I would like to tell you a story, but this is no ordinary story. It is a true story. For many of you it is a familiar story, but it should never be just familiar. Let’s begin with Matthew 27:27: “Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium (which was probably Herod’s old palace) and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.” Now, a company or cohort of soldiers was normally 600 soldiers. So, try to picture that scene. We have possibly 600 soldiers standing in a circle around Jesus. Can you smell the men? Can you hear the rumblings? Can you picture the scene?
Context has already told us that one of the apostles, Judas, already betrayed Jesus. Peter had already denied him three times. All of the other apostles had deserted him probably because of fear. Jesus, God in skin, is alone in the midst of this mob scene. It doesn’t make sense. Verse 28: “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.” Now, earlier that night, Peter was around a fire trying to warm himself. Do you remember that? So, it was probably cold that morning. Can you feel the cold? Picture the scene – Jesus, the Son of God naked, probably cold and in the middle of all those Roman soldiers who could care less who He was. The soldiers put a scarlet robe on him. As I think about this scene, a word picture forms in my mind – that word scarlet reminds me of Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” As sinful as I am, how can I ever be white as snow? Because Jesus wraps my scarlet sin around Him! The Roman soldiers were mocking Jesus…they were mocking God. Can you hear them? Jesus; alone, cold, mocked. Why? Because of you! Because of me! Verse 29, “and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said.” Can you envision it? The creator of the world is being mocked by the creation He created. God, himself, who knew no sin; Jesus never sinned – was made sin for you and me (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). So, the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, and they pressed it down on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. Can you hear them? Jesus; alone, surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, naked, and then dressed like a king so that He can be mocked…why? Because of you and me!
Verse 30, “They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.” They spit on Jesus. He could have destroyed every one of them with a word, but He didn’t. What do you suppose Jesus was thinking about at that very moment when spit was hitting his face? The answer – YOU! He had just prayed for future believers in the garden earlier (cf. John 17). At any time, he could have said no, but He knew if He wanted to have a relationship with you, He needed to die – He needed to make payment for your sin. Ultimately, as Romans 5 teaches, He had to pay for Adam’s sin nature that was imputed (given) to us. Jesus said in the garden earlier “Not my will but Father your will be done!” Jesus, the one who was before all things, who created all things, and who now even holds all things together – was being spit on – can you envision the scene? The word in verse 20 for staff is literally a reed. It could have been as big and as tough as a broom handle. The tense of the verb ‘struck’ indicates that it was a continuous action. They hit and hit and hit him, again and again in the head. Can you feel it? Why? Why did Jesus have go through this? Me and you!
Verse 31: “After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” So, after the hundreds of soldiers mocked Jesus, they put his garments back on Him and led him away to crucify him. Now, remember crucifixion was the worst form of death in the first century. It was for the worst of the worst criminals, and here in this passage we have the innocent Lamb of God, Jesus, nailed to a cross for six hours! God was nailed to a cross. Why? Because God the Father loved you so much that He gave His only Son!
Skip down to verse 46, it says: “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “…My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Sin had to be dealt with! You sin nature had to be crucified! The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. You see, your sins and my sins had to be dealt with…they had to punished. At that very moment, the complete justice and wrath of God, the Father, was on Jesus the Son. Romans 3:25-26 (NIV) explains, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Every lie you have committed, every lustful thought you ever had, everything you have ever stolen, every time you were disobedient to your parents, every time you didn’t love your wife as Christ loves the church, every time you didn’t submit to your husband, every piece of porn you have ever put in front of your eyes, every time you knew what was the right thing to do and didn’t do it, every time you chose the things of the world over God…Every sin you ever committed was on Jesus…Every sin was on Jesus. In the Book of John, it is recorded that Jesus said, ‘It is finished!’ The sins of the world were fully paid for by the only person in the world who could pay for them – Jesus, God in the flesh! Your sins were paid for. Your sin nature crucified. God’s complete wrath on Jesus was complete…nothing left for Him to do. His work was done! The text reads that Jesus gave up his Spirit. Jesus’ physical body was dead! He died for you. He died in your place. He took your consequences and punishment. But you know that is not the end of the story; Sunday was coming!! Jesus did rise. He didn’t stay in the tomb; he was raised from the dead and now as I write He is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. So, that is the story. Do you believe or not? Your answer has eternal consequences. I will end with Paul’s words of the importance of the resurrection in Corinthians 15:12-19:
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
He has risen indeed! I hope you have a wonderful Easter as you reflect on how much God loves you! Oh Lord, thank you!