Transcript

Alright, grab your Bibles this morning and let’s go to the Gospel of Mark, Mark 16. Would you turn there? Mark 16. We’ll begin in verse 6 and go down through verse 15. I’ve entitled this, “God’s Verdict: Not Guilty.” Not guilty. Mark 15 beginning in verse 6 and going down through verse 15. Mark 15, beginning in verse 6.

6 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. 7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. 8 The crowd went up and began asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. 9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!” 14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” 15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

What’s your decision, Jesus or Barabbas? In another Gospel, the phrase about Jesus is put this way, “Jesus who is the Christ.” Early church historians say that that was such a common name that it was also the name for Barabbas. Jesus who is Barabbas or Jesus who is the Christ. Which Jesus will you have today? What will be your decision? That was the decision before the people on this day as Pilate was about to do what he always did for them. Actually it was a matter of appeasement; it was a gift, as it were, to the Jews. During this holiest time of the year, the Jewish Passover, Pilate would release one Jewish prisoner to them. Now Pilate was the Roman governor appointed by Caesar over this part of the occupied territory, Rome occupied the world, and Pilate found out that threat and intimidations and force alone could not keep the Jews in line. I mean, probably of all the nations conquered and occupied by ancient Rome, Israel was the most difficult to keep peace among. So to show good will and promote some element of peace, every year during the Jewish Passover, he would release one Jewish prisoner to appease them.

Now Jewish uprisings against occupied Rome were common and one man who participated in an insurrection against Rome was this man Barabbas, or Jesus Barabbas. This man Barabbas was a convicted murderer, an insurrectionist. He was on trial. He was condemned to crucifixion. Jesus, who is the Christ, has also been arrested. He was falsely accused. He was falsely framed. He was falsely on no grounds condemned. It was undeniable that he had performed many great miracles and, and Pilate knew the Jews, particularly the religious authorities, were terribly envious of Jesus. He had such great fame, he had a great following, he could do miracles, and so Pilate here is wanting to poke at the Jewish religious authorities at this time. He comes out, they’re all gathered around, it’s a mob of Jews, Jewish religious leaders and, and common folks, and so he begins to rib them, “Hey, do you want me to release this year at the Passover the King of the Jews?” Oh, this irritated the Jewish religious leaders to, to no end.

There was an interlude here. Pilate goes back into his palace and during that interlude the Jewish religious authorities stirred up the mob and told them, “Demand that Pilate release Barabbas and not Jesus.” Pilate returns, says again, “Okay, what shall I do for you? Shall I release for you the King of the Jews?” Prodding them, poking them again, and they said, “No. Release for us Barabbas.” He said, “Well, what, what am I gonna do with Jesus?” In effect, “He’s innocent. There’s no evil in Him.” And they cry, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Interesting how fickle these multitudes are. Earlier they loved him when he fed them and they were hungry, or when they were hungry. He healed them of their diseases. He even raised the dead and his preaching had such wisdom and authority they were spellbound by it. On Palm, ah, ah, Sunday, they yelled, “Hosanna!” and now on Good Friday they cry, “Crucify Him!” And Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent but Pilate is caught in the middle. He knows he should defend the innocent but if he does and if he does it, if he does release Jesus, he knows this will cause a riot. He knows the Jews well. And this will hurt his standing with Caesar, so Pilate sells out. Well, this undoubtedly was not the first travesty of justice in Pilate’s court but it was without equal. It was the greatest breach of justice he ever committed or will ever commit.

The crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest injustice of all time but Pilate, he’s a survivalist. He’s a man without principle. Threaten him with a riot and he’ll do anything. The Jewish religious authorities knew how to get to him. They actually knew how to control him and get what they wanted out of him. Rome, known for cruelty, Pilate has Jesus scourged or flogged, two strong soldiers with a whip, a cat-o-nine tails they called it, leather strands, nine leather strands with pieces of rock or metal or bone in it. They would tie you up so that your back sin was taut and each guy would take turns slashing across the back. Historians tell us literally it would take out chunks of flesh, often the bones and the organs were exposed, often the one scourged never made it to crucifixion, they died during the scourging.

