04-14-19 Morning Worship - The Righteous Cannot be Condemned

✝​ ​BIG BIBLICAL TRUTH ● ✝ ​Justifying the wicked is an ​abomination​ to God ✝ PROVERBS 17:15 ● ✝ ​He who​ justifies the wicked​ and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. ✝ THE SCRIPTURAL CONTEXT ● Jesus entered Jerusalem → Last Supper → Gethsemane → Betrayed by Judas → Annas, Caiaphas, now Pilate ● ✝ ​John 18 Pilate interrogates Jesus → ​✝ ​18:38 I find not guilt in [Jesus] ○ Ex 12:5 a lamb w/o blemish ● ✝ ​19:1-12 Jesus flogged, ridiculed, yet guiltless (19:4) ○ ✝ ​19:12 Pilate wants to release Jesus but (v7-8) fears the Jews ○ Read 19:1-12 ● God’s promises being fulfilled in real people’s lives ○ Eternal life secured in the midst of political drama ○ Pilate reveals his struggles with the word, “What is truth?” (18:38) ○ Jews reveal their power with the words “Caesar’s friend” (19:12) ✝ THE HISTORICAL SETTING ● ✝ ​Tiberius Caesar (14-37 AD), Sejanus (Praetorian Prefect), Pilate (Procurator of Judea) ● ✝ ​ TIBERIUS like President, SEJANUS like Secret Service, Pilate like Governor ● ✝ SEJANUS​ plotted to replace ​TIBERIUS ● ✝ SEJANUS​ hated Jews → feared Jews would interfere so he stirred up trouble for them ○ c.f. Mary Smallwood ​Latomus​ “Some Notes on the Jews Under Tiberius” ● ✝ SEJANUS ​led ​PILATE​ to hate Jews ● ✝ SEJANUS​ turned ​TIBERIUS​ against the Jews (deceived) ● ✝ TIBERIUS​ discovered ​SEJANUS​ plans ● ✝ TIBERIUS ​executed ​SEJANUS​ in AD 31 ● ✝ TIBERIUS​ told ​PILATE​ to favor the Jews ● ✝ PILATE ​feared association w/ ​SEJANUS​ → Possibly appointed by ​SEJANUS ● ✝ ​Read 19:12 in this context → “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend” ○ JEWISH​ leaders want Jesus dead & v12 is a political threat to​ PILATE ✝ ​THE SCRIPTURAL TRUTH ● ✝ ​God set this political stage to fulfill his promise to redeem you and me ● ✝ ​Jesus, our passover lamb (Ex 12) was crucified by the Jewish priests ○ ✝ ​But they failed to put his blood on the doorposts of their heart (Faith) ○ ✝ ​Exodus 12:13 When I see the blood I will pass over you ○ The crowd said CRUCIFY HIM → The Apostles say TRUST HIM ■ The Jews lacked Faith → Read John 19:13-16 ✝ BIG BIBLICAL TRUTH ● Justifying the wicked is an abomination to God ○ Jesus died because our sin is wicked & God wanted to redeem us ✝ PROVERBS 17:15 ● He who justifies the wicked and he who​ condemns the righteous​ are both alike an abomination to the Lord. ✝ ANOTHER BIG BIBLICAL TRUTH ● Condemning the ​righteous​ is an abomination to God. ○ ✝ ​2 Cor 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin [spotted] who knew no sin [spotless], so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ○ ✝ ​Phil 3:9 Paul speak about “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ○ Your salvation is fixed → God would be an abomination if he condemned anyone who bears the righteousness of Christ by faith.