Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning.

Please take your Bible and turn with me to .

That is where we will begin for this morning.

Last week we began our Easter series titled, IT’S ABOUT THE CROSS, by looking at the central importance that the cross of Christ had both for Jesus and for the apostles as well.

This week, as we continue our series, we will consider who it is that is responsible for Jesus’ death.

We will look at things from the human perspective as well as from the divine perspective.

My desire is that we each come to grip with the truth that we ourselves have some of the responsibility for Jesus’ death.

And that this truth will penetrate us to the very depth of our soul.

Let’s look first at the human perspective.

THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

As we consider the death of Jesus from the human perspective we need to look at from both a theological perspective and a temporal perspective.

Let’s begin by looking at the theological perspective.

THEOLOGICAL PLANE

Last week we looked at how the cross was of central importance to both Jesus and His Apostles.

Now let’s consider the question of why Christ died.

As we consider this we will see that Jesus’ death on the cross was due to two things, human wickedness and the set purpose of God.

Jesus Death Was Due to Human Wickedness

When we consider that Christ’s death was due to human wickedness there are at least two lines of thought that we can follow.

The one is from the theological perspective in that it was because of the wicked condition of man that Christ had to die.

The other is from the human perspective in that it was because of the wicked acts of certain first century men that Christ died.

Let’s deal with the human perspective first.The New Testament authors hold certain individuals as being complicit in the wrongful death of Jesus Christ.

First there is the religious leadership of Israel who were complicit in His death.

They sought to have Jesus killed for various reasons.

They charged Him with blasphemy which was in their minds a theological reason for seeking the death penalty for Jesus.

They also feared that the Romans would take away their homeland and Temple because of a potential riot among the peoples who wanted to take Jesus by force and make Him King.

They also did not like His association with people of low morals such as tax collectors and prostitutes.

Furthermore, they were envious of Jesus.

John Stott wrote:

​The Cross of Christ The Jewish People and Their Priests

Radical Corruption

What was the fundamental reason for the priests’ hostility to Jesus?

Was it entirely that they were concerned for political stability, doctrinal truth and moral purity?

Pilate did not think so.

He was not taken in by their rationalizations, especially their pretence of loyalty to the emperor.

As H. B. Swete put it, “He detected under their disguise the vulgar vice of envy.”

Stott went on to write that “envy is the reverse side of a coin called vanity.

Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself.”

Not only are the religious leaders of Israel held complicit in the death of Christ, but so was Pilate.

Pilate knew that it was out of envy that they were seeking for Jesus to be executed.

He was the one man who had the political power to put this wrongful death to a stop.

But he didn’t.

Three times he interviewed Jesus and found Him to be innocent, and yet he allowed this atrocity to proceed.Judas is also held complicit in the death of Jesus.

He was one of Christ’s closest associates.

He was His friend.

Judas was beside himself when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume — a blend that was so valuable that it could have been sold for a years worth of wages for a common worker.

And yet because he became disillusioned he betrayed the Lord for the sum of about three months wages.

The Jewish nation was also held complicit in the death of Christ.

When Pilate asked why the crowds wanted Jesus to be crucified since He was clearly innocent of any charge that would mandate death, the people that were in the crowd that day shouted all the louder for Jesus to be crucified.

In frustration, and perhaps in an attempt to make himself look good before God, Pilate ceremonially washed his hands with water indicating that he was innocent in regards to Jesus’ death.

And the crowd responded this way:

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And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!”

“Sin has so thoroughly infected us that no part of our being - mind, affections, or will — is free from the taint of sin.

We are totally dead spiritually … Our inability is total, too, because their is absolutely nothing we can do to earn our salvation.”

(MacArthur, Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology, pg.

93).

From the theological perspective Jesus’ atoning death was the result of human wickedness.

It was the redemption price for he many who would by faith embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

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TEMPORAL PLANE

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

If sin had never entered the world then there would have been no need of an atoning sacrifice.

This brings us to consider our next point:

THE ROMANS

Jesus Death Was Due to the Set Purpose of God

There are many, many statements in Scripture that we could look as we consider the set purpose of God in regards to Jesus’ death.

But we will limit them to a few.

The Gospels do not describe the actual process of crucifixion

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The Gospels do seem to hint the Roman Soldiers took delight in being cruel

“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?

But for this purpose I came to this hour.

They were following orders, but they didn’t have to enjoy it so much

The Gospels emphasize that Pilate was convinced of Jesus’ innocence.

Three times he publicly declared that he found no guilt in Jesus.

The first is when he was first approached, shortly after daybreak:

We see in this an understanding on Jesus’ behalf as to why He had to die.

We also see a willing acceptance of the mission for which He came.

Earlier in John’s gospel Christ stated this:

The second time was after Herod had examined Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate:

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For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.

I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

This commandment I received from My Father.”

Writing in his first epistle Peter stated this:

​ NKJVknowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The third time was after the crowd shouted for Barabbas to be released, and Jesus to be crucified:

The Gospels also note just how much of a politician that Pilate really was, for he was unwilling to clearly commit either to Jesus’ guilt or to His innocence.

There are four specific evasions that are recorded for us in the Gospel accounts.

First, when Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee he tried to evade making the determination by sending Jesus to Herod, who was at that time in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.

A second way of evading the issue was to try giving Jesus part of the punishment, and then releasing Him.

A third type of evasion was to try to get the crowd to make the correct decision and ask for Jesus’ release.

Finally Pilate protested his innocence by washing his hands in regards to this matter.

This brings us to the next group of people that the N.T. writers held responsible for the death of Christ, the religious leaders of Israel.

THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF ISRAEL

Their were various charges against Jesus by the religious leaders of Israel, throughout His entire career.

They charged Him with blasphemy.

They charged Him with inciting riots.

They charged Him will a lack of morals since He associated with “sinners.”