The Innocent for the Guilty

Introduction

One of the most frustrating things we experience as human beings living among other sinful, human beings is the perversion of justice. We see this in various ways and in various contexts. It could be as a child and a parent or other adult scolding or punishing you for something you didn’t do. As you grow, you get friends who at times treat you unfairly, who make assumptions about you without any evidence and treat you badly as a result. You grow up and come across teacher, officials, neighbours, family members, strangers who treat you and others in ways that are unjustifiable. Police officers, lawyers, and judges often bring corruption into the legal system. Kings, presidents, and prime ministers lead their people often by example of corruption and injustice. As sinners, we all are born wth a perverted view of justice that tends to put our personal causes in a priority position above others. Unlike lady justice, who holds the scales of justice with a blindfold on, we tend to take off the blindfold and put a few wieghts on whatever side of the scales benefits us or gives us a sense of vindication.

That being the case, it is no wonder that our world is full of injustice as motives other than a sheer since of fairness and justice tend to rule human decision making. This is a human problem, whic means each of should be somewhat suspicious of our sense of justice as we are very set on our own perspective and not looking at things objectively. Still, it becomes a serious part of our experience as human being when we see ourselves an others treated unfairly because of obvious bias we see being shown, especially when it is by people who have been given great responsibilities and trust to protect justice. How can God allow this to happen? Does he not see what is going on? Is he not going to intervene in these situations and bring justice to pass? Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is right?

This question was asked by many of the OT prophets and often addressed by God himself. In fact, when we think of the wrath of God spoken about in the OT, most of the time it is in the context of God bringing justice to pass. In our text today, we do not get a direct answer as to why God continues to allow injustice in this world, or why God allows his coenant children to endure it. Instead, we see Jesus enter into the worst of these experiences. Jesus, the one sinless man who ever lived, put to a humiliating and painful death willingly. Through the events of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the people choosing the crimminal Barabbas instead of Jesus, and Jesus delivered over to mocking, torture, and to be crucified, we are shown a Saviour who willingly suffers injustice in our world. If God doesn’t tell us why he allows injustice to continue, he shows us that he is not indifferent to it; rather, he shares in suffering it with us as a proof of his love and faithfulness.

Injustice from the People

Following the trial with the chief priest, Jesus is handed over to the Roman Procurator, an infamously cruel man named Pontius Pilate. Other than the three persons of the Trinity, Pilate is one of two names that appear in the Apostle’s Creed along with Mary the mother of Jesus. This is to clarify that the Jesus we believe in is not one of myth or legend, but based in the actual virgin birth and the historical death which he was condemned to by this Roman governer.

In verses 11-14, we get a short account of Jesus before Pilate. Here, Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews. Like twice before, Jesus gives the same positive and yet ambiguis answer he gave to Judas and to the chief priest, “you have said so.” Again, this is clearly a positive answer; Jesus is affirming that he is the King of the Jews just as he affirmed to the chief priest that he is the Christ. However, just as the chief priest has an incorrect view of what the Christ is, Pilate also does not understand that King of the Jews does not refer to an earthly political opponant of Caesar or King Herod, but rather is a biblical reference to the Son of David, the heavenly King who would bring spiritual and eternal salvation to his people. So Jesus answer could be seen as, “yes I am the King of the Jews, provided you understand what my title means.” Since the chief priests are trying to have Jesus killed on charges of treason against Caesar. As we will see in verse 18, Pilate is able to look through this charge and see that they are motivated, not by loyalty to the emporor, but by jealousy against a competing religious figure.

Jesus doesn’t answer when the religious leaders bring charges against him. This causes Pilate to be greatly amazed because, apart from admitting to being the King of the Jews, Jesus will not answer the charges laid against him. Normally, this would mean you were automatically condemned; they didn’t have innocent until proven guilty especially if you were not a Roman citezen, so your only hope of defense was whatever defense you could make yourself in this situation.

John gives us more detail by giving us a conversation which Pilate has in private with Jesus in John 18:33-38

John 18:33–38 ESV

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

It becomes clear to Pilate that is no real political threat in the sense that he is concerned about. Now, normally this wouldn’t be much of an issue for Pilate. He was known for his cruelty and injustice in governing the Jews. But as time went on, it seems that Pilate was in some trouble with the emporor. History tells us that Pilate has been so cruel, that even Caesar had been disgusted by him and as it was, he was on a bit of a short leash. This put the Jews in a bit of an advantagous position here, where for once Pilate needs to make them happy. So while putting a popular religious figure to death wouldn’t have been out of habit for him, now it is dangerous ground. At the same time, if he doesn’t listen to the Jews, he may also be in hot water for letting a supposed insurrectionist go free. Indeed, it wouldn’t be long until Pilate himself would be exiled because of these political woes, but it does help us understand what is going on behind the scenes here.

