonna move ahead a little bit. when Pilate, who found, we're going to see that Pilate is not gonna find Jesus worthy of death. The scripture says that Caiaphas knew that they were jealous of Jesus. In fact, the scripture says Pilate knew they were jealous. But he said, Jesus hasn't done anything. This is a Jewish problem. And he really wanted to get rid of Jesus and not, So he says, oh, I know what we'll do. It's this time of year, the Passover, where we grant mercy to the Jews and we let them get one of theirs out of prison. Oh, I'll let them choose a known thief and murderer, Barabbas, and let them choose between a murderer that's known to be a murderer and Jesus. Oh, they'll choose Jesus. No, they didn't choose Jesus. So when they chose Barabbas, as we're going to see, Pilate says, look, he washed his hands, he says, I am clean, innocent of this man's blood. It's not on me. And you know what Matthew 27 says that the people said? Then let his blood be on us and our children's children. They had no idea of what they just pronounced upon themselves. So Jesus will die, he will be raised from the dead, and he will ascend to where? As the scripture says, to the right hand of God. He will, as in fulfillment of Psalm 110, sit at the right hand of the Father, exercising his kingly reign over planet Earth, and he will come. So when it says, you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, In 70 AD, they saw the Son of Man coming on the clouds. It wasn't visibly. He came in judgment, devastating judgment, where the Romans, that Caiaphas said, well, it's better that this man die than the whole nation suffer. Oh, no, the whole nation. Apostate Judaism will suffer. Now, to fit in with your sermon this morning, Jess, is This vineyard, you know what Jesus said of Israel? You know, in Isaiah chapter five, Israel is said to be the vineyard of the Lord. And if you look up Isaiah five sometime, God says, what have I done for you that I haven't done? I've planted a choice tree in there, which was Judah, by the way, and yet you were faithless. And so this judgment, what happened in 70 AD was God's judgment upon apostate Judaism. That faithless, where they should have been, they should have borne fruit, but they did not. The nation should have borne fruit and did not. Consequently, as John the Baptist says, God's already got the ax to the tree. It's been determined Jesus, when he went out of the temple in Matthew 23, You know, he defended himself. Well, he said that when they were selling goods in the house of the Lord, the temple, Jesus drove them out with a whip and he says, my father's house is a house of prayer. Jesus doesn't say it's my house anymore in Matthew 23. He says, your house, your house is gonna be left desolate and not one stone will be left standing on itself. I would have gathered you like a mother hen gathers her chicks, but you wouldn't come. And now what you said was going to happen, what you feared is come, I'm going to bring upon you. And it happened. Now, and so we see in all this regard that Remember, the penalty of a false witness was that you are to receive the penalty if you bear false witness. And since Caiaphas was determined to get false witnesses, he brought it upon the nation. He brought it upon the nation. The penalty of death to a faithless nation. Now in the background here, we're told John's account here, now enters Peter here. Peter's been following now. Remember when Jesus said at the Last Supper, what if you're gonna betray me? And they kept saying, well, who is it? Peter said, it's not gonna be me. I'll die for you, Jesus. And all indications were Now remember when that mob came up, when he drew out his sword, he was, in one sense, he was ready to defend Jesus. And he took that ear off. But notice the scripture says, in Luke's account or Matthew's account, Jesus immediately restored the ear. Now, if you're a group, out to get a guy and one of them takes out a sword and let's say splits the head open of one of your soldiers, what do you think he's gonna do? Well, we need to take him out. Peter didn't realize he put himself at real danger and yet Jesus, Jesus heals the man and the scripture says, I didn't lose any, I didn't lose any. Now, bold Peter, who was willing to die for Jesus, who took his sword out at one point for Jesus, when it's arrested, and it says, Matthew says, Peter is following along, it says to see the outcome, and when he saw that the outcome was a mock trial and they were gonna kill Jesus. Now, remember what Jesus said to Peter. I'll die for you, Jesus. No, Peter, before the cock crows, you're gonna deny me three times. Well, we have the account in John, particularly in Matthew, where it says, Peter followed Jesus to the courtyard of the high priest. Now, bold Peter said, I'll die for you, the slave girl of the high priest. Aren't you one of them? No, no, no, I'm not one of them. He's warming himself at the fire. I think you're one of them. No, no, no, I'm not one of them. It's Mark, I believe, who says, and this is what's so sad, in his third denial, Peter says, it says he's cursing. He's cursing and saying, I don't know him. And the minute he said that, the cock crowed and Peter realized, oh no, it is exactly like Jesus said. And it says, he went out and wept bitterly. Remember what Jesus said to Peter when he kept insisting that he would die for Jesus? He says, no, Peter, you're gonna deny me because Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat. And I'm gonna let him sift you like wheat. But I'm gonna be praying for you, Peter, and when you are restored, I want you to go and comfort your brothers. You see the difference between, remember I mentioned several weeks ago that Jesus doesn't pray for the world, but he prays for his elect, he prays for his disciples, he prays for Peter. Does it ever say that he prayed for Judas? No, not once. And Peter will betray Jesus and All of this takes place just like the scripture says it was going to occur. Now here's, and I want us to leave us with this today. Jesus voluntarily laid down his life for us. I think at times we don't fully appreciate that as much as we ought to. And when you realize, and Jesus realized in the Garden of Gethsemane, that's why He was sweating drops of blood. Is there any other way, Father? Does it have to be this way? No, He immediately submitted to the will of the Father. And you know, the worst thing about it Crucifixion is a terrible way to physically die. It's one of the worst kinds of death a person can endure. That really wasn't the worst part of it. The worst part is in fulfillment of Isaiah. It pleased the father to crush the son, to bear the iniquities of his people. And when Jesus was on the cross, And he cries out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? For the first time in his earthly life, Jesus felt abandoned because he was abandoned. The father turned his face as it were. And that's why the scripture says, that's why our, Confession of Faith in the Belgic Confession says, Jesus experienced hell on the cross, because that's what hell is, the abandonment of any favor whatsoever. You see, in this world, the unbeliever, remember the scripture says, that God causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous, right? When there's a rain and there's a drought, he doesn't choose us, the elect, that water our gardens, he waters their gardens too. But in hell, there is no favor. Jesus says, hell's a place where the worm never dies, where the fire is never quenched, where there's gnashing of teeth. being utterly forsaken by the living God. And that's what Jesus experienced on the cross. And he voluntarily went to that cross to save us. That's what it took to save you and me, our friend, of our sins. And that's why every day you and I ought to be thanking Jesus for his loving kindness, that he would do that for us. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for what Jesus has done for us. Drive that great, wonderful truth home, Jesus, Savior of sinners, of which we understand we are chief sinners. And send us forth boldly to tell others of the saving work of the Lord Jesus, that you may bring all of your elect to the blessed saving knowledge of Jesus. We ask this in his precious name, amen.