The Life of Christ: His Crucifixion
The Life of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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Big Idea
Big Idea
Tension: Why was Christ crucified rather than Barabbas?
Resolution: In order to substitute for him.
Exegetical Idea: Christ was crucified rather than Barabbas because he was his substitute.
Theological Idea: Barabbas shows us that Christ is the substitute for sinners.
Homiletical Idea: Christ was crucified so we would not have to be.
Introduction: There are two things we have a hard time stomaching.
Introduction: There are two things we have a hard time stomaching.
There are two things we have a hard time stomaching.
First, we have a hard time stomaching when a guilty man is declared innocent. In his classic book, Whatever Became of Sin, the psychologist Karl Menninger lamented that the language of guilt and responsibility had virtually disappeared from modern conversation. It seemed that modern society had absolutely no stomach for concepts of justice and condemnation. Well, I think that the events of recent years have proved that this is not totally true. If Christians can learn anything from the Arab Spring, the Black Lives Matter and the Metoo movement, we can learn that justice and the desire for justice to be meeted out to those who have caused harm is a powerful animating force. Our culture has come back with a vengeance saying, “It is not right when someone does something wrong and they go away innocent.” We have a hard time stomaching when a guilty man is given clemency.
Secondly, we have a hard time stomaching when an innocent man is condemned. There is something about innocent people that causes our hearts to leap in empathy. Kenneth Rose was a lawyer for two young men who were condemned for the rape and death of a young child, Henry and Leon McCullom. They were coerced to confess by police, and driven insane on death row for twenty years. Trial after trial and appeal after appeal repeatedly condemned these two young men. Finally, they were exonerated by DNA evidence and allowed to walk free after being wrongfully imprisoned for twenty years. When we hear stories like these, it makes our hearts sink and then leap when they are finally released. For his part, Kenneth Rose said that he laid awake at night wondering how many more innocent people waited in prison, but would never be released.
Tonight I want us to think about two men, one guilty, one innocent. One set free, the other sent to death. One was justified, the other condemned. And I want us to think about how poignant this story is as we come to meditate on the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ was innocent.
Christ was innocent.
First, let us think about the innocent man, Christ himself.
Jesus who is called the Christ: Jesus is twice called the “christ”
It was out of envy they delivered him up
His wife sent word to him
He was caught in the schemes of the Pharisees
What evil has he done?
“I am innocent of this man’s blood”
Scourged Jesus
We are sinners.
We are sinners.
A “notorious” villain:
Barabbas
This is true for all of us
Viz: Jordan Peterson
Christ was innocent.
Christ was innocent.
Christ was crucified so we would not have to be.
Christ was crucified so we would not have to be.
Barabbas’ penalty was almost certainly to be crucified
Christ would have almost certainly have been released
Christ receives Barabbas’ penalty
This was to portray the gospel for all of us: Christ was crucified so we would not have to be.
Christ took your sins upon himself. Will you take his righteousness upon yourself?