Sermon: Sunday, 25th August, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: John 19:16-37
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, we read that, ‘At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan.’ (Mark 1:9) This was actually something shocking, as the river Jordan was the place sinners stood to have their sins symbolically washed away. Jews went there to repent of their wrongdoing. Jesus is standing where sinners ought to stand, even though he is perfect and without sin. Those polluted waters wash over his perfect body. What is Jesus telling us by standing in this river? That he will allow himself to be treated as a sinner, and receive what sinners deserve, in order to bring cleansing and eternal life to his people.
Now fast-forward three years to the end of Jesus’ ministry. Again, we find Jesus in the place of sinners (v18): ‘There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.’ John 19:18) To anyone watching on, it looks like Jesus is being punished for his own wickedness. There’s a row of three crucified men, with Jesus in the middle, the most prominent place, as if he is the worst of the lot. We remember the prophecy in Isaiah, ‘… and was numbered with the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) The words of Isaiah are coming true. Jesus is identified with rebels, with sinners. But these two men are not the same. One of the criminals begins to understand the difference between them. He says: ‘We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ (Luke 23:41) So, the criminals on either side of Jesus are getting what they deserve. Why then is Jesus, the perfect Son of God dying in such shame beside them? Isaiah gives us the reason: ‘… because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’ (Isaiah 53:12) Jesus is getting the punishment we deserve, in order to pay for our sin.
To our shame, we can get too used to the words ‘there they crucified him’. We’ve heard them a million times. But this is the most shocking event in all of human history. We know that crucifixion was so awful that Roman citizens could only be crucified with the explicit permission of the emperor. It was rare. It was a death designed to humiliate and designed to maximise the suffering of the victim. And as well as the unspeakable physical suffering, Jesus endures matchless spiritual suffering, as he becomes sin for us, and is forsaken by his Father. Jesus endures the wrath we ought to receive.
JC Ryle: ‘He that can read a passage like this without a deep sense of our debt to Christ, must have a very cold or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love of the Lord Jesus to sinners, when he could voluntarily endure such sufferings for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness of sin, when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed in order to provide redemption.’
1. The soldiers’ response to the cross
The soldiers in charge of the crucifixion are oblivious as to the identity of the one dying in the centre. They are also oblivious to the spiritual significance of what is happening. For them, it just seems like an ordinary day’s work. They had probably grown used to crucifying people. For them, Jesus seems like an irrelevant figure; just another trouble-maker getting what he deserves. They had already whipped him, dressed him up as a king to mock him, forced him to carry the crossbeam, nailed him to the cross and hoisted that cross above the ground. They have had their fun at Jesus’ expense and now they want to profit from his death by getting a material benefit – Jesus’ clothes. Each of the four soldiers would receive one item of clothing, but they decide to gamble for Jesus’ undergarment because it would have had little value ripped into four.
This is a tragic scene. These men are missing out on the most precious thing of all, the forgiveness of sin and receiving eternal life. And why? Because they are so distracted by amusing themselves and by living for the here and now. One of them would have received Jesus’ sandals, but missed out eternal life. Another might have received Jesus’ belt, but missed on his love. Still another might have drawn the largest lot, won the seamless garment, and gone home a happy man that day. But what lasting value would a garment give him? They are so near to Christ and yet so far. Today, many hear about Jesus being crucified but are oblivious to its importance. They are distracted by the here and now, by material possessions and by entertainment and social media.
The soldiers are a warning for us. When it comes to Jesus, do not be distracted. Jesus himself warns of this. ‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 5:27-29)
Here’s a challenge for you: are you so caught up in your work, or your own happiness, or your own family life, or your own plans that you are missing out on the true source of lasting joy, peace and life? If so, you are just like the soldiers here and that is a tragedy. Let’s not be like the soldiers, chasing material possessions. But rather, be like one of the dying criminals, who said, ‘Jesus, remember me, when you come into your Kingdom. Don’t live in God’s world, ignoring God.
John is keen for us to know that the soldiers might seem to be in charge of these events, but actually God is in charge. In the Psalms, Psalm 22, the division of Christ’s clothes had been prophesised about 1000 years before it happened: ‘They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.’ (Pslam 22:18) What does this tell us? It tells us that the cross is not an accident of history, but rather the eternal plan of God, in order to rescue lost souls and bring us into his family.
The division of Jesus’ clothes is also a reminder of just how humiliating crucifixion was. The victim would be stripped naked in order to heap shame upon them.
John Calvin: ‘Christ was stripped of His garments that he might clothe us with His righteousness. His naked body was exposed to the insults of men that we might appear with glory before the judgment seat of God.’
