The Crucifixion
Luke 22:47-23:49

1. The Trial 
   1.  The Testimony 
      1. The testimony of Christ to the Sanhedrin 
         1. He is accused of claiming to be the Christ, the Son of God
         2. He pretty much admits he has claimed that but doesn't come right out and say so because they wouldn't believe him (22.67)
         3. He answers again ambiguously when they ask "Are you the Son of God?" 
            1. "You say that I am" could mean "yes" or it could mean "So you say."
            2. Again, it's not that he doesn't claim to be these things, but that the Sanhedrin will totally misinterpret the claim and won't listen to the evidence that he is who he claims to be
            3. They take the combination of answers as confirmation
      2. The Testimony of the Sanhedrin 
         1. Privately, they accuse him of religious crimes, claiming to be the Christ, the Son of God (22.71 -- We heard it ourselves)
         2. But they know this won't wash with Pilate, so they switch gears 
            1. To Pilate, they accuse our Lord of political crimes
            2. 23.2--He claims to be a king (i.e. in opposition to Caesar)
      3. The Testimony of Christ to Pilate 
         1. 23.3 "You say so."
         2. Again, ambiguous, because Pilate wouldn't understand the sort of king Jesus came to be
         3. John tells us that Christ specified that he was not the sort of king that offered a political threat to Caesar. His was a different sort of kingdom
         4. In any event, Pilate was satisfied by his answers that he was no criminal
      4. The Testimony of Pilate 
         1. 22.4 "I find no fault with this man"
         2. 22.14ff--After Herod, Pilate still finds nothing wrong and said neither did Herod
      5. The Testimony of the inscription--"This is the King of the Jews"
      6. The Testimony of the Thief on the cross (22.40)
      7. The Testimony of the centurion (22.47)
   2. The Sentence and its Reason 
      1. The Severity of the sentence 
         1. Death (even though nothing had been proved and Pilate, the judge, had found him not guilty.
         2. Death on the cross (The Roman implications) 
            1. No Roman citizen would be crucified; the death was too shameful
            2. "Cross" and "crucifixion" were dirty words of the sort that even sailors didn't use.
         3. Death on a tree (The Religious Implications) 
            1. God himself was pronouncing a curse upon Christ according to the Law.
            2. Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree
            3. Jesus was suffering the ultimate wrath and curse of God, yes, hell itself as he hung on that cross.
      2. The Reason for the sentence 
         1. Clearly, he did not deserve to die; yet there he is, sentenced to death
         2. He was wounded for our transgressions
         3. If you want to see what God thinks of your sin, look here 
            1. "Ye who think of sin but lightly"
            2. Here it is in all its hideousness
            3. Here is everything you deserve
            4. James said that anyone who breaks one commandment is guilty of them all. It is not just all of your sins combined that deserve this. Every one of them deserves this punishment.
         4. Are you nodding and saying, "Yes, that's true, that's sound doctrine, Preach it brother!"? And you end up enjoying this part of the sermon because it's so right and you do enjoy sound doctrine (and maybe even because other churches don't take sin as seriously as we do, so its refreshing to hear).
            1. Are you out of your mind?
            2. What must be done to shake you out of this complacent response? The response itself is sinful. The response itself deserves the wrath of God.
            3. I'm not talking about you in the abstract. And I'm not talking to the person next to you.
            4. YOUR sin ought to be punished in this fashion. YOU deserved this fate.
         5. If you don't know Christ, this is exactly what you have to look forward to. Here is a depiction of the torments of hell forever
         6. And if you do know Christ 
            1. Every sin you commit ought to make you shudder. (That one too, deserves the cross) 
               1. We become so complacent in grace
               2. We forget the awful torment that each of our sins deserves
            2. And every sin you commit ought to move you to pity for Christ 
               1. For you have been granted a heart that loves him
               2. That sin as well denied him and testified against him
               3. That sin as well placed him on the cross
               4. That sin as well put him to death
               5. Our hearts must break at the thought, for to put him, our beloved, to death is more heinous than killing our children or our wives. yet we do it every day.
            3. And every sin you commit must move you to tears of gratitude 
               1. For Christ paid for that one as well
               2. Christ shielded you from God's wrath with his own body for that one as well
               3. All that you deserve came upon him.

