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Home , Barabbas, Christ (title), Crucifixion of Jesus, I am (biblical term), Jesus, Matthew 27

The of Main Scripture - :1-51

If you have your , please turn with me to Matthew 27:1-51. As we continue our study through , tonight we come to one of the most critical passages of Scripture in all the Bible. It is the . If you watched last , we looked at Matthew chapter 26 where we saw the betrayal and . He has now been condemned by the Jewish leaders, but they do not have the authority to crucify anyone. That authority comes only from the Pilate, who was the governor at the time. So, when Jesus was charged with , it is now early morning. The Jewish leaders take him to Pilate and demand that Pilate sentence him to death by crucifixion. Let’s pick up the story in Matthew 27:11-16.

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the ?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single , so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15 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 . (Matthew 27:11-16)

- Who was Pilate?

His was . He was the sixth to serve in . He was not liked by the Jews because he did things that deliberately violated their laws and provoked them. He was not above killing people to accomplish his purposes. The Jews did not like him, but they needed him to give the order to have Jesus crucified. So, they took Jesus to Pilate and demanded that he sentence him to death by crucifixion. When Pilate asked the crime for which Jesus was guilty, they said it was blasphemy. They said that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews. The Jewish leaders twisted this so that Pilate would act quickly. They said, “Pilate, this man claims to be king. And there is no king but Caesar! So, it is in the best interest of to have this man sentenced to death. If you do not, you are no friend of Caesar!” Now what is interesting about this claim is that the Jews despised both Rome and Caesar. They were only trying to coerce Pilate to rule in their favor and have Jesus executed. So, when Pilate heard the charge, he had Jesus brought to him for questioning. When Pilate asked Jesus if he were the king of the Jews, Jesus said “You have said so.” And Pilate went further and said, “Do you not hear what these people are saying about you?” But Jesus did not answer. This conversation is given to us in more detail in the other , but one thing is clear. This conversation convinced Pilate that Jesus was not a dangerous revolutionary who was trying to overthrow Rome or dethrone Caesar. So, Pilate said to the Jewish leaders “I find no fault in him. But the Jewish leaders would not give up. The repeated the charges and they continued to demand that Pilate sentence Jesus to death. Now Pilate was in a tough position. He wanted to solve the problem, but he did not want to bear the responsibility of sentencing Jesus to death. As a Roman governor, he was pledged to uphold the law. But as a politician, he knew he had to get along with the people and wanted to please them if possible. When he could not get Jesus to answer him, he had one more trick up his sleeve. There was a tradition of releasing one prisoner each year as an act of goodwill. Pilate had a notorious criminal named Barabbas that he was going to release.

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 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 has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Matt 27:17-23)

In the midst of all of this, Pilate’s wife warned him not to have anything to do with this mock trial. She came to him and told him very plainly not to have anything to do with the death of this man. She had a dream about this and believed he was a righteous man who was being framed. She had suffered much in her dream about him being mistreated and falsely accused. She told her husband not to get involved. So, Pilate was looking for a way to not sentence Jesus to death while at the same time to avoid a riot int he streets with the Jews. Pilate was looking for a way out. He knew the Jewish leaders , so he was not blind to the situation. He knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve to die. But he also knew that the Jewish leaders would stop at nothing to get their way. So, he had to come up with a plan where he would not have any part of executing Jesus while at the same time letting the Jewish leaders have what they want. Barabbas was a murderer and an insurrectionist. He was worthy of the punishment that awaited him. Even if the crowd would not proclaim Jesus innocent, surely they would recognize that Jesus was far more innocent than Barabbas! His plan was brilliant, but it didn’t work. When Pilate proposed that he release Jesus instead of Barabbas, the angry mob refused. They said in unison. Release to us Barabbas. And Pilate said, “And what shall I do with Jesus?” And the mob shouted, “Crucify him!” Let me pause here and talk about the man called Barabbas. He was a notorious criminal. He was a murderer and an insurrectionist. And yet now he is being set free.

- How do you think Barabbas responded to this turn of events in his favor?

