What do you think of this man Jesus?
“Crucified”
(Matthew 27:1-44, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 16, 2008)
Matthew 27:1-44 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. 3 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, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 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." 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 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, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." 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. 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. 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 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 , 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 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.
Introduction – The story of the Bible and the story of God and man
My last class in comparative religion was in high school. I am very far from being an expert in other belief systems. I have never read the holy texts of Confucianism. I cannot quite pronounce the Bhagavad Gita, one of the sacred texts of Hinduism. I have never even read the Jewish Talmud, except when it is quoted in commentaries or study bibles. The only exposure that I have to the Koran came as a result of 9/11, and I am sure that many Islamic scholars would say that my thoughts on that are taken out of context. They might be right. The other day was the first time that I heard of the existence of the Tao-te-chin; a text of Taoism that means “The Way and Its Power.” Frankly, I don’t know that I will ever really study any of these documents. I am just not interested in religion, and I have about as much aptitude for understanding Hinduism or Buddhism as I do for fixing a lawn mower, which means I have almost no aptitude at all for it. A good friend of mine wrote a book called Beyond Buddhism which I read some years ago. I was impressed with his scholarship in documenting the various schools of Buddhism, and in demonstrating that the message of Christianity was so different than the religion of his Japanese ancestors.
My knowledge of the Bible mostly comes from reading it over and over and over again, especially in the pursuit of answers. I have found that to be very fruitful, life-engaging, and even life-saving. I am utterly convinced that Jesus Christ is the living center of the Old and New Testaments, and I am devoted to Him as my Savior, my Lord, and my only hope. I have found nothing else in economics, politics, art, sociology, or any other field of study that captivates my heart like Jesus Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and the promise of the life to come. It is in this one and only Messiah that we see the story of the Bible, the story of stories, the story of God and humanity.
The story of Judas (1-10)
As we enter into Matthew’s account of the cross and resurrection, we see some of the story of Judas, of Pontius Pilate, and of course, of Jesus. There are other figures here, the chief priests and elders, the people in general, Barrabbas, Simon of Cyrene, and others, but we will focus on Judas, Pilate, and Jesus. Judas’ story is not a happy one. It is horrible to think of a life that is marked by a horrific act of treachery, a life summarized with the words, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” But these most memorable things about Judas are not what Matthew has written for us in this passage. Here we learn that Judas changed his mind.
This close friend of Jesus is full of distress. He says, “I have sinned.” He is the only one of the twelve who actually goes to the chief priests and the elders and proclaims Jesus’ innocence, as well as his own guilt as a betrayer. When everyone has scattered, and when everyone else is saying nothing, when even Peter has denied Jesus three times, who makes the boldest defense of Jesus, going right up to the men who have just condemned our Lord? Surprisingly, it is Judas. He says, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” He tries to return the money, and when he is rebuffed, he throws it into the temple. The leaders don’t want to hear what Judas has to say about his guilt or about the innocence of Jesus. They say, “What is that to us?” And then they add these words, “See to it yourself.” The literal words are, “You will see.” The point is that his guilt will prove to be something that he will see to himself, and not something they consider to be their concern. He is overwhelmed by the enormity of his own part in what has taken place, and he executes judgment against himself by sending his own body to the grave.
The story of Pilate (11-31)
The story of the Roman governor Pilate is entirely different. It ends, not with any statement of his own guilt, but with the words, “I am innocent of this man's blood.” Pilate has no real history with Jesus. He is interested in the claims of His kingship, and asks Him if He is the King of the Jews. The only words of Christ to Pilate recorded by Matthew come in the simple response: “You say,” translated here, “You have said so.” The governor is amazed at Jesus’ silence concerning the accusations against Him. Pilate seems determined to get out of the middle of this situation. He knows that Jesus has done nothing deserving of death. He is aware that the Jewish leaders envy Jesus, and that this is the reason that Jesus stands before him. He also receives word that his wife has been greatly troubled by a dream concerning Jesus, who she refers to as “that righteous man.” He thinks that he has a clear way out of this situation through his custom of releasing a prisoner in connection with the Passover. Surely the people will demand Jesus if the choice is between Him and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. Pilate seems unprepared for the vehement and unified insistence among the people that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified.
The crowd is on the verge of a riot. Pilate puts on a show for them to indicate that he does not agree with what is happening. He washes his hands of it all. He says, “I am innocent of this man's blood.” He then adds these words, very much like the words of the chief priests and elders to Judas: “See to it yourselves.” Like the earlier statement from verse 4, it literally says, “You will see.” The reaction of the crowd to this is vehement and surprising. There is no way that they want to allow Pilate to stop this crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They insist that his blood is on their heads, and on the heads of their descendants. The governor steps away. First he personally sees that Jesus is brutally whipped, and then hands him over to those who are to follow his orders. He is the man in charge. His soldiers strip Jesus, push a crown of thorns into his head, mock him, beat him, and spit on him. Pilate knows that Jesus does not deserve this. While Judas spoke of his personal guilt, Pilate insists on his own innocence.
