Responding To The Crucifixion
Luke 23:47-53
February 28, 2021
Sometime around 1707 a young man in church complained to his father, who was also the pastor that most of the hymns which were sung in church were not “inspirational enough”.
• Most of the hymns of that day were metrical hymns and left this young man wanting for a more moving form of expression.
• His father encouraged him to start writing hymns of his own.
• In preparation for the upcoming Lord’s Supper the young man had read Galatians 6:14
Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
• He was moved by the verse and thus inspired to write a hymn which encompassed the emotion he felt from the passage.
• The hymn he penned was highly controversial since it was the first of it’s time to contain a personal pronoun. He sung about “me” and “I” in a very personal tone.
• The hymn caught on and has since been called “The greatest hymn in the English language.” Another said of it, “There may be a few others equally great, but there is none greater.”
The young man who wrote the Psalm was Isaac Watts
The title of the Psalm was: “Crucifixion To The World By The Cross Of Christ”
Though that’s not the title you know it by.
You know it as “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross”
It was Isaac Watts profound and emotional response
To the scene of the crucifixion.
He wrote:
“When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
http://dianaleaghmatthews.com/survey-wondrous-cross/
What Isaac Watts expressed to his father was that the cross of Jesus invokes a personal and real and even emotional response.
A person cannot gaze upon it and remain unmoved.
That DOESN’T MEAN that all men respond correctly to it,
But all men certainly respond.
Paul taught us:
1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
• Some certainly looked at the cross of Jesus as a foolish display…
• Some have looked at it as a ridiculous notion…
• Those who are saved are utterly moved with awe and wonder at the love, wisdom, and power of God…
• Still others, as we see today, are horrified or terrified.
• Some see it and find their courage and conviction.
But the cross leaves no man unaffected.
It is the greatest event in all of human history and man must respond to it.
When Isaac Watts surveyed the cross
• He was crushed into humility,
• He saw that nothing of this earth holds a candle in value to the redemption of
Jesus on the cross.
• He also recognized that such a sacrifice demanded full devotion of his life.
When he surveyed the cross, that was his response.
Well we have just spent the better part of a month
Surveying the wondrous cross of Jesus.
• We have seen the SCENE
• We have heard the SCORN
• We have beheld the SALVATION
• We have learned the SIGNIFICANCE
This morning we come to see THE EFFECT
That the crucifixion had on those who were there.
And as we study perhaps you can consider
How you will respond to the wondrous cross of Jesus.
We’re going to fix our gaze on 4 different responses this morning.
#1 THE CONVINCED
Luke 23:47
Here we have “the centurion”
• The name itself indicates that he was a leader in charge of 100 men.
• This was no bottom dwelling soldier.
• This was an experienced, qualified, military man.
This particular man must have been at least in partial command of
The cohort that first mocked and then crucified Jesus.
It would have been his men (maybe even him)
Who gambled over His garments
Certainly this man had been a part of this ordeal from the beginning.
• He was a part of Jesus’ beating
• He was a part of Jesus’ mocking
• He was a part of Jesus’ crucifixion
And now, he has settled in for the long haul
To watch Jesus suffer until He dies.
This man would have to be a cold man by nature.
• Rome fought no shortage of wars
• Rome spilled no shortage of blood
Furthermore Rome was no stranger to crucifixions.
• Pilate himself had crucified over 300 insurrectionists
• And lined the road with their crosses.
The point is, this man was hardened.
• He’d seen his share of blood
• He’d seen his share of gore
• He’d seen his share of crucifixions
Watching Jesus beaten, bleeding, and dying on the cross
Was not a new thing to him.
And yet here we have A STRANGE EVENT.
“Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”
• I don’t have to tell you that this is a remarkable about face.
• This centurion would have been a pagan idol worshiper.
• But on this day, after this event we find him “praising God”
The subject of his praise was that “Certainly this man was innocent.”
If you’ll recall, the innocence of Jesus
Has been really the main point of Luke over the last couple of chapters.