Barabbas was probably both surprised and thrilled. He knew he was guilty. He knew he deserved to die. Yet for some reason, beyond his knowledge, he is now being set free.

- How is this a picture of how we receive ?

We are much like Barabbas. We are guilty of . And the wages of sin is death. But through his death on the , Jesus paid the penalty or the price of our sin. So we, just like Barabbas, have been set free. We do not deserve it. We do not understand it. It is called . We can only receive it and share it with others.

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, “ 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. (Matthew 27:24-26)

Pilate took three steps in an attempt to exonerate himself. First, he washed his hands and declared that Jesus was an innocent man and was not guilty of a crime. Second, he stated clearly that Jesus was a just person and not worthy of death. And third, he offered to punish Jesus and then release him. But the Jewish leaders would not accept this. They yelled at Pilate and said, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar for everyone who claims to be a king is an of Caesar!”

Pilate knew what was right, but he gave in to the angry mob. He was more concerned with “pleasing the people” than he was in doing the right thing. Pilate looked for the easy way, and not the right way. And because of this Pilate has gone down in history as the man who condemned Jesus.

- Do we sometimes look for the easy way rather than the right way?

I am a people pleaser by . If I had my way, I would always do what people want me to do. But what I have learned over the years is that I have a greater responsibility than pleasing people. I am to please . As of a large , I have to make dozens of decisions vary single week. And especially in the last two months of the Coronavirus, it seems like I am making critical decisions by the day. Now I am grateful that I have a staff to help me make these decisions and I have an Administrative Council to guide me, but there are still times when it comes down to me and I must make a decision. And when I make a decision that I believe is the right decision, I know that some people will not be pleased. What I have learned in my 25 years of being a Pastor is that it is impossible to please everybody. So since I know I cannot please everybody, I set my sights on pleasing one body. And that one body is God. For if I believe my decision is pleasing to God, I can handle the criticism of those who are displeased.

And I will say the same to you. There are times in life that you must decide. Do you want to please people, or do you want to please God? Are you a people pleaser or are you a God pleaser? I heard a great quote years ago that I have never forgotten.

*** If you please God, it doesn’t matter who you displease. If you don’t please God, it doesn’t matter who you please. ***

So here is the question. God pleaser or People pleaser. What kind of pleaser are you?

27 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 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. (Matt 27:27-30)

The official charge against Jesus was that he claimed to be the King of the Jews. So the soldiers took advantage of this accusation in a cruel and humiliating way. First, they disrobed Jesus and dressed him in an old soldier’s coat to mock him by making him wear a robe to mimic royalty. Second, they put a crown on his head. But this was no ordinary crown. It was a woven together and crushed deep into his skull. And third, they gave him a reed or a staff to mimic a king’s scepter. Once they did these three things, they all bowed down and mocked him yelling, “Hail, King of the Jews!” All the while, they were spitting on him and striking him in the head with the reed.

I think it is the most degrading form of humiliation. Even worse than the physical pain and suffering he had to endure. Jesus experienced emotional pain and humiliation of the people. I can remember when I was a child getting in a fight with a friend. He was much bigger than I and he held me down and spit on me. I cannot describe it, but it was worse than getting punched in the face. It was humiliating and degrading. I simply did not have the strength or the power to resist him or stop him. It is still a vivid picture in my mind.

Now remember, this is Jesus. He did have the strength and he did have the power to stop this. He was God. In his own words, he could have called down 10,000 and killed then all. But he did not. He accepted it. He did not retaliate. He sat there and let them mock him, beat him and spit on him. Jesus took all of this humiliation and pain without speaking or fighting back. His submission was not a sign of weakness It was a sign of strength.

31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. 32 As 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 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. (Matthew 27:31- 38)

Crucifixion was the most shameful and painful way to execute a criminal. Jesus did not simply die. He died a death on the cross. Jesus was led outside the city to his place of execution. It was required that the prisoner carry his own cross. But in order to hurry things up so they could be finished before the , they drafted a visitor and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. This man was named Simon. He had come to to celebrate the and now he was being forced to carry the cross of Jesus.

