You will remember from our last message on this subject that Christ went to Gethsemane. In that Olive Garden, late in the night, He was in agony praying. Just a stone's cast away, His disciples were asleep. As Jesus came and awakened the disciples, and rebuked them for sleeping in such crucial moments, Judas and the multitude of soldiers appeared.

I. JUDAS AND THOSE SOLDIERS APPEARED TO BETRAY AND ARREST THE SON OF GOD:

A. Judas came for one purpose only: to betray Jesus:

1. Judas had long posed as a friend of the Saviour:

a. He was "one of the twelve," Matt. 26:47. He was in the inner circle. He had been with Jesus, seen the miracles, and heard the piercing words of truth. The majority of the people no doubt thought Judas was a friend and supporter of Christ.

b. Judas himself wanted it to appear that way. He came right up to Jesus and said, "Hail, master," Matt. 26:49. This is really saying you are my boss, and I'm your follower and servant. The salutation "Hail" in the Greek is "chairo" meaning rejoice. It's use meant happiness and allegiance. Judas came right up to our Lord and "kissed him," Matt. 26:49. The kiss has for centuries been almost universally recognized as one of the highest and surest signs of love and friendship. When Jesus at the Passover Supper first pointed out that one of the Apostles would betray Him, Judas joined right in with the other disciples and looked just as innocent as could be, John 13:21-22. Although, the fact was that by that time, he had already covenanted for money to betray the Saviour, Matt. 26:14-16.

c. Folks, Judas was a deceiver. He could smile in your face while he stabbed you in the side. He could make like he belonged to Jesus, when in truth he had never believed in Him, John 6:64. But, all the betrayers, deceivers, and false professors didn't die with Judas. The ranks of Christianity are still saturated with them today. There are still those who claim they're saved, but who are yet lost. So many claim friendship with God, yet have no regard for what He said; no convictions about His precepts; no love for His church; no love for His fellowship; no love for His book; and no love for His people. Jesus asked, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46. Jesus said, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven," Matt. 7:21. And, the will of the Father is that all men be saved, II Pet. 3:9. Dear friend, the Lord knows the chaff from the wheat; and those who are His from those who are not; and the day is coming when the truth shall come to light. You, who claim to belong to Jesus; but, who in your hear have never trusted Him, are not fooling God at all. He knows exactly where you stand.

2. Judas, like many, acted under false pretenses; but the truth soon came to light:

a. He said, "Hail, Master," and he "kissed," the Lord; but he betrayed the Son of God. The truth of what he was, and had been all along was as clear as night and day.

b. And, one of these days .... Every knee shall bow .... and every tongue shall confess to God. So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God," Rom. 14:11-12. And, on that day, whatever you really are will be made known. If you are a wolf in sheep's clothing, a false professing Christian, your game of deception and deceit will be forever over, and you will find yourself in the lake of eternal fire from which you shall never escape.

B. Judas and his wolves came to take the Lord with swords and staves:

1. Listen to Matthew tell about it. "And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priest and elders of the people," Matt. 26:47.

2. To me this has been one of the most ridiculous scenes I have ever contemplated; not because of what Jesus did, but because of what Judas and the soldiers did. Can you imagine these mortals, just dust, Gen. 3:19, coming here to arrest the Creator, the very one who designed and made them? Can you imagine them here with swords and staves to arrest Him, who could have with the mere power of His word wiped them right out of existence? In Matt. 26:53 He asks, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" In those days, a legion consisted of 4,200 to 6,000 trained soldiers. The Lord was saying He could have called more than 72,000 angels to deliver Him from this, if He had chosen to do so. The soldiers would have been as powerless against the Lord as a lamb against a pride of lions (and even more so) had He not willingly allowed them to take Him. You talk about an over-inflated ego, of groundless self-confidence, vainglory, conceitedness, and vanity; these people had the worst case of which I have ever heard. The very minute that Jesus opened His mouth and spoke to them, "They went backwards, and fell to the ground," John 18:6. There had been earlier times when they had "sought to take him," but "No man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come," John 7:30, John 8:20, etc. They couldn't do a thing in this world unto Him until He got ready for them to do it. Mister, this Jesus was not just another man; He was and is "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," I Tim. 6:15.

3. Though Jesus was the Lord of Glory, and had all power to prevent this from happening, nevertheless, He said, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" John 18:11.

4. At first, when the soldiers came, Simon Peter began to resist. John 18:10 says, "Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." Although, you will see from Verse 11 that Jesus told Peter to put his "sword into the sheath." And, in spite of the tremendous injustice that this very soldier and his comrades were propagating against Jesus, "He touched his ear, and healed him," Luke 22:51. You talk about one, who practiced what he preached, Jesus was that one. He preached that men do good even unto their enemies, Luke 6:32-35. Now, here He was, under the most adverse, trying circumstances, practicing what He preached.

5. After this, John 18:12 says, "The band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away ...."

C. At this, all of His followers forsook Him:

1. Matt. 26:56 says, "But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophet might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled." Mark 14:50, "And they all forsook him, and fled."

2. What a sad picture. At an hour when they were needed most, they were all gone. Jesus was the one who loved them the most, yet they left Him standing alone at the most crucial, needy moment.

