SURELY HE WAS THE SON OF GOD
MATTHEW 27:32-56
GOOD FRIDAY
APRIL 19, 2019
THE SCENE WAS SET IN JERUSALEM FOR SOMETHING SPECACTULAR TO OCCUR. THE CROWD SIZE HAD SWELLED OVER THE WEEK TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE THINK WAS OVER A MILLION PEOPLE. THEY CAME TO CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER. ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN WERE THERE. EXTRA ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE ORDERED IN TO HELP WITH CROWD CONTROL. BOTH PILATE AND HEROD WERE THERE SHOULD VIOLENCE BREAK OUT. FINALLY, JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE THERE.
DURING HOLY WEEK, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ANY WAY THEY COULD FIND TO KILL HIM.
THE ROMANS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY DO ANYTHING TO HELP THEM AS THEY COULD NOT STAND THE JEWS, BUT IF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS INCITED THE PEOPLE, THE ROMANS WOULD REACT TO PREVENT A RIOT.
BACKGROUND:
JESUS WAS ARRESTED BY THE JEWISH GUARD, WITH ROMAN GUARDS IN SUPPORT. IT WAS DONE AT NIGHT TO KEEP THE ARREST AS QUIET AS POSSIBLE. HE WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE SANHEDRIN FOR TRIAL.
ALL OF THIS WAS ILLEGAL. CAPITAL TRIALS WERE NOT TO BE HELD AT NIGHT, BUT WHEN ALL WERE WELL RESTED AND ALERT. NEWCOMERS TO THE SANHEDRIN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SIT IN JUDGMENT ON CAPITAL CASES, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE DURING JESUS’ TRIAL. THE STORIES OF THE WITNESSES QUESTIONED DID NOT CONTAIN THE SAME DETAILS. IT WAS A SETUP RIGHT FROM THE START.
THE JEWISH SANHEDRIN FOUND JESUS GUILTY OF BLASPHEMY AND SENTENCED HIM TO DIE IN JUST A FEW HOURS. VERDICT IN CAPITAL CASES REQUIRED AT LEAST A DAY TO PASS BEFORE VERDICT SO THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE SANHEDRIN COULD CONSIDER THE CASE.
THE JEWS HOWEVER BECAUSE THEIR LAND WAS OCCUPIED BY ROMANS, DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT THIS SENTENCE. THEY TOOK JESUS TO THE ROMANS, AND NOW A NEW CHARGE WAS ISSUED, THAT OF INSURRECTION. IT WAS A CHARGE THE ROMANS COULD NOT IGNORE.
POINT ONE: ROMAN INVOLVEMENT
THE ROMANS HAD NO LOVE FOR THE JEWS, AND ORIGINALLY DIDN’T TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY AT ALL. THEY LAUGHED AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT HIM, THINKING HIM TO BE JUST AN ITINERANT PREACHER WHO HAD NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH HIS TIME THAN TO WANDER ABOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE PREACHING OF PEACE AND LOVE.
THIS TIME THOUGH PILATE WOULD TAKE THE SITUATION SERIOUSLY. JERUSALEM’S POPULATION OF JEWS HAD SWELLED WITH THE OCCASION OF PASSOVER.
PILATE HAD TO FEAR THE POSSIBLITY OF RIOTING IF HE DID NOT DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED. THEY ALSO CLAIMED THAT IF HE DID NOT EXECUTE JESUS FOR CHALLENGING THE AUTHORITY OF CAESAR, BY CLAIMING TO BE A KING, THEN HE, PILATE, WAS NOT A TRUE FRIEND OF CAESAR.
PILATE WAS CAUGHT IN A BATTLE OF HIS OWN CONSCIENCE. HE KNEW THE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST JESUS WERE NOT TRUE, AND HE WAS INTRIGUED BY JESUS HIMSELF. HE TRIED HIS BEST TO ANSWER THE PEOPLES CRY FOR BLOOD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO NOT HAVE JESUS EXECUTED.
FIRST HE ORDERED THE FLOGGING OF JESUS. THE CAT AND NINE TAILS WAS A WHIP WITH GLASS AND PIECES OF BONE CONNECTED TO NINE STRANDS COMING OUT OF THE HANDLE. THEY WOULD DIG INTO THE VICTIMS BACK LEAVING HIM A BLOODY MESS AFTER 39 LASHES. ONE IN THREE PRISONERS DIED FROM THESE FLOGGINGS. IT WAS USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE MOST HARDENED OF CRIMINALS AND WAS A PRELUDE TO EXECUTION. THE CENTURIAN AND HIS SOLDIERS WERE MOST LIKELY IN CHARGE OF HIS FLOGGING.
