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March 26, 2020 4:00 am
If ever there seem to be a time when God's wrath would be justified if it came swiftly. This would be it. Well, in a strange irony, his judgment did come swiftly at the cross, but it didn't come on crowd half directed with Christ during the Roman soldiers who executed him in the crowd watched him suffer and the thieves who died beside him.
How did each group respond to Christ and how did he respond to them. Find out today on grace to you as John MacArthur continues his study called the crucifixion Chronicle.
This study points you to the immeasurable depth of Christ's mercy both for those who mock him and put them to death and for sinners like you and me.
Now here's John with today's lesson.
Luke chapter 23 and we are course at the cross of Christ. Those are gather around the cross are mockingly sneering and hurling abuse at Jesus with sarcasm there endeavoring to treat the son of God with as much dishonor as they can muster with as much disrespect and disdain and shame as they can possibly generate blasphemy can't be worse than this, we might ask that in light of the heinousness of this maybe this is time for God to act. We should be expecting a holy, righteous, God, to react to this kind of ultimate blasphemy by pouring out wrath and vengeance and fury on those who are perpetrating this on him. If ever there seem to be a time when God's wrath would be justified if it came swiftly.
This would be it. Well, in a strange irony, his judgment did come swiftly at the cross, but it didn't come on the crowded came on Jesus on behalf of those who blasphemed him.
How strange it is that there at the event of Calvary.
When God's fury should've come down on the crowded instead came down in Christ for the crowd on their behalf. Stunning contrast of Calvary is the contrast between the merciless insults of the crowd in the merciful intercession of the Christ and those of the two points I want you look at the crowd is made up of four groups. There's the people, the leaders, the soldiers in the thieves and they all have the same response to Jesus there literally without sympathy there heartless and cruel, brutal, verse 35 and the people stood by looking on, you say wait a minute. All it says in that verse is the people stood by looking on. Well, that's not all. It can be said about the merciless crowd. I'm sorry to say. Matthew and Mark tell us more. Matthew and Mark tell us what we need to know Matthew 27, 39, and those passing by the milling crowd milling crowd were hurling abuse at him, wagging their heads gesture of taunting and saying you who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross.
So the merciless crowd then the merciless rulers back to Luke 2335 and even the rulers were sneering at them because they orchestrated all of it, saying he saved others, led him save himself if this is the Christ of God's chosen one, so they mock him for his claim to be the Messiah. They mock him for his claim to be the one chosen by God as third group. There are the merciless people in the crowd there.
The merciless leaders. And thirdly, the merciless soldiers verse 36, and the soldiers also mocked him, coming up to them offering him sour wine and saying if you're the king of the Jews, save yourself in learning about Jewish theology.
They join the game. This follow the same line.
They mocked him, these merciless soldiers. They taunt the actual Greek word peptides always to taunt inflicting even more pain on him to his face as he hangs in agony and in him mock act of obeisance and service to him as if he were a king. They offer him sour wine.
Now there are a couple of occasions that are clearly identified when Christ was crucified, in which he was offered something to drink.
The first one was when they got into the place to be crucified. Remember they offered him a drink that had a sedative in it that would probably be used to sedate the person a little bit so that it would be easier to nail him to the cross and he wouldn't fight. And Jesus refused that. Remember, and then when it comes to the very end of his dying six hours later at the very end. 3 o'clock in the afternoon is about to die. He says I'm thirsty. They lift up to him a drink on a sponge and the end of the stick.
This seems to me to be something different from both of those.
This seems to me to be part of the game they were playing. This is certainly not there giving him the wind in response to his asking. This does not appear to be the sedative because he's already there in the mockery's already full scale seems to me that they are offering him sour wine and saying at the same time. If you're the king of the Jews, save yourself. It's a pretend act of obeisance as if they were bringing Royal wine to the king mockery just reaches ultimate proportions. Roman soldiers drank a cheap form of wine they offered to him mimicking the rulers mimicking the people spewing out the same points verse 38 is a very important note in the text. There was also an inscription above him. This is the king of the Jews and of course that's the theme that sets the stage for the whole comedy it all played around that idea where that sign come from.