   All this you should keep in mind as we go to the second major point (and the third is really a conclusion more than a point itself.) Hear what your sin deserves, what your Savior suffered for you, and what you have been spared by his death as your substitute:
    

2. The Humiliation and Suffering 
   1. The Anticipation 
      1. 22.42 "Take this cup away from me"--Christ knew what he had to look forward to better than you and I understand it, even looking back.
      2. 22.43ff. Even with the help of an angel to strengthen him, he sweats so intensely that it appears as drops of blood.
      3. Even here, he begins to shed his own blood, to pay the dreadful curse for you soul
   2. B. The Desertion 
      1. 22.46--The disciples sleep. They can't even accompany him in prayer. He is utterly alone.
      2. 22.47,48--Judas, whom he has called as a friend and an apostle kisses him to hand him over
         1. Jesus knew Judas would betray him
         2. But that didn't make it easier. Here was one he had taken into his confidence, had taught and loved and traveled with.
      3. Peter denies him three times 
         1. The Lord then turns and looks at him (22.61)
         2. If Peter wept bitterly, how much more bitter was it to the one being denied?
   3. The Shame 
      1. 22.63ff.--They mock him as a prophet. (Children)
      2. 22.66ff--They hold utter contempt for him as the Christ, the Son of the living God.
      3. 23.1ff--They lie about him to Pilate and subject him to a human judge 
         1. He the Lord of all the earth
         2. Pilate should not have passed sentence on the One who will one day pass sentence on him
      4. 23.6--So Pilate subjects the divine king to a human King Herod
      5. 23.18,19--They hate him so much they prefer to have released Barabbas who has committed the crimes of which Christ is accused, and murdered beside.
      6. 23.33--They divide his garments
      7. 23.35ff--mockery 
         1. The rulers and the people mock
         2. The soldiers mock
         3. The inscription mocks
         4. The thief mocks
   4. The Agony 
      1. And in the midst of all this he endures physical and spiritual pain
      2. Physical pain 
         1. He struggles for breath and longs for water.
         2. His back screams with pain from the earlier whipping.
         3. His head remembers the imprint of the thorns
         4. He is weary; he has had no sleep.
         5. Take him down from the cross and he would probably die anyway.
         6. He is poured out like water; his bones are out of joint; his heart is like wax that melts within him; his strength is dried up like a piece of pottery; his tongue clings to his jaws; he is brought to the dust of death. Dogs surround him; the congregation of the wicked encloses him. They pierced his hands and his feet; he can count all his bones.
         7. At last, with a great cry, he dies.

         And that is only a picture of the real terror that is going on

      3. Spiritual pain and death 
         1. The Holy One, who knew no sin is defiled by sin--yours and mine 
            1. It clings to him like the slime of blood and dust
            2. It disgusts him; he is an object of horror not merely to men but to the angels
            3. What have you done to him?
         2. The Father turns his back (for he cannot dwell with sin) 
            1. What is the mockery of men in comparison?
            2. He is stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God himself, the one with whom he had all his life enjoyed the sweetest, most intimate fellowship.
            3. What is the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter to this?
            4. My God, My God, why have You forsaken me!
            5. The eternal torments of hell, of the wrath of God pour down upon him
3. The Conclusion 
   1. For you he did this. For you who have dared to hope in him.
   2. And he succeeded 
      1. Truly this was a righteous man
      2. The veil of the temple is torn in two
      3. He has gained access for you into the most holy place
   3. Oh! Dare to hope in him 
      1. Come and be like Barabbas, that the life of this king should be exchanged for your filthy, worthless life
      2. Come and be like the thief on the cross, on the verge of bearing the penalty for your sins, yet transferring those sins to the Savior, and hearing the assurance that you will be with him in paradise.
   4. All of you, come and be like Simon of Cyrene 
      1. Take up the cross and follow him
      2. And at the top of that hill, you will not die on that cross, he will. 
         1. Christ has already suffered the ultimate penalty on your behalf
         2. What can you not suffer in this life with that knowledge?
         3. And what can you not hope? 
            1. Your sins are paid for
            2. Your entrance into heaven has been gained
            3. Nothing in heaven or on earth can revoke the transaction that took place at Golgotha on your behalf. Come rest in Christ and be content.

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