Jesus, Our Sin Bearer

When Jesus was crucified, his enemies intended the positioning of his cross to be his final disgrace. There were two criminals crucified with Jesus, one to his right and one to his left. However, instead of this being a disgrace, it was a fulfillment of prophecy: “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

I have always been intrigued by how Isaiah wrote that Jesus was crucified on the cross as if we were all there. The truth is we were there—at least our guilt and sin were there, and Jesus bore it all. We are all as guilty as the people who crucified our Lord.

In Rembrandt’s painting “The Raising of the Cross,” the artist paints himself in the picture as one of those crucifying the Lord.” Isaiah does that with all of us, and no one is excluded. “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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Jesus took the blame for our sins. He accepted the responsibility. What is the primary question when there is an accident on the highway? Who is at fault? Why does everyone want to know the answer to that question? Because whoever is at fault will have to foot the bill. Jesus accepted the blame and paid the bill. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in these eloquent words describing what God did for us through Jesus’ death: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

Behold the Man

In Jesus’ trial before Roman Justice, Pilate is a man vacillating between what he knows is right and what the crowd demands of him. He knows and states that Jesus is innocent three times and wants to free him, but the blood-thirsty crowd wants him crucified. Pilate had him flogged, which was enough to kill victims. Jesus was beaten until he was unrecognizable. Pilate hoped the crowd would have pity on him and let him go.

When Pilate shouted to the people, “Behold the Man!” It was as if he was saying, “Hasn’t he been through enough?” “Can’t we let him go now? However, when Pilate presented Jesus to the Jews, his words still linger for each of us to look at Jesus. As we see him standing there, we see how much God loves us. God loves each of us, and he is willing to punish his son to such a degree.

Pilate’s ploy was to no avail because the crowd yelled that Jesus be crucified. But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him,” (John 19:6).

First, Pilate encountered Christ’s incredible demeanor of self-control. Then he witnessed the scourging and was overwhelmed with his own guilt. Pilate was confused, so he pulled Jesus back into the Praetorium.

Pilate soon became aware that he could not command Jesus to speak. He would talk when he wanted to. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus remained silent. (John 19:19). Jesus’ silence provoked Pilate to ask: “Do you refuse to speak to me?” He added, “Don’t you realize I have the power to either free or crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (John 19:10-11).

Christ was the free man! Power resided with him, not with Pilate. He alone could do as he pleased. Pilate wanted to release Jesus in the worst way, but he could not. If ever a man was caught by the whim and desires of the people around him, it was Pilate! We behold in Jesus not a poor man crushed by his captors but a savior crushed by his father for our sins. Isaiah writes: But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him,and by his wounds we are healed"(Isaiah 53:5).

 

What is Truth?

 

Joseph Rochefort was an intelligence officer in World War II who co-headed a team with Edwin Layton, assigned to break the Japanese Navy’s cipher system during World War II. This team was called Hypo, whose job was to figure out what the enemy was planning. The team earned its keep when they decoded messages about the island of Midway.

Rochefort was a disheveled nerd, making his appearance unimpressive. However, with his team, he figured out almost to the minute when and where the Japanese would strike the island of Midway. The information was accurate, and the United States Navy won one of the most strategic battles of all time. Admiral Nimitz, the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, took a chance and believed this guy when no one else did.

Appearances can be very deceiving. It was that way for the Jews and even for Pilate. Jesus didn’t look like a king---not any king they had seen or even imagined, so they dismissed any possibility of Jesus being anything other than an impostor. They were dead wrong!

In response to Pilate’s question of whether he was a king, Jesus proclaimed himself a spiritual king. Jesus’ answer threw Pilate into an agonizing dilemma. Pilate would have immediately given the execution order if Jesus had declared himself an earthly king. But a spiritual king? Jesus was guilty of nothing. And his wife had warned him to have nothing to do with this man.

Christ was born to establish a new kind of kingdom. He cried, “For this, I came into the world.”On that day, life was not as it appeared. Christ was in control, not Pilate. When Pilate stated, “You are a king, then!” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37).

Pilate responded, “What is truth?” With that, he went out to the Jews. Pilate did not know the truth, but sadly he wasn’t interested in finding the truth. He did not honestly want an answer because he did not wait for one. Pilate exemplifies modern man. With his “What is truth?” Pilate stood transparent before Christ, as does the whole world. The truth that comes from Jesus Christ is what we all need but are not willing to look for. Even those who know the truth are often afraid to speak it because the crowd will cancel them. This story tells us truth is Jesus Christ, and those who follow him find the truth.

Who Arrested Who?

 

John tells us that Jesus knew what lay ahead of him in the hours before his arrest, trials, and crucifixion. Yet, he never wavered nor chose to escape the painful road ahead. It was a cold spring night when Judas descended Jerusalem with a group of several hundred soldiers and the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus. The sight must have been terrifying for the disciples as the long line of flaming torches wound its way down from the dark, high walls of the city and up the slopes of Olivet toward the garden where Jesus and his disciples were.

The soldiers would have been fully armed, each carrying a short sword. Jesus’ enemies had carefully chosen the time and place. They wanted to arrest Jesus away from the people, so there would be no riot of the people. No one, not even Judas, recognized Jesus. Jesus spoke to the leaders: “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:5-6).

Jesus preempted the mob and went forward to meet the armed crowd. In response to their question, he openly identified himself. Their reaction was involuntary; they immediately fell to the ground. They did not fall down when he asked them what they wanted, but only after he said, “I am he.” The massive crowd of soldiers and Jesus’ enemies tumbled backward to the ground—because they had encountered God. The Roman soldiers knew nothing of Jesus and had no reason to fear him. They did not arrest Jesus. Instead, he captured them with his authority and power. Jesus’ exercised the same power he used when he calmed the seas and healed the sick.

It was dark, but no one recognized Jesus, not even Judas. The scene had to be comical as they all fell together in one fell swoop. What chaos amid the clanging shields and fallen torches!

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” (John 18:8). Jesus gave the orders! It is as if we waited for the Roman commander to shout back, “I give the orders here.” However, nothing came, only silence as they obeyed Jesus, and the disciples went free.

Jesus was in control even of this arrest and the crucifixion. He was fulfilling God’s plan. Christ was God’s lamb being offered for the sins of the world.