Suffered Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Today we begin our look at the second of our four words of Easter, the word suffered.

• WE can all relate to this word on various levels, we look in the world around us and we see suffering.

• Sometimes we can look no further than our own world to see suffering.

• Suffering is nothing new to this world, and since Jesus was God in the flesh, He too would endure suffering.

• After Jesus was betrayed in the garden, He was about to suffer like never before. Why did He suffer? If God is a loving God, then why did He allow His son to suffer?

• Over 700 years before Jesus was born into this world, the Prophet Isaiah shared the reason.

• SLIDE #2

• Isaiah 53:5–6 (HCSB) But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.

• WOW! Jesus suffered for you! That is a deep love!

• Today we will examine some of the suffering Jesus endured on our behalf.

• Our main text is John 19:16-27; however, given the nature of the message, I want to start in verses 1-3.

• SLIDE #3

• John 19:1–3 (HCSB) Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple robe around Him. And they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping His face.

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. Jesus suffered before the crucifixion. (1-3)

• Roman law dictated that before the condemned person was crucified, they were to be scourged first.

• Scourging or flogging was a terrible thing to endure.

• SLIDE #5 SCOURGE TOOL

• The tool used consisted of a wood handle with strips of leather with pieces of bone, metal, and lead balls embedded into the leather.

• The victim was fastened to a low post so that his back would be stretched and the Roman soldiers were trained to rake the scouring tool across the back to rip the skin off the back, sometimes exposing the internal organs.

• These soldiers were hardened men who could take a person from the brink of death before relenting.

• Jesus endured this suffering even before He was nailed to the cross.

• Then the soldiers did something more, they beat a crown made of thorns into His head.

• SLIDE #6 THORNS

• The soldiers proceeded to slap Jesus around and mock Him.

• As a side note, Pilate turned a blind eye to these activities because he was looking to gain sympathy for Jesus so that he could release Him, the more pathetic Jesus appeared, the more likely He would be released.

• SLIDE #7

• Jesus did not fight back; He did not retaliate.

• Isaiah 50:6 (HCSB) I gave My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.

• Why did Jesus suffer? Jesus suffered at the hands of sinful man.

• SLIDE #8

• Luke 24:7 (HCSB) saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?”

• The suffering of Jesus represents God’s disdain for sin. The suffering did not stop before the crucifixion…

• SLIDE #9

• John 19:16–17 (HCSB) So then, because of them, he handed Him over to be crucified. Therefore they took Jesus away. Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

• SLIDE #10

II. Jesus suffered on the way to His crucifixion. (16-17)

• Not only did Jesus have to face the indignity of the scouring, beating, and mocking, He had to carry His own cross.

• The typical procession that took the final journey with the condemned consisted of a centurion on horseback (Matthew 27:54), a herald who would proclaim the sentence as well as why the condemned was about to die, then the condemned was behind him, then a small company of four soldiers followed behind the condemned.

• Of course during the trip the condemned faced the ridicule of the crowd.

• Luke 23:26 tell us that Jesus was in too bad of shape to carry the cross all by Himself.

• Jesus was bearing the sins of the world on is back.

• The whole scene was meant to further humiliate the condemned man.