Jesus’ Sacrifice for our Redemption (Luke, Part 12)
Luke 22:39-23:56
Introduction / Recap
- Last week, we discussed the Lord’s Supper and its importance for today
-- What Jesus does is give them a covenant they can stand firm on
-- If they serve, they will earn a place in eternity by His side (so will we)
• The cup represented the new covenant made between man and God
• The bread symbolizing His broken body; broken for our sin
• How we respond to this sacrament really helps us press into obeying Him
-- FOCUS: Do we honor Jesus’ sacrifice in our life or not?
- Traditionally, today is referred to as Palm Sunday
-- The day Jesus made His triumphant entry (ref message from March 20th)
-- Today we are going to examine the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial
- Now, I covet your prayers on this because I want this to be applicable
-- If you have been in church for at least a year, you’ve heard this message
-- So, my challenge to you is this: hang with me and ask God to speak:
-- “God, what is that I need to learn as we enter this Holy week?”
- FACT: This is perhaps the most challenging message of this series
-- And for ease of study, we will break the reading into three parts …
- Read Luke 22:39-63 / Pray
Point 1 – What can we learn from the prayer, arrest, and denial of Jesus?
- IMP: It was customary for Jesus to seek time alone with God (v39)
-- While He does, His instruction to the disciples was also to pray for themselves
-- Pray to not fall into temptation; to be bold in their faith; to be ready to fight
- In this moment, Jesus was desperate for time alone with His Father
-- Crying out in brokenness and dependency – He knows God will hear
-- The word He uses is “pater”, or Daddy – child crying out to a parent
- The ask is simple: “Please daddy, let there be another way if possible”
-- It shows the struggle of His will – the flesh is weak for what is coming
-- But the dependency on God is seen in His resolve, “Not my will …”
-- APP: This surrender is what makes Him the perfect sacrifice for us
-- Even to bear the wrath of God for all of our sin; He is dependent on God
- We get to see something unique: the response of God to His Son (v43-44)
-- An angel is sent to comfort, to strengthen, to encourage Him
-- Surely, Jesus would have known this angel …
-- And it causes Jesus to pray more earnestly; with more resolve to follow
-- We see that his determination is so steadfast, “thromboi” occurs (sweat blood)
- When He is arrested, we finally see the fulfillment of Judas’ purpose
-- He was a professing disciple; but he was a leader of sinners (deceptive)
- The kiss is a sign of friendship – and his betrayal is now complete
-- Consider: it’s dark, they might miss Jesus, so Judas has a plan to ID Him
-- APP: True – his sin was terrible … but the deception was even worse
- What Judas had was a problem with his heart – affects his commitment
-- Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
- Remember last week we talked about the disciples ready to wage war?
-- Even Peter was willing to go to the ends of life to support Jesus
-- Their passions are obviously stirred when they come to arrest Jesus
- But they have missed Jesus’ teachings – He does not want a fight
-- Jesus stops them from any further bloodshed – even performs a miracle
-- Miracle: Even the ear of a soldier is healed from Peter’s outburst
-- They’ve missed the purpose – Jesus brings redemption, not war
- Following the arrest, we see an interesting event unfold: Peter follows
-- Now, why is this critical to us? Because we need to see ourselves here
-- Peter follows from a distance; and runs into a challenge of his faith (v54)
- Three times he is asked if He is a follower (the world does this to us btw)
-- APP: How you act, how you live, how you share all is representative of Jesus
- Instead of interfering, Peter sits down with the crowd (sits among them)
-- It is almost as if he is trying to blend in – to be part of the world
-- Re: Peter has this problem later in Galatians 2:11-13
“But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”
-- He acted like a follower, until the religious are around - Paul called him out
- Fact: Weak believers fear “the crowd”; in safety of church, we love Jesus
-- But, in public, they shy away from demonstrating the faith
-- Don’t beat yourself up – remember that Peter has this issue as well …
-- But we don’t have to stay afraid … we can learn from this and change!
- As Peter responds that he does not know Jesus, he begins to fall away (v57)
-- He falls farther by denying a second time (emphatically denied) (v58)
-- Then, he claims total ignorance – even cursing and swearing (v60)
- Then a rooster crows, Jesus catches his eye, and He knows he failed (v61)
-- I want you to remember the words of Jesus before this at dinner …
-- Luke 22:31-32, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
- In the midst of Jesus’ suffering, he turns to Peter - APP: God doesn’t forget us
-- Jesus still loved and cared for Peter; and Peter remembers the prediction
-- And in that, it leads to Godly sorrow/repentance …
-- Psalm 51:3, “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.”
-- BIG APP: When faced with the truth of God, it ought to cause is to repent
- TR: Arrested & brought before the religious, the take-down begins …
Point 2 – The accusation against Jesus’ divinity unfolds
- Read Luke 22:64-23:25
- What can we say about the trial of Jesus that we can take away today?
-- FACT: The whole thing is a setup, deck is stacked against, no way to win
- Jesus was ridiculed for His claim of power and authority
-- FACT: An unbeliever will always seek to tear down God’s words
-- Why? Our sin is our desire because we prefer to do what we want to do
-- This is why the scene of His trail is so blasphemous … yet familiar
-- Consider: Who would have thought God would be spoken to like this?
