Injustice to Mercy
Notes
Transcript
Last week, we left Jesus in the house of Caiaphas the High priest, where they had accused him of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. Unfortunately, this action is against the Jewish law. No one could be sentenced to death in the middle of the night.
So we pick up historical account in Matthew 27:1, where the gathering come together in the daylight to make their verdict and convince Pilate to carry out the sentence.
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
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!”
All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 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. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 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.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 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?”).
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
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. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The perfect king died in the place of his subjects. Will you pray with me?
1. The Sinless Man
1. The Sinless Man
Jesus was perfect. Sinless. Innocent.
The author of Hebrews writes about him:
Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
In our passage today, we read of three people who were convinced of Jesus’ innocence.
We have Judas who betrayed Jesus. But, then regretted it after the fact. He came back to the chief priests before Jesus’ trial and said:
“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
He did not betray Jesus because of anything moral issue. He betrayed Jesus because he liked money, probably. When the eye witness says that the guy he turned in is innocent, there has to be something to this.
Then, when Jesus was in front of Pilate, he received a letter from his wife:
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Pilate’s wife is not Jew. She is a pagan, and she knows there is something different about Jesus.
She uses a different word than Judas used. Judas described Jesus as guiltless, without fault, not deserving punishment.
Pilate’s wife uses a different word. She uses the word that is normally translated righteous. He isn’t just guiltless. He is defined by doing what is right and good.
This is how Ananias describes Jesus to Saul as Saul is being converted.
“Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.
Pilate hears what his wife says and sees how Jesus acts, and he knows that Jesus has done no wrong. When the crowd demands that Jesus is crucified, Pilate asks:
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
His response was telling of his disposition towards Jesus:
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!”
He knew that Jesus was at least innocent and those who put an innocent person to death deserve punishment. He wanted nothing to do with it.
Pilate, his wife, and Judas believed that Jesus was guiltless if not righteous. But, their perspective was limited. Judas only knew Jesus maybe 3.5 years. Pilate’s wife had a dream. Pilate had a maybe 30 minute interaction with Jesus.
Other’s knew Jesus for longer. Like his brothers. Like his mother. John adopted Mary as his mother after Jesus died. And he records for us:
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Jesus, from the moment of his birth, he never sinned. He never did anything wrong. He is innocent. Not only that, but he is the righteous one, he does all things well.
2. In Our Place
2. In Our Place
The absurd thing, is that this sinless man stood in our place.
We have this picture of the other man in the courtroom. Barrabas.
Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
Barabbas was a zealot, a militant Jew who was obsessed with overthrowing Rome. While leading an insurrection, he committed murder. And, was caught.
He wasn’t a nice man. He wasn’t even a faithful Jew. He deserved his punishment of crucifixion. Everyone knew that.
But, God. How all things start.
But, God, in his sovereignty, planned that Jesus would be standing next to Barabbas that day.
When he was on earth, Jesus kept saying, from the beginning of his ministry:
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
to the end:
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
He knew when he wanted to be in Pilate’s court. He had planned it out, for several reasons, one of which was to take the place of Barabbas.
He was not surprised at what happened that day:
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
Jesus planned it.
The sinless in the place of the sinner.
This doesn’t happen.
Paul writes in 2 Cor 5 21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He stood in our place, just like he stood in Barabbas’ place.
We are the sinners. We are those who go our own way. Who follow our own ideas. Who refuse to acknowledge God. We deserve punishment. And that punishment is just.
As those who obeyed sin, we served death, physical death and eternal death in the lake of fire.
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
But, Jesus stood in our place. The righteous for the unrighteous. The sinless for the sinner.
Paul writes in Gal 4 4-5
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Barabbas was set free and Jesus took his punishment. He took our punishment.
The sinless man stood in our place.
3. Died
3. Died
The sinless man, in our place, died.
Peter tells us:
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
This is a fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
This fact is why Jesus, when he was hanging on the cross called out:
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?”).
He was quoting the first line, the Jewish title, of Psalm 22, a prophecy about the coming Messiah who goes through unspeakable hardship and ends up accomplishing the salvation of the world. But is only able to do it by bearing the sins of the world.
And by bearing the sins of the world, he was experiencing the cup of God’s wrath.
That’s what Jesus was praying about in the garden before he was arrested:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
The bitter cup of God’s wrath which we are constantly in danger of, but Jesus had never experienced in his eternal existence. But on that day, the sinless man in our place drank the full cup.
And all the world experienced the result.
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
And then he died
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
A word on that later.
A Roman soldier saw all of this and he responded:
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
He knew. Even if all the Jewish people refused to believe, going so far as to seal the tomb so that no one would steal the body.
The Roman soldier, the pagan governor’s wife, and the one who betrayed Jesus, they all knew something was different about this man.
The sinless man, in our place, died.
But, he didn’t stay dead. In 2 weeks, we will discuss Matthew 28, which is reflected here:
and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
They are the firstfruits of the promised resurrection.
Jesus proved that his sacrifice in our place was enough by rising from the dead. And he showed the result of this for those who follow him. They too will rise from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Alive spiritually yes, but also the promise of the resurrection, an eternity of life, as opposed to an eternity of death.
The sinless man, in our place, died.
That’s what he did. Now what are you going to do about it.
