INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today we begin our look at the second of our four words of Easter, the word suffered.
• WE can all relate to this word on various levels, we look in the world around us and we see suffering.
• Sometimes we can look no further than our own world to see suffering.
• Suffering is nothing new to this world, and since Jesus was God in the flesh, He too would endure suffering.
• After Jesus was betrayed in the garden, He was about to suffer like never before. Why did He suffer? If God is a loving God, then why did He allow His son to suffer?
• Over 700 years before Jesus was born into this world, the Prophet Isaiah shared the reason.
• SLIDE #2
• Isaiah 53:5–6 (HCSB) But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
• WOW! Jesus suffered for you! That is a deep love!
• Today we will examine some of the suffering Jesus endured on our behalf.
• Our main text is John 19:16-27; however, given the nature of the message, I want to start in verses 1-3.
• SLIDE #3
• John 19:1–3 (HCSB) Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple robe around Him. And they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping His face.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. Jesus suffered before the crucifixion. (1-3)
• Roman law dictated that before the condemned person was crucified, they were to be scourged first.
• Scourging or flogging was a terrible thing to endure.
• SLIDE #5 SCOURGE TOOL
• The tool used consisted of a wood handle with strips of leather with pieces of bone, metal, and lead balls embedded into the leather.
• The victim was fastened to a low post so that his back would be stretched and the Roman soldiers were trained to rake the scouring tool across the back to rip the skin off the back, sometimes exposing the internal organs.
• These soldiers were hardened men who could take a person from the brink of death before relenting.
• Jesus endured this suffering even before He was nailed to the cross.
• Then the soldiers did something more, they beat a crown made of thorns into His head.
• SLIDE #6 THORNS
• The soldiers proceeded to slap Jesus around and mock Him.
• As a side note, Pilate turned a blind eye to these activities because he was looking to gain sympathy for Jesus so that he could release Him, the more pathetic Jesus appeared, the more likely He would be released.
• SLIDE #7
• Jesus did not fight back; He did not retaliate.
• Isaiah 50:6 (HCSB) I gave My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.
• Why did Jesus suffer? Jesus suffered at the hands of sinful man.
• SLIDE #8
• Luke 24:7 (HCSB) saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?”
• The suffering of Jesus represents God’s disdain for sin. The suffering did not stop before the crucifixion…
• SLIDE #9
• John 19:16–17 (HCSB) So then, because of them, he handed Him over to be crucified. Therefore they took Jesus away. Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
• SLIDE #10
II. Jesus suffered on the way to His crucifixion. (16-17)
• Not only did Jesus have to face the indignity of the scouring, beating, and mocking, He had to carry His own cross.
• The typical procession that took the final journey with the condemned consisted of a centurion on horseback (Matthew 27:54), a herald who would proclaim the sentence as well as why the condemned was about to die, then the condemned was behind him, then a small company of four soldiers followed behind the condemned.
• Of course during the trip the condemned faced the ridicule of the crowd.
• Luke 23:26 tell us that Jesus was in too bad of shape to carry the cross all by Himself.
• Jesus was bearing the sins of the world on is back.
• The whole scene was meant to further humiliate the condemned man.
• Imagine, you are God and you see your son suffering such indignities at the hands of sinful man.
• Jesus has been through the ringer.
• When we endure suffering, it is tempting to get angry with God. Why does not God stop this injustice that is happening to me, it is not fair we further surmise.
• IF God were a loving God, He would not allow me to suffer. We sometimes get angry with God when what we face is our fault!
• God allowed Jesus to suffer because that is what was required for God’s justice for sin to be satisfied.
• SLIDE #11
• Isaiah 53:4 (HCSB) Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
• THERE IS JESUS BEARING THE SINS OF THE WORLD. He is heading for Golgotha.
• SLIDE #12 GOLGOTHA
• This is the place some scholars believe to be Golgotha, which means “skull.” And as you can see, the mountain seems to have a resemblance of a skull, which almost 2000 years ago may have been more pronounced.
• With each step, Jesus is thinking of you, with each step He is getting closer to making the final sacrifice for sin.
• With each step He is losing blood, with each step His very life is slipping away, but it is not over yet.
• SLIDE #13
III. Jesus suffered while He was being crucified. (18-27)
• While Jesus was on the cross, He suffered the loss of many things. In verse 18 we see His reputation suffered.
• SLIDE #14
• John 19:18 (HCSB) There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
• He was hung on the cross between two thieves. As a result of that indignity, people were wiling to hurl insults and mock Him.
• SLIDE #15
• Mark 15:29–32 (HCSB) — 29 Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The One who would demolish the sanctuary and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself by coming down from the cross!” 31 In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking Him to one another and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself! 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him were taunting Him.
• The people, who just a week earlier were shouting Hosanna as Jesus was entering Jerusalem, are now hurling insults toward Him.
• The religious leaders were mocking Him among themselves.
• Notice in verse 31,
• 31 In the same way, the chief priests with the scribes were mocking Him to one another and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself!
• The religious leaders are not denying the fact that Jesus saved others, yet they would not bow down to Him as King.
• One of the thieves on the cross was even getting in on the action.
• SLIDE #16
• Luke 23:39–41 (HCSB) — 39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
• One of the thieves was able to see that Jesus was innocent.
• SLIDE #17
• Isaiah 53:7 (HCSB) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth.
• Jesus was not on the cross pleading with people, He was not defending His innocence, He did not shout out that this was all wrong, Jesus went to the cross for our sins, He knew why He was on the cross.
• SLIDE #18
• Isaiah 53:12 (HCSB) Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.
• Jesus also suffered the loss of His earthy possession on the cross.
• SLIDE #19
• John 19:23–24 (HCSB) When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” They did this to fulfill the Scripture that says: They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing. And this is what the soldiers did.
• By law, Roman soldiers were allowed to have the garments of the condemned.
• There were 4 soldiers who were in charge of the crucifixion; they get to divide Jesus’ earthly possessions among themselves.
• Jesus did not concern Himself with earthly possessions, nonetheless, He watched His possession be divided and gambled away.
• The tunic was the grand prize, particularly since it was a one-piece tunic versus a two-piece.
• Jesus also suffered the loss of His family on the cross.
• SLIDE #20
• John 19:25–27 (HCSB) Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
• Mary was no put in the hands of John.
CONCLUSION
• Jesus not only went to the cross for our sins, but He also suffered greatly, He also suffered the loss of everything for us, He reputation, His possession, His family, and ultimately His life, which Jerry will cover next week.
• Jesus totally sold Himself out for us; He gave His ALL so that we can be saved.
• When we come to Jesus, we are called to give everything up for Him. As Paul said in Philippians, what we lose is nothing compared to what God has in store for us!
• Suffering is something we seek to avoid; Jesus faced it head on for your salvation!
• Are you ready to totally give yourself to the creator of heaven and Earth?
