Jesus never gave up and Jesus never gives up.  Jesus never gave up for you.  Jesus never gives up for you. 

1) Jesus didn’t give up when faced with complete adversity. (vs. Luke 22:63-71)  In the early morning Friday hours, there were two trials that took place:  The Jewish trial and the Roman trial.  First, the Jewish trials:  Jesus went before Annas first – the high priest from the year before.  Jesus then goes before Caiaphas – the current high priest.  Annas is the father-in-law of Caiaphas.  The religious leaders were trying to move Jesus’ trial as quickly as possible.  Jerusalem was filled with people from all over celebrating Passover.  If word started traveling around about Jesus’ arrest, it could stop the process.  So, they are meeting in the wee hours of the morning.  They throw false accusations and Jesus stands silent.  

In this religious trial, Jesus remained completely silent except one time.  The only time Jesus broke His silence was to let people know He is the true Son of God.  That was all the religious leaders needed to hear and that’s all Jesus needed to say.  In face of the death penalty, Jesus didn’t give up.  Jesus holds His ground and declares Himself as the Son of God.  They beat him and then the whole council convenes at daybreak and they convict Jesus.  The religious leaders didn’t believe Jesus.  The disciples were passive in the background.  But Jesus didn’t give up.  

Jesus didn’t give up in the trials that lead to His death. Jesus won’t give up on you during the trials that you face in life.  We too often make life decision without trusting Jesus and thinking about other possible outcomes.  Don’t make a short-sighted decision when Jesus is focused on your long-term growth.  Jesus isn’t done.  Jesus isn’t done with you.  That area of your life where it’s nothing but pain and adversity? God is still working.  God isn’t done splitting seas or tearing down walls.  The pain you feel because of a job, spouse, addiction, child, or whatever - that’s the place God is working.  Meet Him in that pain and let Him restore and renew you.  It won’t happen overnight. But God is still working.

2) Jesus didn’t give up when His innocence was condemned. (vs. 27:11-25)  The Jewish leaders now bring the trial to the Romans authorities so that they will carry out the death penalty.  There are series of events that take place before Jesus was condemned.  Pilate questions Jesus and finds Him innocent.  Pilate tries to get out of the decision, so He send Jesus to Herod.  Herod was eager to meet Jesus for years, but he just wanted Jesus to do some cool miracle party tricks.  Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate.  Pilate is now forced to make a decision. 

Pilate thought there was no way that crowds would pick Barabbas over Jesus.  Barabbas was a bad dude.  “Barabbas” means “son of a father”.  Scholars are intrigued by his name because it doesn’t really mean anything.  Everyone is a child of a father – we all came from a mother and father – no matter what that relationship looks like today.  In this passage, Barabbas represents us.  His very name represents everyone in the world.  Barabbas woke up that day as a criminal, as a rebel.  But he walked away that day as a free man because of Jesus. 

That’s us. We woke up as rebels against God.  We’ve done things that are against God’s design.  And we all deserve spiritual death.  But it’s Jesus that sets us free.  We can wake up each day as free men if we simply believe in who Jesus is and what Jesus did for us.  In these verses, Pilate was trying to save Jesus.  But Pilate was more concerned about himself than Jesus.  The Jewish leaders threaten Pilate.  If Pilate didn’t crucify Jesus, then they would report Pilate’s actions as treason to Caesar.  Jesus is condemned to die.  While Pilate was trying to save the mob from a riot by condemning an innocent man, Jesus was using His innocence to save a condemned world.   

Jesus’ friends failed Him. The justice system failed Him. The religious failed Him. But Jesus didn’t fail.  Jesus didn’t give up even when His innocence was condemned.  Jesus did exactly what He needed to in order to bring about salvation to the world.  You may be thinking, “Why didn’t Jesus just speak up!”  In the courts, if you didn’t speak up for yourself, it was just assumed that you were conceding guilt.  Jesus was willing to concede my guilt, so He stood there quietly.  

3) Jesus didn’t give up when He was beaten and mocked. (vs. 27:26-31)  s 26-31  I can’t imagine what Jesus felt during these beatings.  We will talk more about the crucifixion next week, but I want you to see this moment.  I want you to see Jesus being beaten, mocked, scorned.  I want you to see that Jesus is being physical destroyed.  The Romans knew how to beat a man up to death, but not allow him to die.  I want you to see that Jesus didn’t give up.   Jesus turned the greatest tragedy into the greatest victory.  Jesus took man’s beatings so that He could absorb God’s wrath so that you may have eternal life.  Don’t feel sorry for Jesus.  Rejoice with Jesus.  Jesus doesn’t want your sympathy; He wants your heart. 

Trust the One who never gives up.  Jesus never gave up and Jesus will never give up.

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