- One thing to note is that Jesus never denied His Messiahship (v70)
-- Even in the midst of their shouting and accusations; He confirmed it
-- However, what exactly were the charges against Him?
- Jesus made 3 specific claims: 1) He is the Son of Man, 2) He will not remain dead because God will raise Him, 3) He will be exalted to sit with the Father
-- This was infuriating to the “religious” (RE: Jesus threatens their power)
- So, they bring Him before Pilate – who actually pronounces Him innocent! (v4)
-- Pilate actually does this four times: see verses Luke 23:4, 14, 15, 22
-- But Pilate lacked the courage to put down the claims of the crowds
-- Think: enough political pressure can affect even the best leaders
- Herod, however, was a different story … Herod wanted to see a “show”
-- He was interested in the supernatural power, he wanted to see a miracle (v8)
-- Herod wanted proof, a party trick, some magnificent proof of Jesus’ identity
-- Take note that Jesus never once dignified Him with an answer (v9)
-- But remember a few weeks ago: “Jesus doesn’t have to show His ID!”
- Free: Herod had two in his house who were believers: Chuza, a steward, ref Luke 8:3 and Manaen, friend of Herod, ref Acts 13:1; Herod refused to believe
-- Herod preferred to listen to false charges; even became friend with Pilate (v12)
-- APP: Truly, political rivals can bind together to remove a common threat
-- So, mocking Him further, they sent Him back to Pilate to be judged
- So, Pilate tried to compromise … was custom to release one prisoner at Passover
-- He picks one of the most despicable prisoners he has: Barabbas (contrast…)
-- Barabbas was a convicted murder; Jesus was a man who ministered to many
-- Don’t miss: Pilate is trying desperately to find a reason to let Jesus go
- Critical reminder: When the truth is known, it must not be compromised
-- God accepts no compromise for Jesus; it’s all or none when it comes to Him
-- This is what Pilate struggles with: bend to the crowd or what He knows is right
-- Before Him stands an innocent man – yet crowd is shouting for his death
- TR: Ultimately, Pilate proved to be a morally weak man; spineless
-- He was unable to take a firm stand, RE: his power is also under threat here
-- So, he bends to the will of the crowd, and orders Jesus’ crucifixion, BUT …
Point 3 – The cross IS our path to redemption
- Read Luke 23:26-56
- The crucifixion is the most shocking, and yet wonderful, events in history
-- The creation is killing the Creator, but willingly, the Creator redeems creation
-- APP: It is a picture of the heart God has for us – willing to die for you
- Personal: I feel that many seem to focus on the horror of the cross
-- The blood, the pain, the humiliation … all true sentiments / remembrances
-- Fact: The Romans had found the ultimate way to make a human suffer
-- So much so that death came from suffocation …
- (struggle) But I want us to see something new today (and for this week)
-- Our Mission: “What can we learn and praise God for, today?”
- First, a natural response (sadness, etc.) to Jesus’ suffering is not enough
-- We must understand why He suffered to realize Godly sorrow for our sin
-- TRUTH: God had to punish His Son, the One who cried “pater”, for you
-- 2 Corinthians 7:10, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”
- Even a crucifixion with criminals was not enough to turn God from us (v33)
-- As He was crucified, He asked God to forgive them (v34), demonstrated mercy
-- On the cross, all of humanity mocked Him; ridiculed Him; called Him fake (v37)
-- And yet one man (a criminal) was humble enough to see what Jesus offered
-- This man saw that Jesus offered refuge from God’s wrath (v40-42) …
-- Once he acknowledge Jesus, He cried out for Jesus’ remembrance/favor
- Second, the cross is the most vivid illustration of John 3:16-18 … let’s read:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”
-- These three verses show us the incredible love/devotion of God for His Son
- The sun offers light and life – without it, we all will die within weeks
-- And as His Son died, the skies fell dark, and the earth shook with His reaction
-- So much so, that even the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies tore in two
-- Expound: Consider the power of God as He established a new covenant
- Hebrews tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies
-- It was a physical reminder and separation from God and man (because of sin)
-- When He died, the veil was no longer needed (hallelujah); we rcv’d access
-- In this moment, God opened Himself to us – to be able to come before Him
- Third, Jesus became the way, the truth, & the life – no more sacrifices needed
-- The veil in the temple was a reminder that sin renders humanity unfit
-- His death granted us access into the presence of a Holy and Righteous God
- It is why His final words on the cross are so definitive: “Tetelestai!”
-- This was a cry of purpose, a shout of affirmation, a rejoicing by God’s son
-- Even a Roman guard saw this and proclaimed who Jesus was (v47)
“The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But … all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.” - Oswald Chambers
- For us, there can be no other moment in history as absolute as this
-- The birth of your children, your greatest achievement, even your own salvation
-- They all fail in comparison to what THIS moment meant for creation
- In one word, in one breath, Jesus proclaimed victory over sin
-- APP: Our greatest problem (sin) overcame by our greatest advocate (Jesus)
- We leave here with one thought: Sunday is coming … greatest day of all
-- We remember this week the horror of the cross, the physical death of Jesus
-- But on Sunday, we gather to celebrate … HE IS RISEN!
- Pray
