OPEN: (TRUE STORY) A detective, was investigating a church burglary. But he had a problem: the suspect (who he just knew had committed the crime) wouldn’t admit to it.
Finally, the preacher of the church stepped in and asked to speak to the suspect alone. Within minutes, the preacher emerged and gave the detective the name of the pawnshop where the stolen items could be found.
The detective was amazed. “How did you do that?” he asked.
“I told him you could send him to jail,” the preacher replied, “but I could send him to hell.”
APPLY: I have noticed that people behave differently - depending upon who they think they are in the presence of. That burglar felt he could get away with bluffing a police detective… but when he felt he was in the presence of a representative of an all seeing God, he changed his tune quickly..
I. I can’t help but think (if the Roman soldiers of that day had realized who they actually had in custody) they would have treated Jesus a whole lot more respectfully than they did.
But they had no idea who Jesus was.
They had no idea that they had the Son of God in their hands.
They had no idea that if Jesus had wanted to they’d have all been dead on the ground long before they uttered their first insult …or struck their 1st blow.
But – they didn’t know.
They didn’t a clue as to who they have in their presence…
So they behaved like they ordinarily would with any prisoner. Especially a Jewish prisoner. Particularly a Jewish prisoner who had the audacity to claim to be a king.
Notice the cruelty and the inhuman behavior they exhibit.
· They put a Purple robe on his scarred back
· Push down a sharp-spined crown of thorns upon his head
· Spit on Him
· Mock Him
· Strike Him on his head with a staff
· And then, they fall down on their knees in mock humility pretending to pay Him homage “Hail King of the Jews”
This is great fun for them. In fact, one gets the impression that ALL prisoners bound for death on the cross got a similar treatment… depending upon who they are and what they’ve done.
It could be argued that these Romans soldiers were just entertaining themselves. They were in (what was to them) a boring and back-water culture filled with bickering and unpleasant Jews who always seemed to be on the edge of riot and rebellion.
Being a Roman soldier in Israel was not a great career choice and these soldiers were bored. There was nothing on TV… and so guys like Jesus seemed easy prey.
That’s helps to explain much of what these soldiers did that day:
Mark 15:16 "The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace… and called together the whole company of soldiers."
These men were not satisfied by merely mistreating Jesus. They had to call all their friends in to join in the fun. But even after all that fun - Jesus eventually got boring for them.
– I mean, all He did was stand there… silent,
– Unresponsive to their insults and taunts
– Quiet… like a lamb being led off to slaughter
Picking on Jesus got old after a while and they needed some fresh blood to satisfy their cruelty.
So in Mark 15:21 we’re told: "A certain man from Cyrene, Simon… was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross."
Simon, being from Cyrene, was most likely a black man and he would have stood out in the crowd. Thus he became their next mark for their brutality.
Then when Christ is nailed to the wood, and the cross is lifted up and dropped into place, His body strained against the nails, their sharp unforgiving metal tearing at his flesh. You can almost see Him as pushed Himself up using the nail that pinned his feet to the cross for leverage, struggling for breath, suffering an anguish no man should ever feel.
It’s in the midst of this pain and agony that we read that the soldiers
“… took his garments, and divided them into four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
They said to each other ’Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to determine whose it shall be.’ (This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, ’They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing’). These things therefore the soldiers did..." John 19:23-24
They didn’t even wait for Jesus to die. They were so bored, they threw dice to see who would get the only worldly goods Jesus still possessed.
II. How dare they!!
How dare they treat Jesus like that. I mean this wouldn’t have been proper to have done to anyone…But this is my Jesus. Your Jesus. How dare they.
ILLUS: We’re told that when Judas led the mob to seize Jesus in the garden, that Peter “reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.” (Matthew 26:51)
There’s something inside of us that says: “Alright Peter, go for it – take off a couple more ears while you’re at it.”
But then we’re told that Jesus rebukes Peter "Put your sword back in its place… for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
(incredulous…) WHAT? What madness is this?
If someone hurts my Jesus, let all the angels in heaven stand aside, ’cause I’m going to hurt somebody.
ILLUS: Some years back, I was flipping thru the channels on my TV and came across a courtroom scene. A judge was sitting alone having a monologue discussion with God, questioning the uncertainties of his life and then singing God’s praises for what he had observed. At the end of his soliloquy, the judge took a basketball and tossed it up thru a hoop that was mounted on a wooden cross over against the wall.
It was a comedy... it was supposed to make me laugh.
I was outraged, indignant, angry beyond words that this actor and the writers of that script should show such impudence towards God and mockery of a symbol representing Jesus’ sacrifice.
When I had time to cool down it occurred to me that it was people just like the creators and actors in this sitcom - that Jesus came to die for. They were precious because God said they were (John 3:16... the world).
When Jesus was on the cross looking down on the soldiers as they were gambled for his garments He said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34
III. One of the toughest things for us as Christians is to sit back and watch other people trample on our Jesus
Our tendency is to look upon those who attack our faith - on those who attack our Jesus - as enemies. But that’s not how Jesus looks at them.
Paul wrote the Ephesians and said:
“… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil...” Ephesians 6:12
In fact, Paul advises Timothy (and us) not to get into arguments with people who oppose him
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will. II Timothy 2:23-26
In other words: That relative…
That fellow worker…
That individual on the radio or TV that get hostile toward our God
They’re NOT our enemy
OUR ENEMIES ARE the powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil… influences that work behind the scenes persuading others to say & do things that oppose God and His righteousness
The people that may give you such a hard time about your Faith are held in the “trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will” II Timothy 2:26
It’s not like they’ve made a pact with Satan or anything. It’s just that they have bought into Demonic ways of thinking and acting… and they are going to hell
And what Jesus is telling us from the cross is this:
He doesn’t want “anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9
"Father forgive them," He said, "they don’t know what they are doing."
And what God is telling us about those who oppose our faith is this – these people are not going to be changed because we’ve argued them into it. They won’t be converted by our anger and rage.
You see, we don’t need to defend Jesus. One of the hardest things for us to realize is…
Jesus doesn’t need any defending. He’s GOD. You don’t need to defend God.
Jesus doesn’t need defending - Jesus needs PROCLAIMING.
ILLUS: Harry Emerson Fosdick once wrote: “We defend religion too much. Vital religion, like good music, needs no defense, but rendition. A wrangling controversy in support of religion is precisely as if the members of the orchestra should beat folks over the head with their violins to prove that music is beautiful”
CLOSE: A preacher announced a special men’s meeting in his church. He proposed to give the men a chance to air their objections to Christianity.
Over 1,200 showed up.
The 1st objector said, "Church members are no better than others"
"The ministers are no good," said another.
As the objections were mentioned one after another- the preacher wrote them down on paper:
"Hypocrites in the church;
"The church is a rich man’s club"
"Christians don’t believe the Bible anymore."
There were 27 objections to Christianity in all.
When they were through, the preacher read off the whole list, then tossed it aside, saying "Friends, you have objected to preachers, to church members, to the Bible, etc., etc., but you have not said one word against my Master!"
And in a few simple words, he preached Christ to them as the faultless One, and invited them to come to Him, and believe on Him. Forty-nine men responded.
SERMONS IN THIS SERIES
Don’t Take With Broccoli – John 11:33
The Question That Condemned Jesus – Matthew 26:57
The Moment Of Truth – John 18:28
His Blood Be Upon Us – Matthew 27:16
Hail, King of The Jews – Mark 15:15
Guilty Of Innocent Blood – Matthew 27:1
Remember Me – Luke 23:38
Let Him Save Himself – Matthew 27:39
Surely This Was The Son Of God – Mark 15:33
