Tuesday, August 6, 2013

This week´s Sermon


2013.04.08                                 Jesus is condemned                           
750 years before Jesus was born…. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief……. As we know sorrow and grief followed Him all through His life…… We have been walking with Jesus on His way to the cross….. On the cross Jesus accomplished much more than just washing our sins away…. As we have seen in the last few weeks…… Jesus has also with His perfect sacrifice….. made it possible for all of the disasters in our lives to be turned into victory…… Our Heavenly Father uses every disaster in our lives to mould and shape us into vessels fit for the Kingdom…… We Grieve and suffer…… And the God of all comfort…. comforts us in all of our afflictions…. Last time we were in Luke 22….Jesus was betrayed and Peter denied his LORD…. Epic fail….. Sounds like me…..
It’s just  unbelievable…. Thankfully the true Peter is seen not in his fall but in his recovery…. this is not a story of final failure….  This is a story of restoration……
Peter was so very sorry…. It was his love for Christ that broke his heart….. It was his love for Christ that made him weep bitterly…..  
And so that’s not the end of the story….
Peter remembered what the Lord had said….. And Peter wept bitterly….  He faces the sinfulness of his own flesh….. He faces his own weakness…. He feels the pain he has brought on the Lord….. He cries for pardon and he cries for forgiveness….. The trials and temptations in our lives are there for our own good…. And for God´s Glory….
These things bring us to the point of despair so that we cries for forgiveness and mercy……  This is true repentance……. True repentence leads us to the throne of Grace….
It’s  when we see the kind of Savior we have sinned against that really makes us weep….. And so he wept….. Remember  Jesus what said in Luke 22: 31,32…

Luke 22: 31,32             NKJV    Schlachter 2000
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
31 Es sprach aber der Herr: Simon, Simon, siehe, der Satan hat euch begehrt, um euch zu sichten wie den Weizen;
32 ich aber habe für dich gebetet, daß dein Glaube nicht aufhöre; und wenn du einst umgekehrt bist4, so stärke deine Brüder!
This is so important….. The Lord allowed this sifting to help Peter to see himself….. And to prepare him for many years of fruitful ministry ahead….. It was a terrible lesson…. Those were very difficult times for all of them….. But victory was certain… and Jesus had prayed for them….
 Peter´s faith did not fail….. He repented….. He was restored and was used Mightily….
. Peter preaches on Pentecost, one sermon three thousand are saved….. Preaches again, five thousand more are converted to Christ…..
Peter is a great teacher for us… His disastrous failures are recorded to help us understand how to face temptation and not be overconfident….. We can also learn from Peter…..  how to face sin and failure with hope…..
Let´s listen to Peter himself as we close… After the resurrection…. After Pentecost we see a humble and Bold man Proclaiming the Good News….. Thousands are saved in one day!
God had used those dark and difficult times to clean the garbage out of his heart….. Now he knows he has no reason to be proud and self confident…. He knows he has to stay close to Jesus…. Peter more than many understands the grace and mercy of God……
Luke 22 :62 says…..
62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
 62 Und Petrus ging hinaus und weinte bitterlich.
This morning we´ll continue where we left off in Luke 22…. Let´s read the accounts of Jesus´ trial and condemnation….. turn to Luke chapter 22….. Luke 22:63….
  Luke 22: 63- 71                 NKJV
63 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
70 Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.”
71 And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

Luke 22: 63- 71                      Schlachter 2000
63 Die Männer aber, die Jesus festhielten, verspotteten und mißhandelten ihn;
64 und nachdem sie ihn verhüllt hatten, schlugen sie ihn ins Angesicht und fragten ihn und sprachen: Weissage uns, wer ist's, der dich geschlagen hat?
65 Und viele andere Lästerungen sprachen sie gegen ihn aus.
66 Und als es Tag geworden war, versammelten sich die Ältesten des Volkes, die obersten Priester und Schriftgelehrten, und führten ihn vor ihren Hohen Rat; und sie sprachen:
67 Bist du der Christus? Sage es uns! Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Wenn ich es euch sagte, so würdet ihr es nicht glauben;
68 wenn ich aber auch fragte, so würdet ihr mir nicht antworten, noch mich loslassen.
69 Von nun an wird der Sohn des Menschen sitzen zur Rechten der Macht Gottes.
70 Da sprachen sie alle: Bist du also der Sohn Gottes? Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Ihr sagt es, denn ich bin es!
71 Da sprachen sie: Was brauchen wir ein weiteres Zeugnis? Denn wir haben es selbst aus seinem Mund gehört!
This is a very difficult text to read…… Jesus suffered all of this pain and sorrow for us….. for my sins……
V63-65
Why did Jesus endure this wickedness and hatred? Why didn´t he defend himself?
1. He did it to demonstrate that the proper response to hate is not more hate, but love…….

