Faces In The Crowd
Matt 27:32-44
We are at an important juncture today. We are starting into the NEW TESTAMENT as we continue our survey of the Bible. I want us to look at a very familiar story found in all four of the gospels, the death of Jesus. However, I want to look at it from an unfamiliar angle. I want us to look at Jesus from the faces that were in the crowd the day he was crucified. Maybe, you will recognize your face in their faces.
PRAYER
I. Angry Faces
A. Jewish leaders
1. The first faces Jesus saw were faces filled with rage.
2. When they saw Jesus, they didn’t see the Messiah, they didn’t even see a human.
3. They saw a piece of trash, a dangerous threat.
4. With his death would be their victory.
5. So he had die.
B. Jewish crowd
1. A week ago, the crowds were shouting his glory
2. Now a crowd was shouting for his death. Why the change?
3. I think this was a much different group of people.
4. Over 1 million people were believed to be in Jerusalem for the Passover.
5. The court where Jesus stood before Pilate probably held a couple of hundred at most.
6. Here was a select group of people, either duped by the religious leaders, or part of their cause calling for his death.
7. As Jesus looked into this crowd again he saw only hatred,
8. And still he loved them.
C. The faces are different today, but the feelings are the same.
1. There are people today who wouldn’t hesitate to spit on him, ridicule him and kill him all over again given the chance.
2. We see it how people respond to Christianity.
a) It’s not enough to reject Christianity; they want to eradicate it from any public mention.
b) When they talk about Christians, you can hear the scorn in their voices.
c) We are pretty lucky to live where we do because most people around us either believe in Christ, or are at least not hostile to Christianity.
d) But all you have to do is turn on a TV to see the angry faces that Jesus saw.
II. Cold indifferent faces
A. Pilate
1. Here was the one man who really held Jesus’ life in his hands.
2. He could simply have set Jesus free, but gave in to the cries of the crowd.
3. I was reading a book about the people in Jesus life and found some very intriguing background about Pilate.
a) This book proposed that Pilate was not near as hapless as he is pictured in the Biblical story of Christ’s death.
b) He was a very ruthless governor; a military man; a very political man.
c) Whatever he had to do to get advanced and recognized, no matter how sleazy, he did it.
d) The author feels that the trial before Pilate could very well have been manipulated by him to make him seem innocent, yet giving the Jews what they wanted.
e) A short time later he lost his governorship because of several massacres at his orders.
f) His seemingly weak nature at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, just doesn’t fit with how he was at any other time of his career.
4. Whatever the case, when he had the power and opportunity to release Jesus, he didn’t.
5. Scripture seems to indicate he saw Jesus as an innocent pawn and still ordered his death.
6. If that isn’t cold indifference, I don’t know what is.
7. I wonder what Jesus saw when he looked into Pilate’s eyes?
B. Roman Soldiers
1. The soldiers who were given the orders to crucify him were no better.
2. They had to follow orders, but it seems they were very glad to follow the orders of condemning Jesus.
3. They gave him a formal flogging of all condemned people.
a) This flogging was known as the intermediate death.
b) It was a whip with pieces of bone at the end of the lash so it would shred the back into hamburger.
4. After that they mocked him and gambled in front of him as to who would get the man’s clothing.
5. He was simply another non-Roman criminal who didn’t matter.
C. Again the faces are different, but not the emotions
1. How many people look at Christianity as a crutch for losers?
2. How many people mock Christians for their beliefs?
3. They may not harm them, but they sure don’t care.
III. The Many faces of Believers
A. The Centurion
1. In Luke 23: we read about a centurion who was present at his death.
2. He was probably in charge of the guards responsible to dealing with the crucifixions that happened that day.
3. He probably started out as one of the soldiers mocking Jesus, but ended up seeing Jesus for who he was in his death.
B. The Thief
1. There were two thieves executed with Jesus.
2. One mocked him until the end.
3. The other had the same change of heart the Centurion did.
4. It affected him deeply and he asked Jesus to simply remember
5. He saw something in Jesus that changed him from throwing insults to seeking redemption.
6. Jesus saw his face and granted his redemption
C. The open seeker
1. Those are the people today who may not know Christ, but know there must be something better.
2. It’s so exciting to work with seekers.
a) All you have to do is let them see Jesus.
b) When they see him, they too say, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
c) They might have to fight through some preconceived ideas, but they are looking for truth.
d) In Jesus, that is exactly what they find.
D. The disciples
1. The most pathetic faces in the crowd had to have been the disciples.
2. Just like Peter, they knew and believed in the man, the messiah, who was on that cross.
3. They were probably ashamed that they just skulked in the shadows, but didn’t have the strength to come be at his side during his last hours before Christ died.
4. Only John stood with him at that terrible time.
E. That is most of us.
1. The sad reality is they are the faces of most of us today.
2. Very few of us really take a stand as Christians.
3. Many of us have probably never told our co-workers we are Christians.
4. Many of those that do, never defend their faith when it is challenged.
5. We feel ashamed.
a) We enjoy getting beat on by the preacher on Sunday.
b) It’s almost like penance.
c) It makes us feel sufficiently punished for not being better Christians, but we still don’t change.
F. The unabashed lovers of Jesus
1. There were a few, very few who stood weeping at the foot of the cross while others hurled insults at the man, the God they loved so much.
2. Everyone knew who they were, and they risked the wrath of the crowd to be with Christ.
3. I wish we had a whole congregation of those people.
4. Imagine what would happen if everyone here loved Christ as everyone there did.
IV. Invitation
A. Barabbas
1. There was one face in the crowd that is never mentioned directly that I have always wondered what he was thinking.
2. Barabbas
3. I wonder if he thought about this man who died in his place.
4. I wonder if he just sneered and walked away or if he watched his suffering thinking, “That should have been me.”
5. I wonder if he felt guilt?
B. Right now you are Barabbas.
C. What will you do with the man hanging on the cross in your place?