Will John 19 tells us we know historically that when people were crucified. Their crime was posted since Jesus committed no crime. There could be no crime posted over him. So Pilate decided what was going to go on the sign pilot John 1919 Pilate wrote inscription putting on the cross. This was Pilate's thing and it does what it said Jesus the Nazarene, or Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews to be combined. Matthew Mark Luke and John.
It actually says this is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. It was all placarded their wealth. Therefore, this inscription many of the Jews read for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city again. Reason for a huge crowd was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek but want everybody to know it and so the chief priest of the Jews were saying to Pilate. Do not write the king of the Jews, but that he said I am king of the Jews.
Pilate answered what I have written.
I have written, I wouldn't change because this was Pilate's way to mock them. They had mocked him and backed him into the proverbial corner and blackmailed him into executing a man he knew was innocent.
Even his wife said wash your hands of this innocent man. Pilate said multiple times I find no fault in him. Herod found no crime and Pilate had been made to look like a fool and he wasn't going to leave it at that.
So I wanted to turn the tables and make them look like fools. It was Pilate's little joke. This is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews, they said, take that down and put up. He said he's the king of the Jews and he said what I have written. I have written so you have the people mocking Jesus and Pilate mocking people by the way, the inscription like that on the top indicates that the cross was a traditional cross with part of the long beam extending above the cross beam where the sign would be place rather than a T-shaped cross since this was placarded above his head. Something else about the soldiers back in verse 34 into the verse and they cast lots dividing up his garments among themselves. They cast lots dividing up his garments among themselves at center procedure. By the way, the executioners were given the right to keep the possessions. The final possessions. The clothing and things of the people who were executed. I was sort of a small job benefit.
I guess perk.
Now there's a little more detail on this back in John because John gives us some insight into exactly what the soldiers did in John 19 verse 23 soldiers.
Therefore, when there crucified Jesus took his outer garments and made for parts there would be for parts that would be for garments that a man would wear in that day there would be an outer cloak that you kept warm with like a jacket and you slept on uses a blanket there would be shoes or sandals. There would be a head piece there would be a sash or belt for pieces. We know that there were four Roman soldiers assigned to a crucifixion if you look in acts 12 for you read about a squad of Romans. It's a quick turn in made up before. In fact, a full one was four units of four, so it's very likely that there were four soldiers in a death squad and that's why before garments could be divided one to each of the four but there was also a tunic which would've been his his regular garment in the tunic was seamless woman in one piece so they said let's not Tara. Let's cast lots for it to decide whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled, they divided my outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots that to Psalm 22 so that's what they did they cast lots dividing up his garments among them, each taking one piece and then somebody winning the tunic is think about that. You now realize that Jesus is been stripped of everything is been stripped of all is closing and he's naked except for a loincloth and they're doing everything they can to strip them of all his dignity. If there's anything left of his dignity. They want to make him such a mockery that there will be none of that last is hanging there naked can't help but think about that without remembering that when Adam and he fell into sin. They were immediately made conscious that they were what naked nakedness has been associated with an symbolic of moral guilt, symbolic of shame before God and they tried it to make coverings for themselves unsuccessfully. And God moves in a Genesis chapter 3 and kills an animal to make coverings for them for that shaman nakedness that symbol of moral guilt, God himself made a covering here at Calvary. Jesus is made naked in our place. Jesus is in the position of manifesting the symbol of moral guilt and moral shame before God. Only he's not covered he's judged he's cursed by God and that nakedness which was not his own, but hours Jesus naked in our place. Jesus naked the symbol of our moral guilt and moral shame is not covered by God. He is judged by God and God pours out the full fury of his wrath on that nakedness and Jesus the one made naked for us becomes our covering, he becomes our covering our land, who covers us this in the divine irony. Finally, the merciless thieves verse 39, one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at him, saying, are you not the Christ, save yourself and us the same thing that they're all playing the same game.
