MPC 14th April 2006.April 14 - Luke 23:13-43 - "Jesus: Beyond Assumptions"
Garnet Swann MPC 14th April 2006.
It's basically entered folklore now, but the story goes - in the 1930s in the US, three young guys hopped on a bus to catch a ride. They were pretty tough, didn't mind a fight, so when they saw a man dressed in a track-suit and beanie sitting alone at the back, they thought they'd have some fun.
They went up to this man and at first they made a few jokes about him amongst themselves, but he just sat there, didn't say a word. So they took it up a notch. They then start insulting direct to his face - still he just sat there - didn't flinch at all. Now they kept pushing, hoping to start a fight because they knew he was just one guy and they were three. But nothing they did seemed to get a reaction.
Finally the bus came to this man's stop. He then got up. And as he got up - the young fellows realised he was much MUCH bigger than they thought. He looked down at the young boys, reached inside his pocket, and gave them his card, then walked out of the bus.
The three guys huddled around the card to see what this quiet but large man had given them. The card read this: Joe Louis. Professional Boxer. These three boys were trying to pick a fight with the man who was going to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
Now the story just proves a point for me - and that is - be careful with the assumptions you make. Be very careful with the assumptions you make.
And it strikes me there are a lot of people who hold views about Jesus - you know - everyone's got an opinion - everyone has a take on who he was. But are they just assumptions - rather than what could be said - conclusions that come from at least a half decent investigation?
It seems to be that assumptions about Jesus come from lots of places. With The Da Vinci Code conspiracy thing that's going around - that's influenced people to think in a certain way. Assumptions about Jesus might form as a result of the media coverage that's been given this week to the manuscript known as the Gospel of Judas. You might have seen something about that on TV. You know - assumptions about Jesus exist just because of the religiousness of this weekend. Because of Easter - various images of Jesus are put forward in the media.
Images are powerful aren't they - when you look at those pictures - what sort of a Jesus comes to your mind?
Well, this morning - I want to put the challenge out there to have a look at Jesus beyond the assumptions. I want us to have a look at Jesus using one of the earliest documents we have to examine Him - and that is the book in the bible known as the gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Judas that's been getting press in the news this week was written in the 200s AD - so the experts say. The gospel of Luke was written around 70-80AD. I take it from those numbers we would do well to consider what Luke's record of Jesus has to tell us.
And the passage we're looking at from Luke's gospel is what's printed there in your piece of paper that you received when you came in this morning. And it's a record of Jesus' death. Let's read it.
That's what Luke has to say about Jesus' death. And if we want to get beyond the assumptions - mere opinions about Jesus - this very early record of Jesus' death tells us some important things that are well worth considering.
We're going to look at three things from this passage.
The first thing we see - is that Jesus who's led to his death, executed by crucifixion - is presented as someone who didn't deserve this death; that is, who was innocent.
We see it right through this account - particularly from the lips of the Roman governor who ruled in Jerusalem at the time. His name was Pilate and he says there in v 14 - "I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him".
The situation was that the people of Jerusalem had basically turned on Jesus - wanted to get rid of him. Came up with some trumped up charges that he was disturber of the peace. So it's interesting - the people are demanding Jesus' death - but Pilate, who's the judge, takes on the role of his defender.
We see it there in v 20:
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.
We see it there in v 22:
For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty."
You know, the Roman historian Tacitus - writing in around 100AD - said this:
Christians derived their name from a man called Christ, who, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius had been executed by sentence of the governor Pontius Pilate...
Tacitus was a Roman official. Like a good bureaucrat he simply states the facts of the event - Jesus was executed by Pilate. But Luke, who draws on eye witnesses, fills in more of the detail and tells us that when it came to the crunch Pilate did it against his own will. He knew Jesus was innocent but eventually gave into the wishes of others.
And the surprising thing in all this is that though Jesus was innocent in going to his death, he was also willing in going to his death as well. See, there's no protest by Jesus about his innocence.
