Luke 22: 66-71; 23:1-25  Jesus is Condemned – Station 2

They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?” And he replied, “You say that I am.” “Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard Him say it.”  Luke 22:70‭-‬71 NLT

Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 

For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.” 

But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.  Luke 23:18‭, ‬20‭-‬24 NLT

Our second station is the condemnation of Jesus. He was tried unfairly with no evidence whatsoever to prove his guilt.

  • The council accused Him of blasphemy, namely that He equated Himself with God, claiming to be the Son of God.
  • The Pharisees accused Him before Herod, and He was ridiculed and scorned by the king and his soldiers for refusing to utter a word or perform a miraculous sign.
  • The leading priests and religious leaders accused Him of treason before Pontius Pilate. Accusations against Jesus were not supported, yet Pilate bargained with the people the release of a prisoner of their choice. They chose Barabbas, a seditious murderer over Jesus.
  • The mob demanded Jesus to be crucified. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded!

The whole trial of Jesus is a scandalous injustice. It was an outrageous violation of due process. Moved by religious envy and powerful political interests, all the men involved in condemning Jesus, the Pharisees, the priests, Herod, Pontious Pilate manipulated the crowds, turning them into a senseless mob demanding capital punishment!

Jesus kept his peace, identity, and a sense of purpose in the midst of it all!

When you are sitting on the seat of accusation, or when you face injustice, remind yourself you are a child of God, destined to reign with God and seated in heavenly places!

In the presence of Herod’s mockery, Jesus remained silent and resilient. His attitude is not passivity but powerful confidence that is confronting the abuse of power. Jesus’ silence and inaction remind us that God’s power is not for sale. His signs and miracles are not for display or the entertainment and amusement of the rich and famous. They are signs of love, mercy, and compassion for people in need, for the desperate and for those who believe!

When you feel ridiculed by mockers and haters because of your faith, remind yourself that God’s love and beautiful signs are for those who hunger and thirst for it. Don’t argue and don’t fear, your Father will fight for you and clothe you with honor!

Facing Pilate and the condemning mob, Jesus embraces the eternal purpose of his very existence. He knows he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, including those who are shouting: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” He is the Savior, God with us, Emmanuel born to die on a cross, born to give us new life.

When you take up your cross, deny yourself as a follower of Jesus. Know that every time you suffer for the Gospel you are being purified and refined as gold. No suffering, no unfair situation escapes the perfect plan of the Lord for your life. He will cause everything to work together for your good as long as you those love Him and walk in His purpose (Rom.8.28) 

Finally, let’s thank God for the amazing gift of Jesus’s condemnation. He was condemned for our justification! He took upon Himself the sentence not only of Barrabas but of all of us to set us free of guilt and accusation!

The accuser is defeated, our Defense Attorney paid our debt and served our sentence forever so we can proclaim with the apostle Paul:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1 KJV

~ Pastor Ruben Buitrago, Casa de Gracia