So Pilate renders his verdict. Verse 15, ” Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.” That was Pilate’s verdict and I want to talk about Pilate’s verdict but I want to talk about some others also that in the balance of Scripture were given on this very day. Notice, 1, first of all, Pilate’s verdict was this: innocent but condemned to crucifixion. He said he’s innocent yet he condemns him to crucifixion. What’s the reason? One reason, judicial cowardice. You see, Pilate’s colors are yellow and more yellow. He’s a corrupt self- serving politician who lived off the sacrifices of the common man. You threaten Pilate with a riot, he’ll do anything. Morals do not matter. He’s not a principle man, he’s a pragmatist.

So Pilate takes his stand on Jesus, the wrong stand. You see, Jesus showed us during his earthly ministry that you have to take a stand on him one way or the other. You cannot evade dealing with Jesus Christ one way or the other. In the Scriptures he said, “Who is not with Me is against Me. There’s only two places to be, either for Me or against Me.” On judgment day there will only be two groups: those who have embraced Jesus and those who are against him, but by then it will be too late. The decisive moment to choose is always now. Now. When you’re confronted with Jesus. Pilate this day is confronted with Jesus. He would like to have taken the middle ground but there was no middle ground. Either embrace him and defend him, deliver him over.

Pilate’s verdict: innocent but condemned to crucifixion, but the Bible says in Psalm 95:7, “Oh, that you would hear His voice.” Oh, that you would hear his voice and embrace him as Savior today. And the Bible says in Hebrews, ah, 4:7, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Receive Christ. Deal with him. Embrace him. Trust him as your only Lord and Savior.

Pilate’s verdict: innocent but condemned to crucifixion. II. God’s verdicts. God has three of them that I’d like to bring out from the balance of New Testament teaching, two concerning Jesus and one concerning us. The first one concerning Jesus is God’s verdict concerning his Son and here’s God’s first verdict concerning his Son: innocent but condemned to crucifixion. “Wait, pastor, that sounds like Pilate’s verdict.” They’re the same thing. Pilate’s verdict is identical to God’s verdict concerning his Son Jesus Christ. Pilate was right because, you see, if Jesus is not totally innocent, he could not atone for the sins of his children. If he’s not innocent, he is not worthy, he is not qualified to take our place in judgment. 1 John 3:5 says and “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.” He’s innocent. He’s innocent but condemned to crucifixion because it took an innocent one, if you will, a pure and spotless lamb to be sacrificed for our sins.

Let’s go further. The second verdict God the Father gives us concerning his Son Jesus: guilty by reason of substitution. Guilty by reason of substitution. You see, Jesus was willing in going to the cross and in going to the cross he’s our substitute, and going to the cross he takes our place. In going to the cross he does two things in the broadest sense: number one, he takes on our guilt; he stands in our room, as it were; he takes our place as guilty before the Father. And then on the cross – listen – the cross is not a, a, a figment, it’s not myth, it’s not an illustration, it was an actual, literal, bodily crucifixion and death, and there in that crucifixion and there in that suffering and there in that death Jesus Christ became guilty and endured the punishment that we deserved for our sin. God the Father says, “He’s guilty but only by reason that He’s substituting for the children’s sins.” He’s standing in our place.

Oh, what a verdict. What a verdict that is. You see, it was God’s eternal sovereign plan that all of this would happen. In 2 Corinthians 5:2 the Bible says, “He made Him who knew no sin,” he’s innocent, “who knew no sin to become sin,” or be sin, “on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” In other words, God looked upon Jesus who’d never sinned as if he committed all the sins you’ve ever committed or ever will commit. That’s the way the Father viewed him, he viewed him as guilty as he stood in our place. But it’s comforting to know that things aren’t out of control. Hey, by the way, things are never out of control. Our God is sovereign over everything that occurs, everything that has occurred and everything that will occur, and by the way, it needs to dawn on you that nothing ever occurred to God. He knows it all. Behind, in the present and the future.

In Acts 2:22 and 23, notice what the apostles preach to the people as they’re listening as the church age is beginning. “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.” These men are responsible for the murder of Jesus but God was behind it. It was God’s predetermined plan that he come to die for the children. So for the Father’s verdict is, “He’s My Son. He’s innocent. But He’s taken the sinful children’s place so therefore He takes their guilt so I declare Him guilty by reason of substitution. He’s taking their place.”

