Trial # 2 Mark 15:1-15
A few weeks ago I said Jesus actually had two trials before his crucifixion, first with the religious leaders and then a second one with the political leaders. Today we read about the second trial.
Before we look in detail at this second trial I just want to go over some things from the first one. If you remember, the first trial was a church trial, a trial in which the religious leaders acted as judge and jury. It was a trial run by those who knew scripture and tried to live a life as they saw those scriptures telling them to. It was a trial overseen by men who understood the letter of the law but missed the spirit of it.
These men of the Sanhedrin led their people, but they held themselves above those same people. Jesus called them out about it in Matthew 23:35, “Everything they do is done for people to see.” Jesus goes on to say they wear the tassels on their garments long, basically Jesus is saying they dress to impress and as a way to say “see how holy I am.”
Last week I said all ministers are human, we’re fallible. Matthew 23 tells us what all ministers should be wary of, a self-serving and incorrect vision of our own importance. I know I will not get rich preaching the Word of God. I also know I am in good company; John the Baptist was so poor he ate locust in the desert, Jesus the Son of God died as a pauper.
That first trial shows us that as religious leaders we must not get so wrapped up in the letter of the law that we misuse the spirit of the law. These men knew scripture but didn’t think it applied to them. These men knew scripture but didn’t understand the truth about what would happen when the Messiah walked the earth. These men knew scripture and they used it to justify their fears and intolerances.
Mark 14:63, “The high priest tore his cloths, ‘Why do we need any more witnesses?’ he asked.” I believe these men took their own fears, mixed them with some scripture while ignoring other verses and then putting it all together, and in the process, missing what the foundation of their scripture is. And I believe the cornerstone of the ancient’s faith can be summed up in Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs.”
In Jesus first trial he exposes the religious leaders for using their fears to pick and choose which scripture they will abide by and which they would not. And it’s this that allowed them to miss God’s message of forgiveness and love and to falsely accuse and then condemn Jesus.
This understanding of that first trial radiates out from that room to light on all Christians. As Christians, as ministers, like the Pharisees we all have prejudices and fears we all have things in our lives we want to protect. But as Christians we should work diligently at putting all those aside and looking to God’s Word as we live our life and move it more in line with Christ.
So now let’s look at Jesus second trial. Here we see God on earth tried by the pagans. As I looked into this I saw a painting of Christians as represented by Jesus being questioned and tried by the world and by non-believers. We have Jesus brought to Pilate with charges of treason. Truth be told, I think Pilate and through him, Rome, couldn’t have cared less. But to keep the peace Pilate addresses Jesus, “’Are you the king of the Jews?’ It is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
I think Jesus deliberately gives a vague answer so he neither denies the truth nor affirms a supposition that can be misconstrued. I think this can give us insight. When confronted by someone who questions us with “Are you a Christian,” many times it can be from the point of aggression, someone wanting an answer that they can try to show is wrong. “Yes, I’m a Christian.” “Yeah, well I remember when you…”
Sometimes to avoid conflict the better response is “What do you think my life says about that?” My experience is that this kind of a response deflects an argument and opens a conversation. “I saw you do…” “You know what, you’re right, I try my best but I don’t always get it right, but because of my faith in Jesus God forgives me and gives me another chance.”
Another reason Jesus may have answered this way is because he knew Pilate’s idea about a king and God’s idea of a king were different. There are times people question us as to whether we’re Christian Is because they have certain ideas and expectations as to what a Christian is. They have concepts about what a Christian will say or do, notions about how they live. They want confirmation from you so they can put you in a box. We are all different, being Christian is accepting Jesus and loving God. Sometimes I answer people with, “I like A, B, and C. I have a fun life and I believe Jesus is God’s son so yeah, I’m a Christian.”
Our readings verse 5, “But Jesus still made no reply and Pilate was amazed.”
I may not stay silent like Jesus did, but I don’t engage and argue when I know someone’s aim is to discredit me. I had a neighbor years back that would question me about my faith, and he always said the same thing, “God’s not real, he had no parents. Everything needs parents.” I tried a few times but he always elevated it to a loud argument on his part. I took a lesson from this verse and said simply, “I have faith.” No matter what he said I would answer the same way, “I have faith.” Like Jesus before Pilate, there was no point in me arguing with him over something he was never going to allow himself to consider or believe. Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Like Jesus I pray for him and others who don’t understand. This is why each week during our Congregational prayer we add our prayers for God to reach out and save those still lost.
So now as we continue to look at Jesus silence we can see something else. We can see that Jesus silence astonishes Pilate. Now Pilate is not new to this. He’s dealt with serious charges against people and with victims of Rome before. And I’m sure he’s seen a plethora of responses before; everything from threats, to begging, to claims of innocence, to stunned silence. So why does Jesus’ silence affect him? We get our answer in one of the other gospels; John 19:11, “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.’”
Jesus’ silence was not a silence of defeat or submission. Jesus’ silence disturbed Pilate because it was a silence of power. Jesus’ silence stunned Pilate because it wasn’t a silence of fear, it was a silence of faith, a silence born out of an unwavering faith and trust in God and total acceptance and participation in his holy plan.
When Jesus was arrested he went through two trials. In the narratives of these trials we see lessons, lessons about religion and faith, and lessons about dealing with unbelievers who want to insult and demean us.
As Christians we should not hold man’s rules, man’s religion above the Word of God and his message through scripture. As Christians we should recognize that it is not our importance that matters, it’s Jesus’ importance that matters. We all have our fears, we all have that which we want to protect. Because of this we all should look to scripture for God’s truth. Men should never take one verse or even a part of a verse and base our beliefs on just that. Everyone should see the breath of God in the scriptures and use that to push aside our fears.
When faced by others who want to show we are hypocritical when we claim faith in Christ, keep calm and don’t let others either dishonor you. Don’t let others put your life in a preconceived box.
And know that we don’t need to argue or try to force people to see our point. When we do that we lose our self-control. Remember, our composure and silence is sourced in our faith in God. Our calmness is power, power that comes directly from our faith and from God.
Amen.