Good Friday 2022

Matthew 27:1–14 (ESV)

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Let’s reflect on this for a moment...

The night before this, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and carried away to Caiaphas to be tried.

Before morning came he was already falsely accused, spat on, blindfolded and struck on the face and told to prophesy who it was who hit him. In the morning, after a painfully long night they concluded the death penalty, but the Jews were stripped of the level of sentencing by the Romans almost two years earlier, so they are forced to deliver him to Pilate to get the job done.

In this case, we’re not thinking about what the Lord said, but what he didn’t say. But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed

Isaiah 53:7 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.

Why did he not answer their accusations? Because he was innocent. Because He wasn’t only King of the Jews, but King of the universe. More powerful than Pilate, and Caiaphas, and all the soldiers of Rome. Yet humble as a lamb coming to be sheared, because what was being done, had to be done.

As we think about the Journey to the cross, let’s remember His innocence.

Prayer and Song 1

Matthew 27:15-26 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” 24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Of course many emotions could be expressed over this text.

I’d like to just point for our reflection and prayer, that it is not possible to clear our own guilt.

Though Pilate washed his hands of the matter, he was guilty.

But the crowd was too much for Pilate, so he sought to appease them, and sinned against his own conscience. He deserved judgement from God. Brothers and sisters he was guilty, just as much as the crowd who shouted.

We are Barabbas, the sinner who needs a substitute.

We are the crowd, who before knowing Christ would have shouted for his execution.

We are Pilate, if we think that we are without guilt by our disassociation with sinners, when in reality, the only way to be right with God is to willingly associate with Jesus, who willingly went went through this for us.

Do not let it cross your mind that you wish Pilate would have let him go at this point. Don’t forget that Jesus is working his way to the cross, because there was no other way for our guilt to be taken than through his sacrifice.

Prayer and song 2

Matthew 27:27-44 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

32 pAs they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Having already faced beating, and the cat of nine tails, he now stands before the whole battalion to face utter shame and mockery.

Consider tonight the things you are ashamed of doing. Consider all of your embarrassments, and vulnerability. What is the root of all of these except the original sin that exposed the nakedness of Adam and Eve. They were not ashamed of their nakedness until sin came into the world through rebellion. When sin entered, shame came rushing in. Regret, embarrassment, accusation, and mockery. And God did something about it. He sacrificed an offering to make clothing to cover them.

Jesus stands before the battalion, innocent, opened to shame and mockery, unclothed, crowned with thorns to inflict pain.

Brothers and sisters, he was bearing our shame. They took his garments, and he let them, because in so doing he prepares our garments of white.

Revelation 19:11-14 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and min righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has pa name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

The weight of it all so great that they called another man to help him carry the beam of the cross up the hill.

Then he hoisted up on display, and the passersby wag their heads at him and say “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

New City, understand this truth. Jesus had no desire to come down from the cross. He was not there to save himself, but to save sinners.

Philippians 2:7 He emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

1 Peter 2:22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 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. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Prayer and Song 3

Matthew 27:45-61 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

It is here that Jesus drinks the full cup of the Father’s wrath against sin. The drink they offered him earlier he would not take, because it had numbing agents.

The love of Christ to receive in full, and feel completely the bitterness of our sin as the Father forsook him.

The second drink, according to the other gospel writers, was requested by Jesus. He said “I thirst.” And though most crucifixion victims would die in agony and defeat, Christ wold die in victory, using the moisture of the last drink to cry out once more, as recorded in John… IT IS FINISHED. I singular Greek word meaning, PAID IN FULL!

This is good news on Good Friday, but for them it was still just darkness and sadness. Jesus was buried in the tomb. Saturday will come with great silence, but Sunday is coming!