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The Burial of Jesus
Matthew 27:57-66
April 13, 2025

Tonight we come to the final event
Leading up to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

It is THE BURIAL of Jesus.

Some have found it curious that the gospel writers
Were so adamant about adding details of this reality.

In some ways, I suppose,
The burial seems like an anti-climactic part of the entire scene.

And yet we find that all 4 gospel writers
Determined to include this one detail, that Jesus was buried.

And not only the gospel writers,
but clearly it was important to all of the apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Paul is specific to include it.

Even after the apostles had died and the early church began to establish a clear systematic theology, we begin to see the various creeds.

You are familiar with the one known as “The Apostle’s Creed”
(They didn’t write it, but those who studied their teaching did)

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Even there the burial is not overlooked.

We know that burial was an important reality to Jews.

• You will remember that Judas returned the money of his betrayal and you will remember what they used it for.

Matthew 27:7 “And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers.”

It was important in Judaism not to leave bodies out to rot.
A dead body just eaten by the birds was grotesque and defiling.

The Law demanded that even the most vile criminals should be buried.

Deuteronomy 21:21-23 “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

Aside from that, we even find Jesus speaking of His own burial.

John 12:1-7 “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.”

I think it’s clear to us then that the burial of the Lord
Is far from just one of those insignificant details
That all the writers happened to include.

We should know by now that the gospel writers didn’t play that game.

They were very specific about every detail
As each one gave not only a historical fact,
But a theological point in everything they included.

And the burial of Jesus should be looked upon in the same light.

Tonight, as we examine it, I want to do two main things.

1. I also want to consider the theological ramifications about burial.
• What Jesus burial meant and what it means for us.
• I don’t know that we’ve ever discussed this before,

2. I want us to examine Matthew’s gospel account of the resurrection
• And learn what he would teach us about the event.

So maybe you can already let your mind begin to think about
Why this is important and what it means for us.

So first, let’s just talk about Jesus’ burial from a “birds eye view”

Something that all the gospel writers
Would have unanimously wanted to show you.

And perhaps I would start by just asking you, why the burial matters.
What significant truth do we learn here?

Now before you go too far, I would point out that I think there is one way in which our hymnology has not done us a ton of favors.

We sing the song “One Day” and you are likely familiar with the chorus, which is one of the few hymns that mentions the burial of Jesus.

“Living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away…
Rising He justified, freely forever, one day He’s coming, O glorious day!”

That hymn looks upon the burial as that scapegoat in the Old Testament
That Jesus was in some sense carrying our sins away below the ground.

I’ll admit that it is an interesting picture,
But you won’t find that imagery used in Scripture
As a legitimate explanation of His burial.

And yet the burial is theologically significant, WHY?

1) CERTIFICATION OF DEATH

This is, hands down, the most important aspect of the burial of Christ.
IT PROVES HIS DEATH.

You just don’t bury people who are alive.

The Heidelberg Catechism addresses this wonderful clarity:
Question 41: Why was He also “buried”?
Answer: Thereby to prove that He was really dead.

They site only one verse as proof, and it also is enough.
Acts 13:29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.”

The main purpose of revealing the burial of Christ
Is to emphasize the death of Christ.

He did not escape alive.
He died on the cross.

And the gospel accounts in absolute unison verify this fact.

Pilate verified it:
Mark 15:43-45 “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. Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.”

Clearly there the centurion also verified it.

Joseph and Nicodemus then verified it by burying Him.

The women then verified it by watching Him be buried.

This is what the burial is for, to prove death.

As we said this morning, death is a requirement for redemption.
Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death…”

And this goes all the way back to the garden.
Genesis 2:15-17 “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

The original announcement of God is that when sin occurs,
Death is the only acceptable consequence.

And when God’s demands were more clearly spelled out in the Law, we saw it again.
• The demands of the Law also had to be met which required death for sin.
• Over 50 times in the Law the death penalty is prescribed for sin.

Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

And it is not just bleeding, it is because the life is in the blood
The cost of sin is death.

If Jesus doesn’t die then the wage of sin has not been paid.
And to verify death, we get the burial.

There’s your chief theological point about the burial of Christ.
The burial proves He died on the cross.

As we examine the Scriptures we also see that out of that flow some other important understandings about the burial of Christ.

2) VERIFICATION OF MINISTRY

That is to say,
Jesus burial is set up to verify His ministry as the Son of God.

HOW?

Remember what Jesus said?
Matthew 12:38-41 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

The religious elite wanted a sign from Jesus to further prove His authority to say the things He was saying.
• Jesus told them, “No”.
• I’ll only give you one sign, He said.
• Death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus specifically referenced
Jonah’s stay inside the belly of the sea-monster as evidence.
With the focus there of “three days”

It equates to sure and certain, undeniable, absolute and total death,
With undeniable and absolute resurrection.

The burial proves death,
And coupled with His resurrection validates His entire ministry.

But that’s still not all that the burial speaks of.

3) ILLUSTRATION OF CONVERSION

Since burial is primarily a sign of death,
Christ’s burial even becomes an analogy of Christian conversion.

DO YOU REMEMBER Paul’s argument in Romans to people who thought that once you claimed grace you could just live however you wanted?

Paul balked at such a ridiculous notion and look what he said:
Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Paul said there that “we have been buried with Him through baptism into death”

Paul there says that as Christians we identify in Christ’s burial.

Again:
Colossians 2:8-12 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

Once again you see it, “having been buried with Him in baptism…”

What is Paul talking about?
He is talking about a genuine conversion to Christ.

Those who think you can get saved and live however
Reveal a faulty conversion.

How does a person become a Christian convert?
How does an unbeliever enter the state of salvation?

The answer:
DEATH & RESURRECTION

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Again in:
Luke 17:33 “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

In short, you must deny yourself; you must lose your life.

What did Paul say?
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Or consider:
Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;”

DEATH IS NECESSARY.

John 12:23-26 “And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

The way we are converted to Christ is through death.
It is death to self.
It is abandonment of our old life.

But that is not something that can be readily seen.
That is not something that is initially easily identifiable.

So we take a man or a woman who claims to have died to self and given their life to Christ and what do we ask them to do?

We ask them, have you really died?
• And they say, “Yes”.
And we ask them to do what?
• Be buried.

BAPTISM IS THEIR BURIAL.
It is the outward verification of their spiritual death.
Baptism is the only outward mark or sign that we perform.

Scripture teaches that burial is important to verify death,
And that is what our baptism is.

Baptism doesn’t save (it is neither the death nor the resurrection)
But it does serve as a sign of genuine death.

Following that we are raised, and that is also what baptism points to.

There is another important aspect of burial.
4) MAGNIFICATION OF RESURRECTION

Once a person is buried, there is only one thing that they need.
They need resurrection.

BURIAL SORT OF NARROWS THE FOCUS.
• A buried person needs only one thing.
• Jesus cried out to Lazarus and said, “Come forth!”
• There was no other need greater than that.

Now go back to Romans 6:4
Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

You see of course that we “were buried with Him through baptism into death”,
But don’t miss the application.

“SO THAT as Christ was raised from the death through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Burial necessitates resurrection, and also pushes for it.
Staying buried is not the goal.

We don’t put people under the water and leave them there,
We bring them up.

And you could actually say there is that one moment of tension while they are under the water.
• Could you imagine if we held people there for a few moments?
• It wouldn’t take long before people started getting nervous.

Burial is not the goal, burial cries for resurrection.

So not only does burial prove death, but burial also pushes for life.
And it magnifies the importance of life.

And that leads us to the 5th aspect of burial.

5) DEMONSTRATION OF FAITH

I often speak of this at the graveside of funerals.

It is a farming analogy.
1 Corinthians 15:35-37 “But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?” You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.”

I like to talk about the cotton farmers of our area
• Who spend an enormous amount of money, even go into debt in order to buy seed.
• And then they do the strangest thing.
• They go and bury it in the ground and walk away.
• They do it in hopes of a future crop.
• You plant a seed to reap a harvest.

Every planting season is an act of faith and every burial is the same.

It is an act of faith that God will raise the dead.

It is the faith that Jesus was demonstrating
As He said, “Into Your hands I commit My Spirit”

He was trusting that God would bring Him back from death.

Our baptismal burial is our way of doing that too.
1) We declare our death
2) We submit to burial
3) We demonstrate resurrection
4) We trust that the Spirit of God has given us new life in Christ.

So you see the numerous theological aspects that we gain from burial,
And ultimately they all stem from the main purpose
And that is that burial proves death.

1) Jesus was buried because He died.
2) Jesus was buried so that He could rise and prove His ministry.
3) We are baptized to join Him in burial to show that our old life is gone.
4) As we are buried in baptism it focuses our mind to the necessity of the new life found only in resurrection.
5) And when we are buried in baptism it demonstrates our faith that we have been given new life that will soon become visible to everyone.

That is the theology behind the significance of burial,
But most importantly to prove death.

Now you know the main points, so now let’s look at Matthew’s gospel and learn the specific points he wanted us to know in addition to that.

We’ll make it simple as we look at Matthew’s gospel, just two main points.

#1 PROPHECY
Matthew 27:57-61

Introduced for us here is the figure known as Joseph of Arimathea.

If you look at all the information about him in the gospels
We get quite a picture about him.

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.”

Luke 23:50-51 “And 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;”

John 19:38-39 “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. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.”

