MESSAGES
As we read through the Bible we see that Jesus Christ has experienced every sort of emotion (physically and mentally) that mankind has, or ever will undergo. Jesus exhibited love everywhere He went. He showed righteous anger when it was necessary. He showed joy and He sighed with distress. He revealed right and He exposed wrong. He showed warmth, tenderness, concern, and was always fair and firm in His dealings. He smiled often, and cried even more for the lost people. He was a picture of health, and yet He showed pain, sorrow and grief beyond what man can even imagine.
There is, however, one experience that our Savior encountered that we quite often overlook. This experience is one that we read and hear about often, but take little time to examine, contemplate, and reflect upon.
In Matthew 27 we read about Jesus Christ being delivered before Pontius Pilate as he was to stand trial for a crime He did not commit. As I read verse 19, the hair on my arms began to stand up, and my brow began to sweat. Matthew writes, "While he was sitting on the judgment seat..."
Think about what is being said here! Pontius Pilate, a mere mortal created being, sat on the "judgment seat" of our Creator, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Think about it again! The lump of clay was going to judge the Potter. Think about it some more! Pontius Pilate, a self-seeking, self-interest, and self-confident, sinful creation was about to pass judgment on the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Righteous, Self-Sacrificing God. My first reaction as I read this was, "How dare you sit in judgment of my Savior!"
The Bible tells us that Pilate found no fault in Jesus and that he desired to free Jesus, but he eventually gave in to the shouts and demands of the crowd as they loudly declared, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!" Pilate wanted nothing to do with this matter for he had remembered what his wife had told him, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him" (v. 19). Nonetheless, he was now in a position where he had to make a decision.
He thought perhaps the people might desire to release Jesus, and instead have Barabbas, the insurrectionist, crucified. Yet, the crowd refused to listen, and demanded that Christ be crucified.
Though Pilate knew what was right, he eventually gave in to the demands of the people. Why? Because he was more concerned with might than he was with right. Perhaps he thought to himself, "I’ve got a good job. I like the power, and I like the benefits. I really don't want to upset all these people. They just might kick me out of office if I don't give them what they want. And besides, this Jesus is only one man. Soon He will be dead and buried, and everybody will forget about Him." Pilate was more concerned with being politically correct rather than morally correct.
Why were these people judging Christ in the first place? They were judging Him, not because of what He did, but because of what He said. Jesus said that He and the Father were one (John 10:30). Jesus said that, "before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58). In other words, Jesus claimed equality with God, and that is why they wanted Him put to death.
We can say that the words that Jesus spoke brought judgment upon Himself from mankind. If only the people would have taken the time to find out why Jesus was saying the things He said, they would have realized that it was all true. Sadly, to their own destruction, they were more concerned with themselves and one another than they were with truth. As we look at society today, we see that things haven’t changed since then.
The story is told of a mother who called a grocer on the phone. She accusingly stated, "I sent my son, Joey, to your store for five pounds of apples, and I find on weighing them that you sent only four pounds home with him." To this the grocer responded, "Madam, my scales are regularly inspected and are correct. Have you weighed your little boy?"
The point of this story is this: Too often we are quick to find fault in others in order to hide the fact that we ourselves are the guilty ones. If only the people had weighed themselves that day, they would have made a different choice.
It reminds me of Daniel 5 where we read about King Belshazzar and his buddies partying it up, thinking they had control, not only of their lives, but God as well. As they began to drink wine from the gold vessels that had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem, God then showed them all just how little control they really had.
We read that God’s finger began to write on the wall these words, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN", which meant, "you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting." In other words, king Belshazzar, you have been measured in light of Gods standards and have been found lacking. Your days are over. That very night king Darius of the Medes invaded and conquered the Babylonian empire, and killed king Belshazzar.
Ever since the fall of man in Genesis, mankind has failed to measure up to God’s standards. We have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and yet, it is mankind who keeps attempting to tell God that He has not measured up to our standards. Man has always attempted to bring Almighty God down off His throne to our level of ignorance.
Too many people spend too little time searching the Scriptures, and too much time searching religious leaders. Sadly, many people will allow others to do their thinking for them, rather than use the mind that God has given them. This even occurs in the Christian community. Many people before they enter a church have a tendency to leave their minds outside, and then let the pastor do their thinking for them.
Because of this attitude, society continues to judge and sentence to death the One whose name is Truth, and at the same time they give freedom to Mohammed, Buddah, Krishna, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and all the other religious leaders. Society continues to set free the Barabbas’ of our day, and crucify the Holy One.
Jesus was not tainted, defiled or polluted by the garbage of this world, and yet He was sentenced to die. These people had such a log full of trash in their own eye that they could not see the truth when it was standing in their very presence. Yet, Jesus took the position of "garbage collector" by allowing the garbage of the world to be placed upon Him, and willingly going to the cross of Calvary to pay the price for that garbage. The price was His blood, and He shed every bit of it for you and I.
The sins of you and I are what hung Jesus on that cross. Our sins slapped Him and spit on Him. Our sins ripped the beard from His face. Our sins tore His back open with a Roman soldiers whip. Our sins penetrated His skull with a crown of thorns. Our sins nailed the spikes into His hands and feet. Our sins caused Him to be forsaken by His Father in heaven. Our sins caused Him to die. Jesus’ death occurred because mankind chose to listen to the voice of others rather than the voice of God. We chose to listen to the father of lies rather than the God of truth.
Mankind’s judgment on Jesus Christ has left scars on His hands, His feet and His side, and those scars that Jesus carries will one day be put upon us. They will be eternal scars. They will be scars of eternal forgiveness, or scars of eternal condemnation. The scars that we receive we will put on ourselves. In other words, we have the opportunity to choose which scars we will receive.
As Christians, we have received the scars of eternal forgiveness because we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the One who wears the scars, by inviting Him into our lives as Savior and Lord. But sadly, there are many people who still choose to find fault in this innocent Man, who still choose to listen to others, who still choose to crucify Jesus daily, and because of it they have the scars of condemnation, and they are on their way to receiving a certain judgment known as hell.
Though it breaks our hearts to see this taking place, let us remember this: We were all once no different than Pontius Pilate and the crowd, and yet God through His mercy and grace forgave us for it, and took the condemnation away and replaced it with His righteousness. If He can do it with us, He can do it with anyone. Don’t ever stop telling others about the love of God, and don’t ever stop demonstrating God’s love to others.
God bless you,
Pastor Steve |
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