The story of Jesus and the cross (32-44)
Now we come to our Savior’s story, a very big story, a very wonderful story. It is a story with the cross at its very center, so much so that in another place we hear the Apostle Paul speak of boasting in the cross. But now we see the events of the cross itself, and they make us grieve more than rejoice.
Here is our King, the God/Man, truly God, but also truly man. He was so weakened by the sufferings that He received by Pilate’s order that the soldiers needed to press someone else into service in order to carry the cross to the place where He would die. We are told some of the details that may seem incidental to us, the name of the place, the drink they gave to Him, what they did with His clothes, the words that they placed above His head, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” This man is our hope, and He has two robbers crucified with Him, one on each side. People all around them are showing their hatred of Him. There is so much here that we more observe and feel than understand. We can say this: Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God, through His suffering, is embracing us.
I love this man. He captivates my heart. I have no time to study Confucius because I spend all my useful moments searching for Jesus in the Bible and finding Him. Judas was right about Him. The blood of Jesus Christ was innocent blood, yet He bore our guilty stains in His work on the cross. He is our Savior. He is our King. I am happy to be an Israelite if this Man is King of the Jews. He gave up the temple of His body willingly for us that day, and now we are raised in Him, for He is the new Temple of God, and we are a part of that glorious temple. I have a theoretical interest in the religions of the world, but they are full of ideas that I frankly cannot relate to at all. But this Man, who died for us, He is not a religion, a philosophy, or even a mystical experience. He is an unstoppable fact, a Savior, and a King. He is the Son of God, and He did not come down from the cross. He was crucified.
Questions for meditation and discussion:
1. If all that you knew about Judas were these verses, what could you say about Him?
2. How do you evaluate Pilate’s claim that he was innocent of the blood of Jesus Christ?
3. This passage does not really tell us about the meaning of the cross. What is the purpose of this text?
4. What makes Christianity so different from other religious systems?
(Matthew 27:1-44, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 16, 2008)
Matthew 27:1-44 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. 3 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, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 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." 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 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, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." 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. 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. 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 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 , 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 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.
Introduction – The story of the Bible and the story of God and man
My last class in comparative religion was in high school. I am very far from being an expert in other belief systems. I have never read the holy texts of Confucianism. I cannot quite pronounce the Bhagavad Gita, one of the sacred texts of Hinduism. I have never even read the Jewish Talmud, except when it is quoted in commentaries or study bibles. The only exposure that I have to the Koran came as a result of 9/11, and I am sure that many Islamic scholars would say that my thoughts on that are taken out of context. They might be right. The other day was the first time that I heard of the existence of the Tao-te-chin; a text of Taoism that means “The Way and Its Power.” Frankly, I don’t know that I will ever really study any of these documents. I am just not interested in religion, and I have about as much aptitude for understanding Hinduism or Buddhism as I do for fixing a lawn mower, which means I have almost no aptitude at all for it. A good friend of mine wrote a book called Beyond Buddhism which I read some years ago. I was impressed with his scholarship in documenting the various schools of Buddhism, and in demonstrating that the message of Christianity was so different than the religion of his Japanese ancestors.
My knowledge of the Bible mostly comes from reading it over and over and over again, especially in the pursuit of answers. I have found that to be very fruitful, life-engaging, and even life-saving. I am utterly convinced that Jesus Christ is the living center of the Old and New Testaments, and I am devoted to Him as my Savior, my Lord, and my only hope. I have found nothing else in economics, politics, art, sociology, or any other field of study that captivates my heart like Jesus Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and the promise of the life to come. It is in this one and only Messiah that we see the story of the Bible, the story of stories, the story of God and humanity.
The story of Judas (1-10)
As we enter into Matthew’s account of the cross and resurrection, we see some of the story of Judas, of Pontius Pilate, and of course, of Jesus. There are other figures here, the chief priests and elders, the people in general, Barrabbas, Simon of Cyrene, and others, but we will focus on Judas, Pilate, and Jesus. Judas’ story is not a happy one. It is horrible to think of a life that is marked by a horrific act of treachery, a life summarized with the words, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” But these most memorable things about Judas are not what Matthew has written for us in this passage. Here we learn that Judas changed his mind.
