A Mistrial of Justice
Matthew 26:57-68
INTRODUCTION
A. Ishimatsu Yoshida was accused of murder in Japan, and two men testified against him.
1. He spent the next 23 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
2. Finally, Yoshida was released from prison, and he began a search for the two men who sent
him to prison.
a. He soon found one of the witnesses, and he compelled him to admit that his testimony
was false and that the murder had actually been committed by the other witness.
b. Yoshida immediately intensified his search for the other witness, and he finally found
him.
1) Yoshida flew upon him with a rage that could only come from being wrongly
imprisoned for over two decades.
2) Yoshida told the man, "Confess that you committed the murder."
a) As Yoshida continued to attack, the false witness finally admitted, "Yes, I confess,
I killed him."
b) Ishimatsu Yoshida was able to gain a new trial and complete exoneration, but he
could not get back those 23 years. .
B. Occasionally, we'll hear horrible stories about individuals being sent to prison for crimes they did
not commit.
1. Our text for this morning describes a trial where Jesus was wrongly accused and wrongly
convicted of a crime he did not commit.
2. "Those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the
elders had gathered" (v. 57).
a. According to later Jewish legal codes, this trial was illegal for at least three reasons: the
trial took place at Caiaphas' home rather than the Chamber of Hewn Stone in the temple;
the trial took place at night - capital trial had to take place during the day; and only after
a full day had intervened could the Sanhedrin render a verdict.
b. Although these legal safeguards may not have been practiced widely in Jesus' day, the
way this trial takes place indicates that the Jewish aristocracy wants Jesus dead at any
cost.
3. This morning, we want to think about the testimony of Jesus: the false testimony of Jesus &
the true testimony of Jesus.
THE FALSE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, vv. 59-61
A. "The chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put
him to death," v. 59.
1. Whether the trial was illegal - as I think it probably was - or not, it was certainly unfair, for
the judges are earnestly seeking testimony that will convict Jesus. They don't care one bit
about truth.
2. "Sought" in the Greek is literally "were seeking" - the idea is that the chief priests and the
Sanhedrin were continually looking for false testimony.
3. The Sanhedrin desired to put Jesus to death.
a. Mark tells us that the Pharisees wanted to put Jesus to death from the very beginning of
his ministry: "The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodians
against him, how to destroy him" (3:6).
b. Here we find them looking for false testimony in order to put Jesus to death.
4. I wonder if the fact that these men were looking for false testimony against Jesus doesn't
indicate that the true testimony they were able to gather about Jesus simply wasn't enough to
put him to death.
B. "They found none, though many false witnesses came forward," v. 60 - Several people came
forward and lied about Jesus, but they could not find the testimony needed to hand Jesus over to
the Romans to have him crucified.
C. At last two came forward and said, "This fellow said, "I am able to destroy the temple of God, and
to build it in three days," v. 61.
1. You know Jesus had said that he would destroy the temple and build it in three days.
a. When Jesus cleansed the temple, the Jews wanted a sign for his authority to cleanse the
temple. Jesus said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn.
2:19).
b. Jesus, of course, as John tells us spoke about his body (Jn. 2:21).
c. The false testimony is that these men claimed Jesus would destroy "the temple of God."
In John's account, Jesus did not say that he would destroy the temple, but Jesus told the
Jews, "You destroy it, and I'll rebuild it."
2. I wonder, also, if the claim that Jesus would destroy the temple doesn't come, in part, from
Mt. 24. When Jesus and the disciples left the temple, Jesus told the disciples, "Truly, I say to
you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down" (v. 2).
D. These Jews weren't interested in the truth about Jesus - they weren't interested in investigating
the truth about Jesus, they were determined to kill him.
1. How many people today are determined to reject Jesus?
a. They don't care what evidence you can present of Jesus' identity, they just aren't
interested in accepting Jesus as Lord and Christ.
b. I remember one lady in Kentucky with whom Tammy & I studied.
1) She said that she didn't think she could know whether or not Jesus was the Christ.
2) I began discussing Jesus' resurrection, and the reliability of the apostles' testimony.
a) She interrupted me and said, "I don't know that Jesus and the apostles ever
lived."
b) I told her that Jesus and the apostles are mentioned in a host of secular historical
documents. She still wasn't persuaded. I said, "Well, what about George
Washington? Did he live?" She said, "I don't have any idea. I never saw him."
