Tuesday, July 14
Read: Luke 23
“Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.” (Charitie L. Bancroft, Before The Throne Of God Above)
There is no doubt that the underlying theme of this section is Jesus’ innocence. The amount of times that this is emphasized throughout all the ensuing trials makes this unmistakably true.
To recap a bit, the council that convened in Luke 22:66, made up of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law (collectively known as the Sanhedrin), were able to judge internal Jewish matters on their own. They had their case against Jesus in the bag in verses 70-71 (as Jesus admitted that he was the Son of Man), but they needed the Roman government to approve any sentencing resulting in death. Enter Pilate.
Unwaveringly believing from the get go that Jesus deserved death, the “whole assembly” hurled charge after charge against Jesus to Pilate: He’s subverting the nation, not paying taxes (which wasn’t even true), and claims to be the Christ, a king.
Attempts to make Pilate concerned about these charges fail (even though Jesus agrees to being the king of the Jews), and declares that he could find no reason to sentence Jesus. “But they insisted” anyway (verse 5). Finding out that Jesus was from Galilee, not wanting to deal with the Sanhedrin pressing him, and not really having a basis to sentence him, Pilate passes the buck to the Jewish ruler Herod.
Quite pleased to see Jesus, Herod hopes for a magic show as he had wanted to see Jesus “perform” for some time. And even though Herod asked Jesus many questions, Jesus never answered (Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”). It seems as though Jesus is done dignifying their questions. Even still, the chief priests and teachers of the law continued to point the finger at Jesus, trying to get what they wanted: Jesus dead. As Herod finds no reason to accuse Jesus either, he mocks Jesus’ true kingship (something they obviously had not discovered) by parading him around in an imitation royal robe. Now two men have declared Jesus innocent.
Jesus’ return to Pilate’s court doesn’t immediately amount to death, but it does serve as a good portrait of Jesus’ innocence being trampled over without care. As Pilate tries to settle the crowd by offering up a hearty serving of punishment (most likely a sever beating with a whip leaving the accused just barely on this side of life), in unison the crowd cries out for the release of Barabbas, a convicted murderer. Pilate tries to defend Jesus again, but the crowd still wants him crucified. Almost bewildered, Pilate shouts back, “Why? I have found no grounds for the death penalty!”
“But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.”
The crowd had won. They pushed and they pushed until the sinless Savior was finally condemned to death. The innocent Jesus, the perfect, spotless righteous one was tried, found guiltless, and yet was still sentenced to die. The sinner walked away a free man, while the blameless had only begun his journey to the cross.
Perhaps the most amazing thing of it all is that Jesus’ conviction leads him to show kindness, compassion and mercy to his enemies. After Jesus tells the weeping women to not feel bad for him (and instead mourn for those who reject him as Savior), he is crucified along with two men who rightfully deserved their judgment. Yet even though they deserved this death, Jesus’ first words on the cross were, not only to them but to us all, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
The rulers and soldiers began to slaughter Jesus with insults, making fun of him saying that if he was the Christ of God, he should just save himself. Then one of the criminals joins in, agreeing with their remarks. And then finally, after hours of humiliation, torture, and down right injustice, truth comes from where it’s least expected. The second criminal silenced the other saying:
“Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Process:
– Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus became sin for you so that you could be reconciled to God?
-Now read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. Knowing that Christ died for you, how do you think you should live?
-Talk about what it must have felt like for Jesus to love his enemies while he was being beaten and killed. Then read Luke 9:27-36. Who is God calling you to love and be merciful to?