This close friend of Jesus is full of distress. He says, “I have sinned.” He is the only one of the twelve who actually goes to the chief priests and the elders and proclaims Jesus’ innocence, as well as his own guilt as a betrayer. When everyone has scattered, and when everyone else is saying nothing, when even Peter has denied Jesus three times, who makes the boldest defense of Jesus, going right up to the men who have just condemned our Lord? Surprisingly, it is Judas. He says, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” He tries to return the money, and when he is rebuffed, he throws it into the temple. The leaders don’t want to hear what Judas has to say about his guilt or about the innocence of Jesus. They say, “What is that to us?” And then they add these words, “See to it yourself.” The literal words are, “You will see.” The point is that his guilt will prove to be something that he will see to himself, and not something they consider to be their concern. He is overwhelmed by the enormity of his own part in what has taken place, and he executes judgment against himself by sending his own body to the grave.
The story of Pilate (11-31)
The story of the Roman governor Pilate is entirely different. It ends, not with any statement of his own guilt, but with the words, “I am innocent of this man's blood.” Pilate has no real history with Jesus. He is interested in the claims of His kingship, and asks Him if He is the King of the Jews. The only words of Christ to Pilate recorded by Matthew come in the simple response: “You say,” translated here, “You have said so.” The governor is amazed at Jesus’ silence concerning the accusations against Him. Pilate seems determined to get out of the middle of this situation. He knows that Jesus has done nothing deserving of death. He is aware that the Jewish leaders envy Jesus, and that this is the reason that Jesus stands before him. He also receives word that his wife has been greatly troubled by a dream concerning Jesus, who she refers to as “that righteous man.” He thinks that he has a clear way out of this situation through his custom of releasing a prisoner in connection with the Passover. Surely the people will demand Jesus if the choice is between Him and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. Pilate seems unprepared for the vehement and unified insistence among the people that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified.
The crowd is on the verge of a riot. Pilate puts on a show for them to indicate that he does not agree with what is happening. He washes his hands of it all. He says, “I am innocent of this man's blood.” He then adds these words, very much like the words of the chief priests and elders to Judas: “See to it yourselves.” Like the earlier statement from verse 4, it literally says, “You will see.” The reaction of the crowd to this is vehement and surprising. There is no way that they want to allow Pilate to stop this crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They insist that his blood is on their heads, and on the heads of their descendants. The governor steps away. First he personally sees that Jesus is brutally whipped, and then hands him over to those who are to follow his orders. He is the man in charge. His soldiers strip Jesus, push a crown of thorns into his head, mock him, beat him, and spit on him. Pilate knows that Jesus does not deserve this. While Judas spoke of his personal guilt, Pilate insists on his own innocence.
The story of Jesus and the cross (32-44)
Now we come to our Savior’s story, a very big story, a very wonderful story. It is a story with the cross at its very center, so much so that in another place we hear the Apostle Paul speak of boasting in the cross. But now we see the events of the cross itself, and they make us grieve more than rejoice.
Here is our King, the God/Man, truly God, but also truly man. He was so weakened by the sufferings that He received by Pilate’s order that the soldiers needed to press someone else into service in order to carry the cross to the place where He would die. We are told some of the details that may seem incidental to us, the name of the place, the drink they gave to Him, what they did with His clothes, the words that they placed above His head, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” This man is our hope, and He has two robbers crucified with Him, one on each side. People all around them are showing their hatred of Him. There is so much here that we more observe and feel than understand. We can say this: Jesus Christ, the righteous Son of God, through His suffering, is embracing us.
I love this man. He captivates my heart. I have no time to study Confucius because I spend all my useful moments searching for Jesus in the Bible and finding Him. Judas was right about Him. The blood of Jesus Christ was innocent blood, yet He bore our guilty stains in His work on the cross. He is our Savior. He is our King. I am happy to be an Israelite if this Man is King of the Jews. He gave up the temple of His body willingly for us that day, and now we are raised in Him, for He is the new Temple of God, and we are a part of that glorious temple. I have a theoretical interest in the religions of the world, but they are full of ideas that I frankly cannot relate to at all. But this Man, who died for us, He is not a religion, a philosophy, or even a mystical experience. He is an unstoppable fact, a Savior, and a King. He is the Son of God, and He did not come down from the cross. He was crucified.
Questions for meditation and discussion:
1. If all that you knew about Judas were these verses, what could you say about Him?
2. How do you evaluate Pilate’s claim that he was innocent of the blood of Jesus Christ?
3. This passage does not really tell us about the meaning of the cross. What is the purpose of this text?
4. What makes Christianity so different from other religious systems?
posted by Pastor Magee at 10:00 AM
<< Home