The Crucifixion of Jesus Main Scripture - Matthew 27:1-51 If you have your Bible, please turn with me to Matthew 27:1-51. As we continue our study through the Bible, tonight we come to one of the most critical passages of Scripture in all the Bible. It is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. If you watched last week, we looked at Matthew chapter 26 where we saw the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. 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 blasphemy, it is now early Friday 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 Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests 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 charge, 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 Barabbas. (Matthew 27:11-16) - Who was Pilate? His name was Pontius Pilate. He was the sixth Roman governor to serve in Judea. 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 Rome 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 gospels, 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 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!” (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 well, 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 salvation? We are much like Barabbas. We are guilty of sin. And the wages of sin is death. But through his death on the cross, 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 Grace. 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, “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. (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 enemy 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 nature. 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 God. As Pastor of a large church, 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.