2. He did it to demonstrate His trust in the Father….. that God would vindicate (rechtfertigen, verteidigen, verfechten) Him In the resurrection…..
3. He did it so that every time we are mistreated and humiliated we can find refuge in our savior…. Jesus says….  "I know exactly what you are going through."
V67…..  If I tell you, you will by no means believe…
 At this point in the longest night…. Jesus had already told them again…. that he was the Messiah…. and they found Him guilty of blasphemy for telling the truth…. The present trial was all for show…. They had already decided on Jesus’ guilt…… They were determined to kill Him…..
As we continue into Chapter 23… the trials continue as Jesus appears before Pilate and Herod…..
Chapter 23 v1-25
Luke 23: 1- 25                  NKJV
23 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the[a] nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee,[b] he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him;[c] and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” 17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).[d]

18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.[e] 24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 And he released to them[f] the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Luke 23: 1- 25    Schlachter 2000
1 Und die ganze Versammlung stand auf, und sie führten ihn vor Pilatus.
2 Sie fingen aber an, ihn zu verklagen und sprachen: Wir haben gefunden, daß dieser das Volk verführt und es davon abhalten will, dem Kaiser die Steuern zu zahlen. Er behauptet, er sei Christus, der König.
3 Da fragte ihn Pilatus und sprach: Bist du der König der Juden? Er antwortete ihm und sprach: Du sagst es!
4 Da sprach Pilatus zu den obersten Priestern und der Volksmenge: Ich finde keine Schuld an diesem Menschen!
5 Sie aber bestanden darauf und sprachen: Er wiegelt das Volk auf, indem er in ganz Judäa lehrt, angefangen in Galiläa bis hierher!
6 Als Pilatus von Galiläa hörte, fragte er, ob der Mensch ein Galiläer sei.
7 Und als er hörte, daß er aus dem Herrschaftsgebiet des Herodes sei, sandte er ihn zu Herodes, der in diesen Tagen auch selbst in Jerusalem war.
8 Herodes aber freute sich sehr, als er Jesus erblickte; denn er hätte ihn schon längst gern gesehen, weil er viel von ihm gehört hatte, und er hoffte, zu sehen, wie ein Zeichen von ihm vollbracht wurde.
9 Er legte ihm denn auch viele Fragen vor; aber er gab ihm keine Antwort.
10 Die obersten Priester aber und die Schriftgelehrten standen da und verklagten ihn heftig.
11 Und Herodes behandelte ihn verächtlich und verspottete ihn samt seinen Kriegsleuten und schickte ihn, nachdem er ihm ein Prachtgewand hatte anlegen lassen, wieder zu Pilatus.
12 An demselben Tag schlossen Pilatus und Herodes Freundschaft miteinander, denn zuvor waren sie einander feind gewesen.
13 Pilatus aber rief die obersten Priester und die führenden Männer und das Volk zusammen
14 und sprach zu ihnen: Ihr habt diesen Menschen zu mir gebracht, als mache er das Volk abtrünnig; und siehe, als ich ihn vor euch verhörte, habe ich an diesem Menschen keine Schuld gefunden, deretwegen ihr ihn anklagt,
15 aber auch Herodes nicht; denn ich habe euch zu ihm gesandt; und siehe, es ist nichts von ihm verübt worden, was des Todes würdig wäre.
16 Darum will ich ihn züchtigen und dann freilassen!
17 Er mußte ihnen aber anläßlich des Festes einen freigeben.
18 Da schrie aber die ganze Menge und sprach: Hinweg mit diesem, und gib uns Barabbas frei!
19 Der war wegen eines in der Stadt vorgefallenen Aufruhrs und Mordes ins Gefängnis geworfen worden.
20 Nun redete ihnen Pilatus noch einmal zu, weil er Jesus freilassen wollte.
21 Sie aber riefen dagegen und sprachen: Kreuzige, kreuzige ihn!
22 Und zum drittenmal sprach er zu ihnen: Was hat dieser denn Böses getan? Ich habe keine des Todes würdige Schuld an ihm gefunden. Darum will ich ihn züchtigen und dann freilassen.
23 Sie aber hielten an mit lautem Geschrei und forderten, daß er gekreuzigt werde; und ihr Geschrei und das der obersten Priester nahm überhand.
24 Da entschied Pilatus, daß ihre Forderung erfüllt werden sollte,
25 und gab ihnen den frei, den sie begehrten, welcher eines Aufruhrs und Mordes wegen ins Gefängnis geworfen worden war; Jesus aber übergab er ihrem Willen.