3. Matt. 26:58, Mark 14:54, and Luke 22:54 all say, "Peter followed him afar off." What a painful picture he is of too many of us. We are following Jesus, but "afar off." We are afar off on Sunday night, at visitation, and during Revivals. Our language is afar off, our money is afar off, and our family is afar off. It's sad to say, but the real problem with too many of us is that our hearts are "afar off," and our actions and speech show it.

II. UPON HIS ARREST, JESUS WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN FOR A HEBREW TRIAL [GOD-GIVEN RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY]:

A. Mark put it this way, "And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and elders and the scribes," Mark 14:53.

1. This occurred during the pre-dawn hours on the day of the Crucifixion "before the cock crew," Luke 22:54-61.

2. It was a cold night, and a fire had been built beside which Peter and others, who waited for the outcome, warmed themselves, Mark 14:54 and Luke 22:55.

B. The Sanhedrin was the highest tribunal of the Jews:

1. It was composed of 23 priests, 23 scribes, 23 elders, and two presiding officers.

2. The Sanhedrin never admitted testimony from women, minors, idiots, slaves, blind men, gamblers, relatives, or Gentiles.

3. It did not recognize circumstantial evidence; and all it's witnesses had to agree on essential details or their testimony was rejected.

4. Each witness was required to give evidence both separately and in the presence of the accused.

5. The accused could testify on his own behalf, but was not compelled to do so.

6. No accused could be required to testify against himself, and a confession alone was not acceptable as a basis of conviction.

C. A legal Hebrew or Jewish trial required four steps:

1. The first step was an early morning sacrifice.

2. This was to be followed by the assembling of the Judges.

3. This was followed by the examination of the witnesses.

4. Then came debate and balloting on the guilt or innocence of the accused:

a. The youngest member of the court always voted first, then the second youngest, and so forth, so the junior jurors were not influenced by the more learned and older judges.

b. If the accused was acquitted, he was set free at once.

c. If he was convicted, the court met again the next day, rediscussed the evidence, then revoted.

5. The second trial was like an appeal:

a. If a judge voted "not guilty" the first day, he could not change to "guilty" on the second day.

b. But, if he voted "guilty" on the first day, he could change to "not guilty" on the second day for a valid reason.

c. Once a person was found guilty on both days, there was no delay in the execution. He was led to a place of execution at sundown, given frankincense: and was then stoned or beheaded.

D. This Hebrew trial of Jesus actually involved three steps:

1. There was first Jesus' appearance before Annas:

a. John 18:12-13 says, "Then the band and the captain and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him, and led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was high priest that same year."

b. Annas was a former high priest, and probably a member of the Sanhedrin. He kept his title of "high priest" after his term of office had finished, just as a retired army general of today is still called "General."

c. As father-in-law and advisor to Caiaphas, the current high priest, Annas was still the most influencial priest in Jewry.

2. The second part of the Hebrew trial was Jesus' trial at night before the assembled Sanhedrin.

3. The third part was His second examination before this Sanhedrin, which was about three hours following the first examination.

E. In spite of the fact that this tribunal had jurisdiction over Jesus as an alleged blasphemer, their trial of Jesus broke every code of justice, was in no way a fair trial, and was illegal in every regard:

1. In the first place, this court convened before the morning sacrifice, which was expressly forbidden by Hebrew law.

2. Furthermore, the trial was illegal because the Sanhedrin was never to meet for capital punishment cases on any day immediately preceding a feast or Sabbath day. If they did, and found anyone gufity, they could not reconvene on the holy day. In this case, they illegally convened on the day before the Passover.

3. Hebrew law forbade the Sanhedrin from convicting anyone upon the strength of his testimony alone; yet this court condemned Christ on His own testimony. The scripture says in Mark 14:56, "For many bear false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together." Of course, by their own law, they had to throw that testimony out; but they didn't. Verses 60-63 of the same chapter continues, "And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, Answereth thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and he said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, what need we any further witness?" By their own law, another witness was required, but they didn't call one.

4. In the fourth place, this trial was illegal because Caiaphas rent his clothes. An ordinary Israelite could tear his garment as a sign of grief, but priests were prohibited from doing so because their vestments were made according to specific directions from God and were figurative of the office.

5. This trial was illegal as well, because the merits of Christ's defense were never considered. Witnesses could have been secured who could have testified that He fulfilled every prophecy of the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah. Yet not one was called. The Sanhedrin court passed right over all the evidence as though it didn't exist; and everybody knows that is not legal.

6. In addition to this illegality, the judges of this Sanhedrin court hated Jesus Christ because of the truths which He had taught, many of which condemned these judges. They had already had three meetings to conspire against Him. Having therefore, an interest in the subject matter of the trial, everyone of these judges should have been disqualified. Not one of them could legally sit in judgment against Jesus Christ, yet not one was disqualified.

7. Furthermore, their verdict was a unanimous verdict of "guilty." According to law, they therefore should have convened the next day; but, in an abortive effort to beat the Holy Passover day which was about to begin, and with no regard to legality or justice, this court reconvened after a recess of only three hours. And, when they reconvened, they did not reconsider the evidence and re-vote, which their own law required them to do; but instead, they led Jesus away, and delivered Him to Pilate.

8. So, the action of this Sanhedrin court against our Lord was legally unconscionable. It was rank mockery of justice. In their minds, He was already condemned, and their minds were closed to the evidence. Their trial was a mere sham, to make the people think that Jesus was getting just and legal treatment. But, the fact is that everything Jesus got from this court was illegal and unjust.