"The road to Easter goes through the Via Dolorosa"

INTRODUCTION

“The Via Dolorosa” (the way of suffering) Stations of the cross Jesus carried from Antonio’s palace to Calvary are marked along the path of Jerusalem today.

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE:

“Gabbatha”

Aramaic word meaning height or ridge.

The judgement seat used by Pilate in sentencing Jesus.

Possibly a part of the Castle of Antonia.

“Golgotha”

Greek word taken for the Aramaic word for skull.

The Latin equivalent is Calvarius or Calvary.

Possibly so named because of it’s appearance of a skull or because it was a place of execution.

Its actual location is a matter of debate.

THE MOCK TRIAL OF JESUS

18:28 - 19:16a

This long passage of scriptures is the setting for Jesus trial before Pontius Pilate, the trial is presented in eight scenes in which Pilate repeatedly goes out to talk with ‘the Jews’ and comes back into the Praetorium to speak to Jesus. We are told that Jesus is sent bound by Annas to Caiaphas. Note: there is no account of Jesus trial before the Sanhedrin recorded in the other Gospels.

Pilate normally resided in Caesarea Maritima, but during major Jewish festivals he would take up residence in Jerusalem. The actual location of the praetorium or military headquarters is debated. It could either be at Antonia fortress which is located in the north west corner of the temple complex, or what was previously Herod’s palace on the western wall of Jerusalem.

Now it was early morning, which denotes the fourth watch (3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.) according to the Roman division of the night. Bringing Jesus to Pilate’s praetorium involved problems for ‘the Jews’ “ to avoid ceremonial uncleaness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. To enter a Gentile house was believed to cause ritual uncleaness, which would prevent them from taking part in the passover.

Note: The Mishnah says’ ‘the dwelling place of gentiles are unclean’, a footnote adding ‘because they throw abortions down their drains, therefore to enter the house of a Gentile, could mean contamination because of a dead body. The irony here is that the Jews were being scrupulously careful not to contract ritual uncleaness, while making themselves guilty of a far worse crime: seeking the death of an innocent man.

Jesus was incredibly popular by this point in time, and the Jewish officials rightly recognized that they needed to involve the Roman authorities. Note that Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas the former high priest. Annas had 5 sons that served as high priest. Without doubt Annas was really the power behind the high priesthood in the 1 century.

According to most Roman officials of his day, Pilate functioned according to a single political mandate: protect the Pax Romana. The potential for riot in Jerusalem would have frightened even a courageous governor. Throughout his confrontation with Jesus, Pilate must have known that he was not the one in control. Jesus spoke when he wanted and remained silent when he wished.

NOTE: Throughout John 18 and 19 we see a careless handling of Jesus trial. Sloppy religious leadership by Annas and Caiaphas was followed by sloppy political leadership by Pilate. Legal authorities over the years have pointed out how many laws were broken during these proceedings.

Yet through it all, God worked to provide the ultimate and only sacrifice for our Salvation. His exactness magnified the carelessness of the human agents involved.

Big Idea: What difference does it make?

1. When we stand with Jesus we stand on the side of truth.

THIS IS NOT BE THE LAST TIME THAT RELIGIOUS LEADERS WILL NOT STAND ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH.

Those who stand on the side of truth give God the credit for drawing us into the kingdom of Christ.

John 18:37 ESV

37 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.”

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Pilate is trying to get Jesus to say something that will show him worthy of crucifixion. Notice that Jesus is making a statement about his birth at his impending death. Here we have the uniqueness of his birth is implied; the purpose of his birth is given; and the pre-condition of approving that purpose is mentioned. Remember in John 1:1 that Jesus existed before his birth, he existed before he was born in a manger.

THERE ARE 2 KINGDOMS

The Kingdom of the World and the Kingdom of Christ

The Kingdom of the world - are born of the flesh, are earthly and carnally minded. The people of the kingdom of the world are equipped with carnal weapons for fighting the battle, spear, sword, armor, guns and power.