Here Jesus is before all of these people on this day and they’re yelling, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” It’s interesting that these Jewish religious authorities, they wanted to get rid of Jesus as quickly and quietly as possible yet it’s been recorded in sacred Scripture and it’s the most talked about, taught, preached, recorded and documented event in all of human history. Be sure your sins will find you out.

This, “Crucify Him!” that was orchestrated by the religious authorities must have pierced through the heart of Jesus like a hot dagger. These are Jews. These are his people. He created them. He’s God Almighty. He called them through Abraham to be his unique, special, one and only people. He carried them through the wilderness journeyings and through their battles and through their, their, their exiles and all that they incurred in their life and now he’s come to them and he’s about to die for them and what does he hear? Only their vengeful hatred cry, “Crucify Him!”

Now Jesus was God but he was fully man at the same time. He felt this. The most abused child, the most battered wife, the most brutalized prisoner of war never felt what Jesus is feeling at this moment. The rejection he felt. Did he hear a comforting voice? Did he see a concerned tear? Did he feel an encouraging embrace? No. Only the piercing pleas of his own people screaming, “Crucify Him!” Like a school of swarming piranha around a dead carcass, they’re intent only in satisfying their desperate appetite, but oh, thank God for conjunctions, but behind it all is God. Nothing’s out of control here. You know, in a very real sense, it’s our sin that put him there. It’s that hatred in your heart that put him there. It’s that lying tongue that put him there. It’s your gossiping tongue that put him there. It’s that jealousy and envy that put him there. It’s loving this world more than you love God that put him there. All of our sins put Jesus there.

I read about a preacher who was preaching on the cross and he went to bed on Saturday night and on Saturday night he began dreaming and he dreamed that he was at the cross event and he’s just a few feet away and he’s seeing Jesus die on the cross and his heart was broken and he said, “This can’t happen! This can’t happen!” And he runs up to the Roman centurion there standing at the foot of the cross, he grabs him by the shoulder, he turns him around and when the man turns around, he saw his face. You crucified Jesus and the Father crucified Jesus for you. He was guilty by reason of substituion.

Now there’s a verdict concerning us. The verdict concerning us is not guilty by reason of substitution. Not guilty by reason of substitution. Isaiah 53:5 and 6 reminds us for “He was pierced through for,” his own well-being? No, “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; and the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” Because he’s pierced through, because he was crushed, because he was chastened, because the iniquity of us all has fallen on him as our substitute, he’s taken our standing of guilt away and the Father now can look at us and declare with that thunderous roar that echoed through the ends of the universe terrorizing demons and rejoicing the angels, angels, “Not guilty. Not guilty by reason of substitution.”

He was innocent. You see, he being innocent was attacked so that we being guilty might attain his glory. We being innocent, or he rather being innocent was brutalized so that we being guilty might be blameless. He being innocent was condemned so that we being guilty could be cleared. He being innocent was demeaned so that we being guilty could be delivered. He being innocent was executed so that we being guilty could be exonerated. He being guilty was framed so that we being guilty could be forgiven. He being innocent was gored so that we being guilty could be granted eternal life. He being innocent yet was hurt so that we being guilty could be healed. He being innocent was insulted so that we being guilty could gain incorruption. He being innocent was judged so that we being guilty could be justified. He being innocent was killed so that we being innocent would become his first of kin. He being innocent was lashed so that we being guilty might know love. He being innocent was murdered so that we being guilty might be made new. He being innocent yet named a sinner so that we being guilty would be named a saint. He being innocent was oppressed so that we being guilty would be overcomers. He being innocent was punished so that we being guilty could be pardoned. He being innocent was quiet before his accusers so that we being guilty could gain quiet rest before the holy God. He being innocent was ridiculed so that we being guilty would bear his righteousness. He being innocent was smitten of God so that we being guilty would know the salvation of God. He being innocent was tortured so that we being guilty might be a trophy of grace. He being innocent was undermined so that we being guilty would know union with God. He being innocent was considered a villain so that we being guilty could be considered the victor. He being innocent was whipped so that we being guilty would be a winner. He being innocent was exed out so that we being guilty might be xeroxed into the Lamb’s Book of Life. He being innocent was yelled at so that we being guilty can now from our hearts yell glory. He being innocent was considered a demonic zealot so that we being guilty might obtain the divine Zion. Substitution. Guilty by reason of substitution.

