(Text and Audio)
Title: Is This The End?
- Parallel observations
Mark: Almost word for word identical to Matthew
Luke 23:32-36
There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”
The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
-Here we see Jesus asking the Father to forgive those responsible for, and currently mocking his situation.
-How often do we get furious and plot revenge over something someone simple SAID to our about us?
John: Does not record information about either the two robbers, or the people on the ground ridiculing him (most likely because this was information in the synoptic Gospels.) But John does include the only account of Jesus telling young John (I think I said Peter last week, mistakenly) to take care of his mother after he is gone.
John 19:25-27
25 Now beside the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
2. There are Two distinct groups here that Matthew identifies
First their are the “common people” (read 39-40).
They blaspheme Jesus and challenge him with the charge that ultimately put Jesus on the cross. “If you are so powerful to destroy the temple and raise it again in three days, surely you have the power to get yourself down off that cross!”
The second group is even more despicable, because they are the religious leaders, they are the pious ones, they are the examples to others Jews. (read 41-43)
Yet their behavior is even more abhorrent. They mock him for saving others, yet being powerless to save himself. They question his Kingship. They exclaim, “If He really belongs to God, then God will acknowledge him and spare him!”
Both of these groups are saying the same thing using different words:
“Jesus, reveal yourself to us, ON OUR TERMS, and then we will believe you.”
(Can anyone think of modern day parallels where both believers and non believers do this very same thing?)
Observations:
- Had Jesus not already done enough to prove his divinity?
- The proof they were asking for (come down from the cross) was not as powerful as the proof they were going to get SPOILER ALERT: (coming out of the tomb after dying).
- Was the result of the cross (victory over death) going to be enough proof for them? For some, yes. For most, no. Never underestimate a human being’s ability to rationalize something they just don’t want to believe.
At it’s most basic level what we are really talking about is this conflict:
Setting your own standards
vs.
Measuring the evidence that is already present
Ironically, the Scribes suggested that if God APPROVED of Jesus, He would bring him down off the cross as VALIDATION of Jesus.
3 Thoughts on this:
- He already approved Jesus at the Transfiguration.
- It was GOD’S plan (Genesis 3) that Jesus go to the cross to defeat sin.
- Jesus’s death on the cross was NOT about God’s unloving dismissal of his one true son. It WAS about his loving, gracious, acceptance of US as adopted sons and daughters and heirs to the Kingdom, who could ONLY be saved by the blood of divine royalty.
In other words, the Scribes, the experts in the law, missed it just as much as the common folk. They looked at Jesus as the cross and said, “This is your punishment from God for your blasphemy!”
God looks at his Son on the cross and says to the Scribes, Pharisees, and common folk “This is your punishment that you could NEVER pay. This is YOUR ONLY path to experience my grace and forgiveness!”
Fortunately, we know, the story of sin and us isn’t over.
The end of this story is not Jesus, dead on a cross.
The end of the story is not the empty tomb.
The end of the story, for sin, is told clearly in Revelation 19, try to keep your eyes dry as I remind you of how this all ends:
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,[b] followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.