The Kingdom of Christ - these people are born of the Holy Spirit, live according to the Spirit, and are spiritually minded. The people of Christ’s kingdom are equipped with spiritual weapons - the armor of God, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit to fight against the devil, the world of the flesh, together with all that arises against God and his Word. The people in the kingdom of this world fight for a perishable crown and an earthly kingdom. The people in Christ’s kingdom fight for an imperishable crown and an eternal kingdom.

NOTE: Christ has chosen his elect from the darkness of this world and called them into his heavenly kingdom of light, eternal truth. One who has the light can now distinguish the children of God from the children of this world, so that they shine in the midst of this perverse generation like a light in all honesty.

Those who stand on the side of truth come into the light.

John 3:21 ESV

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The words that came from our Saviors lips pointed out that all earthly kingdoms find their source with sinful humanity, but Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. It needs no human defense. Jesus was not referring to the ultimate millennial kingdom; his spiritual kingdom of truth represents the Lordship of the King over the lives of his people.

NOTE: Those who practice the truth come into the light.

1 John 1:5-10 “ God is perfect light and in him is not darkness at all, if we say we know him yet continue to walk in darkness then we do not really know him but are living a lie, but, if we truly walk in the light as he is in the light then we can recognize other people who are walking in the light because the blood of Christ has covered all our sins.”

Foundation: God is Light (verse 5)

Application: Walk in the light (verses 6-7)

Clarification: Don’t claim to be without sin (verses 8-10)

Those who stand on the side of truth stand on the side of what is right

Note: again Jesus set truth as the dividing standard fro what is right and wrong. But if truth was all he cared about, he posed no threat to Rome. Jesus states that he only came to testify to the truth, Pilot asks the question, “what is truth.” Jesus never answers his question. The last time Jesus communicates to Pilate before he is taken to be crucified he points out that the only way he can be executed is if the Father gives Pilate the power and authority to do so.

Pilate must have thought let’s be done with all of this foolishness, you don’t care much for this Jesus of Nazareth. I know I will offer them Barabbas fellow, you sure don’t want him back on the streets causing problems. This plan back fired on Pilate in a big way.

But, one should never underestimate the power of a folk hero. The supposedly intelligent and religious people warped by hate, much like neo-Nazis perverted the minds of their followers. Consider this play on words Bar-Abbas, which means “son of the father.” One son of a father released, the other son of a father sent to death row.

PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER

Jesus was in control of all events related to his death and resurrection.

Jesus does not need us to defend him in anyway

Christians should never expect a completely fair trial in the courts of this world.

2. We should never take lightly the Cross of Christ.

SUPPORTING IDEA: God’s holiness and justice made the cross an absolute necessity. Events at the crucifixion happened as they did so “the scripture might be fulfilled.” No fewer than 20 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled withing twenty-four hours at the time of our Lord’s death. We must not forget that the cross is not simply the work of man but the very will of God for his son to suffer and die.

Marco Polo and “Kublai Kahn”

His name is most often shouted by children playing games in a swimming pool, but Marco Polo is a character of not small significance in the history of Asia. His exploits were celebrated in a television mini series aired by NBC in May of 1982 and titled simply Marco Polo. The second episode offered a scene in which the great Kublai Kahn held a gold cross in his grasp that he had brought to the Orient by Nicolo Polo. He slowly looked up at his European visitor and said, “Yours is the only religion which has transformed an instrument of death into a symbol of glory and power.”

We must take great care about the cross. Sometimes the violent and dreadful form of Roman execution is celebrated by Christians in light-hearted ways that minimize it’s terror. We adorn our buildings with the cross, we place them on our bodies as decorations, but, do we truly get the gravity of what the Cross represents.

NOTE: In typical Roman fashion the process began with humiliation of the prisoner. WE all know about the flogging, the crown of thorns, and the mockery of the soldiers. Cruelty has always been a major part of sin in the world, and the Romans did it better than any, they had formed it into a fine art. They knew how to exact the right amount of pain and suffering without killing someone. The individual was stripped naked, to further the humiliation of the process of torture and death.

NOTE: IT is apparent that Pilate never intended on crucifying Jesus but expected to beat him and then release him. Carson makes a convincing argument that his beating was likely a fustigatio, the least severe flogging on the Roman menu: “ The chronology in Luke and John suggests that Jesus most likely received a second flogging after the sentence, the wretched verberatio, this would hasten the death process especially with the sacred sabbath approaching.

