In last weeks sermon our text came from Matthew 21. And we will also be in Matthew today. If you have brought your Bible with you please open it to Matthew 25:31-46. Again that is Matthew 25:31-46. We will be there in just a moment.
Last week we examined the Triumphal entrance of Jesus as He came into Jerusalem for the very last time. And one of the things we examined was that there were people in the crowd that asked, “who is this”. Can you imagine that after all of the miracles that Jesus had done over the last three years that there were people that did not know who He was?
That is hard to imagine isn’t it, but you know something there are still people today that don’t know Him and all that He has done and is doing for them. So, as I thought on that it hit me, that just as when Jesus came riding into town, that there were Spectators and Participants and not just at His entrance but at His death, crucifixion and resurrection.
And that is what I want to examine this morning. In fact this will not be your typical Easter sermon, you may squirm a little as you sit here this morning. You may feel like your toes are being stepped on and you might even feel a little bit guilty for what you have done or have not done for God lately. Well all I have to say about that is good.
Mike Hays tells the story that many years ago, a Missouri congregation listened to a young preacher who had walked twenty miles to deliver the sermon. Tired and hungry, this young man faltered, floundered, and failed. The people were unresponsive; they did not know he had walked the weary miles. When the service was over no one offered him food or a place to rest, but as he started down the long road with a broken heart, the black janitor of an all white church asked him to share his humble meal in a nearby shed.
Years passed. The young preacher became Bishop Marvin of world-wide reputation. After many years, the man once more stood in the same spot to dedicate a great country church. The whole community was assembled. It was a tremendous event in the life of the community.
When the service ended, many crowded around offering compliment after compliment, but the Bishop waved them all aside and called the old black janitor to himself. He said, "When I was here years ago I was dejected and depressed and you offered me your friendship. I have never forgotten that moment and today I want to spend my time with you."
This story, which is true, gives us a modern-day picture of the Scripture we will study for today. It was not what the congregation did that crushed the young man’s heart, but rather, it was the simple fact that they didn’t even take time to respond with sympathy, encouragement, or disgust.
I am sure that the people of the congregation had good intentions in mind when they withheld some of the comments they were thinking, I mean really, they could have just blasted the young preacher because he knew as well as they did, how badly he had stunk up the place on that Sunday morning.
However the good intentions of the people left a young preacher broken-hearted, feeling rejected, and somewhat angry with the people for the way in which they failed to respond. I am sure on the day in which Bishop Marvin returned to the site of that place many years later the old janitor probably did not even remember that memorable day so long ago. The surprise that the janitor must have felt, we also see evident in the parable Jesus told when He gathered the sheep on His right hand and they responded by saying, "But Lord when did we see You hungry or thirsty or ?"
(slide 2-4) Let’s read together the parable I have just mentioned which is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Here is what we read:
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Jesus is telling this parable before He goes to the cross. Now most scriptures do not refer to this as a parable, but rather as The judgement, but nonetheless it is also a parable. It is plain to see He is talking about people who do and those who watch.
So when it comes to the crucifixion and the resurrection who participated and who watched?
Let’s take a look at those who participated first.
First we have the Scribes and Pharisees. We know how they were jealous of Jesus and how the people were enthralled by Him. So they plotted on how to rid themselves of Jesus once and for all. So, they trumped up some charges and had Him dragged before Pilate.
Pilate, who could really care less, at first tried to let Him go, but the crowd was into it, and they would have nothing to do with letting Jesus go. Yes the same crowd who just a few days earlier had been shouting, Hosanna in the highest were now shouting crucify Him.
At the crucifixion there were the soldiers who not only whipped Him, nailed him to a cross, but mocked and ridiculed Him.
The chief priest and other religious leaders of the day were there. But why? Because they wanted to make sure the one they thought was their rival would finally be done away with. They even went as far to mock Him as he hung on the cross.
But who were the ones there that cared, about Him? We know of the four women including His mother. We know that the Apostle John was there and that Jesus told him to care for His mother. And then there was Simon the Cyrene, who was forced to carry His cross, oh what a picture of what was to come. As we all have our cross to bear.
And of course how can we forget the two thief's that hung on either side of Him. Of how one railed and cursed Him, and of how the other, realizing Who it truly was hanging next to him asked that he be remembered. And those beautiful words that Jesus spoke that brings hope to us all, when He said, ““Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
And of course we have Jesus himself as the main participant. But before we look further at him, let’s take a look at the spectators.
Of course we have Peter, who watched the trial, and denounced His Lord three times. Many who had been in the crowd a few short days earlier were now there watching Him hang. And of course the soldiers were still there, casting dice for His garments. And I imagine that Joseph of Arimathea was there also.
Now let’s look at His burial. Who were the participants and who were the spectators.
(slide5-6) In John 19:38-42 we find two men willing to step up and take care of His body. Here is what it says: After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
So here are the participants, and the spectators would be the soldiers that were there to make sure Jesus body was not stolen. But if you know the story they ended up becoming frightened and became like dead men.
These guards were Roman officers, under the authority of Pilate who had placed them at the disposal of the Jewish authorities.
Now understand they did not wish to protect the body but were worried that the disciples might try to steal the body and claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. I find that funny since most of the disciples had become spectators for the most part.
We can’t be certain just how much the guards saw or heard on resurrection day. We know they witnessed the arrival of the angel who rolled the stone away and were overwhelmed by terror, becoming like ‘dead men’.
But they most definitely realized the body was now missing. They knew something extraordinary had happened and that they needed to report it to the Jewish authorities.
But do you know what happens next? they allowed themselves to be bribed into denying the body was gone. Here they had just been a part of the greatest miracle ever and they deny it. How sad. How very sad.
Matthew notes that the falsehood of the guards was still widely believed at the time of his writing, and indeed identical or similar stories are still used today to deny the resurrection. So once again they become mere spectators.
And that brings us today. To many of us have become spectators.
(preach boldly about how we are mere spectators, in the Church and more importantly in the world)
But the fact that neither the Jews nor anyone could ever produce the body of Jesus is of most importance, the empty tomb is a historical fact which points to the truth of the resurrection. And it is His death and resurrection that can bring you new life.
(share the Gospel)
Pray as led.