Now it was customary to give a narcotic drink to the man being executed for this would ease the pain. But Jesus did not accept it. He was determined to fulfill his mission and accept the pain without any drugs or attempt to ease the pain. Once he was crucified, the Roman soldiers divided his garments and rolled dice for them. And when he was on the cross, the put a sign that read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” And hanging beside Jesus were two robbers, one to his right and one to his left.

39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the 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 .’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. (Matthew 27:39-44)

Jesus was not executed in a quiet building. He was executed on a public highway on a day when thousands of people were walking by to make it home for the Sabbath. It was bad enough that the angry mob mocked him and ridiculed him, but now even the Jewish leaders were casting insults at him. They reminded him of his words when he said he would destroy the temple and then rebuild it in three days. Little did they know that the temple of which he was referring was his body. And in three day, he would be raised from the dead. And they said, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself.” Again, what they didn’t know what his very death was an act of salvation. But if Jesus would have saved himself, nobody else could be saved. For Jesus did not come to save his own life, but to give his life as a ransom for many.

45 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 .” 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. (Matt 27:45-50)

Jesus was crucified at 9:00 in the morning and from 9:00 until noon, he hung in the light. But at noon, a miraculous darkness covered the land. It was not a sandstorm or an eclipse. It was a -sent darkness that lasted for three hours. It was as though all of creation was sympathizing with the Creator. Jesus had spoken at least three times before this darkness fell. While they were crucifying him, he repeatedly prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He had spoken to the repentant thief and assured him that he would be with him in . He had also given his mother into the care of John. But when the darkness came, Jesus was silent for three hours.

He quoted :1 He fulfilled :21

After three hours, the darkness left. It was then when Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?” This was a direct quote from Psalm 22:1. Jesus spoke these words in Hebrew, and the people did not understand them. They thought he was calling out for Elijah to help him. And in rapid succession, Jesus spoke three more times, He said, “I thirst” and thus fulfilled Psalm 69:21. Someone took pity on him and moistened His lips with some sour wine. The others waited to see if perhaps Elijah would come to his rescue. Then Jesus said, “It is finished! Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” The fact that Jesus shouted with a loud voice indicates that He was in complete control of His faculties. Then He voluntarily yielded up His spirt and died.

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 also were opened. And many bodies of the who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the 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 , ministering to him, 56 among whom were and Mary the mother of James and and the mother of the of . (Matt 27:51- 56)

The earth shook. There was an earthquake at the precise moment that Jesus died. And at the same time, the in the temple was torn in two. The torn veil indicates that He conquered sin and now we have direct access to God. The tombs were opened and many of the saints were released. Now we are not told who these saints were, but they were simply believers who had died. Other versions say that they did not come out of the graves until after the resurrection.

Now there was a Roman centurion who was watching it all. And being an eyewitness, he looked up at the cross and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Many eyewitnesses of the crucifixion saw firsthand the power and the of God.

Now the only present for the crucifixion was John. But there were many women who watched it all from a distance. Three women are named. They are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and John, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from , 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 , which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61)

Were it not for the intervention of and , the body of Jesus might not have had a decent burial. Joseph and Nicodemus had come to believe in Jesus, even though they had not openly testified of their . God may have kept them hidden for such a time as this. Since Joseph and Nicodemus were both respected citizens, Pilate granted their request and they took the body of Jesus and laid it in a rich man’s tomb. In contrast to the loving care given by Jesus friends, notice the plotting’s and scheming of the Jewish leaders. The disciples had forgotten that Jesus promised to rise from the dead on the third day, but his remembered. So Pilate permitted his enemies to set a guard at the tomb. This guard put an official Roman seal on the stone. All of this was of God, for now it was impossible for anyone; friend or foe, to steal the body of Jesus.

This was possibly the low point in history for the followers of Jesus Christ. This was when thought he had defeated Jesus once and for all. All of this took place on Friday. But remember, it was just Friday. And is coming! It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming! See you next week!