One of the thieves, only one is quoted by Luke but Matthew and Mark tell us the rest of the story. Here's what Matthew says Matthew 2744.
The robbers were also insulting him with the same words.
Both of them plural Mark 1532. Those who were crucified with him were also insulting him. They both joined in the whole crowd.
All rulers all the soldiers both thieves all Luke does is record for us what one of the two said, but they were both involved. Are you not the Christ again with scorn and sarcasm. Save yourself and us. It's just all merciless so against this attitude of of this merciless insult. We look at the merciful intercession of the Christ.
It's really stunningly starkly opposite.
Verse 34 but Jesus was saying. Father forgive them for they do not know what they're doing. This is just shocking. Just shocking without argument. What is being spewed out these evil hearts and evil mouths right at the son of God is the supreme blasphemy.
The ultimate desecration of holiness. The lowest sin ever committed wickedness at its lowest and it is deserving of divine cursing, divine, threatening, divine vengeance, divine judgment, divine damnation. This is injustice without parallel transgression without equal. This is heresy above heresy irreverence above irreverence profanity above profanity sacrilege beyond comprehension. We would expect Jesus to pour out.
Furious denunciations on all of them to judge them to make them pay for their outrageous extreme iniquity immediately on the spot, but he doesn't. Contrary to that, he says father forgive them for they know not what they're doing.
He asks God to provide for giving us for them that Jesus spoke seven things from the cross. He spoke to one of the thieves said today will be with me in paradise. Then he spoke to his mother and to John and said, behold, your mother, behold, your son, and gave the care of his mother to the apostle John were standing far far away and then for three hours. The whole earth was dark and he spoke not at all. And after the darkness. He spoke to God and he said my God, my God, why have you forsaken me the many spoke to the soldiers and said I'm thirsty and they gave him the sponge and then he spoke to himself and said it is finished, and then he spoke to God and said, into thy hands I commit my spirit. But the first thing he said before any of those was father forgive them for they know not what they do. This first words were words seeking divine forgiveness for the world's most wretched sinners. Certainly this is Jesus, the father running to embrace the stinking prodigal is meant. This is not surprising. Jesus even said that the more someone is forgiven, the more they love so I set himself up to forgive great sinners, so that he might experience from them great love, Peter says that when he was reviled. He reviled not again and that when he was being abused. He did not cry out for vengeance. First Peter 223 and 24 Stephen picked up on this and when Stephen's life is been crushed out by the blood he stones Stephen following his Lord said largely not the sin to their charge. This is a general prayer to understand what he meant by this is a general prayer for all the world to know that there is no sin against the son of God that is so severe, it cannot be forgiven if one will repent. That's the message if there is forgiveness for these people. There is forgiveness for anyone he can't get beyond this, but it's more than just the general prayer. It's a specific prayer when he said father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.
He knew the them more because on the day of Pentecost 3000 Jews in Jerusalem were converted to Christ and baptized in the church was begun within a few weeks, another 5000 men and more and more, and it moves into tens of thousands of people in Jerusalem who embrace the faith of Jesus Christ and there must've been many of those who came to Christ in those weeks after the resurrection who were there in that crowd so that it is a general prayer telling the whole world that sinner who repents and comes to Christ can be forgiven of the worst crime ever committed, but it is also a specific prayer and that God knows in his mind from before the foundation of the world who in that crowd. He will truly forgive the church was born out of these people who stood at the foot of Calvary and mocked the son of God, they became the first church family that there was a soldier among the soldiers.
One of them came to salvation. Verse 47 of Luke 23 when the centurion saw what happened. He began praising God saying.