Pilate gives the people an obvious choice, in order to get out of this political prediciment. Release Jesus, the popular preacher who was arrested out of jealousy, or Barabbas. Elsewhere, we learn that Barabbas was an inserrectionist, and the translations that call him a robber are not quite accurate on this. He is a violent man who has stirred up trouble, as so makes an obvious scapegoat to get Jesus released. This is especially the case because of the dream which Pilate’s wife recieved warning against the grave sin he is about to have a part in: the death of the Son of God.

Here, if justice were to happen, its obvious what would be next. A guilty man would go to the death he deserves for violent riots which likely resulted in the deaths of innocent people. The accusers would face their own justice for their false witness against Jesus. And Jesus would go free. But Jesus’ silence before Pilate speaks to a willingness to undergo an unjust sentence and die an unjust death. He takes on willingly what so many millions of people have experienced unwillingly: death at the hands of unjust people. The mobs here are whipped up by the religious leaders to call, not for the death of Barabbas, but the innocent Jesus.

Injustice from the Governer

In fear of the crowds, those whom he once terrorized by killing them and mixing their blood with the Jewish sacrifices and now have the political pressure to force his hand, Pilate attempts to wash himself of the guilt which he incures. Jesus tells him that the one who handed him over to Pilate is guilty of a greater sin, but Pilate is still culpible. What else is a judge or governer for than to prevent mob justice from taking place.

Instead, he cerimonially washes his hands, leaving Jesus to the fate at the hands of the people. When he asks the crowd what evil Jesus has done, they are unable to answer him. They only shout their bloodthirsty cries louder. So, as a weak and corrupt ruler does, he gives in to the will of unjust men who willingly take on this bloodguilt.

Injustice from the Enforcers (Soldiers)

Despite the act of ridding himself of any responsibility, Pilate’s soldiers bring Jesus into th headquarters and torture him. If Pilate is now afraid of going too far, his men are not.

A scarlet or purple robe is a sign of royalty and status, and the crown is combined to put on a mocking display of Jesus’ kingly authority. King Jesus is now an object for the cruel sport of cruel, pathetic men. Still, all this time the lifeline is there. How Jesus could humiliate those who humiliate him. How he could torture in hell those who torture him now. How easily could he have traded in the mockery of a crown of thorns with a glorious diadem of heaven which would make fearful homage irresistible for even the more hardhearted. In all this we remember that Jesus is not an unwilling victim of injustice, but a willing one.

Jesus death had to come in such a way, as our salvation is achieved in the great trade of the just for the unjust. This is a vital aspect of our salvation for several reasons.

Only in this way could we see the contrast of our injustice and wickedness against his righteousness and purity. This clearly convicts the world of sin and vindicates God.

Only in this way could Christ truly display his humility and lowliness for us. The cruelty and inhumane treatement of Christ brings him as low as humanly possible, filling that need in the plan of salvation communicated by the Apostle Paul in Phil 2:8

Philippians 2:8 ESV

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

It displays the great Love with which Christ loves us and the length he went to to give himself for us.

In beng treated so unjustly, he took on our injustice and sin and defeated them. Just as our sin leads to death, so Jesus’ bearing the literal marks of sin in his body and dying at the hands of cruel men defeated both sin and death. Heb 2:14-15

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

Since therefore the children (of mankind) share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

In bearing injustice, he bore the just wrath of God. God’s punishment for sin the in OT was often through the cruelty of sinful people, like the Assyrians. This is just, because in that way God leaves us to our just desserts; to the cruelty of sin which we partake in. So it makes sense that Christ should appease the wrath of God by undergoing the cruelty of sins against him. By his wounds we are healed.

In this way, love would triumph. For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to be treated so badly by those same people whom he loved so that they may believe and have eternal life. Nothing proves the love of God like God suffering such injustice for the very people who treat him this way.

Conclusoin

Why does God allowing suffering and injustice to continue in this time? I cannot answer that question truly except to point to that same God who willingly suffered in for us. If you don’t know why injustice persists, you know you can trust the God who endured it for you.

Know that Christ endured such injustice to save a sinful and unjust person like you, to redeem you from the death of sin and from sin itself so that you may live in righteousness and justice by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, we can now face the injustice of the world knowing the victory there is for those in Christ Jesus. While we will often be treated unfairly and see injustice done on every level of human society, we do not lose heart: the judge of all the earth shall do what is right, and if he suffered such injustice we are able to patiently wait for our vindication in resurrection life just as he did.