INTERESTING ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGES:
* Hello, you are talking to a machine... I am capable of receiving messages... My owners do not need siding, windows or a hot tub, and their carpets are clean. They give to charity at the office and don’t need their picture taken. If you’re still with me, leave your name and home phone number and they will get back to you
* Hi. This is John: If you are the phone company, I already sent the money. If you are my parents, please send money. If you are my bank, you didn’t lend me enough money. If you are my friends, you owe me money. If you are a female, don’t worry, I have LOTS of money.
* Hi. I’m probably home, I’m just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it’s you.
APPLY: What I found interesting about all those messages was they were all saying the same thing. They are all saying: I have decided what to do with certain people.
* If you’re selling something, if I owe you something, or if you’re someone I don’t like - don’t expect to get a call back
* But if you’re someone I like, or someone I need - I’ll get back with you.
They all answered the question: "What am I going to do with the person who is trying to call me?"
2000 years ago, Pilate asked a question: "What shall I do... with Jesus who is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:22) And everybody that day had to make a decision. What were they going to do with Jesus?
I. What’s interesting, is how the Jews responded.
"Crucify Him..." they cried, "Let His blood be upon us and our children."
As I read that, I thought to myself: "What in the world were they thinking?"
You need to realize that God didn’t smile on the shedding of innocent blood. In fact, if an innocent person was killed, Israel was expected to put the murderer to death so that they would be able to "purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood...." (Deuteronomy 19:13)
This was so critical that: If a person was murdered near a Jewish town, and no one knew who had murdered that individual, the Law declared that the elders of the city nearest crime scene had to "wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: ’Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.’ And the bloodshed will be atoned for. So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD." Deuteronomy 21:6-9
So, I repeat - what in the world were these people thinking?
II. Well, perhaps they had come to the conclusion that Jesus’ blood wasn’t innocent.
Yes, Pilate had proclaimed Him innocent (3 times in fact). Each time Pilate said something to the effect of "I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty." Luke 23:22
But Pilate was a Gentile. He was a Pagan - a Roman for pity’s sake. What did he know? It was the opinion of the chief priests that the crowd looked to.
"Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
’Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead" (Mark 15:6-11)
The chief priests knew the law.
The chief priests knew the charges against Jesus.
And (as far as the crowd was concerned) if the chief priests felt Jesus was guilty of death...then this was a righteous condemnation.
It would be an honor to be among those called for Jesus’ death
It would be an honor for the blood of a blasphemer to be on their hands and on the hands of their children
That is (pause) if Jesus was guilty.
That is (pause) if Jesus were NOT God¡K
...but He was
* The prophecy from Isaiah proclaimed that the Messiah (Jesus) would be called:
"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
* Before Jesus was born the angel declared Jesus would be called "’Immanuel’ which means, ’God with us.’" (Matthew 1:2:3)
* John wrote: In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
* Paul wrote: "For in him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Colossians 2:9
In other words... Jesus was God.
He hadn’t blasphemed.
The Jews put to death an innocent man. (pause...)
That’s a sobering thought, because NOW, Israel was guilty of the shedding of innocent blood.
III. In the 1st few sermons that were preached in the early church - that was the message: Israel was guilty of shedding innocent blood.
For example, turn with me to Acts 3:13-15
"The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. YOU handed him over to be killed, and YOU disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. YOU disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. YOU killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."
This was the central message the Apostles preached: you put Jesus to death¡Know what are you going to do about it????
It was such a powerful condemnation it upset Chief Priests & the Sanhedrin, so that Caiaphas, the High Priest complained to Peter & John:
"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to MAKE US GUILTY of this man’s blood." Acts 5:28
Well... they were guilty.
They had even proclaimed "Let His blood be upon us and our children"
they asked for it
they asked to be made guilty of blood of Jesus
IV. (pause...) His blood be upon us and upon our children...
... Innocent blood.
It’s interesting - in the Old Testament, innocent blood was the only kind that brought cleansing and forgiveness.
Hebrews tells us: "the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22
What had those bulls and sheep and goats done that was worthy of death? Nothing, they were INNOCENT.
IN FACT, if there was any flaw, or defect, or imperfection. If the sacrifice was blind or injured or maimed they were not to "...place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire." Leviticus 22:22
There was no cleansing, no forgiveness, UNLESS sacrifice was blameless & perfect
(contemplatively) His blood be upon us... and our children... innocent blood
Peter wrote: "For you know that it was not with... things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." I Peter 1:18-19
It was His blood that brings forgiveness to you and I.
Revelation tells us: "Jesus Christ... has freed us from our sins by his blood" Revelation 1:5
And John wrote: "...if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
Indeed, may His blood BE upon us, and upon our children
May we freed from our shame, purified of our guilt, forgiven of our sins.
When Jesus met with His disciples the last time before His crucifixion He shared with them the first example of what we do when we take communion. On that night, He held up a cup and said:
"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28
CLOSE: At a great parliament of religions, held at Chicago many years ago, practically every known religion was represented, and many learned discourses were delivered.
During one session, Dr. Joseph Cook of Boston suddenly rose and said: "Gentlemen, I beg to introduce to you a woman with great sorrow. Bloodstains are on her hands, and nothing will remove them. The blood is that of murder, and nothing will take away the stain. She has been driven to desperation in her distress. Is there anything in your religion that will remove her sin and give her peace?"
A hush fell upon the gathering as the speaker turned from one to another for an answer. Not one of the company replied.
Raising his eyes to heaven, Dr. Cook then cried out, "I will ask another the question. John, can you tell this woman how to get rid of her awful sin?" The great preacher waited as if listening for a reply. Suddenly he cried, "Listen, John speaks "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleans us from all sin (I John 1:7)."
Close by turning to Acts 2:22-39, pointing out that Peter’s message was to the point: you killed the Son of God. You are guilty. You have innocent blood on you hands. You are under condemnation. You are worthy of death.
The crowd was so shaken by Peter’s words that they interrupted his message. They had come to believe in the fact that Jesus WAS the Son of God.
What shall we do?" they cried.
"Repent" Peter said, "and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (and catch this last part) The promise is for YOU and FOR YOUR CHILDREN and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."
They were guilty of the blood of the Jesus. When you and I sin, we are guilty as well. It wasn’t the nails that held Jesus to the Cross, it was our sins. It was His death on that cross and His blood shed there that covers our sins, and the sins of our children.
What shall we do? We are to respond the same way they did on the day of Pentecost: repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
SERMONS IN THIS SERIES
Don’t Take With Broccoli – John 11:33
The Question That Condemned Jesus – Matthew 26:57
The Moment Of Truth – John 18:28
His Blood Be Upon Us – Matthew 27:16
Hail, King of The Jews – Mark 15:15
Guilty Of Innocent Blood – Matthew 27:1
Remember Me – Luke 23:38
Let Him Save Himself – Matthew 27:39
Surely This Was The Son Of God – Mark 15:33
