Choices

We have heard about many bizarre trials throughout history. Yet none were quite as corrupt and crazy as the trial which the Judge of the world endured. Today, we’ll be looking at the sixth and last part of this ridiculous trial of our Savior. You will recall that the first three parts were the religious trial before a group of people who were the least interested in any sort of fairness or facts. These last three parts were with the political pawns of the Roman leadership.

Most of us find this whole sham to be quite ironic. Jesus was about pleasing God, not like the political leaders who were about pleasing men. Jesus was accused of blaspheming God, whereas it was really the religious leaders who were committing blasphemy. Those who condemned Jesus thought they were in charge; yet it was God in charge Who was seeing that prophecy was fulfilled. All the politicians and religious leaders may have been having a meeting with Jesus, yet none of them had a real encounter with Jesus.

My friends, our life is filled with choices we can make. Do I turn right or left on this scenic trip? Do I get a car or a pickup truck? Which college do I attend? What should I wear today? What should I do with this extra cash? (Wait, I don’t think we will have to worry about that one.) The list goes on and on. Most of the time, if we make a wrong choice, we can usually correct it, or at least learn from it. However, when it comes to the choice we make about Jesus, it’s 100% wrong or 100% right. When the opportunity comes to make that choice; always choose Jesus. The result will be forgiveness of sin which leads to eternal life.

Our choice about Jesus in this life has eternal results.

A Choice of Cowardice - 23:13-16

Luke 23:13–16 NASB95

Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. “No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. “Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

Pilate was known as a very ruthless and arrogant man, yet there were many times in which he appeared to have no backbone. He actually starts out strong against the corrupt religious leaders. But, because he was not really in good standing with Rome because of previous blunders against the Jews, he found himself somewhat in a corner. Basically, if there was another incident with the Jews, he would be in major trouble with the higher-ups in Rome.

Pilate begins this section with speaking to the religious leaders and the antagonistic Jews with them. He restated to them of what their charge was and the fact that it did not hold any water. He also lets them know that their own governor couldn’t fine any charges worthy of death. Therefore, Pilate declared that Jesus should be released.

However, in trying to appease this hateful crowd, Pilate offered to punish Him and release Him. We might wonder why Jesus should have received any punishment if He was found to be innocent. Traditionally, it was common practice to have a mild whipping as if to warn the individual to be careful of His actions in the future. Plus, he was hoping that the religious leaders would have a modicum of fairness and just Jesus go.

A Choice of Convenience - 23:17-25

Luke 23:17–25 NASB95

Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner. But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

This section starts out with another escape clause for Pilate. You will notice in your Bibles that verse 17 is probably in brackets. The reason is that it is not found in a majority of the oldest manuscripts of Luke. However, since it is found in Matthew and Mark, it must have seemed right to insert it here. Interestingly, there was a Roman custom that they would release one prisoner during the Passover period. From my perspective, I would hope that Pilate was counting on the crowd to give up their mob lynching mentality and just have Jesus released. Sadly, the crowd had been worked up by the religious leaders to demand that Barabbas be released. Logically, it would seem wise to bypass the mob and trust in the popularity which Jesus had among the regular people. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

There is a sad commentary on how people want evil over righteousness. Oftentimes, wrong is preferred over right; silence over the sacred; a murderer over the Messiah. R.C. Sproul states: It was not the voice of truth, or the voice of authority that prevailed, but the howl of hatred. Even though Barabbas actually did cause an uprising against the government which Jesus did not; even though Barabbas had committed murder, while Jesus came to give life; the people would rather have Barabbas than accept Jesus. Even though Pilate had told the crowd at least three times that Jesus was innocent, the crowd still wanted Barabbas freed and to have Jesus crucified. Barabbas had been officially declared as worthy of death. Pilate had never even suggested crucifixion in relation to Jesus. It was the crowd’s idea. However, it was truly necessary to fulfill prophecy.

Pilate had set himself up to the point of being forced to pervert justice, allowing the people to tell him what to do. He found himself declaring the innocence of Jesus for a third time and even offering to punish Him and release Jesus again. However, the crowd had been worked up to such a frenzy that they insisted on Jesus being crucified. In fact, the Greek word for insistent is a form of the word used in , where Luke speaks of the storm that came so forcefully upon the ship Paul was on, as he headed towards Rome.

Yet, do you notice the significance of this action? Christ is innocent of everything and yet He is to die instead of Barabbas. Barabbas is to be released as though he had done nothing wrong. But really, what is Jesus about to do? He who had no sin, became sin for us. Jesus who was totally innocent would die in our place, we who really deserved death because of our guilt. Yet, in all of this, we remember that God was still in control.