The agony of crucifixion could last for days, which would run into the Sabbath celebration. This would also explain why he could not even carry his own cross to Calvary.

John A. Sinful Sentence (19:1–16)

God’s sovereignty never mitigates the responsibility and guilt of moral agents who operate under divine sovereignty, while their voluntary decisions and their evil rebellion never render God utterly contingent (e.g., Gen. 19:20; Isa. 5:10ff.; Acts 4:27–28). Especially in writing of events that lead up to the cross, New Testament writers are bound to see the hand of God bringing all things to their dramatic purpose … no matter how vile the secondary causalities may be; for the alternatives are unthinkable.

“If you let him go you are no friend of Caesar” was no small threat on the part of the Jewish mob.......

The cross is a visible sign of a cruel death

HISTORY OF CRUCIFIXION

Crucifixion was a method of torture - not just putting someone to death. The idea was to exact the most amount of pain without killing an individual and bring ultimate humiliation. According to Jeremy Ward head of the physiology department at King’s College in London. Each aspect of death on the cross had it’s particular ghastliness, some less accurately depicted by artist than others. The discovery of the bones of a crucified man, now in a museum in Israel, points to the fact that the feet were most likely not staked on the front of the cross. In the remains, the nail goes through the heel, leading to the conclusion that the crucified were more likely nailed with their ankles on either side of the cross’s mast.

The classic position of the hands (in paintings) is that hey are clenched. A neurologist suggested that the clench was due to the fact that, if the nail went through, it basically caused neuropathy, or damage to the median nerve, which controls the thumb and the fingers. How the crucifixion was conducted made a difference. Crucifixions were conducted at all angels. It was up to the one performing the crucifixion to decide how the person was to be hung on the cross.

So, now you have excruciating shooting through every nerve of your body, you try to maintain the weight of your body on the legs so that the weight on the arms is not too much, so you can breath properly. Eventually exhaustion sets in and you cannot maintain the weight up. Breathing would be difficult and one could die because the heart stops due to arythmias and irregular heart beats. From the loss of blood from the beatings and the nails could have eventually led to hypoglycemic shock causing blood clots to form in the lungs.

And what of the blood and water spilling from Jesus side? Physiologist have suggested this is what is known as a pulmonary edema. “If you build up pressure which happens in heart failure your lungs begin to fill with fluid making in hard to breath and exchange gases.” The bottom line is that this had to be the excruciating and cruel way for someone to die.

The Cross is a visible sign of prophecy fulfilled

John gave a detailed account of our Lords crucifixion, or course he was the only apostle that was near Jesus at the time of the crucifixion. Pilates sign was written in (Aramaic) The language of the Jews, (Latin), the language of the Roman Empire, and the language of the culture of commerce (Greek).

The Cross is a visible sign of our identity with Christ

Why did Jesus choose the cross to be our identity with Him.

Society offers a number of identity options. Let us consider three of the most common.

You are your work. “This is identity through performance. In this view, our busyness and activity, especially our employment, fill the identity void in our hearts and help define us.

You are your History. “This is identity through pedigree. IN this view, our backgrounds, family life, and social connections locate us within a certain community and entitle us to certain benefits.

You are your sexuality. “This is identity through passion. In this view, sexual desire is the most basic reality about us that determines how we interact with the world and conceive of ourselves.

Note: All of these have echoes from the serpent’s words to Eve in the garden: “You will be like God.” Satan’s first temptation was really a temptation to define our identity on our own terms. He was saying do this and be like God. Take matters into your own hands and form your identity for yourself.

First, We no longer need to shape our identity by performance. Instead, we can say: “I am accepted and counted as righteous through Christ’s atoning work on the Cross.

Second, we no longer need to shape identity by an appeal to our pedigree. If we feel entitled or begin to lean on our family name, social networks, or our background for who we are and what we are worth, we will begin to think that those who do not share our pedigree are somehow less worthy that we are, we should instead see our fellow image bearers, whose beauty remains marred and shattered by the fall, by sin: I am made worthy by Christ’s atoning death on the cross alone.