Again, here we have the wonderful swap which takes place at the cross – Jesus takes our shame and guilt in order to cover ours and make us whole. ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Corinthians 5:21) We can think of the words of the well-known hymn; And can it be:
‘No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus and all in him is mine;
alive in Him my living head;
and clothed in righteousness divine.
2. Jesus’ matchless compassion and care
In contrast to the four soldiers, we have the four women. The men have run away; however, the women remain faithful to the end. This is often the case in the church. They are tenacious in their devotion to Christ. John focuses on the words Jesus speaks both to Mary and to John himself: ‘When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.’ (John 19:26-27)
Jesus’ compassion really is remarkable. Even amidst the awful pain and suffering Jesus was enduring, he thinks of others. He has time to speak with one of the criminals on the cross and saves him. He prays for those who crucified him. And here, he ensures that his mother will be provided for through the help of John.
D Macleod: ‘Jesus shows sensitivity to others, even at the height of his own pain.’
It’s so easy to take our pain out on others. It’s easy for pain to blinker us, so that we are consumed by our own needs and blind to the needs of other. Not so with Jesus. This incident is a window into his heart and it is a heart of tenderness and love.
What has this got to do with us today? Well, Jesus’ love for us is the same today.
JC Ryle: ‘The heart that even on the cross felt for Mary, is a heart that never changes. Jesus never forgets any that love Him, and even in their worst estate remembers their need. No wonder that Peter says: ‘cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you.’
Mary was going through enormous pain watching her son being crucified. It’s hard to appreciate the extent of her grief. When Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon says to Mary: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’ (Luke 2:34-35) Now that sword is now piercing Mary’s soul. But Jesus cares and will provide.
Whatever you’re going through just now, try and remember that Jesus loves you. He cares and provides for us. He cares for his spiritual family deeply. ‘Then he looked at those seated in a circle round him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’ (Mark 3:34-5)
Sometimes, family and friends are too preoccupied with their own lives and lack compassion and love. Jesus is never too preoccupied. He’s never too busy. He’s never too caught up in important matters to care. His ears are always listening to our prayers, and he always answers them according to what is best for us! Is this your view of God? A God of matchless compassion. He is one who is deeply concerned for each and every one of his sheep. What an encouragement to pray!
3. Jesus’ victory cry: ‘It is finished.’
Just before Jesus gives up his spirit and dies, he declares, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30) This is one word in Greek – tetelesti. The obvious question to ask, is: what was finished?
This word was often used when something difficult has been completed, and accomplished, and it has come to an end leaving us with a real sense of satisfaction. The most obvious example in the ancient world was when the last payment of a mortgage is given, and the house is now yours, with nothing left to pay, and ‘tetelesti’ is stamped on the paperwork. I once had that feeling having climbed Ben Nevis, making it back to the car, and being able to pull off my walking boots, and thinking – it is finished! Job done. Jesus has finished something much more significant than a tough hill-walk. It’s also more significant than a mortgage, but like a mortgage it does involve a debt – a moral one.
Jesus’ cry from the cross is his declaration that he has finished all the work required to save us. He has lived the perfect life that we have failed to live, and that Adam failed to live. And he has paid for our sin in his once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. ‘It is finished.’ = I have completed my mission to die for the sins of my people. Jesus does not say, ‘I am finished.’ and then die – as if he is totally spent. He says, ‘It is finished.’ We see from Matthew and Mark that Jesus cries out his last words in a loud voice. It is a victory cry.
God is a merciful God who longs for everyone to be saved – but the problem is that he is also holy. Our wrong actions, thoughts and attitudes get us into debt with God because it is his laws we break. And so, through our lives we get more and more into debt. It is a debt we cannot pay. But Jesus, by living the perfect life which we could never live, and by dying on the cross as a sacrifice for sinners, has done everything necessary to pay off our moral debt. There is nothing which can be added to what he has done. There is nothing else required, other than for us to receive this gift!
Gary Burge: ‘Jesus’ victory is the basis of our security. My confidence in God and the assurance of my salvation cannot be anchored in my religious performance. ‘It is finished.’ What was needed to satisfy God ought to satisfy us as well. This is the good news of the gospel.’
As Christians, this sacrifice is what we rely on. Christianity is first and foremost about what God has done for us to pardon our debt, and not what we can do for God for pardon- we can do nothing. All God requires of us is to turn from sin to God, and receive Jesus’ free gift of pardon. Jesus said, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (John 6:29)
This means that my sin has been dealt with once and for all. Not one drop of wrath will fall on us.
‘My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!’
We are now at peace with God. Jesus has saved us: and there is nothing we can add to this. He did it all. He paid it all. How does God feel about you today? Is he angry? Disappointed? Disapproving. See failure? No! If you rest on what Jesus did on the cross – paying off our moral debt of sin – he sees his forgiven and clean children.
‘As dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.’ (Ephesians 5:1-2)