THESE SOLDIERS THEN MOCKED JESUS AND HIT HIM REPEATEDLY. THEY PLAYED A GAME WITH HIM CALLED HOT HAND. THEY SHOWED HIM THEIR FISTS, THEN BLINDFOLDED HIM. ONE BY ONE THEY TOOK TURNS HITTING JESUS, ALL EXCEPT ONE. THEN THE BLINDFOLD WAS REMOVED AND IF THE PRISONER WAS STILL CONSCIOUS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DISCOVER WHICH SOLDIER HAD NOT HIT HIM, WHICH OF COURSE THEY COULDN’T, AND SO THEY WOULD PLAY THAT GAME AGAIN.
NONE OF THIS TORTURE SATISFIED THE JEWISH CROWDS, SO PILATE TRIED ONE MORE TIME TO SAVE JESUS. HE OFFERED TO RELEASE EITHER JESUS, OR JESUS BARABBAS A KNOWN KILLER AND INSURRECTIONIST. HE FELT SURE THEY WOULD NOT LET THE KILLER GO FREE, BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CROWD CHOSE TO DO.
PILATE THEN CHOSE TO MAINTAIN CROWD CONTROL AND ORDERED JESUS’ DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION.
POINT TWO: HISTORY OF CRUCIFIXION
THE THEORY BEHIND CRUCIFIXION WAS VERY SIMPLE. THE ROMANS ADOPTED CRUCIFIXION FROM THE PERSIANS, BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST EXCRUCIATING FORM OF DEATH KNOWN TO MAN, AND THEY PROMOTED IT AS A PUBLIC SPECTACLE AND DETERRANT TO ANYONE THINKING OF REBELLING AGAINST THE EMPIRE. IN SOME CASES, CROSSES WOULD LINE JEWISH ROADS IN 10-15 FEET INTERVALS FOR LITERALLY MILES.
DEATH CAME BY ASPHYXIATION, OFTEN TAKING DAYS OF UNIMAGINABLE SUFFERING. THEY WERE MADE TO CARRY THEIR CROSS OR CROSSPIECE TO THE PLACE OF EXECUTION. THERE THE CROSS WAS PLACED ON THE GROUND AND THE CONDEMNED WAS POSITIONED ON IT. HIS WRISTS WERE NAILED TO IT AND IN MANY CASES HIS ARMS TIED SO THAT WHEN THE NAIL-HOLES ENLARGED AS A RESULT OF HIS WEIGHT, HE WOULD NOT FALL OFF THE CROSS.
HIS LEGS WOULD THEN BE NAILED WITH THEM SLIGHTLY BENT SO THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO BREATHE BY FORCING HIS BODY UP AND DOWN ON THE CROSS. THE CROSS WOULD THEN BE LIFTED UP AND DROPPED INTO A HOLE THAT HAD BEEN DUG TO HOLD IT IN PLACE, STRETCHING AND STRAINING EVERY MUSCLE IN THE CONDEMNED PERSONS BODY.
ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE WELL TRAINED KILLING MACHINES, BUT CRUCIFIXION THOUGH WAS A DEATH EVEN THEY HAD DIFFICULTY WITH. SOLDIERS ORDERED TO STAND GUARD AT A CRUCIFIXION WOULD DRINK VERY HEAVILY TO TRY TO BLOCK OUT THE CRIES OF THE CONDEMNED PERSON BY DRUNKENESS.
ONE SOLDIER WROTE:
“OF ALL THE SOUNDS IN HELL, NONE IS MORE PITIABLE THAN THOSE TERRIBLE CRIES THROUGH THE SILENCE OF MIDNIGHT, WHERE CRUCIFIED MEN HANG IN AGONY AND CANNOT DIE WHILE A BREATH OF SUFFERING REMAINS.”
BECAUSE IT COULD TAKE DAYS FOR A PRISONER TO DIE SEVERAL TEAMS OF SOLDIERS WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO GUARD THE SITE. THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THESE TEAMS WAS A MAN KNOWN AS A “CENTURIAN.”
THE CENTURIAN WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF 100 MEN. IN TODAYS MILITARY THEY WOULD HOLD THE RANK OF MAJOR.
A GREEK HISTORIAN WROTE:
“IN CHOOSING THEIR CENTURIANS THE ROMANS LOOK NOT SO MUCH FOR THE DARING OR FIRE-EATING TYPE, BUT RATHER FOR MEN WHO WERE NATURAL LEADERS AND POSSESS A STABLE AND IMPERTURBABLE TEMPERMENT, NOT MEN WHO WILL OPEN THE BATTLE AND LAUNCH ATTACKS, BUT THOSE WHO WILL STAND THEIR GROUND EVEN WHEN WORSTED OR HARD-PRESSED, AND WILL DIE IN DEFENCE OF THEIR POSTS.”