All 3 of those gospel writers are clear that
• Joseph is a good man,
• a righteous man,
• a God-fearing man,
• And even a disciple of Jesus.
• They indicate that he was waiting for the kingdom.

Mark says he was a member of the Sanhedrin,
Luke said he did not participate in the trial of Jesus.

They also mention his fear of public confession of Jesus.
• John’s gospel makes often mention of the fear of being removed from the
synagogue for confessing Jesus.
• Both in John 9 with the parents of the man born blind, and again in John 12.

John 12:42-43 “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”

It seems that Joseph had fallen into that category.

But as Mark pointed out,
After the death of Jesus, Joseph “gathered up courage”.
• No more a secret disciple; no more a man of fear.
• Joseph, inspired by the death of Christ goes public,
• And John includes that Nicodemus did as well.

All of that is good and important information
That each gospel writer used to make their own points.

But there are two pieces of information that only Matthew includes.
• One, that Joseph was (57) “a rich man”
• And that the tomb where Joseph buried Jesus was (60) “his own new tomb”

And with that we are well-aware of what Matthew wanted us to see.

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.”

Matthew sees 2 very important truths in the burial of Jesus.
1) He is the prophetic redeeming arm of Isaiah
2) He is innocent

By pointing out that Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb,
He shows us that Jesus is the One Isaiah spoke of.

He is the one “with a rich man in His death”

And all of those facts we read about in Isaiah 53
About bearing our griefs and our sorrows
Are once again verified in Jesus’ burial.

So not only do you see the redemption of Jesus in His ARREST:
• Defending His own
• Submitting to the arrest, telling Peter it must happen this way
• Healing the servant’s ear

And not only do you see the redemption of Jesus in His TRIAL:
• Testifying that He will be seated at the right hand of power.
• Testifying that He is the Son of God.
• Not seeking to escape condemnation.

And not only do you see the redemption of Jesus in His CRUCIFIXION:
• Bearing God’s wrath
• Interceding for sinners
• Carrying it all the way to death

But you also now see the redemption of Jesus even in His burial:
• He is buried exactly as Isaiah 53 indicated.

Matthew shows you that.

And by showing us that, it opens the door
To another important truth about Jesus.

And that is that the burial of Jesus defends His innocence.

The innocence of Jesus is also a major theme throughout the gospels.
• Pilate publicly declares Jesus innocent 4 times.
• Herod declares Jesus innocent.
• The thief on the cross says “this Man has done nothing wrong”
• The Centurian says, “surely this Man was innocent”

AND NOW THANKS TO THE DOTS MATTHEW CONNECTS
WE ALSO SEE IT IN HIS BURIAL

“Yet He was with a rich man in His death, BECAUSE He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”

Instead of being buried with the criminals of Rome,
Jesus was vindicated in his death,
• By receiving an honorable burial in a rich man’s tomb just as the prophet’s had proclaimed.

After participating in the “Messiah in the Passover” meal last Sunday night, it’s not hard to see Matthew’s evangelistic purposes as well.

Matthew includes that Jesus body was “wrapped…in a clean linen cloth”
And then hidden away in the tomb.

Now understanding
• The Jewish tradition of that second piece of matza bread,
• How it is wrapped up in linen and hidden away for a time,
• It is not hard to see the point Matthew is making to his Jewish audience.

You see all the symbolism that is important to Matthew.

And certainly we don’t overlook any of that.

Though the ultimate vindication of Jesus
Will come in 3 days when God raises Jesus from the dead,
It is not hard to see that God is already vindicating Him.

God is already declaring
• Jesus is innocent
• Jesus is Isaiah’s “arm of the LORD” who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.
• Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

So from Matthew’s perspective, the burial is yet another clear indication
That Jesus is in fact our Redeemer.

So that is the first aspect Matthew shows us.

#2 CONSPIRACY
Matthew 27:62-66

Here we run up against the famous conspiracy of the Pharisees.

We read (62) “Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,”

Something interesting here is that this is the Sabbath.
• This is the day of rest.

Incidentally that is exactly what Jesus’ followers are doing.

Luke 23:56 “Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

I wonder if they had any idea that they were truly resting on that day for the first time in their life? Probably not yet.

But while Jesus’ followers are resting,
The religious elite are still scheming.

What are they afraid of?

(63) “and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’”

They are afraid of a resurrection.
• They also fear a faked resurrection in the case that the disciples might come and steal His body.
• So Pilate gives them a guard and permission to make the grave as secure as possible.

It has always been humorous to me here the amount of effort
Put into keeping Jesus dead, and even that won’t work.

Psalms 2:4-6 “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

This is a foolish plan, and Matthew exposes it.
They couldn’t kill Him without His help and they can’t keep Him dead.

Peter will say:
Acts 2:24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”

BUT MATTHEW WANTS YOU TO SEE THE CONSPIRACY.

Matthew will show another one with regard to the resurrection.
Matthew 28:11-15 “Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.”

Matthew is vindicating His gospel
By showing you the roots of one of the main deceptions of his day.

He shows you what it means and then verifies that it is true
By debunking one of the chief attacks against it.

All of that to say that Christ’s burial is important.
• It matters that He died.
• It matters that He was buried.
• And certainly it will matter that He will be raised.

One other thing, people often ask:
Where did He go for those 3 days?

Well first we return to Jesus’ words on the cross:
Luke 23:43 “And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
• That should be a pretty definitive answer.
• Jesus went to paradise.

Where is that?

Remember earlier in Luke’s gospel?
Luke 16:22-26 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’”

• There we see the place that the Old Testament refers to as “Sheol” or the place of the dead.
• We see Abraham’s bosom or “paradise” on one side and we see the place of torment or “Hades” on the other.
• This is where Jesus went.

What did He do there?

1 Peter 3:17-20 “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

Jesus declared victory.
“He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison”

He went to all of those demons who have been trapped there since the days of Noah, and any others who have joined them such as the rich man He spoke of in Luke 16.

Jesus went and declared their defeat.

They invited Him into death and that was a mistake.
They were in no way ready for His presence.

Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

Jesus, in effect, descended into death and declared “Game over!”
• He eternally condemned all that were in Hades
• He ushered all that were in Paradise into the presence of the Father.
• They are now free to be in His presence now that Christ has paid their debt.

All of the I.O.U.’s that all the Old Testament saints wrote
As they sacrificed sheep after sheep and goat after goat,
Had now been paid off.

Jesus declared victory.
He went to conquer the grave.

But now, we have set the stage.

1) Jesus has been arrested.
2) Jesus has been tried.
3) Jesus has been crucified.
4) Jesus has been buried.

And now we wait.
All of our anticipation moves now to this one point
As we await the resurrection of the Savior.

And we’ll examine that next Sunday morning.

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The Crucifixion of Jesus
Luke 23:26-49
April 13, 2025

As you know we are currently looking at the events
Surrounding the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial of the Lord.

TWO WEEKS AGO WE LOOKED AT HIS ARREST,
Specifically in Mark’s gospel and focused primarily on the point that
What Jesus did, He did alone.

• There is no Co-Redeemer.
• No one accompanied Him.
• No one stood with Him.
• Everyone abandoned Him.
• The battle He was fighting, He was fighting alone.

LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT HIS TRIAL,
We saw just one part of His trial in John’s gospel
As He stood before Pilate the first time.

The point we focused on there was “Who” Jesus was doing all this for.

The answer was that He was doing it for those who are in His kingdom.

WHO IS THAT?
John 19:37b “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Specifically, those in the kingdom
Are those who hear and heed the voice of Christ.

• Those in the kingdom are those who are submitted to the King.
• And for them Jesus was securing a kingdom.

Well THIS MORNING we move forward in the narrative
And look at THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST,

Again, while there are many angles from which one could cover the cross,
And while there are many points that could be made,
We again want to just focus on one.

• In His ARREST we noted He did it alone.
• In His TRIAL we noted He did it for those in His kingdom.

This morning as we examine the crucifixion we want to know one thing:
WHY DID HE DO IT?

• Why did He submit to the arrest in the garden?
• Why did He consent to the trial?
• Why did He offer Himself up to be crucified?
• What was His motive?

And the answer is a simple one:
TO SAVE SINNERS

It is a familiar truth to us.
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

John 12:47 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”

1 Timothy 1:15 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

That is what Jesus came to do,
That is why He offered Himself up to death.

And this morning to examine this more fully
We are going to look at LUKE’S GOSPEL.

You are aware by now that every gospel account comes with a different feel.

Luke’s reads with the most compassion, mercy, and sympathy.

At the arrest:
• Only Luke mentioned Jesus healing the ear of the man Peter attacked.
• Only Luke omitted that all the disciples fled from Jesus.
• Luke was the only one to seemingly give credit to Satan, even over and
above the evil men he was using.

At the trial:
• Only Luke mentions the eye contact Jesus made with Peter as he denied the
third time.
• Only Luke mentions that 3rd trial held at the council chamber where Jesus
willingly offered up that He was not only going to be seated at the right hand
of Power, but that He was also the Son of God.

Luke is keenly focused on the fact that Jesus, who was God,
Came to identify with sinners and that all that is happening to Him
Is a result of that identification.

Luke has tunnel vision.
He is focused on the task at hand.
He sees Jesus in His role as Savior.

As Luke shares his account of the crucifixion of Jesus,
Luke shows us a Jesus who is focused and determined
To accomplish His purpose of saving sinners.

