Jesus is Judged

The Entry: Remembering the Crowd’s Welcome and the Shadow of Rejection

As we journey through Passion Sunday, we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem as King, welcomed with shouts of hosanna. Yet, Pastor Scott reminds us this morning that our scripture shows how quickly the crowd turns, and how Jesus finds himself judged, by the same voices that once cheered for him.

"Jesus is actually putting himself in the place where he's being judged in our scripture this morning. And the irony is that Jesus is the one who's going to judge everyone in all eternity."

Our world, Pastor said, is no different today. There’s a steady rejection of the way of Christ, both in public and private lives. Many of us, before we even acknowledged Christ, found ways to push guilt aside, cover it up with good deeds, or simply ask for forgiveness while planning to keep on as before. He tells a story from his own youth, lying awake at night, confessing the same sins he had no real intention of leaving behind, seeking peace without a change of heart.

Looking for Peace on Our Own Terms: Idolatry and Dismissal

We heard of the friend who deeply hurt Pastor once, but breezily declared, “I have forgiven myself for that.” It didn’t heal the wound. Our world often encourages us to dismiss responsibility or to treat forgiveness as self-affirmation, as if owning up isn’t needed anymore. The church, too, sometimes tells us, “Just forgive yourself.” Yet, Pastor Scott points us back: forgiveness begins with seeing our real need before God, not covering over it.

"You have to do it Jesus's way. The only way that you're going to feel right about yourself is when you...own that you too have been someone who has judged Jesus.”

This, he calls the 'red pill', the costly truth. The easier path, the 'blue pill,' shrugs off sin, but Jesus says, “You can change.”

Walking Through Matthew’s Passion: Humanity on Trial

In Matthew 27:1-26, we watch the trial unfold. Judas, the crowd, Pilate, the priests, each judges Jesus in their own way. Judas betrays for silver, feels regret, but chooses his own form of atonement. Pilate’s questions reveal a man who knows Jesus is innocent, yet can’t withstand the crowd. The crowd itself is quick to cry for Barabbas, quick to call for crucifixion.

"You see these people or Pilate's wife, you see these people and what you are going to find is that you can see a little bit of yourself if you're honest within each one of these."

It's not just history. Each of these roles, Pastor says, finds an echo in our own lives, the ways we choose what is easy, or justify ourselves, or stand silent when we ought to speak.

Judas and the Tragedy of False Repentance

Judas knows he has betrayed innocent blood and is wracked with remorse, but not the kind that turns back to God. He returns the money, confesses to the priests who will not lift a finger to help, and finally decides to end his pain on his own terms.

"There is a worldly repentance...I'm sorry for the position that I'm in. I wish that I could undo it. The godly repentance would be I'm sorry enough that I'm going to own it and I'm going to confess it and I'm going to turn from it and ask God for forgiveness."

Judas tries to atone by his own method. Pastor warns: we cannot buy peace with good deeds, self-forgiveness, or rituals. Only Jesus makes true atonement. Trying to craft it for ourselves is, in Pastor’s words, still standing in judgment over Jesus.

Pilate: Neutrality Fails the Test

Pilate knows what’s right, he knows Jesus is innocent, he knows the accusations are twisted, grounded in jealousy. Yet, his fear of people and his desire for peace leads him to wash his hands, as if the ritual could free him from responsibility.

"Pilate thinks that because all he has to do is stick his hands into a bowl of water...and say, 'Whoa, I'm innocent of this.' That's not how that works."

Pastor points out that inaction is its own form of sin when we know what's right. Pilate's ritual hand washing could not undo his participation. We cannot excuse ourselves by pretending neutrality is enough: “Jesus eliminates neutrality.” Once we know who he is, we each must choose our side.

The Crowd: The Power and Tragedy of Collective Rejection

Pastor reflects on how crowds change. One day cheering Jesus as Messiah, soon after demanding his death. The manipulation by religious leaders is real, but the crowd’s decision remains on them.

"You have crowds. You have I'm telling you, it's becoming more and more unpopular to follow Jesus Christ in our time. You have people rejecting him...if they could physically put Jesus on the cross, they would do it again."

Even when faced with the choice between a murderer (Barabbas) and the man who brings the dead to life, they choose wrongly. Pastor Scott draws the line to today: every time we choose power, success, or self-righteousness over mercy and grace, we join in that crowd.

The Contemporary Challenge: Bringing the Message Home

The sermon closes with a call to Pickens County and to our own church family. There is no shortage of churches, yet too often, real change is missing, cycles of pain and injustice continue. Pastor Scott presses us: what if we were honest? What would change if we owned our sin, repented for how we have decided against Jesus with our choices, and came back to him?

"If you're somebody who's trying to make your own atonement with God, you can dismiss those things just like I found with my friend who said, 'I forgive myself, right?'...If you think that you can somehow make up your own way to make yourself righteous before God, you are sadly mistaken."

He concludes with the invitation to respond: to acknowledge what we have done, receive the gift of forgiveness, and follow Jesus instead of our own hearts and plans. Like the prodigal, we are welcomed if we simply turn back.

Living It Out

This message calls us to honesty. We do not set the terms for forgiveness or atonement, God does, through the free sacrifice of Jesus for us. The pattern of Judas, Pilate, and the crowd is repeated every time we excuse ourselves, blame others, or dismiss the cost of mercy. This week, we can ask ourselves where we have been trying to be our own judge, and bring our whole selves, honestly, before Jesus who was judged in our place.

Discussion Questions

1. In what ways do you find yourself tempted to justify your actions, rather than confess honestly before God?
2. Where do you see the pull to 'wash your hands' of difficult situations, instead of choosing a side as Pilate was forced to?
3. How could naming your real needs and failures open the door to receiving forgiveness, rather than simply dismissing or covering over guilt?