March 6, 2024 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Luke 23:1-12 (EHV) “GOD ON TRIAL: Misconceptions!

 

MIDWEEK LENT 4       March 6, 2024      Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 23:1-12 (EHV)

 

“GOD ON TRIAL:

Misconceptions!

 

          We have been following the theme GOD ON TRIAL for our special worship services. If you have watched any TV lawyer shows like Perry Mason or Law and Order you know that there can be misrepresentations of the truth and misconceptions about witnesses and defendants. When God gets put on trial the same thing happens. Its roots go back to the Garden of Eden. God created Adam and Eve in His image. Then the God wannabe, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve to try to be more than they were, to be like God. They fell for it. And they fell. And since that time sinful man has been trying to create God in our image. So many ideas of what God should be like and God should do. And as you heard when our Lord Jesus was put on trial the same misconceptions are thrown around.

          Luke tells us a whole group of them took Jesus to Pilate. This whole group was the chief priests, the experts in the law, the members of the Sanhedrin. What were their misconceptions about Jesus? “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” First misconception. Jesus is misleading the nation. Why would they say that? Because Jesus was leading the people away from the Pharisees and teachers of the law. That was true. The whole assembly had been leading the nation away from the God. They were the misleaders. They had replaced God’s truth and holy law which revealed the need for a Savior with their teachings and a keepable law so they needed no Savior. What Jesus was actually doing was correctly leading the nation back to God and salvation. Second misconception. Jesus forbids paying taxes to Caesar. I don’t even know what to do with that one. They had heard Jesus say, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Third misconception. Jesus claims to be Christ, a king. Partly true. He is Christ. But he is not a king. He is the King and not of puny earthly kingdoms but of the entire universe. But this group’s misconceptions about Jesus really started with misconceptions about themselves. They thought they were righteous on their own. They thought their good deeds were good enough. The didn’t think they were sinners. And there is no worse misconception than thinking you are right with God and can get to heaven on your own. That misconception is what led to their other misconceptions about Jesus. They didn’t need a Messiah to save them from their sins so Jesus couldn’t be the God sent Savior.

          But the whole assembly was not the only ones who had misconceptions about Jesus. Pilate did too. “Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “It is as you say,” Jesus replied. ⁴ Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” Pilate’s misconception? Jesus is a nobody who will not affect anyone’s life. Jesus correctly answered Pilate’s question. He is the King of the Jews and all people. But Pilate could not get past what his eyes saw. A simple Jewish man, despised and hated by his own people. A nobody. So Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. But the whole assembly would not have it. They put more pressure on. “But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.”

          Pilate saw an out. If Jesus was from Galilee he wasn’t Pilate’s problem. Herod the puppet king of Galilee could deal with him! So Pilate shipped Jesus off to Herod. I wonder if this Herod had any idea that his father, also named Herod, had tried to kill Jesus by murdering all the baby boys in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. At any rate Luke tells us that “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him.” Herod’s view of Jesus? An entertainer, kind of like a court jester only better. He could do miracles. Only he didn’t for Herod. Silence, even when falsely accused. Disappointed Herod got what entertainment value he could out of Jesus, having his soldiers mock and ridicule Jesus before sending Him back.

          All these misconceptions about who Jesus is what He should do. Sadly, they are still around today. Sometimes they creep into our own hearts. Jesus, we like how you tell us to love all people and be kind that’s a message everyone wants to hear and is popular. But that only through you can people get to heaven, that any use of sexuality outside of the one-man one-woman marriage is sin, that our bodies aren’t our own and we can’t do whatever we want or kill another life growing inside of us? That makes people mad at us. Are you misleading us, Jesus? Lord, I have prayed and prayed to you and you still have not done what I asked/told you to do. Are you really a king? Or are you a nobody? Jesus, there are so many cool things in our world. I can stream movies and shows and play video games. They all entertain me. Shouldn’t worship of you be really about entertaining me too? All misconceptions.

          So many misconceptions of Jesus as God was put on trial. I did hear one correct one in the word of God before us. The whole assembly as they tried to pressure Pilate said, “He stirs up the people!” He stirs up the hearts of His people. Brothers and sisters, you are Jesus’ people!  You know why He stays silent when falsely accused and does not correct every misconception made about Him with the force and power He commands as the Son of God. Here it’s because He wants to go to the cross for you. He is willing to let it seem like people have power over Him so He can show His great love for you by taking away the offense of your sins through His sacrifice. He puts up with misconceptions that sometimes creep into our minds, because He understands our weakness and the hurt living in this sinful world brings. He allows people today to try to make Him in their image, He refuses to entertain with miracles that demonstrate His power because He wants people whose hearts are tied to Him through His word. That’s you. People stirred up by His teaching. May the Holy Spirit bless us so that people who watch us and listen to us will have no misconceptions about what we think of Jesus. Our Lord and Savior. Amen.

 

 

Luke 23:1-12 (EHV) “The whole group of them got up and brought him before Pilate. ² They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” ³ Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” “It is as you say,” Jesus replied. ⁴ Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” ⁵ But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.” ⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷ When he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days. ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him. ⁹ He questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the experts in the law stood there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Herod, along with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and ridiculed him. Dressing him in bright clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹² Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that day. Before this they had been enemies of each other.”