He shows us a Jesus who never loses sight of redemption.

Through all the trials, all the beatings, all the mocking, all the brutality,
Jesus never loses sight of why He is there.

As we look at it this morning,
Let us simply marvel at the Savior
Who perfectly accomplished what He came to do.

We’re going to break this text down into 6 points.
Obviously we can’t cover every aspect of every verse looking at it like that,
But we can draw out that one main theme I want you to see.

Jesus is the Savior and He is focused on saving sinners.

#1 HE DOESN’T MOPE, HE WARNS
Luke 23:26-31

Here we pick back up with the narrative.
• The chief priests and the elders have seemingly won.
• They overpowered Pilate and Pilate has given Jesus to be crucified.
• Now Jesus is being led away with the cross on His back.

But before Luke tells us of the crucifixion, we are first told something of the caravan that is accompanying Him.

And we see a pretty remarkable object lesson.

First you see is “Simon of Cyrene”
(26) “When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.”

• We know all about the Romans and their right to force a man to carry a load.
• We remember Jesus saying if they force you to go one mile, go two.

But just for a moment see the image that is demonstrated here.
What a visual illustration Simon becomes for us.

Here is Jesus being led to Golgotha that He might be crucified
And there is Simon behind Him carrying a cross.

I don’t know if there is a better image for Christianity than this.

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Simon becomes a living illustration of that calling.

At the same time, Simon’s involvement is quite a contrast to what we see from the rest of the caravan.

(27) “And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.”

These aren’t followers of Jesus, these are sympathizers of Jesus.
There is a drastic difference here.
• Pilate was a sympathizer, but he was not a follower.

Knowing Jesus was innocent, and feeling remorse for His suffering
Is certainly accurate, but as a requirement of salvation
It is less than the Lord requires.

He requires those who would follow Him to take up a cross and follow.
THIS CROWD ISN’T DOING THAT.

And Jesus addresses them.
(28-31) “But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. “For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ “Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’ “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Jesus turns to these “Daughters of Jerusalem” and warns them.

It was only 4 days ago that Jesus first announced this:
Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

It was only a few moments ago that these people confirmed what Jesus prophesied:
Matthew 27:25 “And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”

And here Jesus warns them again of the judgment that is coming.

• He says that women are going to be grateful that they are barren and won’t have to watch the slaughter of their children.
• He says people are going to pray that mountains and hills will fall on them.

He is talking about the coming day of judgment
That will fall upon all those who have rejected Him.

Some will certainly say He is referring to A.D. 70
When Rome destroyed Jerusalem and that is certainly part of it.

But A.D. 70 was itself just a foreshadow
Of the real judgment that is yet to come.

Revelation 6:12-17 “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

There is coming a day when God will get even with His enemies.
And Jesus warns these women of that day.

Of particular concern here to Jesus
Is the spiritual blindness of this crowd.

(31) “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

• “they” is the Jews who condemned Jesus.
• “these things” are the rebellion against God they have instigated.
• “the tree is green” indicates the obvious ministry of Jesus.
• “dry” indicates when the truth of Christ is not as easy to see.

If men can reject and crucify Christ when He is right in front of them teaching and working miracles, how will they later be led to faith in Him when He is nowhere to be found?

HE IS CONCERNED FOR THEM.

WHAT WE LEARN OF THE SAVIOR HERE!

Here we have Jesus.
• He is maligned and beaten, He is bruised and bloodied.
• These women are weeping for Him.

But He is NOT interested in garnering sympathy.
• He is not interested in an emotional uprising.

Jesus has one focus and that is saving sinners.

So even in this moment of horror as Jesus is being led to death,
He is still preaching salvation and warnings of judgment
To the crowd that condemned Him.

He is headed to Golgotha
But what concerns Him most is sinners head to hell.

How much love does He have for sinners?
Isaiah 53:8 “By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”

The crowd could not see why He was dying, but He knew exactly why.

He doesn’t mope, He warns
#2 HE DOESN’T THREATEN, HE INTERCEDES
Luke 23:32-34

Here we are again confronted with Luke’s constant emphasis
That Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors”.

(32-33) “Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.”

That is identification at its finest.
Jesus is being treated as a criminal on a cross.

This is the most horrific case of injustice and disrespect
That the world has ever seen or will ever see.

In all the times in your life when you may be disrespected or mistreated or overlooked, it will never even come close to what the Lord faced here.

And I know how we like to respond when we are so treated.
• We like to fire off about it.
• We like to broadcast it.
• We like to get in someone’s face and let them know this is wrong.
• We turn to social media and air our grievances.

But what Jesus does is nothing like that.

Please don’t fly past the most understated phrase in the Bible.
4 words
“there they crucified Him”

• Could such a monumental action really be described with such brevity?
• Is that really it?
• Scripture contains no gruesome details.
• There is no reference to all the medical implications.

Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross like a common criminal
And if you aren’t careful you can read right over it.

But have you ever wondered
• What He said as they stretched Jesus out over that wooden frame?
• What He said as the soldiers drove nails through His hands and feet?

(34) “But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

The verb “was saying” is in the imperfect tense which indicates a repeated action.
• Jesus kept saying it.
• He is repeating it.

• He is interceding for the soldiers that throw Him on the cross.
• He is interceding for the one who drives the nails in His hands.
• He is interceding for the one who drives the nails in His feet.
• He is interceding for those who are genuinely delighted at the scene.

That is what Isaiah said:
Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

Surrounding Him are those callous soldiers.
• Driving nails in His hands and feet.
• Gambling for His clothes.
• In a moment mocking Him as He hangs on the cross.

You see that clueless crowd.
(35) “And the people stood by, looking on…”

You see those arrogant rulers sneering at Him.
Even the criminals hanging beside Him join in the attacks.

Matthew 27:44 “The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.”

AND JESUS INTERCEDES FOR THEM.

His reasoning before the Father?
“they do not know what they are doing.”

THIS IS NO SMALL EXPLANATION.
It actually becomes the BASIS FOR HOPE
Throughout the preaching of the apostles.

1 Timothy 1:12-13 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”

Acts 3:17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.”

Acts 13:27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:8 “the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;”

This prayer of Jesus became a great source of hope
Among those who had blown it previously in life.

That Jesus prayed for those who were ignorant.
They didn’t know what they were doing.

And Jesus asked for God’s mercy over this heinous sin.

NO, it wasn’t a prayer that guaranteed salvation for all men for all time.

But it does clearly reveal the motive of Jesus.

Even as these men are nailing Him to the cross
He does not lose sight of why it is happening.

This cross is about Him saving sinners and that is how He prays.

How much does Jesus love sinners that He would pray like this over those who are actively killing Him?

He doesn’t mope, He warns
He doesn’t threaten, He intercedes

#3 HE DOESN’T REACT HE ENDURES
Luke 23:35-39

Every other segment we will look at focuses on
Something Jesus said on the cross before He died.

But not this segment.
• In this segment Jesus is silent.
• It is His enemies who are doing all the talking.

But that is what makes it remarkable.

LISTEN TO THE VERBVAL ABUSE SURROUNDING THE CROSS

Those rulers…
• Masterminds of His arrest in the garden
• Guilty of a corrupt trial
• Hypocrites who won’t go in the Praetorium, but who will condemn an innocent Man.

(35) “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”

Listen to the soldiers
• Who literally don’t know anything about anything as it pertains to Jesus:

(37) “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”

And then even the lowlife criminals…

(39) “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

They are all mocking Him and daring Him to exit the cross.

Can we first just go on record as saying, “Thank You Jesus for not listening to them!”

“save Himself…save Yourself…save Yourself”
We should be grateful He didn’t.

But as they hurl abuse after abuse at Him, He remains silent.

WHY?
Because He is at work accomplishing His task.
• He is bearing scorn and reproach.
• He is identifying with sinners.

You are witnessing a most devoted Man focused on His job.
• He is not concerned about the banter.
• He is not moved by the slander.
• He is not tempted by the dares.

He came to save sinners and nothing is distracting Him from that.

1 Peter 2:21-25 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

Peter marveled at a Man who could be so wrongly reviled,
But who ignored it all because He was focused
On bearing our sins in His body on the cross.

He didn’t have time for a debate.
He wasn’t interested in proving Himself.

Coming down from the cross was not on His mind.

It would not have worked anyway.
Luke 16:27-31 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

• They didn’t believe when He turned water to wine.
• They didn’t believe when He healed the paralytics.
• They didn’t believe when He gave sight to the blind.
• They didn’t believe when He opened the ears of the deaf.
• They didn’t believe when He walked on water.
• They didn’t believe when He multiplied the fish and the loaves.
• They didn’t believe when He restored withered limbs.
• They didn’t believe when He raised the dead.

Coming down off the cross would not have convinced them either.

But even that didn’t matter.
At this moment He was not there to convince sinners,
He was there to atone for them.

And nothing could distract Him from His mission.

Hebrews 12:3 “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Jesus endured it all and stayed focused on His mission.

How much does He love sinners to remain so focused?

#4 HE DOESN’T NEGLECT, HE SAVES
Luke 23:40-43

Perhaps Jesus’ most famous encounter on the cross.

It is apparent that while on the cross, one of the criminals finally heard the gospel and believed it?

