MAN'S WORST, GOD'S BEST

A WALK TO THE CROSS WITH CHRIST

Man’s Worst, God’s Best

Pastor Jerry Jackson

04.05.15

OUTLINE

JESUS CAME TO DIE SO I MIGHT LIVE

FRIDAY 7:00 TO 8:30AM

CONDEMNED BY PILATE

Luke 23:13-15

Then Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers of the people and said to them, “You brought this man to me on the charge of stirring up subversion. Yet on examining him I found no substance to your accusations. Neither did Herod, because he sent him back to us. You can see he’s done nothing deserving death.”

PILATE APPEALED TO THE CROWD

Matthew 27:15-17; Mark 15:7-10; Luke 23:16-17; John 18:39

“Now, you have a custom directing me to release one man to you at Passover. So I’ll punish him and then release him.” (At the feast the governor’s custom was to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they chose. At that time a notable prisoner named Barabbas was being held along with a few of his fellow insurgents. He was a robber who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder.) When the crowds had gathered and noisily asked Pilate to act on the custom, he answered, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called ‘Messiah’,?” (He knew the chief priests had handed Jesus over because of envy.)

PILATE’S WIFE SENDS HIM A DISTURBING MESSAGE

Matthew 27:19

And as he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent work to him; “Don’t do anything to that just man! On account of him I have suffered many things today in a dream!”

THE JEWISH LEADERS GOT THE CROWD ON THEIR SIDE

Matthew 27:20-23; Mark 15:11-14; Luke 23:18-22; John 18:39-40

But the chief priests and the elders stirred up the crowds to ask Pilate to release Barabbas to them instead and to execute Jesus. “Which of the two day you want me to release to you?” the governor said. “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They replied, “Barabbas!” They all shouted together, “Not this man! Get rid of him, and give us Barabbas!” Because Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he said to them once more, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called ‘Messiah,’ who you call ‘King of the Jews’?” Again they all shouted, “let him be crucified!” They continued crying out, “Crucify! Crucify him!” For the third time Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I don’t find that he’s done anything deserving death. So after punishing him, I’ll release him.”

PILATE TRIED TO PLAY ON THE CROWD’S PITY

John 19:1-2

Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers took thorns, wove them into a crown, and placed it on his head. They put a purple garment on him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and kept punching him with their fists.

PILATE’S PLEA FOR THE CROWD’S MERCY FAILED

John 19:4-12

Pilate then came out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so you’ll know I find him not guilty.” Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. “Look at the man!” Pilate said to them. When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!” You take him and crucify him yourself. I find him not guilty.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law, he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this charge, he grew even more afraid. He returned to the judgment hall and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” Jesus gave no answer. “You refuse to talk to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you know I have authority to crucify you – or to release you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority at all over me unless it had been given to you from above. Because of this the one who handed me over to you is guilty of the greater sin.” Pilate returned to the crowd and sought once again to have Jesus released. But the crowd shouted back at him: “If you release this man, you’re no friend of Caesar. Anyone claiming to be the king is speaking against Caesar!”

PILATE WAS FORCED TO DECIDE ABOUT JESUS

Matthew 27:24-25; John 19:15

Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?” “We have no king,” the chief priest answered, “except Caesar!” When Pilate saw that he couldn’t dissuade them, but instead a riot was in the making, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this man. You will be witnesses of the fact.” All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

PILATE CONDEMNS JESUS TO DIE ON THE CROSS

Mark 15:15; Luke 23:23-25; John 19:16

The crowd’s voices and the voices of the chief priests won out. So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, ordered that they should get what they demanded. He released Barabbas to them – the man they had asked for, who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder – but he gave in to their demands about Jesus and handed him over to be crucified.

MORE MOCKERY IN THE PRAETORIUM

FRIDAY, 9:00AM - NOON

Matthew 27:27-29; Mark 15:16-20

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus and led him away to the court called the Praetorium. There they gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him, then again clothed him in purple, and put a crimson cloak around him. And they put on his head the crown of thorns they had made, and placed a reed in his right hand. They continued mocking him, bowing in homage and saying, “Hail, ‘King’ of the Jews!” They spat on him, and took the reed from him and beat him on his head. When they finished ridiculing him, the soldiers stripped him of the cloak and the purple garments, and gave him his own clothing. Then they led him out to crucify him.

THE PAINFUL STEPS TO THE CROSS

Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26; John 19:17

Jesus went out, carrying his own cross. As they were going, they found a passerby from Cyrene coming in from the country. He was named Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They grabbed him, laid the cross on him, and forced him to carry it behind Jesus.

CHRIST ARRIVED AT GOLGOTHA – THE PLACE OF THE SKULL – FOR HIS EXECUTION

Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22-25; Luke 23:32-33; John 19:17-18

Two others, who were criminals, were led away with him to be executed. When they brought him to the place called the Skull, or in Jewish language, “Golgotha”, they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but when he tasted it, he wouldn’t drink it. There, at nine o’clock, they crucified him.

THE CRUCIFIXION WAS A GRUESOME AND CRUEL EVENT

Psalm 22:14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

CHRIST’S WORDS OF FORGIVENESS

Luke 23:34

“Father, forgive them,” Jesus said, “because they do not know what they are doing.”

JESUS WAS DEPICTED AS A CRIMINAL

Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27-28; Luke 23:33; John 19:18

Along with him they crucified the criminals, two robbers, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle.

EVEN CHRIST CLOTHES WERE TAKEN

Mark 15:24; John 19:23-24; Psalm 22:18

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them in four equal parts, and rolled dice to see who would get each part. They left out the undergarment, however, which was of one piece, woven from the top down. “Let’s not tear it,” they said, “but roll for it, to see who will get it.” So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they rolled the dice.

LOVE AND ABUSE ON THE CROSS

FRIDAY, NOON TO 3:00PM

Matthew 27:39-40; Mark 15:29-30; Luke 23:35; John 19:24

This, therefore, is what the soldiers did gambling for Jesus’ clothes. Then they sat down to keep guard over him. Meanwhile the people stood watching. Those who passed by kept jeering him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would ‘destroy the temple and build it in three days,’ save yourself! If you’re the Son of God, come down from the cross.

JESUS SAVED A REPENTANT THIEF

Matthew 27:44; Luke 23:39-44

The robbers who had been crucified with him started to reproach him in the same manner. One of the criminals continued to bitterly scorn him. “Aren’t you the Messiah?” he said. “Then save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him and said, “Don’t you even fear God, since you’re under the same punishment this man is? We’ve been punished justly – we’re receiving only what our actions deserve. But this man did nothing wrong!” “Jesus,” he said, “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today you will be with me in Paradise.” It was about noon.

IN DARKNESS JESUS WAS TOTALLY FORSAKEN

Matthew 27:46

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

JESUS GAVE A SHOUT OF TRIUMPH

Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30

After taking the wine, Jesus again cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” Then He bowed his head. “Father”, He said, “into your hands I commit my spirit.” After saying these words, He yielded up his spirit and He died.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE RISEN LORD

Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:45-49; John 19:31-37