In 1993, a man in Texas was executed by lethal injection. As he lay on the table he yelled out these words, I am innocent, innocent. Make no mistake about his. I owe society nothing. I am an innocent man and something very wrong is taking place tonight. Haunting words.
But with Jesus' innocence - there's no protesting. There's no desperate shouts - he could have - he'd have the right to. But there's a calmness to Him. There's a willingness to go to his death. In fact earlier on Jesus said he must go and die - it's his mission. We'll come back to this, but for now let's just see that this Jesus was innocent and he died willingly.
Let's move onto the second point.
And that is, we see that Jesus was the man who claimed to be the Christ. Now we need to understand that Christ was not Jesus' second name like Grandpa Christ, and Uncle Christ. It was a title.
And in this case we see that it was a title - that the people threw back in Jesus' face - in mockery and sarcasm as he hung on the cross.
We see it there in v. 35; the Jewish rulers say:
He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.
We see it there at v. 39 - incredibly from a criminal who was being crucified on the same day -
Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!
Now, the Christ was a title meaning the 'Anointed'. And it was the Jewish expectation - contained in their sacred writings - that this Anointed, this Christ, would come as God's own representative to rule and rescue his people.
I guess in our time there is no single person that all of society looks forward to coming with baited breath. The Queen came to town last month - drew a crowd.
But in Israel at this time, at all levels of the society - it was the conversation topic of the moment - the Christ - the one promised from God - spoken of in our Scriptures is about to arrive. And their interpretation of these Scriptures was that he would come to free the Jews from Roman oppression. The Christ was going to come with power and might and bring military conquest, restore Jewish pride. The Christ was going to come and as we would say today - in modern jargon - 'kick some butt'.
And so it is for this reason they cruelly mock him. You claimed to be the Christ- yeah right. Save yourself then. The Christ isn't a victim. The Christ is the victor. You claimed to be the Christ - but it's denied by the very fact that you're hanging on a cross.
You know - even in the ancient world - people interpreted this so called Christ's crucifixion as proof for the folly of Christianity. What sort of a ruler-saviour figure ends up on a Roman cross?
The cross was an instrument of shame. This Roman execution method was so awful and demeaning a law was passed that Roman citizens could not be crucified.
In 62 AD, the Roman philosopher - a guy by the name of Seneca described the common practice of crucifixion like this:
Can anyone be found who would prefer wasting away in pain dying limb by limb or letting out his life drop by drop, rather than expiring once for all? Can any man be found willing to be fastened to the accursed tree, long sickly, already deformed, swelling with ugly scars on shoulders and chest, drawing the breath of life amid long-drawn-out agony? He would have many excuses for dying even before mounting the cross. (Seneca to Lucilius, Epistle 101).
You know, we see it in the movies - when those with power find themselves in trouble, they use their power to get out of trouble. The meteor is about to hit, or the aliens are about to land - who's the first on the helicopter out of there? The president. He doesn't hang around to get zapped does he?!
So Jesus couldn't be the Christ - the anointed - God's representative come to earth - he wouldn't allow himself to be subjected to such cruel agony and death.
Or maybe Jesus is the Christ - he is who he says he is - it's just that he's come for a very different purpose than most of these Jewish people expected. Perhaps Jesus the Christ hasn't come to be the military hero come to release Israel from their oppressors - but someone who's come to give a different sort of rescue and freedom altogether.
And I now want to look at our last point. And that is - Jesus is the man who saves. He may not be the military saviour - but he's so much better. He's come to save people from their own rebellion and sin against God. He's come to bring people back into relationship with God so that can enjoy eternal life forever.
And we see it with this incredible conversation that goes on between Jesus and one of the criminals who was hung along with him. We just had one of the criminals abuse Jesus. But it says there at v. 40:
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God", he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong". The he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise".