You ask, “Who preached the gospel to him?”
• The chief priests who said, “He saved others…”
• The Roman soldiers who said, “You are the King of the Jews…”
• Pilate who hung the sign “This is the King of the Jews” above His head…”
• Perhaps he even heard Jesus praying for the forgiveness of those who
crucified Him.

This man believed what he heard and cried out to Jesus for salvation.

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

But let’s be honest…Jesus has His own problems.
Besides, this guy was just mocking a few moments ago.
• This man was guilty,
• This man was a criminal,
• This man had been a blasphemer,
• And Jesus was busy.

It’s like riding in an ambulance to the hospital,
But deciding to stop along the way to help a man change a tire.

But Jesus doesn’t ignore the man.

Instead, Jesus saves Him.
“Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

And by now you know that the only way Jesus can make that offer
Is if He agrees to take that man’s sin upon Himself.

At this point, do you want his too?
At this point, are you asking for more?

But what is Jesus focused on?
He is saving sinners.

In the midst of His greatest pain
He is still in the process of saving sinners.

He is not distracted.
He is not self-centered.

How much does He love sinners?

#5 HE DOESN’T RETREAT, HE FINISHES
Luke 23:44-46

There are certainly many details here
That Matthew and Mark include that Luke omits.

Matthew and Mark both point out that Jesus was facing the fury and the wrath of God, even crying out, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA, SABACTHANI” which is “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

They point out that Jesus is bearing God’s wrath against sin on the cross.

Luke only alludes to it as he mentions the darkness that fell over the cross from “the sixth hour…until the ninth hour.”

And Luke only alludes to the accomplishment of the cross by pointing out that “the veil of the temple was torn in two.”

Luke instead puts his primary focus
On something else Jesus said.

(46) “And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.”

Understand this for a moment.
Jesus just spent 3 hours bearing the full fury of the wrath of God on sinners.
• He has drank the cup that could not pass from Him.
• He has been treated like the sinner that each of us actually is.
• He has paid a price that every sinner can not pay in an eternity in hell.

Jesus has just been treated by God on the cross
Worse than any criminal has ever been treated.

Isaiah 53:10a “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief…”

But understand something.
• The wages of sin is not suffering…
• The wages of sin is not blood shedding…
• The wages of sin is not shame and humiliation…

The wages of sin is DEATH
If Jesus is going to save sinners He is going to have to die.

AND THAT IS WHAT HE DOES.
He dies.

Acts 2:22-23 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

Acts 3:14-15 “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.”

Acts 5:30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.”

Acts 10:39 “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.”

Acts 13:28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.”

Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

But before He dies
He cries out to the Father and in effect says, “I’m putting all My trust in You that even though I go into death, You will bring Me back out of it.”

• Jesus is trusting in the justice of God.
• Jesus is trusting in His own righteousness.
• Jesus is trusting in the power of God.

It’s one thing to tell someone to hold the rope
While you go down in the hole,
But here Jesus tells God to hold the rope
While He does down into death.

And then Jesus jumped right in!
Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus gave Himself even to death.
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

If you think praying for sinners is remarkable…
If you think suffering for sinners is remarkable…

WELL WATCH HIM HERE DYING FOR THEM.

He goes all the way!
He finishes His work!

John’s gospel says it specifically:
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

How much does Jesus love sinners?

#6 HE DOESN’T LOSE, HE WINS
Luke 23:47-49

At this point Jesus is dead.
• He has finished His task.
• He has carried it through to the end.
• He has loved to the max.

DOES IT WORK?

We immediately get the answer.
(47) “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

Here we have a pagan that turned to a worshiper of God.

Do you realize that in a matter of just a few hours
As Jesus hung on the cross we already saw two people saved?

Jesus came to save sinners and that is what He did on the cross.

And not just the centurion…

(48) “And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.”

The crowd is visibly shaken and disturbed by what they just witnessed.

And you say, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean they got saved there.”
• No, they didn’t.

But many of them will back in Jerusalem in 50 days for
“The Feast of Weeks” or as you know it, “Pentecost”.

On that day, Peter will bring this scene back to their minds
And call them to repentance and 5,000 will be saved.

Do you understand what Jesus was doing here?
HE WAS SAVING SINNERS.

Do you understand why?
BECAUSE JESUS LOVES SINNERS.

• He loves them even though they conspire against Him.
• He loves them even though they arrest Him.
• He loves them even though they try Him and condemn Him.
• He loves them even though they mock and scorn Him.
• He loves them even though they beat and scourge Him.
• He loves them even though they nail Him to a cross.
• He loves them even though they sneer at Him while He is dying.

And He loves them so much He goes all the way to save them.

Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

JESUS CHRIST CAME TO SAVE SINNERS.

And this morning church, we rejoice in that fact because we are sinners.

Colossians 1:21-22 “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach”

Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

• We are conspirers
• We are mockers
• We are blasphemers
• We are vile and disobedient thieves

But this morning we praise Jesus Christ
Because He looked beyond that and gives His life in our stead anyway.

We can do nothing but praise Him and marvel at His great love for us!

AND THIS MORNING, we do that as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper one more time before Easter.

Only this morning, instead of our regular “Time of Preparation” we are going to stand a sing a hymn of praise to Him and then partake.

LORD’S SUPPER

• Deacons come forward

Isaiah 53:1-6 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

• Give bread to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out bread

Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

• Take bread

Isaiah 53:7-12 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 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. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

• Give juice to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out juice

Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

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The Trial of Jesus
John 18:33-38
April 6, 2025

If you weren’t with us last week, we are taking a break from our study of Titus for a few weeks while we focus on what we have called a “Countdown To Easter”.

We have 3 preaching services left until Easter Sunday morning.
Having looked at The Arrest of Jesus last week.

This morning we turn to “The Trial of Jesus”

Next Sunday morning we’ll look at His crucifixion
And next Sunday night we’ll look at His burial.

LAST WEEK, as we examined THE ARREST
We noticed that by in large, all the gospel writers cover the same material, with a few differences.
• Especially the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar
• With John giving us a bit more information.

That is NOT the case however regarding THE TRIAL of Jesus.

If you want the full picture of the trial of Jesus it is absolutely necessary to study all 4 gospel accounts, for they reveal different aspects.

• Perhaps Mark and Matthew have the most similarities,
• But Luke and John cover totally different aspects not seen in the others.

Allow me to give you the OVERALL TIMELINE (even as is seen in your bulletin)

After Jesus was arrested,
He was taken immediately to Caiaphas in the middle of the night.
• Caiaphas was the high priest
• He was planning to hold a trial for Jesus at his house.

It should be noted that such a trial would not have been legal under Jewish Law.

Jewish Law regarding trials:
• a trial could not be held at night.
• Nor could it be held in secret, it was a public affair
• Furthermore a trial could not be held during a feast
• A man could only be condemned upon the testimony of two credible witnesses.
• Furthermore if a man was condemned, the first person to strike the blow to the condemned had to be the person who first bore witness against him.
• Furthermore the accused could not be forced to testify against Himself. Even a detailed confession was not viewed as adequate evidence to condemn a man.
• If a man was condemned, the law required that he could not be sentenced until the morning of the third day.
• And even after sentencing as the man was going to his punishment, if on the way he or anyone else remembered evidence that might deliver him, immediately the execution was stayed and the trial was re-opened.
• And if a man was condemned his property could not be seized, it passed to his heirs, in order to keep a man from being condemned for his possessions.

Obviously the entire trial here is going to be illegal.
But Jesus was taken first to Caiaphas.

However, when they reached the courtyard of Caiaphas’ house Annas intercepted the arresting convoy and took the first shot at Jesus.

This was trial #1 and only John tells us about it.
• Annas quizzed the teaching of Jesus (they’re real problem with Him)
• Jesus stood strong and was struck in the face

After Annas took his shot at Jesus, Jesus was then taken into the house
Where Caiaphas and the rest of the leaders were waiting to put Jesus on trial.

This was trial #2 and it is the one you read about in Matthew and Mark.
• The Chief Priests had had enough of the public debates with Jesus.
• They needed a secret place to interrogate Jesus.
• This is where all the false witnesses were gathered.

This is where Jesus confessed to the Christ.
This is where Jesus declared Himself to be God’s anointed King.

Matthew 26:63-64 “But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

Jesus quoted there from Psalms 110:1
Psalms 110:1 “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

• Jesus there speaking of HIS DIVINE APPOINTMENT,
namely that it was God who had anointed Him King.
• Jesus also speaking of HIS AUTHORITATIVE POSITION
as One who will be seated at God’s right hand.

The other verse Jesus quoted was:
Daniel 7:13-14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.”

• Jesus there referencing the fact of HIS IMMINENT REIGN

So in that second trial before Caiaphas
Jesus declared Himself to be God’s King, with God’s authority,
And soon to reign over all of God’s creation.

And you know the result of that trial.
Matthew 26:65-66 “Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

They determined Jesus guilty of blasphemy and were ready to go public.

They would wait for morning to come
And then gather in their council chamber and reenact the entire scene.

This was Trial #3 at the council chamber and it is the trial you read about in Luke’s gospel.
• They DON’T waste time with false witnesses and all the mess that caused.
• NO more talk of “tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days”

Their only goal during this trial is to get Jesus to confess again
To being God’s King and declaring Him guilty of blasphemy.

So they get right at it.
Luke 22:66-71 “When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

Jesus totally submitted to their plan.
• He once again stated the confession from earlier in the night
• And this time even went further declaring Himself to be the Son of God.
• And now, the chief priests had all they needed to have Him killed.