A Choice of Concern - 23:26-31

Luke 23:26–31 NASB95

When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. “For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

As the final journey to the cross begins, we recall that this has been the most tragic display of injustice ever to have happened. The picture we have in our minds of the crowd shouting for Jesus to be crucified, mocking and jeering along the way, is simply a snapshot of all people of all time who have rejected God’s way, choosing their own desperate options. It may have seemed popular and right at the time in their minds, but it was only to their own condemnation. What may seem more palatable and acceptable to many today is only to condemnation.

A condemned criminal was required by the authorities to carry their own cross, as if crucifixion was not bad enough. We know from other Gospels that Jesus started out carrying His cross, but it was simply too much for Him in His weakened condition. Considering the physical torture and lack of sleep, it is no wonder. The Roman soldiers were not wanting this to go on forever, so they conscripted a man whom Luke calls Simon of Cyrene. Imagine going to Jerusalem for a special Passover celebration and then being forced to participate in such a grueling task as carrying the instrument of death for an innocent man.

A condemned criminal was required by the authorities to carry their own cross, usually the horizontal cross-piece, as if crucifixion was not bad enough. We know from other Gospels that Jesus started out carrying His cross, but it was simply too much for Him in His weakened condition. Considering the physical torture and lack of sleep, it is no wonder. The Roman soldiers were not wanting this to go on forever, so they conscripted a man whom Luke calls Simon of Cyrene. Imagine going to Jerusalem for a special Passover celebration and then being forced to participate in such a grueling task as carrying the instrument of death for an innocent man. Yet, as will all things, this was not random. God had a plan. Maybe that plan was to draw Simon to Himself. My friends, there are things that go on in your life that may seem random. But I am convinced from the pages of Scripture that it is all part of God’s plan.

Pay attention! By the way, we discover in , and 13, that Simon and his family had experienced the saving miracle of God’s grace. I think that’s some pretty exciting trivia!

We also see a large group, which included women, who were mourning and lamenting for him. We can probably assume that these were simply the professional mourners. Most likely, they were not hateful nor antagonistic to Jesus, but neither had they taken that step of believing upon His Name for salvation. Yet, we should take careful notice of Jesus’ response to them. He speaks to them, telling them not to feel sorrow or weep for Him. The reality would be that in all of this there would be glory for Him, but judgment for the Jewish nation. And the judgment would be very dark for all those who had chosen to reject Him as their Savior and refused to accept that He had been sent from His heavenly Father. It seems clear from history that Jesus was speaking to what happened at Jerusalem in AD 70. Many scholars refer to that time as the first Jewish Holocaust. History speaks of more than one million Jews being slaughtered during that onslaught by the Roman. But I believe that there is reference also to the fact that there will be a day when judgment will fall for all who reject Jesus Christ. You see, the real victims are those who do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I am also reminded by this to not look so much on the suffering Jesus experienced physically, but to understand a little better about what spiritual suffering Jesus endured when He was separated from His Father for our sake. To try and consider what it would be like to have been guilty of nothing, yet becoming the guilt for all humanity of all time.

There is no need for the Christian to try to identify in Jesus’ physical suffering, but rather to share in the fellowship of His suffering, which is described in , which speaks of the spiritual aspect.

Jesus’ closing comment basically states that if this is what the world does to Him while He is in their midst, imagine what will happen to the people who have a dried up and false form of godliness.

Conclusion

Do you find yourself scratching your head in bewilderment at this? Think about this; The Jews had been waiting for centuries for the coming of the Messiah and their Savior. Yet, when right in the midst of them, showing beyond all doubt that He was indeed the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, they chose to reject Him.

As we look at the crowd, we also experience some more confusion. Less than a week earlier, everyone seemed to be cheering for Jesus. Now many are screaming against Jesus. Sadly, it is no different today. When the crowd needs divine intervention, Jesus is quite the guy. However, when He no longer fits what we think is best, then the world willingly and gleefully throws Him away. It is far different to be just interested in Jesus than to be committed to Him.

Many today are not really hostile to Jesus. Yet, they are just as lost and condemned as those who are. What is needed are those who are willing to be true disciples of Christ. Just knowing the songs and the Scriptures do not save. Only by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone can save.

The choice is available for everyone. Will you choose whatever is convenient and comfortable at the time, not even considering eternity? Will you choose out of cowardice and fear; concerned about what others may do to you or think about you, not realizing that what others do against you here on earth has no bearing on your soul?

Or will you recognize that God has placed you in such a time as this to allow you to choose Jesus? Your concern may only involve your immediate situation or you may be dwelling on the unfairness of life. But there is more to consider. Your concern, whether it’s your current situation or a series of negative events, may be thrust upon you as was Simon’s and you will begin to see what Jesus has really done.

All that is left is your choice. Please choose Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. And if you’ve already done so, then choose to follow Him wholeheartedly and tell others about this most important choice.