Sermon: For a Rebel

and Luke chapter 23 and Echoes what? We already heard from the Apostle John. Told her Byron Lane read this is Luke's account and chapter 23. So if we think back just prior. To his going to the cross.

Verses 18 through 25. I'm going to read.

But they all cried out together away with this man. released to us Barabbas men who had been thrown into prison for an Insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more Desiring to release Jesus. They kept shouting crucify him. crucify him Third time he said to them why? But evil has he done? I have found in him. No guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. But they were urgent demanding with loud cries

that he should be crucified. and their voices prevailed so pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for Insurrection and murder. for whom they asked but he delivered Jesus over to their will

begins our little passage here and these few verses with they all. cried out together The exercise One Voice according to the one will that they had as a crowd that was gathered there? And it's a good picture of humanity as a whole. That is we possess a common voice. as human beings it was born into this world as children of Adam and there is one cry that marks all of us. The cry not so different from this day before Pilate the

cry we could say is away with God. Or as a crowded here away with the God man way with this man. The desire is less that Barabbas be set free and it's more that Christ. The God man would be crucified as he stands before them. But I what I want to do to start with this think about Barabbas and think about why it is that Luke takes these verses the detail about this man. We're told in verse 19 that he was quote a man who had been thrown into prison for

Insurrection started in the city and for murder. He is quantifiably a rebel. And he is a murderer. This is not a good man. This is not the kind of man that you would want to invite over for your Easter dinner this weekend. This is surely not the kind of man that you would want your daughter dating. This is probably even the kind of man that if he was your son that you would be embarrassed of him. He is nothing if not guilty.

And he is ripe for judgment.

He's right for the Judgment of death or capital punishment in the Roman world of this time and as you know capital punishment in the Roman world this time was done by crucifixion. And so pilate faces a problem. He has a criminal he has a man that has led an Insurrection against the Roman Empire that pilate serves. And a man that has committed murder. And so both before Roman law and before Jewish law, this is a man that should be executed and

put to death the Roman and Jewish law Demand Action here.

And then we have Jesus. This man whom pilate has no desire to take action against because he finds no reason. To take action against him. It was tradition to release one prisoner. So when pilate addresses the crowd he is hopeful that they will cry out for Jesus to be set free and for pilate to be Are for Barabbas to be put to death. And instead the crowds One Voice. echoes that most haunting I think chant and all of history.

crucify crucify him

he comes to them again. He says why. That's the question why? And then he follows it up with what evil has he done?

The contrary Christ has not done evil. He has done good.

He is a man that has walked among them. He has taught the truth. He has healed the sick. He is made the lame to walk. Is made the blind to see he has made the deaf hearing he has made the dumb to speak. He was an extender of mercy and extender of Grace and extender of love. He looked on the crowds with great compassion. And mercy, he said that they were like sheep without a shepherd.

even Pilate he was no benign man. Is clear and his assessment of Jesus? I have found no guilt deserving death. verse 22

Luke makes it clear throughout this entire chapter of the complete and utter innocence of Christ. He's going to do it over and over again if we just take pilate statements in verse 4 pilate says I find no guilt in this man. In verses 14 and 15 pilate then informs a chief priests and the elders that he found no guilt in Christ, and neither did Herod who piloted shipped Jesus off to Four Season pilate declares his innocence again in verse 15

by saying look nothing deserving death has been done by him. Then we read in verse 20 pilate addressed them once more Desiring to release Jesus. And then finally we get to verse 22 a third time. He says to them why what evil has he done? I have found no guilt deserving death.

My mind when I read this it races back to the Garden of Eden. And all that Adam and Eve enjoyed in that Garden they were formed by God for God. they have all of creation or given the chief blessing of being created in the image of God. He gave them purpose and ruling creation and spreading His Image across the Earth. They were granted freedom to freedom to enjoy every tree in the Garden of Eden. except one fruit to the tree of the knowledge of Good and

Evil. And they thought they would gain. a eating from the fruit of that tree They desired to be the determiners of Truth. To decide what was good and what was evil?

They wanted to be God. And so they had rejected God.

And you think back to the Garden of Eden as there was no reason to reject God. He had shown them nothing, but goodness.

What evil had he done to them? What good had kept from them? It is a utter shocking rejection in order to embrace sin.

And that's the same picture on the Good Friday. It's a shocking rejection of the god man in order to embrace and crucify crucify him. Why what evil has he done?

I found in him no guilt deserving dove.

Here's the sober in reality about Good Friday.

Is that you and I are supposed to find our voice in the crowds voice?

the answer with one voice

We're all children of Adam. There is none who does good? No, not even one. There is none who seeks after God. We're all prone to worship. So inclined to it from our birth were desirous to pull God off of his throne. We were in the crowd as much as we were in Adam their cry is My Cry. Their cry is your cry.

But I'm not only to see myself in the crowd the crowd. I'm also to see myself in the guilt of Barnabas.

he was a rebel and a murderer and I'm a rebel. I'm a rebel in this world. There is none who seeks after God As Romans makes clear because the Mind Set On The Flesh just hostile toward God for it does not subject itself to the law of God for it is not even able to do so. Whereas Daniel says for we have rebelled against him.