At this point Judas feels remorse and tries to give the money back, and ends up hanging himself. Only Matthew’s gospel reveals that fact.

So they grab Jesus and make a beeline for Pilate.

When they get to the Praetorium they won’t go inside because they don’t want to be made unclean before the Passover, so Pilate comes out to them.

They are holding Jesus and accusing Him before Pilate.

Their main choice of accusation is that
Jesus made the claim to be a King, thus making Him an enemy of Rome.

Luke 23:2 “And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

• Pilate tries to dismiss them, telling them to take Him themselves and try Him,
• But the Jews pressure Pilate because they want a death sentence which only
Pilate can give.

So Pilate goes back into the Praetorium
And takes Jesus in to custody to stand before Him.

This is trial #4 and only John’s gospel reveals it.

• Pilate questions Jesus with regard to Him being a King and Jesus answers.

After examining Jesus, Pilate comes out with Jesus
And declares Him “NOT GUILTY”

But the Jews won’t stand for an acquittal,
They start throwing every accusation they can at Jesus in front of Pilate.

The one accusation that gets Pilate’s attention is what Luke reveals:

Luke 23:5-6 “But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.” When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.”

• When Pilate figures out that Jesus is from Galilee
• Pilate sees his opportunity to escape the scene and sends Jesus to Herod.

This is trial #5 and only Luke’s gospel reveals it.
• Jesus stands before Herod, but won’t answer Herod at all.
• Herod spends some time making fun of Jesus,
• Herod isn’t interested in anything but a joke and sends Jesus back to Pilate.

So Jesus now, back with Pilate, and back before the Jews,
Pilate for a second time declares Jesus “NOT GUILTY”
And points out that Herod didn’t find any guilt either.

Luke 23:13-16 “Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. “No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. “Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

But this is still not enough for the Jews.
They want Jesus executed, not merely punished.

At this point Pilate finds HIS NEXT PLAN to diffuse this situation.
• He remembers that he customarily releases a prisoner at the Passover and has the idea that it will be Jesus who gets released.
• But Pilate is shocked when the people say “No” and instead ask for the notorious murderer Barabbas to be released.

At the same time Pilate receives a message from his wife to leave Jesus alone because she suffered greatly in a dream about Him. (Only Matthew)

Pilate is losing control and he is becoming concerned
So he tries to go through with his original plan
To punish Jesus and then release Him.

The plan is to scourge Him severely enough that the Jews
Will be satisfied, and John’s gospel reveals, that is what they do.

• They beat and mock and scourge Jesus
• Pilate brings the bloodied Jesus back before the people. “Behold The Man!”
• And once again says, “NOT GUILTY”

The hope is that this will be enough.
But it isn’t.

John 19:6 “So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”

That is now the 4th time Pilate has declared Jesus “NOT GUILTY”
(5 if you count him giving Herod’s verdict as well)

BUT THE JEWS CONTINUE TO PRESS HIM.
They reveal that by their law Jesus deserves death because He claims to be the Son of God.

And now Pilate is even more afraid.
He takes Jesus one more time back into the praetorium.

This is trial #6 and only John reveals it.
• Pilate begins to ask Jesus for help in acquitting Him and Jesus refuses.
• Jesus isn’t asking Pilate to set Him free.
• Jesus is asking Pilate to confess Him as Lord and suffer with Him.

Pilate takes Jesus back out to the people one last time
And makes more efforts to try and release Jesus.

But the Jews pressure him even more.
John 19:12 “As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

The Jews will not have it.

In one final last ditch effort Pilate asks for a bowl of water.

Only Matthew’s gospel reveals this:
Matthew 27:24-25 “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!”

And with that Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified
And he sets Barabbas free.

Each Gospel writer is giving you a different aspect
To make a different point.

MATTHEW – Highlighting the submission of Jesus at His arrest
• Remember calling 72,000 angels…

Well Matthew is still revealing the submission of Jesus
Now during the trial.

Matthew’s main point is that
Everyone knew that what was going on here was wrong.
• Clearly the false witnesses at Caiaphas’ house were a sham.
• But Matthew also shows us that even Judas knew it was wrong.
• Matthew alone shows us that Pilate’s wife, watching from a distance, knew this was wrong.
• Matthew alone shows Pilate washing his hands, testifying again to the wrong.

Everyone knows this is a corrupt conviction and a corrupt trial.
The only person not protesting it is Jesus.
He is submissive to the Father’s plan that He might save His people.

MARK – highlighting the suffering of Jesus at His arrest.
• It was quick and brutal
• Everyone fled, even an unnamed young man who fled naked

At the trial Mark is still focused on
Jesus suffering under cruel and relentless attacks.

• Mark points out the inconsistency of all the testimony and the harsh
accusations against Jesus before Pilate.
• Mark points out that the crowd asked Pilate to release someone, but it was
the chief priests who maneuvered the crowd to ask for Jesus.

It is all unjust suffering in Mark’s gospel
And we are still reminded that saving sinners is a harsh job.

LUKE – Highlighting Jesus as substitute at His arrest
• Luke pointed out that Jesus was being “numbered with the transgressors”.
• He was mocked as a fraud, defended as a rebel, and arrested as a thief.
• He was identifying with us.

And the trial from Luke’s perspective follows that same them.
Luke focuses on Pilate publicly declaring Jesus innocent.
Luke shows us that Herod agreed.

Jesus had no sin,
But He was bearing our sin and being treated accordingly.

JOHN – Highlighting the sovereignty of Jesus at His arrest.
• We saw the entire army bow when Jesus said, “I am He”
• We saw Jesus giving orders to release His followers.
• No one made Jesus go, out of love He chose to do it, but John revealed
Jesus in total control.

And the same can be seen from John’s gospel at the trial.

John showing us these conversations between Jesus and Pilate,
Where Pilate the governor is pleading with Jesus the prisoner for help.

Jesus could have stopped this.
But Jesus, out of love, was ordaining all of this.

So just like at the arrest, we turn to the trial and we once again marvel at
• The submission of Jesus,
• The suffering of Jesus,
• The substitution of Jesus,
• And the sovereignty of Jesus.

He is here enduring the pain and the scorn and the ridicule
Out of His own sovereign love for those He came to save.

And as we pointed out last week, HE IS DOING IT ALL ALONE.
• There is no one else on trial with Him.
• There is no other redeemer.
• He is the only one.

Jesus is on trial in order that He might save sinners.

Now, with the time we have left this morning, we turn to John’s gospel
I want to give you another truth to focus on for the upcoming week.

At His trial I want you to see WHO HE CAME TO REDEEM.

AS JESUS STOOD BEFORE PILATE,
He preached a message that He had been preaching throughout His ministry and throughout the book of John.

The message He proclaims reminds us who He is saving.

So let’s look at John 18:33-38

I think the easiest way to work through this small portion of Jesus’ trial
Is to focus on some of the questions Pilate asks.

Let me remind you where we are in the timeline of the trial…

1. Jesus has already been tried by Annas.
2. He has already been tried at the house of Caiaphas.
3. He has already been tried publicly before the council.
4. Now the Jews have brought Him to Pilate.
5. They stood outside the Praetorium and accused Jesus of being a King and thus a threat to Rome.

Luke 23:2 “And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

6. Because that is the type of threat Rome takes seriously, Pilate is now obligated to interrogate Jesus.
7. So Pilate took Jesus into custody and went back into the Praetorium to examine Jesus.

That is where we are in the timeline.

And Pilate has some questions for Jesus:

#1 ARE YOU THE KING OF THE JEWS?
John 18:33-34

You see the question immediately from Pilate.
• He must ascertain whether the accusations have any merit.

Pilate knows that the only reason the Jews would bring anyone to him is if it somehow benefited them to do so.

He knows the Jews have no concern for the stability of the Roman government.

Even later we will read:
Mark 15:10 “For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.”

But Pilate is obligated to ask.

So he “summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He is simply asking about the accusation he just received.

Now the answer Jesus gives
May read a little short or disrespectful but that is NOT the case.

(34) “Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

Jesus is not being disrespectful,
But the question does not allow for a “yes or no” answer.

Jesus needs to understand what and why Pilate is asking this question.

Are you asking if I am the type of King they accused Me of being?
• Well then the answer would be “no”.

Are you asking Me if I am a King?
• Well then the answer would be “yes”.

So Jesus needs to know the motive.

That leads to Pilate’s second question.

#2 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
John 18:35-36

You can sense Pilate’s frustration.
• It reads as though he has better things to do this morning than get stuck in the middle of this Jewish feud.

“Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

There is the real question.

Pilate simply points out that I was minding my own business
When this Jewish feud was brought to my door.

Let’s get to the point.
• What is Your crime?
• What are You guilty of?
• What did You do?
• Are you leading an insurrection?

So now Jesus answers the previous question.

(36) “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus’ answer is clear.
I am no threat to Rome.

• I am a King, but My Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
• I have no earthly army that is about to attack anyone.
• I am a ruler and My kingdom is legitimate, but it is not the type of kingdom that can be seen with physical eyes.

And you and I know exactly what Jesus is talking about.

• He is talking about “The Kingdom of Heaven”
• He is talking about His Lordship over the lives of His followers.
• He is talking about His reign over the hearts of men.

It is the kingdom He has been preaching since the beginning.
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

• John the Baptist had come and said “The King is one His way!”
• Jesus showed up and said, “The King is here!”