IT IS THIS CENTURIAN, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION, WHO WAS UTTERLY AMAZED AT HOW DIFFERENT THIS CRUCIFIXION WAS OVER ANY OTHER THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED WITH, AND FOR A ROMAN SOLDIER THAT WOULD HAVE LITERALLY BEEN THOUSANDS.
IT IS HE THAT WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW FOR THE REST OF OUR TIME TONIGHT. WHILE STANDING AT HIS POST DURING JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION THE CENTURIAN WITNESSED THREE AMAZING THINGS.
1. HE WAS LOOKING AT GOD’S MERCY
2. HE WAS LOOKING AT GOD’S LOVE
3. HE WAS LOOKING AT JESUS.
POINT THREE: HE WAS LOOKING AT GOD’S MERCY
WHEN PRISONERS WERE NAILED TO THE CROSS, THEY WOULD OFTEN HURL INSULTS, CURSE, SPIT, EVEN THREATEN THE SOLDIERS CARRYING OUT THE ORDER. IT WAS COMMON PLACE FOR SOLDIERS TO HEAR SUCH THINGS. WHILE ON THE CROSS THEY WOULD HURL INSULTS AT THE CROWD AS WELL.
THIS CENTURIAN WOULD BE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THESE RESPONSES FROM THE CONDEMNED PRISONERS.
JESUS RESPONSE WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. THERE WAS NO ANGER, NO RIDICULE DIRECTED AGAINST THEM. WHAT HE HEARD WERE WORDS OF MERCY.
LUKE 23:34: JESUS SAID, “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.”
JESUS WAS PRAYING FOR THE CROWD THAT CALLED FOR HIS DEATH,
WHO INSULTED AND RIDICULED HIM AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS, FOR THE SANHEDRIN THAT FOUND HIM GUILTY, FOR THE SOLDIERS WHO BEAT HIM AND NAILED HIM TO THE CROSS, FOR PILATE WHO WOULD NOT RELEASE HIM. INSTEAD OF WORDS OF ANGER, HE WAS PRAYING WORDS OF FORGIVENESS.
WHAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW IS THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE COMPLETION OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION. GOD WAS IN CHARGE OF THIS SITUATION NOT THE ROMANS OR THE CROWDS. JESUS WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING.
MATTHEW 26:53-54:
DO YOU THINK I CANNOT CALL ON MY FATHER, AND HE WILL AT ONCE PUT AT MY DISPOSAL MORE THAN TWELVE LEGIONS OF ANGELS? 54 BUT HOW THEN WOULD THE SCRIPTURES BE FULFILLED THAT SAY IT MUST HAPPEN IN THIS WAY?”
A ROMAN LEGION WAS FIVE THOUSAND MEN. JESUS WAS TELLING PETER THAT HE COULD HAVE CALLED ON HIS FATHER AND OVER 60,000 ANGELS WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT IN RESPONSE. THE KEY THOUGH IS VERSE 54. THE PLAN OF SALVATION MUST BE FULFILLED ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURES.
WHEN JESUS WAS ON THE CROSS, THEY OFFERED HIM WINE TO DRINK MIXED WITH GALL.
MATTHEW 27:33-34:
THEY CAME TO A PLACE CALLED GOLGOTHA (WHICH MEANS “THE PLACE OF THE SKULL”). 34 THERE THEY OFFERED JESUS WINE TO DRINK, MIXED WITH GALL; BUT AFTER TASTING IT, HE REFUSED TO DRINK IT.
GALL HAD A SEDATIVE EFFECT ON PEOPLE. IT WOULD LESSEN JESUS’ PAIN, BUT JESUS ALSO HAD TO KEEP ALERT TO FINISH THE WORK OF THE CROSS. THIS IS WHY HE WOULDN’T DRINK IT.
JESUS’ WORK ON THE CROSS WAS FIRST A WORK OF MERCY TO THOSE WHO PUT HIM THERE. IT WAS A WORK OF MERCY FOR US FOR INDEED IT WAS OUR SIN THAT PUT HIM THERE. IT WAS FOR OUR SIN THAT HE SHED HIS BLOOD TO ATONE FOR.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THIS CENTURIAN HAD NEVER WITNESSED IN HIS LIFE.
POINT FOUR: HE WAS LOOKING AT GOD’S LOVE.