I'm a murderer. You're a murderer Does Jesus say in The Sermon on the Mount you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. Whoever insults. His brother will be liable to the council. And whoever says you fool will be liable to the hell of Fire.

I am to see myself in the guilt of Barnabas. Would often happens as we look upon a scene like Good Friday and we see that crowd and we think how in the world could they ever get to that place? We look at Adam and Eve in the garden. We say why in the world would they ever choose that?

And it's because you and I don't recognize the depth of our own sin.

See myself. And the voice of the crowd I'm to see myself and the guilt of Barnabas. But here's what makes this Good Friday. I'm to see myself. As well as a Christian I am to see myself in the substitute of Christ. I'm identified with him.

Barnabas rightfully deserving death receives life Jesus rightfully deserving life receives death Christ atoning for sin becomes our atonement his sacrifice becomes our sacrifice his death becomes or death. We die with Christ. And we are set free like Barnabas.

As Paul said I have been crucified with Christ. So if you are in Christ, it is true for you as he wrote to Timothy is a trustworthy statement for if we died with him. We will also live with him their voices my voice his guilt is my guilt but here's the good news his death. Meaning Jesus is his death is my death.

The innocence is condemned. And the guilty goes free.

Was reading this week. A poem and that's what I want to close with meditating upon this. All morning this morning.

I thought oh I just want to share it with you instead of some of the other things that I was going to bring out. I want to read this to you is written by. Conservative Anglican writer in our day. He just wrote it this week, I believe. And I thought it beautifully pictures this reality about three minutes. Sit on a Friday morning some 2000 years ago. God planted a tree East of Eden for the healing of the Nations. That middle cross was quite literally the Crux

of everything. The Cross of Christ was the hinge of human history. The axis Mundi the center upon which the cosmos turns. Here is the focal point of all of time and space one little lonely Mountain Cold galgotha. On that shape skull-shaped hill outside the city walls the world gathered to hold Court. Jews with the ancient Creeds were there Greeks with their talent for culture. Were there Romans with their thirst for Conquest were there indeed the

whole world was there? And these complicit Souls were all as Adams and Eve's coming yet again to the Fateful tree believing lies concerning the goodness of God. Calvary was an intentional collusion as men conspired together to murder their maker. The jury deliberated and reached its verdict. We will not have this man to rule over us. As one they pronounce the sentence thus Good Friday became Judgment Day. Stunned Angels were kept from drawing their flaming swords

only by a commanding look from the emerald throne. The son holding its Integrity when men did not hit its face at their shame. The universe went silent at the audacity of it all the sheer wrongness of it the Unspeakable villainy of it. What of the defendant? Did he have anything to say against the mob of insurrectionist bent on this decision? For this cause I was born. For this I have come into the world. to Bear witness to the truth

This is the beautiful irony of calvary. God was condemned by a lie in order to Bear witness to the truth. Allies so monstrously false that the only way to show the depth of its falsity was by submitting to it. And by submitting to the Judgment of the world the world was judged. On Good Friday both Heaven and Hell proclaim the same astonishing Evangel the startling news of the crucified God. The behest of Hell inspired men the

angel of death set as I upon the firstborn of God. This was the hour of the power of Darkness. from noon until three the curtain of death was draped over the world. The Rocks feeling more sympathy Than The stony-hearted Men Who trampled them rent themselves into at the awful scene. Then Darkness tighten the Shroud around the slumping figure. still he opened his mouth and neither protests nor malice. thus it was with eloquent silence that he pronounced the utter

falsity the Primeval lie. That nagging falsehood whichever decried the benevolence of God for the love, which led him to the Cross was infinitely more powerful than the hatred which nailed him there. The uncomfortable crime was in reality Heaven's own theodicy Gods answer to the problem of evil. Soon thought the darkness he will give up. A few more moments and he will hear that final whimper. He mused into my hands. He will commit his

broken spirit and with his last breath. He will utter those three defeated words. I am finished. The darkness failed to keep a close watch on the clock. Is our had come to an end. Now the time for the Judgment of the world now is the prince of this World cast out. The hour has come for the son of man to glorified and win and I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself father forgive them. Echo still.

Scandal continues a pace that Sinners are made righteous. By the very one whom they killed. Buried in the likeness of his death raised to walk in newness of Life seated with him in Heavenly places and made partakers of the divine nature. That I think is the final insult to Hell's injury. from the cross God offered the fruit of the life-giving tree to the Fallen sons of Adam say take eat and you shall become as God verily in

that day you eat thereof you shall live no wonder that in spite of everything. Still call this Friday good.

voice was there

it's guilt as your guilt. Do you understand that on this day if your faith is in Christ his death is your death? His righteousness is your righteousness. And his victory is your victory. And his life as we'll celebrate Sunday is your life.

That's why it's Good Friday.

to pray

father

we thank you for so great a Salvation. Forgive us that we think so little of our sin.

So what causes us to think so little of the cross?

Oh.

a beautiful Your Grace is

how unbelievable your compassion is. steadfast your love is

so we gaze upon the cross with fresh eyes. This afternoon and we say, thank you. Thank you for being such a great God of such a great salvation. And we give you praise. In Christ. Holy name we pray. amen