And the call to the people was to submit their lives to the King.
They were to follow Jesus.

This was, and remains, the call to salvation.
Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

A person must submit their lives to the Lordship or Kingship of Christ.
They must bow the knee to Him.

Psalms 2:12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

And we are NOT looking for a superficial confession.
Don’t just call Him, “Lord, Lord” but actually do what He says.

That is Christ’s kingdom,
That was the only one He brought with His first coming.

His earthly kingdom will come with His second coming,
But when He came at first His only kingdom was spiritual,
Existing in the hearts of men.

So yes Pilate, I am a King, but I am no threat to Rome.

That leads to Pilate’s third question.
#3 SO YOU ARE A KING?
John 18:37

Pilate did not understand any of what Jesus just said,
But he did latch on to the king part,
And He asks Jesus to confirm what He just said.

“You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

And there is the statement I really want you to pay attention to
This morning.

Not only does Jesus confirm His reign over a spiritual kingdom,
He also reveals who the members of that kingdom are.

In short we get the answer to the question:
• Who is Jesus suffering for?
• Who is Jesus fighting for?
• Who is Jesus identifying with?
• Who is Jesus standing in substitution for?

THE ANSWER IS: For those in His kingdom.

WHO ARE THEY?

WELL LOOK AT WHAT JESUS SAYS.

FIRST you get a remarkable statement from Jesus
Regarding His nature and His purpose in coming.
1. First He confirms that He is a King.
2. Then He speaks of His mission.

“For this I have been born” – that is His humanity,
• Born of a virgin, born into the world like every other human.

“and for this I have come into the world” – that is His eternal deity,
• Having existed before birth, but choosing to come into the world.

And the mission was “to testify to the truth.”

In short, He is eternal God, born into the world as a man
Here to call men into His kingdom by preaching the truth to them.

And then He explains who is in His kingdom.
Jesus says, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

THERE YOU HAVE IT.

WHO IS IN CHRIST’S KINGDOM?
Those who hear His voice.

But that seems a little mystical.
You mean like audibly?

THIS IS NOT JESUS’ FIRST REFERENCE…
TURN TO: JOHN 5

• John 5 is where Jesus healed the man at the Bethesda pool on the Sabbath and put the Jews in an uproar.

• When they accused Him of breaking the Sabbath, He said, (17) “But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

• And that answer pushed the Jews over the top, (18) “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

So they want to kill Jesus (sound familiar?)
And they want to kill Him for claiming to be God (sound familiar?)

Jesus answers their anger.

(READ 5:19-23) – All of that is Jesus simply defending His deity.
• (19) He shares His Father’s Passions
• (20) He sees His Father’s Plan
• (21) He shows His Father’s Power
• (22) He shares His Father’s Praise

They told Jesus, “You think You are God!”
And Jesus said, “Well if the shoe fits…”

But look at what He says next.
(24) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Do you see the reference to “he who hears My word”?

Jesus says that hearing His word is the key
To entering the kingdom, to skipping judgment,
And to having eternal life.

And He goes on:
(READ 5:25-29)
• Simply put, to hear the Son is the key to having life from the dead.

So when Jesus tells Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”
That is hardly the first time He has mentioned it.

TURN TO: JOHN 8
• John 7 & 8 are when Jesus went to Jerusalem to the Feast of Booths and ended up in quite a debate with the religious elite.

(READ 8:31-32)
• You remember those famous verses.
• Jesus said that true believers “continue in My word”

That is a great definition of biblical hearing isn’t it?
When Jesus talks about hearing Him,
He is not just talking about awareness that He said something,
He is talking about obedience to what He said.

And He’ll prove that.
(READ 8:33-37)
• There you see lostness defined as “My word has no place in you”

(READ 8:38-43)
• Do you see the problem again? “you cannot hear My word”

(READ 8:44-47)
• And again, “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

What is the point to hearing?
IT IS OBEDIENCE.

THOSE WHO ARE IN THE KINGDOM
Are those who hear what Jesus says and obey Him.

THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN THE KINGDOM
Are those who do not obey what Jesus said.

Isn’t that what Jesus just said to Pilate?
“Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”

TURN TO: JOHN 10
• You remember the famous chapter on the Good Shepherd and how He cares for His sheep.

And in that dialogue Jesus once again squared off with unbelievers.

(READ 10:22-28)

Did you catch it?
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW WHO IS IN CHRIST’S KINGDOM?
• Do you understand who He is on trial for?
• Do you understand who He is substituting for?
• Do you understand who He is redeeming?

All that He is doing is for His sheep who hear and obey His voice.
• He is purchasing their kingdom.
• He has allowed Himself to be arrested and He will very soon yield up His life
unto death, all for them.

If you want to benefit from this atoning work of Jesus
THEN YOU MUST ENTER HIS KINGDOM.

You must hear what He has said and submit to it.
• You must obey Him.
• You must continue in His word.
• You must follow Him.

That is who He is doing all of this for.

Now, one more question from Pilate.

#4 WHAT IS TRUTH?
John 18:38

What do we learn of Pilate by that question?
He had no intention of hearing or obeying or following Jesus.

You say, “But wait, Pilate does say, “I find no guilt in Him”

THAT’S TRUE.
But recognizing Jesus righteousness
Is not the same thing as submitting your life to Him.

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHO PILATE IS.
• Pilate knows Jesus is a King (he’ll hang a sign on the cross)
• Pilate knows Jesus is righteous and innocent (declared over and over)
• Pilate has no beef with Jesus (tries to pass Him off several times and release
Him)
• Pilate would save Jesus if he could
• Pilate just wanted to not have to make a decision about Jesus.

And when neither the world nor Jesus would allow Pilate to escape without choosing, Pilate chose to crucify Jesus.

Knowing facts about Jesus is not a substitute for following.

YOU MUST SUBMIT TO JESUS.
• Pilate will try to pass Jesus off on Herod.
• Pilate will try to compromise by simply scourging Jesus.
• Pilate will try to substitute Jesus for Barabbas.
• Pilate will try to wash his hands of any guilt.
• Pilate will hang a sign on the cross.

But Pilate will never bow His knee to Christ and become His follower.

Let me spell it to you as clearly as possible church.
Jesus is here purchasing redemption for His followers.

• NOT FOR people who just know about Him.
• NOT FOR people who try to stay neutral about Him.
• NOT FOR people who try to dodge Him.
• NOT FOR people who try to bargain with Him.

JESUS IS REDEEMING HIS FOLLOWERS.
He is redeeming those who have heard His words,
And who have submitted their lives to following Him.

IS THAT YOU?
Then rejoice!
• Jesus is fighting this battle alone and He is fighting it to the end!
• He is standing strong amidst every attack.
• He is winning and He will win.

BUT IF IT IS NOT YOU,

Don’t deceive yourself and say you are follower
If in reality you are nothing more than a spectator.

Pilate tried to wash His hands.
Someone should have sang to Him, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Friend, get off the fence, and submit your life to the Kingship of Jesus.
Bow to Him, trust in Him.
“Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way. For His wrath my soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

And it is that refuge we are going to celebrate again here this morning.
As we come to the table of the Lord.

Follower of Christ, this is for you.
What Jesus did in His arrest and in His trial, He did for you.

He stood before the wrath of men that you might escape the wrath of God
Today we celebrate that as we again come to the Table of the Lord.
THE LORD’S SUPPER

• Deacons Come Forward

Matthew 16:24-27 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

• Give Bread To Deacons
• Deacon Prayer
• Deacons Pass Out Bread

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

• Take Bread

John 12:23-26 “And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

• Give Juice To Deacons
• Deacon Prayer
• Deacons Pass Out Juice

1 Corinthians 11:25-26 “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

• Take Juice

• Deacon Prayer
• Parting Song

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The Arrest of Jesus
Mark 14:43-52
March 30, 2025

We are going to take a little break in our study of Titus.
• We’ve completed that first chapter and the discussion on elders.
• And with Easter just a few weeks away, we want to turn our attention toward that.

We’ve got 4 preaching services between now and Easter.
We’re going to use them to examine:
• The Arrest of Jesus
• The Trial of Jesus
• The Crucifixion of Jesus
• The Burial of Jesus

We’re also going to take the Lord’s Supper each Sunday morning
Leading up to Easter as we examine the suffering and death of Christ.

Next Sunday night is when we’ll actually have the “Messiah in the Passover” meal.

So leading up to Easter you’ll get four looks at His suffering
And four hands-on celebrations of that with the Lord’s Supper.

And then certainly we’ll gather Easter Sunday
To examine the Resurrection of Jesus.

And we’re going to give each of these events a sort of an
“ALL-ENCOMPASSING” LOOK.

You’ve certainly read the 4 gospel accounts,
• You know that they each have details that they share in common
• And then they each have their own unique details.

That is because each writer is giving more than just a historical account.
They are also making spiritual points through that story.

We’re going to look at a little of all of it.

As we discuss the Arrest of Jesus this morning
There are some details that are SHARED BY ALL 4 gospel writers.

The Betrayal of Judas – all 4 make sure you know about his role in the arrest.
The Army – all 4 are also quick to make sure you know about the enormous group of soldiers who came to arrest Jesus.
The Sword and the Ear – all 4 writers include the story of one of the disciples cutting off the ear of one of the soldiers.
• All but Mark will tell you that Jesus rebuked the disciple for it.
• Luke will tell you that Jesus healed the man’s ear.
• John will tell you that the disciple was Peter and the man was Malchus and that he was the high priest’s slave.