Luke 24:1 through the first part of verse 6, “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, and when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living One among the dead?'” Well, that’s a good question. “He is not here, He has risen.” He’s risen.

Romans 4:25 is a great summary of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. It says, “He was delivered over because of our, our, for our transgressions, and raised because of our justification.” Delivered over for transgressions. Raised because of our justification. Now here’s the point: delivered over for our transgressions, that’s the cross, that’s Calvary, raised because of our justification, that’s Easter, and here’s the point, there’s no Easter morning without Calvary’s night. There’s no justification secured by Christ’s resurrection unless he’s first delivered over for our transgressions on the cross and he did both perfectly and now today he’s resurrected and he’s glorified. Today on the throne of heaven sits the God-man Jesus Christ. Today he is in heaven but yet he still bears the wounds of crucifixion.

The New Testament tells us that after he was raised, he appeared to his disciples and he said, “Look,” and he showed them his hands and the nail print. He showed them his side and the gaping hole in his side. Remember doubting Thomas? Thomas wasn’t there at that first appearance and Thomas said, “I’ll not believe it until I put my hands in His, a, a, a, put my hand in His hands and put my hand in the hole in His side.” Jesus appears to doubting Thomas and says, “Put your hands in here. Feel the nail prints.” An amazing thing. He still bears the wounds even in his glory.

In Revelation 5:6, John the revelator talks about seeing Jesus in heaven and he says, “He’s, He’s standing as if a lamb slain.” Now why such terminology? Because he is the Lamb of God but he still bears the marks of being slain. Twice more in Revelation the Bible speaks of him as the Lamb who’s slain. Interesting. Why is the risen Lord still scarred? Why the print of the nails? Why the wound in his side? Perhaps it’s to say to us, “You will not see Jesus if you will not see the wounds.” You don’t get to make Jesus out to be the kind of Jesus you want him to be. He is who He is. He is the expiring Lord. He went to the cross because your sins, my sins are so grievous it took the death of the Son of God to cleanse us. You will not see Jesus if you do not see the wounds and what’s behind the wounds. The resurrected Lord is the scarred Lord. Now many a scar can completely heal and cause no detriment to your life but a scar does remind you of what happened in the past. That’s where Jesus’ scars are. “Child, I’ve, I’ve already done this for you. The price has already been paid.” Jesus’ wounds remind, they remind us that the cost for our sins and the cure for our standing before God is finished.

The old song says, “My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed.” Men are always making up devices, religious devices, hoop jumps, rituals, ordinances, sacraments, systems that you adhere to. “My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever living One, for Me His wounds doth plead.” That’s our hope. The Bible says in Hebrews 7:25 that he ever lives to make intercession for us; that God is in heaven right now and he ever lives to make intercession for us.

Now anthropomorphically speaking, big word, it just means attributing to God human attributes so that you can understand the point, you can understand the truth. Anthropomorphically speaking, I see God the Father on his throne in heaven and there to his right side is Jesus, the Son of God, on his throne. As they’re sitting there, the Father turns to look down on us, those of us whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, those of us who have believed on Jesus, and as God the Father looks down on us, he sees our heart and he sees our deeds. His brow begins to furrow. A glare is in his eyes. His countenance falls and as he looks down on us, he begins to feel such deep deep disapproval. Then he looks over at his Son and honorably but with confidence the Son goes, sees the wounds. The Father’s countenance changes. His countenance lifts. His eyes are bright. A smile comes across his face. Not loudly but tenderly and with conviction he says, “Not guilty. Not guilty.”

“My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever living One, His wound for me doth plead.” So I stand before you today: Jesus or Barabbas? Barabbas represents this world and man’s wisdom. Jesus represents God’s wisdom and God’s power. You must today choose Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Who will it be, Jesus or Barabbas?