Open Our Eyes [8-30-26]

August 30, 2026

Luke 22:66-23:25

“Open our Eyes”

Before we jump in to our rather long passage today, here’s the big picture point to keep in mind:

LUKE’S PURPOSE IS NOT TO UPHOLD JESUS AS MERELY INNOCENT BUT TO SHOW HIM TO BE THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFERER.

Remember, Jesus was born to die. And Luke traces his journey to the cross in telling the story of our salvation history.

With that in mind, here’s Luke 22:66-23:25:

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas” - a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

Today, we’re going to pluck the most important pieces out of today’s passage. There is, obviously, a lot going on here.

The first thing that strikes you is the silence of Jesus. Remember how almost silent Jesus is before Pilate. He basically says nothing. What he does say to Pilate in 23:3 is matter-of-fact…almost dismissive. If you ever get criticized for an appropriate use of sarcasm, just remember verse three. “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” That is probably the equivalent of saying, “Whatever.” Or, “What does it look like to you?”

Either way, the interpretation by those hearing it is simple. By refusing to answer if he is guilty of some crime, Jesus sends a signal of brave resistance. He doesn’t have to answer because he’s not under Pilate’s power. Here’s something to keep in mind:

“Confession is the speech of those who succumb to the power of another.”

Are you with me on that? Jesus is neither concerned nor afraid. He will not betray his purpose simply because he’s under threat or pressure.

Confession is the act of someone whose spirit has been broken. Not ever going to happen with Jesus. Here’s something you might want to write down. Even under threat of beating or any other pressure that can be applied:

JESUS DOES NOT CRACK OR CRUMBLE.

Think about any kind of problem or pressure you’ve faced or are facing now. Because of what Jesus does, you can persevere. You have a Savior who stands with you. You can stand strong. He shows us that we, too, can be fortified by prayer and his presence in our lives. Amen?

As a side note, I love how someone once put it:

Your greatest problem isn’t that people have sinned against you. You greatest problem is that you have sinned against a Holy God. And your greatest and only hope is Jesus Christ.

All three oppositional groups in today’s passage…Romans, Jewish leaders, and the rabble…they all want Jesus dead. They think it will solve all their problems. Romans perceive Jesus to be a threat to governing stability. The religious leaders perceive Jesus to be a threat to their hold over the people. They think his teachings threaten their status and control.

Remember. Jesus has been teaching that God frees us from sin and fear. What keeps corrupt people in power? Sin and fear. And then there’s the rabble. Their deal is that groups of ne’er-do-wells ne’er do well. While that doesn’t describe everyone, good things rarely, if ever, happen when crowds of sheeple get stirred up. It’s usually driven by miserable people stuck in what they see as their miserable lives. “Who can I blame for how miserable I feel?”

And nothing good comes of these three forces at work here in our passage.

Pilate tries to weasel his way around any bad press coming from his encounter with Jesus. As we read:

Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”

Do you hear the point Luke makes? It’s something else you might want to write down:

JESUS IS INNOCENT.

Here’s what we read in John 1:29:

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

That’s what’s so crucial about Pilate’s words. Jesus is the innocent suffering servant who takes our sin upon himself. And Pilate has no clue about what any of this means. He’s simply trying to do the politically expedient thing.

In the end, the crowd cries out to release Barabbas, not Jesus. Funny, because Barabbas is guilty as sin for doing some really horrible things. Which makes the symbolism of the moment even more pronounced.

Here’s what I mean. Anytime an Aramaic name begins with “Bar,” it means son of. And the Aramaic word for father is “Abba.” So his name literally means “son of the father.” Put it all together, and Pilate is going to free the son of a human father while sending to his death the Son of the Divine Father. It is a beautiful thing.

As the roar of the crowd swells, Pilate makes the only choice he thinks he can make. To highlight the intensity of the rabble, Luke uses a Greek word for “urgent” that literally means the rush of a storm. That’s how intense and insistent they are. So, with all he’s facing, Pilate releases Barabbas.

But here’s the thing. It’s what Luke knows and wants us to understand. Jesus is not interested in overthrowing the social order. Neither is he interested in overthrowing the ruling authorities. His followers soon grasp that fact. And it remains strong with us. Our primary focus is on the trajectory of Jesus’ life…from birth to the cross…the totality of our salvation history…and how it impacts our lives. We live joyfully. We worship joyfully. We express that joy in how we love each other and our community.

The whole point is the triumph of God’s will. Jesus will enter God’s glory

through suffering. The cross will forever be the sign of God’s love and

forgiveness for our rebellion against God’s will for our lives. So Pilate must

hand Jesus over for crucifixion. It is God’s sovereign plan for our salvation.

I love how Paul puts it in Romans 3:23-24:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Luke opens our eyes to the blessing of that promise. He invites us to examine our own guilt. When we do it, we can echo what the one criminal crucified with Jesus said, “We have been condemned justly, for we are getting paid back for what we have done, but this man has done nothing harmful.”

Let’s pray:

WE THANK YOU, HEAVENLY FATHER, FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF SALVATION. JESUS HAS OPENED OUR EYES. OUR SINS HAVE BEEN PAID FOR IN CHRIST. WE CAN BE FREED FROM CONDEMNATION. WE PRAY, LORD, THAT YOU WILL WORK YOUR SAVING GRACE IN THE HEARTS OF ALL SINNERS HERE THIS MORNING. WE NOW TURN TO CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR, REDEEMER, AND FRIEND. THANK YOU FOR THE JOY OF HEAVEN TO COME. WITH THAT PROMISE, HELP US TO LIVE LIVES THAT HONOR THE ONE WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US. WE ASK THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.