It's an incredible moment. Amidst all the mockery and scorn - this man expresses something very different. He expresses faith. Faith that Jesus is innocent. And faith - that Jesus is the Christ. Remember me when you come into your kingdom - he says. See, he acknowledges that he is the ruler, he is one sent from God, he has come with God's power.
And the promise that Jesus gives - you will be with me in paradise - is something that Jesus, right through his life, was talking about. He was always making clear - I'm not establishing an army. But I am about establishing a people who know God's mercy, and can enjoy eternal life.
The reality behind Jesus' promise of paradise is that Jesus' understood the opposite of that paradise. He understood that people are in deep trouble with God. Because of sinfulness, their selfishness - I think that sums up what sin is - they have to face up to God. And when you face up to God and his anger you can never win.
But Jesus' promise speaks of the mercy of God for those who would put their trust in Him. In fact - Jesus' own willing death is Him mercifully absorbing God's anger and punishment in our place. Jesus dies so that other can ultimately live. That's why Jesus can say to the man who put his trust in Him - you will be with me in paradise.
Now, notice that it was in his last hour of life when this man received this promise from Jesus. There wasn't any time to pay restitution. There wasn't any time to give an apology to those he wronged. No time to get rehabilitated in society. To receive the promise of paradise forever - there was nothing he could do - except place his trust in Jesus, trust that Jesus was the Christ. Trust that Jesus can save. Jesus brought this man salvation by being punished by God in his place. And so the promise came - you will be with me in paradise.
Well, that's our look at what Luke has to say about Jesus' death. Perhaps our look at Jesus this morning has gone beyond your assumptions. If so - that's a good thing. It's always good not to rest on opinion and vague theories but go to check out the facts for yourself.
But I just want to end with us thinking about the impact that this Jesus has for us.
You know - we looked at it before - Tacitus - the Roman historian who gave that line Christians derived their name from a man called Christ, who, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius had been executed by sentence of the governor Pontius Pilate.
And it's true. That's why Christians were first called by that name - they took Jesus the Christ as their leader. They said - our allegiance is to Jesus the Christ. We follow His word in life. And you know - it changed their life. It made them different. In the first couple of centuries after Jesus' death the Roman empire was so suspicious of Christians and the different sort of life they were living - it actually cost many Christian's their life. In that sense, they really did follow Jesus didn't they?
But it is always important to know - that as you see Christians live their lives - as you have opportunity to hear Christian people talk about Jesus - and that's what I'm doing here this morning isn't? - it's very important to know that as you observe Christians - what they do and say - we are all to know that we're just like that criminal on the cross. He didn't do anything to earn God's mercy. There was no spiritual sweat that he worked up to please God enough. He had no reason to be proud and pious. There was nothing he did really. All he did was put his trust in Jesus and Jesus saved him. He was simply a recipient of God's mercy. And that is all every Christian person is today.
And it's the same with us. I'm up here talking and can I say it's like one beggar speaking to other beggars - saying - I've found the man who will give us bread. There's no pride in that. Just deep thankfulness.
A little while ago I saw a TV documentary about medical technology. A man was interviewed who spoke of his desperate hope for a heart transplant. He was clinging to the chance that a heart might come available before his own packs it in.
The interviewer asked him "How do you feel about the fact that for you to live, someone has to die?" In response, the man just sat there, and then his lower lip began to quiver and his eyes welled with tears. He said "I have no idea how to answer that". His head dropped, then he said "I would probably pray for that person - every day, for the rest of my life".
I take it that for that man, every time he felt his new heartbeat, it would be a reminder of what he had been given, and at the cost that it came.
Well, if that man says he is to be thankful for being given a heart for this life, how thankful can we be for being given paradise for eternity?
For those people here who know that that they haven't received and accepted Jesus - please consider this man who really does go beyond all our assumptions. All we need to do - like that criminal on a cross - is to place our trust in Jesus and accept that in his death - we are given mercy. And we have paradise with God forever.