AS TIME PROGRESSED THE CENTURIAN THEN SAW AN EXAMPLE OF LOVE THAT WAS STAGGERING. JOHN RECORDS THESE WORDS:
JOHN 19:25-26:
NEAR THE CROSS OF JESUS STOOD HIS MOTHER, HIS MOTHER’S SISTER, MARY THE WIFE OF CLOPAS, AND MARY MAGDALENE. 26 WHEN JESUS SAW HIS MOTHER THERE, AND THE DISCIPLE WHOM HE LOVED STANDING NEARBY, HE SAID TO HER, “WOMAN, HERE IS YOUR SON,” 27 AND TO THE DISCIPLE, “HERE IS YOUR MOTHER.” FROM THAT TIME ON, THIS DISCIPLE TOOK HER INTO HIS HOME.
IN THE MIDST OF HIS PAIN AND TORTURE, JESUS CONTINUED TO ACT IN LOVE. HE TRANSFERRED THE CARE OF HIS MOTHER TO THE DISCIPLE WHIM HE LOVED. NO CONDEMNED MAN EVER DID SUCH A NOBLE THING.
LET’S REMEMBER THOUGH THAT THIS ACT IS CARRIED ON IN US.
MARK 12:30-31:
30 LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 THE SECOND IS THIS: ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ N THERE IS NO COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE.”
THE CENTURIAN WITNESSED JESUS COMMAND TO LOVE OTHERS, AS HE PASSED THE CARE OF HIS MOTHER TO HIS DISCIPLE.
POINT FIVE: HE WAS LOOKING AT JESUS
BY NOW, THE CENTURIAN IS ASTOUNDED AT THE WAY JESUS FACED HIS DEATH. BUT HE WAS TO WITNESS EVEN MORE. THE LAST THREE HOURS OF JESUS CRUCIFIXION WERE SPENT IN DARKNESS. WHAT WENT ON DURING THAT DARKNESS SPIRITUALLY WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE, AND EVEN THEN, BE FOUND WANTING.
THEN THE CENTURIAN HEARD ONE MORE CRY FROM THE CROSS.
JOHN 19:30: WHEN HE HAD RECEIVED THE DRINK, JESUS SAID, “IT IS FINISHED.” WITH THAT, HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.
WHEN JESUS UTTERED THES WORDS THE CENTURIAN KNEW SOMETHING GREAT HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE GROUND SHOOK BENEATH HIS FEET, GRAVES WERE OPENED, THE CURTAIN IN THE TEMPLE WAS TORN FROM THE TOP DOWN. WHAT DID ALL THIS MEAN?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR US IS THAT THE WORK OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION IS NOW COMPLETE. JESUS DEATH WAS THE ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SIN AND NOW WE COULD HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER AGAIN. WE DID NOT HAVE TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD BY A CURTAIN.
THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THAT THE CENTURIAN OR ANYONE WOULD SEE THE NATURAL ELEMENTS REACT IN SUCH A WAY AT A CRUCIFIXION. WHEN HE WITNESSED ALL OF THIS, HE KNEW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT JESUS WAS “THE SON OF GOD.” THE CENTURIAN’S CONFESSION REVEALED HIS FAITH.
CONCLUSION:
THE STORY IS TOLD ABOUT AN OLD ENGLISH FARMER WHO WENT TO LONDON AND VISITED ONE OF THE GREAT ART GALLERIES IN THE CITY. THERE HE WAS ATTRACTED BY A PAINTING OF THE CRUCIFIXION. HE SAT BEFORE IT, STUDYING EACH DETAIL WITH INTENSE INTEREST. AT LAST, FORGETFUL OF HIS SURROUNDINGS, HE CRIED OUT “BLESS HIM, I LOVE HIM!!” OTHERS NEARBY, STARTLED AT HIS WORDS CAME TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD MAN. FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE GALLERY THEY GATHERED AROUND HIM. THEY SAW THE TEARS FLOWING DOWN HIS BRONZED CHEEKS. THEY TOO LOOKED AT THE PAINTING OF THE CRUCIFIXION.
AFTER AWHILE, ONE MAN IN THE GROUP WITH TEARFUL EYES, REACHED FOR THE FARMERS HAND AND SAID, “AND I LOVE HIM TOO!” THEN ANOTHER, AND ANOTHER AND STILL ANOTHER TOOK THE OLD MAN’S HAND UNTIL THERE WAS A SIZABLE GROUP OF SOBBING BELIEVERS REJOICING IN FRONT OF THE PAINTING OF CHRIST’S CRUCIFIXION AND DECLARING, “WE LOVE HIM TOO!”
TONIGHT, THERE IS A NAIL-SCARRED HAND REACHING OUT TO YOU. WILL YOU ACCEPT THE HAND OF THE SAVIOR AND DECLARE AS THIS FARMER, AND THIS GROUP OF BELIEVERS DID: “I LOVE HIM TOO!!”
TONIGHT, AS THE CENTURIAN CONFESSED WILL YOU REALIZE AS WELL THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?