• He reported to us how both Pilate and Herod had found Jesus to be innocent.
• We saw the second thief on the cross declaring that “this Man has done
nothing wrong”
• And now Luke adds that the centurion also pronounces Jesus to be
“innocent”
That is Luke’s way of showing you that
This man recognized in Jesus a man who was DYING UNJUSTLY.
He did not deserve the death He endured.
He was most certainly dying on behalf of someone else.
Matthew’s gospel gives us even more detail here.
Matthew 27:54 “Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Matthew says that he was “very frightened” (PHOBEO)
• He no doubt recognized the darkness…
• He saw and felt the earthquake…
• And he was consumed with fear.
And his confession, aside from Luke’s note that Jesus was innocent,
Was also that “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Mark adds that he was also amazed at THE WAY JESUS DIED.
Mark 15:39 “When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
The whole scene captivated him.
• The meekness…
• The mercy…
• The salvation of the sinner…
• The darkness…
• The earthquake…
• The statements and confidence in the way He died…
The centurion was blown away and afraid
For he recognized that hanging on this cross
Was in fact the sinless Son of God.
You and I know that God must have shown him that,
Or else he could not have known it.
Matthew 16:16-17 “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”
God had clearly shown this centurion that Jesus was no routine criminal.
It had been revealed to him that Jesus was the sinless Son of God.
Now, let me help you see what has occurred.
• Starting early Friday Jesus was arrested, beaten, mocked, and condemned.
• At 9am He was crucified.
• And for three hours men like the centurion heaped upon Him the worst that they had.
• The reviled, they mocked, they scorned, they shamed
• Then at noon darkness fell on the land and for three hours God dealt with sin.
• During that time Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” & “It is Finished!” & “Into Your hands I commit My spirit.”
At the ninth hour (3pm) Jesus died,
And at the ninth hour LIGHT CAME BACK on the cross.
And the centurion was in no way ready for what he would see.
• He had seen men beaten
• He had seen men crucified
• He had seen men die in agony on the cross
But he had never seen anything like this
You are familiar with Isaiah 53, we read it a lot.
There are many however who contend that the last 3 verses of Isaiah 52 also belong in that chapter.
Isaiah 52:13-15 “Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.”
• Isaiah said that Jesus was “marred more than any man”.
• No crucifixion victim had ever suffered like that.
• And the scene would be so remarkable that even kings would shut their
mouths and the unconverted would be blown away at what they saw.
THIS WAS CERTAINLY THE CENTURION.
When light shined back on the cross he knew something was wrong.
It was obvious that this was more than just a normal execution.
He saw the scene and he was convinced that Jesus was the Savior.
That is certainly a fitting response to surveying the cross.
• When you see the meekness and mercy of Christ…
• When you hear Him interceding and praying for forgiveness…
• When you hear Him cry “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?”
• When you see Him declaring a sinner saved…
• When you hear Him entrusting His soul to God…
• When you see the wrath that He bore…
• When you see the temple veil torn?
Are you convinced that He is the sinless Son of God?
This centurion was and he confessed Christ publicly right then and there.
The Convinced
#2 THE CONDEMNED
Luke 23:48
Now we come to “the crowds who came together for this spectacle,”
You know what they are like.
Luke’s gospel didn’t include their reproach, but other gospel accounts did.
Matthew 27:39-40 “And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
We certainly remember
Their participation in securing a conviction for Jesus.
Matthew 27:21-26 “But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!” When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, His blood shall be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”
This was the crowd.
• They had worked to get Jesus crucified,
• And they mocked as He hang dying on the cross.
But now, like the centurion they have taken in the whole scene.
“And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.”
They saw it all too.
• They heard the statements…
• They experienced the darkness…
• They felt the earthquake…
And after Jesus entrusted Himself to God and died,
Their spectacle turned into something extremely terrifying.
They began to realize what they had done.
They had just participated in the murder
Of the sinless Son of God and they were horrified.