Third, we no longer shape our identity by passion. It has become common to define ourselves by our sexual desires. But our sexual desires -whether they are in keeping with God’s design or not - can and will never be central fact about who we are. To make them such distorts and twists God’s original design for his creation. Sexual appetites and desires ultimately deny our essential selves. And the great pursuit of this age, after all, is to “live your truth! You do you!” The self must be satisfied. The self must be satisfied. And if the self is fundamentally and essentially a sexual self, then restraint and transformation of our passions cannot really have a lasting place in our identity: We are called to die to self, the greatest selfless act that ever was accomplished on earth was when Jesus hung on the cross for our sins.

3. Jesus finishing work on the cross leaves nothing undone.

NOTE: The phrase “knowing that all was now completed.” has given scholars pause for centuries. Since Jesus had not yet died, the atonement was not completed and beyond that lay the resurrection and ascension. Carson notes that Jesus knowing that all was not completed was a complete awareness from the cross that all of the steps had now been accomplished and had now brought him to his impending death. The cry “I am thirsty,” referring to Psalm 69:21 finished this act.

WHEN JESUS DIED HIS SUFFERING WAS FINISHED.

His physical suffering was finished

Isaiah 50:6 ESV

6 I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

His mental suffering was finished

1 Peter 2:22–23 ESV

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

His spiritual suffering was finished

Psalm 22:1 ESV

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

WHEN JESUS DIED OUR SALVATION WAS FINISHED.

The prophecies concerning our Salvation were finished

Isaiah 53:1–12 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The Sacrifices concerning our Salvation were finished

Hebrews 10:12–18 ESV

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The promises concerning our Salvation were finished

Hebrews 9:11–15 ESV

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

WHEN JESUS DIED SATAN’S SOVEREIGNTY WAS FINISHED.

His authority was ended

Colossians 2:14–15 ESV

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

His tyranny was defeated

Romans 6:14 ESV

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

His destiny was predicted

2 Thessalonians 2:8 ESV

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

Story of Mitch and the Drug Lords of Mexico

CONCLUSION

In the tabernacle or God’s dwelling place resided a place called the holy of holies. Inside this place that was separated by a veil to show the separation of God and man because of our sin and rebellion from Adam in the garden of eden. There was one item that rested in this place and it was the ark of the covenant. This was an oblong box made of acatia wood that was covered with gold on which 2 cherubim sat on either side with their wings stretched towards the seat, or center of the box.

The High priest was only allowed to go into this holy place once a year an Yom kimpur or the day of atonement. He would then take the blood of the sacrificed lamb and pour it on the seat in the center of the box called the mercy seat of God or the place of reconciliation. This was done year after year throughout all of the centuries of mankind to atone for the sins of Israel.

Now, I want you to picture this, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and seat of God’s mercy. The box is now in the form of a crucifix or a cross that is raised on a hill outside of Jerusalem for all to see. The blood that is now being spilt on the alter of God is Jesus final act of obedience to the Father that will now make the yearly sacrifice no longer necessary.

Philip Bliss spoke for all of us when, still a young man, he wrote both the words and music to one of the most theologically sound a biblically triumphant hymns of the Christian Church over the past century....

“Man of Sorrows”

John III. Conclusion: Marco Polo and the Kublai Kahn

Man of sorrows! What a name

For the Son of God who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim!

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood—

Sealed my pardon with His blood:

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we,

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

Full atonement! Can it be?

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die,

“It is finished,” was His cry;

Now in heaven exalted high:

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

When He comes our glorious king

All his ransomed home to bring,

Then anew this song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

APPLICATION

What Truth are you standing on today?

The truth that the kingdom of this world brings or the truth that Jesus brought when he said, “I have come to testify to the truth.” Jesus is the way the truth and the life.

What significance does the cross hold for you today?

Is it merely a relic in a museum of good thought to consider when you come to Church, or is it the daily life you identify with.

What difference does the finishing work of Christ make in your life everyday?

Does it compel to cry like the song we just read, “Hallelujah, what a Savior?” or are you still trying to complete the work that Christ has already accomplished on your own?