Certainly this man was innocent and Matthew says he said something besides that, he said this was the son of God and by the way don't think it was just that centurion listen to Matthew 2754 now the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus said truly this was the son of God. The prayer was answered on the spot. Some in the crowd formed the first church. Some among the soldiers affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ and our Roman centurion, praising the true God of Israel and affirming the reality of his son and others within by the way, some of the leaders also were saved in the sixth chapter of acts, verse seven, the word of God kept on spreading the number of the disciples continue to increase greatly in Jerusalem.
Listen to this in a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith and by the way, there was one of the two thieves who said remember me when you come in your kingdom and to him. Jesus said today I meet you in paradise. In one sense, is a general prayer throws open the forgiveness of God for all who have rejected Christ, no matter how great the crimes committed against them.
But on another level.
This is a very specific prayer that was immediately answered among the crowd. Among the soldiers among the thieves and even among the priests, the great irony of Calvary is that while all this scorn was being heaped on Christ.
He was bearing the curse of God far worse than anything they could put on think is bad to be cursed by men. He was being cursed by God. But in taking both the curses for men in the curse from God. He provided the very atonement which makes the forgiveness he prayed for possible this is grace to you with John MacArthur thanks for tuning in today. John has been grace to use featured speaker since 1969 is also chancellor of the Masters University and seminary and his current study is titled the crucifixion Chronicle well one thing is clear after today's lesson Christ loves his enemies perfectly. He showed great mercy to those who showed none to him and of course loving our enemies as a command we have from Christ himself. It's one of the hardest commands to follow. So John, how can a believer live up to that command. What would you tell that person listening right now who's wondering what can he do what steps can you take to truly love his enemies, and I think the underlying motives is where this all begins. If you're going to love your enemies, you have to be motivated to love your enemies, and what is always been the most clear motivation to me is the words of our Lord in the sermon on the mount that you are never more like a God, than when you love your enemies. That to me is high motivation. If I want to be godly. If I desire to be like the loving father who runs after the center and throws his arms around him even though he has been vicious and a rebellious enemy. Then I have to love the sinner, I have to love my enemy so that the motivation for me is is not personal, it's not so that I can gain some merit. The motivation for me to love an enemy is to be like God.
I think we understand that what we know everybody's sure where the little phrase. What would Jesus do while Jesus would love his enemies because that's exactly what he did do, because that's exactly what God does. I think we need to understand the heart of Jesus a lot more than we do. I think there's a just a serious lack of depth in the evangelical church today and across the world. With regard to to Jesus and to the gospel and to what it means to live as a Christian in the world. There's just so much superficiality. Which leads me to say that I am very excited to tell you about a brand-new book called only Jesus and when I say am excited about. I mean is I been waiting for years to get this book out. I should've done it a lot sooner, but it has finally arrived. Only Jesus. This is the gospel message when Jesus said, follow me. What did he mean that is what this book answers the gospel message has hard demands. It's a stumbling block.
Paul said but how can we overcome the natural incapacity and inability and unwillingness to follow Christ we can unless we bow the knee to the power and grace of God. This brand-new book titled only Jesus looks at the gospel look for Christ himself looks at what he required.
Looks that our inability but his ability to overcome our inability to bring us into his kingdom. In actuality, only Jesus is a streamlined version of my book called the gospel according to Jesus, take you to the heart of the gospel great read for every Christian and every non-Christian brand-new hardcover book available from Grace to you, friend. This book is going to help you see and maybe more clearly than ever exactly what God has saved you from and what he is, a view for get only Jesus when you contact us today. The book is available in hardcover for $10 and shipping is free to pick up a copy for yourself and maybe a few to give away call us toll-free 855 grace or visit our website TTY.org. The title the book again.
Only Jesus order yours, by phone 855 grace or go to TTY.org and when you visit TTY.org to find thousand free resource that will help deepen your study of God's word and enrich your worship. That includes more than 3500 of John's sermons and our blog which has articles on topics like how to fight sin, understanding God's love and even how to be a better parent.
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