That Jesus was arrested – they all conclude the narrative with Jesus being led away.

So clearly the chief historical points of the story are shared by all of them.

1. Namely that Jesus Christ, who was very nature God, humbled Himself to the point of becoming a man.

2. He came to this world, His glory being veiled by human flesh, and in the form of a servant.

3. He spent His life in perfect holiness, fully obeying the Law of God and fulfilling all that God intended out of humanity.

4. During His public ministry, He rightly proclaimed the holiness of God, He demonstrated His power as the only Savior from sin, and He offered salvation to those who recognized their sinfulness and need for a Savior.

5. But as a result of His ministry of truth and salvation, He was hated by the Jews and they had worked a plot to arrest Him with the intent to execute Him.

WE CERTAINLY DON’T MISS THAT FACT.
JESUS WAS HATED

John 3:19-20 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

John 7:7 “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.”

John 15:24-25 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’”

The hatred of Jesus is real.
• He is the Light of the World.
• He came to expose the sinfulness of man.
• He came to expose the faulty religion of Israel.
• He came to show the way of salvation.

But His ministry and His message were not routinely loved.
They sought to silence Him.

That is clearly seen by all 4 gospel writers
As they tell you of the night in which Jesus was betrayed and arrested.

That AFTER instituting the Lord’s Supper and taking the focus of the Passover away from the Exodus and rightly focusing it on His sacrifice,

1. Jesus eventually went with His disciples to the garden of Gethsemane.

2. It was there that He prayed in anguish as He contemplated the agony of bearing the full wrath of God on sin.

3. Sometime in the middle of the night, one of His own disciples, named Judas, arrived with an army of temple police and Roman soldiers.

4. He had devised a signal that He would kiss Jesus so as to betray Him.

5. Judas did this.

6. Jesus was apprehended by the Romans.

7. As He was being arrested one of His disciples tried to intervene and cut off the ear of one of the arresting officers, but Jesus rebuked the disciple and submitted to the arrest.

8. And this Jesus, who did nothing but good, was arrested as a criminal by the Chief priests and Roman government.

That is the story we SEE UNIVERSALLY in all 4 gospel accounts.

But there are also unique ways in which each gospel writer tells the story.
They give you differing perspectives
Both by additional facts that they include and by those they leave out.

FOR EXAMPLE:

While Matthew certainly gives the historical account of Jesus being arrested it is also clear that Matthew has a unique interest in revealing THE SUBMISSION OF JESUS.

When Peter takes off the man’s ear,
Matthew includes this response from Jesus.

Matthew 26:51-54 “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

Now Luke and John are also going to reveal Jesus rebuking Peter for this impetuous attack, but Matthew gives the most detail.

Matthew’s gospel exposes the foolishness of Peter.

1) All Peter was going to accomplish was to make himself (and Jesus) an actual outlaw.

• One of the chief accusations the chief priests will bring before Pilate is that Jesus claims to be a King and is thus a threat to Rome.

• Peter’s behavior actually makes that look true.

2) Peter had failed to understand that if deliverance from arrest was the plan then Jesus had better allies available than Peter.

• Jesus could call 12 legions of angels (72,000).

• And since one angel in the Old Testament annihilated 185,000 Assyrians before Hezekiah I think the odds would have been in Jesus’ favor.

3) Peter had failed to understand that Scripture had ordained that Christ die on the cross, not by sword fight in the garden.

• What if Jesus and His disciples were all obscurely massacred in the garden in the middle of the night?

• There were well over 600 soldiers there to arrest Jesus, if a battle breaks out, it’s not going to end well for Jesus and the 11.

Peter’s rash behavior would only
Make Jesus look like the outlaw they claimed He was,
And would destroy the divine plan of the substitutionary
And prophetic death of Christ on the cross.

Peter represented human rashness.
Peter represented human foolishness.

Peter represented us in the way that we often think
We know better than God and thus try to take matters into our own hands.

But Jesus on that night was a model of SUBMISSION.
• He was submitting to the arrest.
• He was submitting to the prophetic word of God.

We marvel at His PASSIVE OBEDIENCE.

1 Peter 2:22-23 “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Jesus had the power not to be arrested.
Jesus had the power not to just take it.

You can certainly see that in John’s gospel when
Just the announcement of His name puts the entire army on their face.

Jesus willingly submitted to the arrest
Because that was the divine plan for the salvation of sinners.

As even John pointed out in his gospel.
John 18:11 “So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

So as Matthew tells the story of His arrest,
Matthew really wants you to understand the submissive nature of Christ
To willingly submit to that which He had the power to prevent.

Mark on the other hand points us to THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST when we read his account.

When you read the arrest in Mark’s account is quick and brutal.
• The rebuke of Peter is not mentioned.
• Jesus questioning Judas is not mentioned.
• Jesus healing the servant is not mentioned.

You just have Judas arriving, kissing Jesus, them apprehending Jesus,
Jesus exposing the corruption in the arrest, and everyone fleeing.

It is quick and brutal.
It is a terrifying scene.

In Mark’s gospel account our mind is drawn to the suffering of Christ.

It was no small thing for Him to bear our punishment.
It was no insignificant cost He was forced to pay.
The hatred He felt by the world was real and serious.

This wasn’t ceremonial.
The people who arrested Jesus hated Him and wanted to see Him totally destroyed.

Matthew shows us His Submission
Mark shows us His Suffering

Luke gospel focuses on HIS SUBSTITUTION FOR SINNERS

Luke’s explanation of the arrest of Jesus
Really starts back in the upper room before they depart for the garden.

Jesus told the 11 there:
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.”

Jesus announced to the 11 that
• Any earthly benefit they had received for being associated with Jesus was about to be gone.
• He was about to be “numbered with transgressors”
• He was about to start taking the shame, humiliation, and suffering that we deserve.

When you read Luke’s account you feel that.

You see Jesus Mocked as a Fraud
When Judas comes up and gives Him that hypocritical kiss.

• It is Judas’ way of calling Jesus a “fake King”.
• Luke reveals Jesus asking Judas, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
• Judas is doing the same thing the soldiers will do later when they put a purple robe on Him and a crown of thorns and bow before Him.

You see Jesus Defended as a Rebel.
• That’s what Peter is doing when he pulls the sword.
• He is making Jesus look like the rebel leader they are about to accuse Him of being.
• But Jesus says, “Stop, no more of this.” And heals the servant.

You see Jesus Arrested as a Thief.
• He had preached in the temple day after day and no one arrested Him, but here they are with swords and clubs to treat Him like one now.
• Jesus asks, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber?”

A FRAUD, A REBEL, A THIEF?
Jesus was none of those things, but we are all of them.

Luke saw Jesus with the sinners He is about to atone for.

Isaiah 53:3-4 “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”

You see Jesus substitutionary saving heart
Come to the forefront.

Luke’s gospel also reads the softest.
• Only Luke mentions Jesus healing the servant.
• Luke is the only one who doesn’t rat out the disciples for fleeing.
• Luke doesn’t even lay blame at the feet of those who are arresting Jesus.
• Just like only Luke reveals Jesus saying, “Father forgive them…”

Instead Luke reveals the words of Jesus:
Luke 22:53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.”

Luke credits all of the evil of that night to Satan
And “the power of darkness”.

Luke shows very little disdain
Even for those making the most grievous mistakes.
He sees Jesus as the savior of sinners
And their substitute as He identifies with them.

Matthew shows Submission
Mark shows Suffering
Luke shows Substitution

John certainly shows us SOVEREIGNTY

We get this account from John:
John 18:3-9 “Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

What you have Jesus doing there is a sovereign move to perfectly and totally defend His own.
• He asks twice for the name on the warrant.
• He is pointing out clearly that His name alone is there.
• He is making the point that this army has no right to arrest His followers.

But in that we see a remarkable scene
For when Jesus utters the phrase “I am” they all fall back and bow down.

It is an unmistakable visual revealing who is really in control.
If Jesus doesn’t want to go, He’s not going.
They have no power over Him.

That is scene again when He gives orders that His followers go free, and those orders are obeyed.

While Jesus does get arrested, one hardly reads John’s gospel
And sees Him as without any choice in the matter.

And what a blessing that is for us.

As the old song goes:
“No one took His life, with love He gave it. He was crucified on a tree that He created.”

And that is really one of John’s chief themes: LOVE

John spent 5 chapters prior to this event
Documenting all that Jesus said to His disciples in the upper room.

There the word “Love” or “Loved” or “Loves” is used 34 times!

Perhaps the most famous:
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

And that is what Jesus is doing.
John 13:1 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

So I just want you to take sort of an overall look at the arrest of Jesus and
Realize all the magnificent truths you learn of Christ in just that one event.

DO YOU SEE HIS SUBMISSION?
His passive obedience to fulfill all the Father intended

DO YOU SEE HIS SUFFERING?
All that Christ endured in order to save you

DO YOU SEE HIS SUBSTITUTION?
That Christ was treated as you deserve

DO YOU SEE HIS SOVEREIGNTY?
He could do whatever He wanted, but in love He chose to lay down His life for you.

There are so many ways you can examine the arrest of Jesus.
IT IS MORE than just a historical event
Where Jesus was taken into custody by those who hated Him.