And so Pilate ends the day of trials of our Lord Jesus Christ….. This is the final phase of the illegal and unjust trials of the Lord Jesus….. The first phase happened before Annas the former High Priest and his son in law….  Caiaphas, the current high priest….. Jesus was tried by the entire Sanhedrin….. the supreme court of Israel in the middle of the night…. They condemned Jesus to die for blasphemy…… because He claimed to   be the Messiah…. They hated him and were determined to kill him….. but….
Since they had no right to exercise capital punishment they wanted the Romans to execute Jesus…..
But blasphemy would not be enough to get the  Romans to call for capital punishment…... They had to invent a
secular crime…… We see that in verse 2 of chapter 23,
Luke 23:2    NKJV    Schlachter 2000
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
2 Sie fingen aber an, ihn zu verklagen und sprachen: Wir haben gefunden, daß dieser das Volk verführt und es davon abhalten will, dem Kaiser die Steuern zu zahlen. Er behauptet, er sei Christus, der König.

‘This is the whole Jewish supreme court…. the Sanhedrin, numbering about 70 men……

They make Jesus seem to be a revolutionary who is a serious threat to Rome…. This is a  crime the Romans would punish with death……. All lies….. It´s crazy….. Here are the religious leaders of the nation…. The Supreme Court….. telling lies because they want Jesus dead…..
Pilate meets with Jesus and concludes He is not guilty of such a crime…..
All of these trials….  before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin…… then before Pilate and Herod…. are nothing but wickedness and injustice…..
The perfectly righteous, sinless and innocent one is condemned…… as if He were a blasphemer and a criminal….. These wicked Men seek to kill the very one who gives them life…..  
The Lord Jesus is declared not guilty  by three separate witnesses, Pilate, Herod and Pilate’s wife….. Yet in spite of repeatedly being declared not guilty, He is condemned to die…..  And all the wicked participants who sit in judgment on Him and who condemn Him…..   really condemn themselves…... The only hope for a lost and dying world…. Judged as a sinner worthy of death………. Well …. The wages of sin is death……
Now we know…… Jesus died for our sins…… Jesus died this horrible and painful death for our sins….. If we reject His sacrifice and refuse to repent….. We are the ones who are judged and condemned……. Turn with me to John 3…. Jesus is prophesying about His cricifiction…..
John 3: 14-21       NKJV
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

John 3: 14- 21     Schlachter 2000
14 Und wie Mose in der Wüste die Schlange erhöhte, so muß der Sohn des Menschen erhöht werden,
15 damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verlorengeht, sondern ewiges Leben hat.
16 Denn so [sehr]4 hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, damit jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verlorengeht, sondern ewiges Leben hat.
17 Denn Gott hat seinen Sohn nicht in die Welt gesandt, damit er die Welt richte, sondern damit die Welt durch ihn gerettet werde.
18 Wer an ihn glaubt, wird nicht gerichtet; wer aber nicht glaubt, der ist schon gerichtet, weil er nicht an den Namen des eingeborenen Sohnes Gottes geglaubt hat.5
19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.
20 Denn jeder, der Böses tut, haßt das Licht und kommt nicht zum Licht, damit seine Werke nicht aufgedeckt werden.
21 Wer aber die Wahrheit tut, der kommt zum Licht, damit seine Werke offenbar werden, daß sie in Gott getan sind.
What we see today is a world condemned…….. Because they refuse to repent and believe the Good News….. v19
19 And this is the comdemnation…. Light is come into the world…
19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.
The human haters of Jesus, Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Herod, Pilate and the screaming mob, do not condemn Jesus….. They condemn themselves….. They do not determine the fate of Jesus….. Jesus said no man takes my life…. I lay it down…. 
As we stand with Jesus before Pilate….. We have the final phase of our Lord’s trial….. It ends with Pilate’s final disposition at the end of verse 25,
Luke 23: 25b    NKJV
25b “He delivered Jesus to their will.”
25b  Jesus aber übergab er ihrem Willen.
Their will was that He be crucified…... That’s exactly according to the Father´s will…..
Pilate stands in history as a tragic figure…  He stands with all the other chief priests and rulers who play roles in the trials of our Lord…..
Think of it… they were all in the presence of the Son of God….. they were in the presence of the Creator, the one who made everything and without Him was not anything made that was made…… They were in the presence of the Lord and Savior, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the only hope of sinners……..
Three times Pilate declares Jesus not guilty...verse 4 of chapter 23, “I find not guilt in this man;” verse 14, “I have found no guilt in this man;” verse 22, “I have found in Him no guilt.” And then he even says in verse 15 that Herod found the same thing. Herod sent Him back to us because there was nothing deserving of death that had been done by him……
Pilate knows He’s innocent….. Pilate knows all about Jesus…..
Pilate knows about Jesus because on Monday when Jesus came into town….. there was a crowd   hailing Him as a King…….
Pilate knows about Jesus because reputation of Jesus was well established…… After all, on Tuesday He had cleansed the temple which the Romans certainly would have known about and this was the second time He did that…... He knows about Jesus…… And he also knows that Jesus doesn’t have an army…… He’s not a threat to Rome…..
He knows that the leaders are jealous…. That’s how he views it…. They do what they do out of sheer envy cause Jesus is good, kind, loving, popular, profound, powerful…... He wants to do what’s right.....
But Pilate has a problem….. The hatred of Jesus is unstoppable now…… the crowd has joined the religious leaders and they cry out for Jesus crucifixion…..
verse 18….
Luke 23: 18,19      NKJV    Schlachter 2000
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
18 Da schrie aber die ganze Menge und sprach: Hinweg mit diesem, und gib uns Barabbas frei!
19 Der war wegen eines in der Stadt vorgefallenen Aufruhrs und Mordes ins Gefängnis geworfen worden.



