Suffering

I think I shared this awhile ago and to be honest I do not know how long ago it was because I kind of loose track of some of the things I mention.

But look at the screen, because this is Thomas Randle was sick and when it became clear that he was approaching the end of his life

He decided to tell his daughter a secret that he had been keeping his entire life which was 50 years ago when he was in his 28.

And it was that 50 years ago he commited one of the largest bank robberys in Ohio’s history, steeling $215,000 from a bank.

And thats a pretty big secret, but it gets worse, because to make it so he did not get caught he changed his name, and his real name was not Thomas Randle, but it was Theadore Conrad

And he said that after the bank robbery he changed his name settled down and lived a normal life.

And the reason I am bringing this up, is because when someone reaches the end of their life, a lot of times what happens is you learn a lot about the person.

And we have been in this series called, My cup runneth over and really throughout this series we have been looking at these last moments of Jesus’s life.

And today firstly where we are tells a lot about who Jesus is,

And the beautiful thing is we do not find out that Jesus had this secret identity, but we find out He is who He said He was, and He is this person that the Old Testement has been reffering to since the book of Genesis.

But secondly today we find out a lot about ourselves,

And my hope today is to look at these and see what this passage says about us but then what it tells us about Jesus.

And so we will be in Matthew 27:22-31 and just to give us some background Jesus haas just been betrayed and handed over to be judged by the Romans and looks what happens starting in verse 22

Matthew 27:22–26 NIV

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

So Pilate the Roman governor has recieved Jesus and he looks at Jesus and Jesus has not done anything wrong.

And He goes what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?

And I want to pause because this is an important question for us, what are we doing with Jesus who is called the Messiah?

Because for the disciples we saw last week, they followed Him, but now some have betrayed Him, others have fled,

You the crowd shouting crucify Him

And I think the question becomes what are we doing with Jesus?

And I am sure I will bring this up next week as well, but this is aa week after the crowds shouted Hosanna and praised Him as He entered the city.

But now the crowds were chanting crucify Him.

And one reason I think this happened is because the people wanted a king, that would physically deliver them from their situation,

But the deliverance Jesus brought was very different.

And I think what happens is when our expectation of who Jesus is and who Jesus is do not match we move from following, to shouting crucify.

And I think in this moment in time, we live in a place where there is a lot of division, there is a lot of polarization, and I think its easy for us to follow Jesus, but then when following Jesus goes against our expectation, we start to get frustrated and we move from following to either distancing ourselves or forming Jesus into who we want Him to be.

And what happens is the crowds shout crucify at Jesus, and look what happens in verses 27-32

Matthew 27:27–32 NIV

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.

You know this is probably one of the darker moments of this series because Jesus is beaten, mocked, spit on, humiliated and tortured in just these few verses.

And not just that but when they sent someone to be crucified they would have them Cary the very thing that they would tortured and killed on, to the spot they would be killed on.

And I just want to be straight forward, because Jesus could stop this couldn’t He, but He is doing it, for the people that were shouting crucify at Him.

And I want us to sit in this for a moment, before any other application the amazing thing is this shows just how much you are loved, even in times where we are so far from who Jesus is calling us to be

Because its easy to do something nice for people who are nice to us.

I mean if you have a kid or a spouse you probably do things for them right?

But its a lot harder to do things for people that treat you awful isn’t it?

If you are driving and someone flys by you cuts you off and is yelling at you, and a few miles later you see there car broken down, its a lot harder to love that person right?

But here is Jesus doing something because He cares so deeply for the very people that are betraying Him.

You know this is so simple but where you are this morning

You could be as far as possible from God, you could say I can’t stand Jesus, you could have a secret addiction, you could do something really terrible

And Jesus would die for you and infact He has died for you because you are cared for that deeply.

If no one has told you this, you are loved by a God that cares so deeply for you He would die for you.

And if He met you on the cross (the most humilating or painful place) He is not afaid to meet you in your addiction, in your marriage issues, in your areas that you are ashamed

Because He met you on the cross.

And let me just jump because there is so much in these last moments of Jesus’s life, but as He makes his way to where He would die he was still mocked and in pain and as he went on the cross I want us to look at His final moments.

because look at verses 45-50. It says:

Matthew 27:45–50 (NIV)

The Death of Jesus

27:45–56pp—Mk 15:33–41; Lk 23:44–49; Jn 19:29–30

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

So Jesus dies and its a dark scene

I am not sure if anyone has seen the movie the Chronicles of Narnia

But there is a powerful and gut-wrenching scene in the Chronicles of Narnia movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Where Aslan—the lion —stands trial and is killed in someone else’s place,

And as you watch it you can feel the intense emotion.

Where they are mocking the lion and they shave his main and humiliate Him

And you watch it and go this seems wrong, but the Lion does it because he cares for the person he is dying for.

And as we get ready to close I am not sure if anyone else has had this thought, but I have always read this last part of the passage we were in and and went “that sees weird that Jesus would say “My God, my God why have your forsaken me”

And some people would say “well God left Him in this moment”

But that wouldn’t make sence because he is Fully God and fully man.

But what most Scholars would believe is Jesus is quoting Psalm 22

And I know this is a lot of scripture but I am going to invite Joe to come forward while I read Psalm 22

Psalm 22 NIV

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. 19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. 22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. 25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. 29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!

This Psalm written about a thousand years before Jesus and its a psalm that on one hand provides what God has done, but then on the other hand it shows just how deeply he cares for you,

And I just want to be honest wrapping things up, I struggled with this sermon, because It really sits in the tough details of Jesus dying, but this morning as we close maybe we are the crowd where we are far, but Jesus is drawing close to us,

Will you pray with me?