That is what is meant by “beating their breasts.”
You’ve seen that statement before.
Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”
• Beating the breast was a symbolic act of self-attack.
• It was to announce one as deserving judgment.
That is what this crowd did.
It is this very reality that Peter would build on in just over a month
When he would preach at Pentecost.
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Or a few days later in Jerusalem
Acts 3:13-15 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.”
Or the day after that
Acts 4:10 “let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”
The horror those men felt as Peter preached in Jerusalem
Was actually a horror that began at the cross.
Even there they were coming to realize what they had done.
And this is a terrifying thing.
The writer of Hebrews asked:
Hebrews 10:28-29 “Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
• What kind of wrath does a person deserve if they were to humiliate the Son of
God by crucifying Him?
This crowd was beginning to realize what they had done.
• They felt their own condemnation.
• They felt their own guilt.
Certainly that is a fitting response to the cross.
• On one hand, like the CENTURION, you should recognize who Jesus is and
that His death was no ordinary death.
• And on the other hand, like the CROWD, you should recognize your part in
Him dying there.
He didn’t die for His sin, He died for your sin.
He bore your wrath.
He would not have been there if it were not for you.
Condemnation is a fitting response.
The Convinced, The Condemned
#3 THE CONFOUNDED
Luke 23:49
Here we run into “His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee”
These were His followers.
The only disciple that we know to have been
Even remotely near the cross was John.
John 19:25b-27 “But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
These were His followers.
But the unique thing we notice is that they were
“standing at a distance, seeing these things.”
Why at a distance?
Had not Jesus just revealed in the upper room…
Luke 22:35-37 “And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
We talked about this.
If you ride with an outlaw, you die with an outlaw.
The cross was no place for the followers of Jesus to stand out in the open.
• They were afraid.
• They were timid and concerned.
• They were confounded that their Messiah was dead
• They were confused regarding the plan of God.
We’ll see this out of them for the next few days.
Even on the coming Sunday we read:
John 20:19 “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Even on Sunday we find the disciples back up in that same upper room, and they’ve got the door locked because they are afraid.
The cross was a horrific thing.
• Jesus had been brutally killed.
• And they didn’t know what to do with it.
Remember the man on the road to Emmaus (we’ll see in a few weeks)
TURN TO: LUKE 24:13-27
You can hear the disillusionment and confusion in their conversation.
They don’t know what to do.
And their fear and sorrow would continue
UNTIL the saw the resurrected Christ.
The resurrection would turn their sorrow into joy,
The Holy Spirit who was about to come would turn their fear to courage.
But none the less we see again THE HORROR OF THE CROSS.
• How terrible is the wrath of God that He would do this to His own Son?
• How genuine is the hatred of men for God that they would crucify Jesus?
And indeed many today have turned back from following Christ
Because of their fear of the world’s hatred.
There are many who when faced with the call
To “deny” themselves, “take up” the cross and “follow” Jesus
Have said, “No”.
Paul wrote about them to the Galatians:
Galatians 6:12 “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
Paul even said that the root motive behind their legalism
Was so that they could escape the persecution of the cross.
As we read earlier, the cross is foolishness to the world.
And there have been many who have sought to dodge the scorn.
This is what made men like Paul so remarkable.
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
We are called to embrace and proclaim the cross.
But there are those who are terrified of it and seek to keep it a distance.
• This was even true of the acquaintances of Jesus
• Until after the resurrection and ultimately Pentecost.
• Then, they became proclaimers of the cross!
• And that is certainly a proper response
The Convinced, The Condemned, The Confounded
#4 THE CONVICTED
Luke 23:50-53
This one is actually my favorite.
Here in Luke’s gospel we simply read about “a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;”
Luke, as is commonly the case,
Seeks to show those he includes in only a positive light.
And he calls Joseph “a good and righteous man”
• Namely because he would not join the Sanhedrin in their hypocritical trial to condemn Jesus.
But the reality is that the cross
Must have made a profound impact on Joseph.