3) She had made her mind up - she wasn't interested in evidence or truth - since she
had made up her mind, that was the end of the conversation.
2. The Jews didn't want to hear the truth because it didn't allow them to do what they wanted
(viz., kill Jesus). Thus, the Jews found false witnesses.
a. What are we going to do when the truth runs counter to what we desire?
b. When we read Scripture and it runs counter to what we believe or what we desire to do,
what will we do? Will we obey truth, or will we attempt to rationalize it away?,
THE TRUE TESTIMONY OF JESUS, vv. 62-68
A. The high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men
testify against you?," Jesus remained silent, vv. 62-63.
1. In the Old Testament, judges would normally stand to render their verdict.
2. The high priest stood and asked Jesus what he had to say for himself, but Jesus remained
silent.
B. The high priest said, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God,"
v. 63.
1. "Adjure" means to exact an oath; Caiaphas basically says, "Tell me, under oath, are you the
Christ."
2. Caiaphas wants Jesus to state whether or not he is the Christ.
C. Jesus said to Caipahas, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man
seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven," v. 64.
1. Jesus told Caiaphas, "You said it. That's exactly who I am." You have said so was a common
way of saying yes in the Jewish world.
2. Jesus told Caiaphas, "You will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and
coming on the clouds of heaven."
a. This is an apocalyptic statement, and we need not press it too literally. This is the way
Jewish people often spoke, and Caiaphas clearly understood what Jesus was saying.
b. Dan. 7:13-14 clearly stands behind this passage.
1) It is undoubtedly because of this passage that Jesus called himself the "Son of man."
2) This passage pictures Jesus as going before God's throne and becoming a king,
receiving his kingdom.
D. Jesus was condemned to death, vv. 65-66.
1. Caiaphas tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy, Why do we still need witnesses?
You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?"
a. One who had heard blasphemy against the divine was instructed to tear his garments;
Caiaphas' rending his garments indicates that he believes he has heard blasphemy.
b. He looks at those with him and says, "Why do we need any more false witnesses? This
man has uttered blasphemy. Let's kill him."
2. The Sanhedrin said, "He deserves death."
E. Jesus was mistreated, vv. 67-68.
1. Public flogging was permitted by Jewish law, but the behavior here - spitting on, striking,
and taunting - was prohibited by Jewish law.
2. The rage the Sanhedrin felt could not be restrained, and they commit acts Jews weren't
supposed to do - they spat on Jesus, they struck him, they slapped him, and they taunted him.
F. Many came and testified falsely about Jesus, but he stepped forward and testified truthfully about
himself. When he did speak truthfully about himself, he suffered dire consequences: he was
abused and sentenced to die.
1. There are times in our lives where we might be called upon to speak openly about Jesus, and
we might have to suffer consequences.
a. Teens, what are you going to do when someone asks you at school what you believe
religiously? Will you speak openly and risk losing friends, or will you, like some at
Jesus' trial, speak falsely?
b. Fathers, what will you do when your children want to watch a TV program you know they
have no business watching? Will you say, "Jesus doesn't approve. We won't do that in my
home" and let the chips fall where they may? Or, will you keep silent to keep your
children as your friend?
c. What are you going to do when your employer asks you to do something sinful? Are you
going to say, "I'm a Christian. I'm not doing that" and risk losing your job? Or, will you
just go along with what he wants?
2. History is full of those who willingly took a stand and suffered the consequences.
a. The apologist Justin stands as a great example of someone willing to suffer the
consequences of his faith.
1) Justin had been a philosopher who was converted to Christianity, and he used his
philosophical training to defend Christianity.
2) In defending Christianity, Justin had a debate with a Jew named Trypho. In that
debate, Justin said, "Although beheaded, crucified, thrown to wild beasts, tortured
with chains, fire, and everything else, it is plain that we do not abandon our
confession."
2) When Justin was brought before a Roman course, the prefect Rusticus said to Justin,
"First of all, trust in the gods and obey the emperors." Justin said, "There is no cause
for blame or condemnation in trusting the commands of our Savior Jesus Christ."
Justin then died for his faith.
b. What are we going to do? Will we stand first in spite of the consequences like our Lord, or
will we coward away?