Everything that occurs there is an expression of who He is.
He is the faithful, loving, obedient, sovereign Savior of sinners.

But THIS MORNING as we examine the arrest of Jesus,
I want us to take our closest look at Mark’s gospel.

• Mark was the first gospel account written.
• Matthew, Luke, and John all had his account in hand when they wrote theirs.
• Mark’s, as we said, is quick and brutal and shocking and seems to highlight for us the suffering of Jesus.

But there is certainly even more than that to be gained here.

4 things Mark makes clear in his account of the arrest of Jesus.

#1 BETRAYAL
Mark 14:43-45

IT REALLY IS A PITIFUL SCENE.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include the exact same despicable phrase:
“Judas, one of the twelve…”

• How could it be that a man who had spent that much intimate time with Jesus could do such a thing?
• How could a man who had seen the compassion of Jesus, heard the preaching of Jesus, seen the conviction of Jesus…be willing to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver?

Of all the scorn Jesus will face over the next 12 to 15 hours
It is likely that none will sting like this one.

Psalms 55:12-15 “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng. Let death come deceitfully upon them; Let them go down alive to Sheol, For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.”

Such was Judas.

And if that were not bad enough,
The way in which Judas betrays Jesus is just as repulsive.

(44) “Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”

Why wouldn’t Judas just lead them to the garden, point Jesus out, and hide back in the trees while the Romans did their thing?
• Why lead the men straight to Him?
• Why go in with so intimate a sign as a kiss?

Can I remind you that you cannot be neutral with Jesus?

Jesus said it:
Luke 11:23 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.”

Judas went in with a kiss because He hated Jesus.
All darkness hates the light.

It is the audacity of a man who wants to make sure that
In His dying moment Jesus knows exactly who is responsible.

It is the ultimate hatred and slap in the face.

BUT IT IS ALSO A MOCKERY.
Do you remember Psalms 2?

The Psalm that speaks of the world’s rebellion against the LORD’S Christ
Psalms 2:1-3 “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

It also contains God’s announcement that He has seated Christ on the throne and no one can do anything about it?
Psalms 2:4-6 “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

And it is the Psalm that ends with God calling all nations to submit to the Son.
Psalms 2:12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

That phrase “Do homage to the Son” is literally “kiss the Son”
It is a sign of respect.

Judas is doing that, only in a mocking way.
No different than when the soldiers will put a purple robe on Him
And mockingly bow before Him.

This is Judas showing his contempt for Jesus.

And not just that.
Some Greek manuscripts indicate that in verse 45
Judas approached Jesus and said, “Rabbi! Rabbi!”
Or as the KJV translates it “Master! Master!”

And that is quite interesting.
That double stating is intended to be an announcement of affection.

“Martha, Martha you are bothered by so many things…”

But from Judas it is total hypocrisy.
It reminds us of:

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

And certainly Judas would fall into that category.

AND WHAT A WARNING.
Can I point out to you that not a single person in this room was more personally acquainted with Jesus than Judas was.

But Judas’ confession was phony.
Judas’ reverence was a mockery.

And Judas ends up in hell because of it.
Not only does the book of Acts indicate that Judas “went to his own place”

But even the prophecies given concerning him indicate this was true.
Psalms 69:22-28 “May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.”

Psalms 109:6-8 “Appoint a wicked man over him, And let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, And let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; Let another take his office.”

Both of those were quoted in reference to Judas by Peter in Acts 1:20.

Judas knew Jesus better than almost anyone and still went to hell.
It’s not what you know about Jesus, It’s if He knows you.
It’s whether or not you have trusted Him.

Judas knew Christ and hated Him.
What is your response to Him?

That is the first point – Betrayal

#2 INJUSTICE
Mark 14:46-47

When those soldiers grab Jesus,
• Everyone in the crowd knows it is a sham.
• Everyone there knows this is a corrupt arrest.

Peter is so convinced about the injustice of this event
That he feels totally justified to pursue violence.

He takes a sword and goes for the head of one of the soldiers.
No doubt the man ducks and Peter ends up with an ear,
But Peter is convinced this is unjust.

Even Jesus is quick to expose the corruption in the event.

He’ll say in verse 48 “Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me…”

• Jesus knows that they were afraid of the people.
• Jesus knows that they’ve got nothing on Him.
• Jesus knows that any arrest would have to be in the middle of the night and in the middle of the sticks.

This is bogus from the word go.
Luke 22:53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.”

This is nothing short of evil hating good.
This is darkness hating light.

John 3:20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

But there is a reason why it’s happening.

Betrayal, Injustice

#3 FULFILLMENT
Mark 14:48-49

Jesus analyzes the scene.

The men have “come out with swords and clubs to arrest [Jesus], as [they] would against a robber”

They are treating Him like a criminal, even though He is clearly not one.

And Jesus knows why.
“but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.”

I suppose you could include many Old Testament passages about the suffering and death of the Christ here for a reference as all of them begin their fulfillment here.

But Luke’s gospel has given the indicator
That most understand to be the focus of this statement.

Luke 22:35-38 “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.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

In the upper room Jesus addressed the coming arrest and said it would fulfill the statement “And He was numbered with transgressors”

That is:
Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

Nothing that was occurring here was an accident.
While it was wrong on a legal level and a moral level,
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
• Jesus came to this garden to be betrayed.
• Jesus came to this garden to identify with sinners.
• Jesus came to this garden to be arrested.

Mark shows it all.

But there is one other point Mark makes.
Only he and Matthew mention it, but Mark adds details that none of the others give.

#4 ABANDONMENT
Mark 14:50-52

Verse 50 is another fulfillment.

(50) “And they all left Him and fled.”

Earlier in Mark’s gospel Jesus had said:
Mark 14:27 “And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’”

And certainly they did.
• Everyone ran.
• Everyone abandoned Him.

There are even these strange 2 verses at the end of the narrative
about this young man who was wearing a linen sheet
And who ended up fleeing naked.

There is lots of speculation on this, but I think the most logical is that this is Mark, and he is including this as evidence that he is an eye-witness.

• It is quite likely that the upper room that Jesus used for the Passover, that the disciples will soon return to, and that they will meet in again at Pentecost was owned by Mark’s family.

• Mark would have been wealthy as evidenced by the linen sheet he was wearing, as only the rich had such undergarments.

• It is likely that Judas first led the troops by Mark’s house since that is where Jesus was when Judas left Him, and then went on to the garden.

• It is also likely that Mark was either intrigued and intending to warn Jesus, and did not have time to get fully dressed before he runs out there.

But in the chaos and brutality Mark also joins them as one who must flee.

NO ONE WAS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO STAY WITH JESUS
Everyone who was with Jesus has now abandoned Him.

And here is the point I want to leave you with this week.

HE IS OFF TO FIGHT THE BATTLE!
He is fighting it for you.
He is fighting it ALONE.

He is going to face the Chief Priests and then the Sanhedrin
And then Pilate and then Herod and then the mob and then the soldiers
And then the cross and then the very wrath of God,
AND HE WILL FACE EVERY BIT OF IT ALONE.

As Tom Pennington put it:
“There are no co-redeemers with Him.”

The Catholic church likes to call Mary the co-redemptrix, but even she is no where to be found.
• She’ll stand at watch at the foot of the cross, but she will not join Jesus to Annas or Caiaphas or Pilate or Herod or the Mob.
• And when Jesus is nailed to the cross she won’t hang next to Him.
• When Jesus bears the full wrath of God, she won’t share the load.

What Jesus is off to do He is off to do totally by Himself.
He is the sole and only Savior.

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Even in the garden just an hour prior to this arrest we heard Jesus say:
Mark 14:36 “And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Is there any other way to save them?
• And the answer is no.

Jesus alone is fighting the battle for the salvation of sinners.

As we start counting down to Easter we do it with one Man on our minds.

As we take the Lord’s Supper this morning,
It is to focus on His sacrifice and His alone.

• He alone stood in the gap for you.
• He alone was clothed in your sin.
• He alone was arrested, tried, mocked, and crucified.
• He alone bore God’s wrath for you.

What He submitted to in the garden He did for you.
What He is about to face He will face for you.

AND HE WILL BE VICTORIOUS!

THIS MORNING
• We honor Him for that.
• We praise Him for that.
• And we submit our lives to Him for that.

And all of that is bound up here as we partake of the Lord’s Supper.

This cracker represents His body.
• The body in which He first fulfilled the Law and earned a righteous standing.
• That is the righteousness He will impute to you by faith.
• It is also the body that was arrested and beaten and mocked and crucified.

This juice represents His blood.
• It is His life for the life is in the blood.
• The wages of sin is death and it His blood that will satisfy that debt for you.
• He will be pierced for our sin and His flood will flow for our forgiveness.

And this morning we will eat it in remembrance.
• We will claim ownership of the sacrifice made on our behalf.
• We will identify with Him as He identified with us.

If you do not trust Him, do not partake of this.
But if He is yours and you are His, then partake and rejoice again
That what He did, He did for you.

We’ll have a time of preparation and then approach the table of the Lord.

LORD’S SUPPER

• Deacons come forward

Isaiah 59:16 “And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.”

• Give cracker to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out cracker

Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

• Take cracker

Isaiah 53:10-12 “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

• Give juice to deacons
• Deacon prayer
• Deacons pass out juice

Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

• Take juice

• Deacon prayer
• Parting Hymn