Listen to John’s gospel:
John 19:38 “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.”
John said that Joseph was “a secret” disciple because he was afraid.
Now just to make sure that we are clear.
• Jesus has been adamant that while there may be secret disciples, there are no saved secret disciples.
Matthew 10:32-39 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”
Joseph may have been a secret disciple,
But it would have been a stretch to have called him a saved one.
And we may even know why.
We are told in Matthew’s gospel that Joseph was a rich man.
Matthew 19:21-24 “And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
That may explain Joseph’s desire to remain secret.
He may have wanted to keep his wealth.
We also learn in Luke’s gospel that he was a member of “the Council”, that is the Sanhedrin.
And certainly he must have feared that
He would lose his position if he confessed Christ.
THAT HAD BEEN JOSEPH’S LIFE.
• He knew who Jesus was…
• He was convinced that Jesus was the Savior…
• He was secretly a learner…
But fear had kept him from confessing Christ publicly
As is required for all believers.
HOWEVER, on this day we find him doing something remarkable.
(52-53) “this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut in the rock, where no one had ever lain.”
THERE IS MORE TO THIS THAN WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
On one hand there is the issue of defilement.
Remember earlier at the trial of Jesus how the Sanhedrin wouldn’t even accompany Pilate into the Praetorium?
John 18:28 “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.”
Well, being in the presence of a dead body
Was most certainly an act of defilement.
Consider way back to the days of Moses.
Numbers 9:5-6 “They observed the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.”
If Joseph goes near the dead body of Jesus,
He can kiss the Passover good-bye.
And that’s not all.
He also has to get permission from Pilate for the body of Jesus.
And that is a terrifying thing.
Mark 15:43 “Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.”
Joseph had to gather up courage to go to Pilate and ask.
Beyond that, if Joseph actually goes to Pilate
And then defiles himself so that he might take the body of Jesus,
There will be no more “secret disciple” status for him.
His secret will be out.
But on this day, after the cross,
Joseph left his cowardice and found his courage.
He took down the body of Jesus off the cross.
And this is actually huge!
• Ordinarily the Romans would have just taken them down and thrown them in a
pit or a ditch.
But there was a prophecy about Jesus.
• Part of His vindication was that even though He would die as a sinner, He
would receive burial as a saint.
Isaiah 53:9 “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”
Jesus would receive a sinner’s death,
But God had ordained that He would not receive a sinner’s burial.
He would receive an honorable burial.
Joseph of Arimathea fulfilled that prophesy.
He faced Pilate,
He outed himself as a disciple,
He defiled himself that he might take the body of Jesus down off the cross.
• Joseph pulled the nails…
• Joseph handled His bloodied body…
• Joseph wrapped Him up…
• Joseph carried Him to his own tomb…
• Joseph buried Him…
WHY?
There is something important to understand about Joseph.
Luke says in verse 51 that he “was waiting for the kingdom of God”
Joseph was looking for the king.
What he witnessed on the cross
Convinced him that Jesus was that King!
And he found his courage and he displayed his conviction
And he let the world know his allegiance to this crucified king.
When he surveyed the wondrous cross it moved him to conviction.
SO YOU SEE THE RESPONSES.
• When the centurion surveyed the wondrous cross he was convinced that Jesus was the sinless Son of God.
• When the crowd surveyed the wondrous cross they were condemned for they knew they had played a part in executing the Savior of the world.
• When His acquaintances surveyed the wondrous cross they were hit with the reality of the hatred this world has for Jesus, and they proclaimed it anyway.
• When Joseph surveyed the wondrous cross he was filled with conviction and courage to confess Christ.
What about you?
When you survey the wondrous cross, what does it spark in you?
Isaac Watts said:
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
I wonder this morning how you might respond to the cross of Jesus?
I would hope that you too
Would be so convicted that Jesus is the Christ
That you might also publicly confess Him before the world
And let it be known what He did on that cross, He died for you.
Galatians 6:14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