Pilate´s plan backfires…..  Pilate is in the situation that he never wanted to be in….. He knew Jesus was not a revolutionary and he assumed the crowd would vote for Jesus….. Now, not only does he have to kill an innocent man…..  but he has to release a known revolutionary….. He’s trapped….. Peter stood up in the Temple one day preached about this event powerfully…… Turn with me to Acts 3….
Acts 3: 14,15         NKJV    Schlachter 2000
14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
14 Ihr habt den Heiligen und Gerechten verleugnet und verlangt, daß euch ein Mörder geschenkt werde;
15 den Fürsten des Lebens aber habt ihr getötet! Ihn hat Gott aus den Toten auferweckt; dafür sind wir Zeugen.

you asked for a murderer to be granted to you and put to death the Prince of Life.”…..

Can you hear the hatred in that?What a change from just 1 week ago when the entire city came out and Hailed Jesus as the Messiah……..  What ever happened to Hosanna, Son of David? Now with one voice….. They cry out Away with this man……
Amazing how things changed….
Kill the Prince of Life….. Give us a murderer…. Kill the most magnificent person who ever lived and give us a plundering terrorist. Take the miracle working gracious Redeemer out of our presence and give us a robber. Take the gracious Son of the Father out of our city, out of our nation, out of our lives and let loose the vicious son of the father among us. Let the guilty live and kill the innocent. Treat the guilty as innocent. Treat the innocent as guilty. We reject the best. We accept the worst.”

On that day they thought they were done with Jesus, but they weren’t…… because He’s not done with them….. All judgment is committed unto Him…. every sinner who rejects Him will stand before Him to be rejected by Him……. They judged Him unworthy of their presence….. and He judges them unworthy of His presence forever……
Poor Pilate….. He´s condemned an innocent man because he was afraid of the people…. how sad is he? The people were the real blasphemers, not Jesus….. They were the criminals, not Jesus……

By rejecting Jesus….. They  judged themselves and condemned themselves….. as all do who reject the LORD JESUS Christ…..
We find ourselves in a world condemned because of sin and rebellion…. Sad….. because Jesus did not come into the World to condemn it….. He came to redeem it….. Look again at John 3……
John 3: 18-20                NKJV     
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 3: 18-20             Schlachter 2000
18 Wer an ihn glaubt, wird nicht gerichtet; wer aber nicht glaubt, der ist schon gerichtet, weil er nicht an den Namen des eingeborenen Sohnes Gottes geglaubt hat.5
19 Darin aber besteht das Gericht, daß das Licht in die Welt gekommen ist, und die Menschen liebten die Finsternis mehr als das Licht; denn ihre Werke waren böse.
20 Denn jeder, der Böses tut, haßt das Licht und kommt nicht zum Licht, damit seine Werke nicht aufgedeckt werden.
We are living in a World that is becoming more and more hateful of Jesus and His followers….. They are unwilling to repent of their sins and let the Glorious light of the Gospel shine into their hearts….. because they love their sin…. Their deeds are evil…..
What about you…. Will you repent and come to Jesus He died for you!



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