The Ultimate Trial: Cross-Examining the Man from Nazareth

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” — Matthew 22:42

Introduction: Bypassing the Noise

If I were to walk down any busy city street today and ask people what they think about "religion," I would get an earful. People would tell me exactly what they think about the hypocrisy of churches, the scandals of high-profile ministers, the failures of various denominations, or the political gridlock surrounding faith.

But I am not here today to ask you what you think about the church. I am not asking what you think of Christians, or what you think of this creed or that dogma.

I want to bypass all the cultural noise and ask you the one question upon which your entire eternity hangs: What do you think of Jesus Christ?

You cannot remain neutral on Him. You have an opinion on the President, you have an opinion on tech billionaires, and you have an opinion on your favorite artists. It is time to form an opinion on the most influential figure in human history. Who was He? Was He just a good moral teacher who got caught up in a political mess, or was He exactly who He claimed to be—the divine Son of God in human flesh?

To help us decide, let’s hold a trial. We won't just look at what His biggest fans said. Let's call both His fiercest enemies and His closest companions to the witness stand and hear their testimony.

Part I: Calling the Enemies to the Stand

If you want to find out the truth about a public figure, you don't just look at their promotional material. You examine what their critics have to say. Let's call Jesus’ bitterest 1st-century opponents to the stand.

       [ THE COURTROOM OF TRUTH ]

                   |

     +-------------+-------------+

     |                           |

[The Enemies]               [The Friends]

 - The Pharisees             - The Centurion

 - Judas Iscariot            - Peter & John

     |                           |

     v                           v

"He loved sinners."       "He is Lord and God."

1. Witness #1: The Elitists (The Pharisees)

First, we call the religious elite—the Pharisees. They spent three years tracking Jesus, trying to catch Him in a scandal or a legal loophole. They hated Him enough to plot His execution.

• The Cross-Examination: "Pharisees, you watched Him closely. What is your official charge against Him? What moral failure did you find?"

• Their Testimony: Look at the historical record. Their primary complaint against Him was this: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." What an incredible accusation! The worst thing His enemies could say about Him was that His grace was too scandalous, His mercy too accessible, and His love for broken people too deep.

  
  

2. Witness #2: The Traitor (Judas Iscariot)

Next, let’s call the prince of traitors, Judas. He wasn't a distant observer; he was part of the inner circle. He traveled with Jesus, ate with Him, managed His money, and heard Him pray in private. If Jesus was a fraud, a con artist, or a hypocrite behind closed doors, Judas would have known. He sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver.

• The Cross-Examination: "Judas, you walked with Him in the shadows. Why did you betray Him? What did you see when the crowds weren't looking?"

• His Testimony: He didn't say, "I exposed a fraud." Instead, the historical record shows him throwing the blood money back into the temple, weeping in agony: "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." Even the man who sold Him out testified to His flawless integrity.

  
  

Part II: Calling the Impartial Observers

Let's call someone who had no skin in the game—the Roman Centurion. He was a hardened secular soldier, the equivalent of a modern military executioner. He didn't care about Jewish theology; he was just doing his job when he nailed Jesus to the cross.

• The Cross-Examination: "Centurion, you watched Him die. You heard Him pray for the people murdering Him. You felt the earth shake when He breathed His last. What do you think of Him?"

• His Testimony: The soldier looked at the dead man on the cross and confessed: "Surely this man was the Son of God."

  
  

Part III: The Ultimate Verdict

If His enemies found no fault in Him, if His betrayer confessed His innocence, and if His executioner recognized His divinity, then we are left with a massive logical boundary.

Jesus was either a lunatic on the level of someone claiming to be a poached egg, a manipulative liar who orchestrated a massive deception, or He is exactly who He said He is: the Lord of the universe.

Moody famously noted that Jesus made the rocks and the waves preach. When Jesus spoke, the deepest scholars were baffled, yet little children perfectly understood Him and wanted to sit on His lap. He was profound, yet entirely accessible. He was a husband to the widow, a father to the fatherless, and a comforter to the brokenhearted. He never changes, He never fails, and He never dies.

Conclusion: Why Don't You Love Him?

So the question returns to your lap: What think ye of Christ?

If the evidence points to His perfection, His beauty, and His divinity, let me ask you a very personal question to take home tonight: Why don't you love Him? Can you give a single valid reason for keeping your distance from a Savior who gave up the splendor of heaven, took on human poverty, and laid down His life on a cross to pay for your failures?

Moody loved to tell the story of a hardened skeptic who was asked by a little child, "Why don't you love Jesus?" The question haunted the man. He decided to open the Gospel of John to find a reason not to love Him. But as he read about a God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son, the skeptic's heart broke.

Stop running from Him. Stop hiding behind the failures of the institutional church or the behavior of other Christians. Look at Jesus directly. Examine His life, hear His witnesses, and see His love for you on the cross. What do you think of Him? If He is Lord, step out of the shadows of indecision and give Him your heart today.