Luke 23:44-46

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44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. ~ Luke 23:44-46

The Lord Jesus was crucified at 9:00am on the Friday of Passover week. For the first three hours, the scene was dominated by the lesser characters in the story. At noon all of this changed. The most significant event in the history of this world took place when God split into time and paid the penalty for the sin of mankind.

In v.44 we read, "It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon."  The Jewish day began at approximately 6:00 a.m. Since they didn’t have clocks or watches, they didn’t tell time in hours and minutes and seconds, the hour varied in length at different seasons of the year, but the sixth hour was always when the sun was at its highest point in the sky.

At the beginning of v.45 we read, "for the sun stopped shining." Those three hours of darkness was not an eclipse, because that would have been impossible during the Passover season when there is a full moon. It was a God-sent darkness that shrouded the cross as the Son of God was made sin for all who would ever chose to believe that His death on the cross paid the debt for the sinfulness of mankind. It was reminiscent of when Israel was in Egypt, three days of darkness preceded the first Passover. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, three hours of darkness preceded His death.

Both Matthew 27:45–46 and Mark 15:33–34 record the Lord Jesus' cry at the close of the darkness. This was a quotation from Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The second law of thermodynamics in a relational sense came upon the humanity of Christ in that moment. He was left in isolation, separated from His Father and all that is substantive and good as He who had never sinned took sin squarely on.

According to John 19:30, the Lord Jesus cried with a loud voice, “It is finished!” This was the sixth of His seven sayings while on the cross and it was a declaration of victory. He had finished the work the Father gave Him to do. His work of redeeming mankind from the stronghold of sin was complete. The types and prophecies of the Old Testament were all sustained and fulfilled.

Then, according to v.46, "Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last." 

Of the seven statements of the Lord Jesus while on the cross, two of them were heartfelt prayers. In each of them, he addressed God as Father. His words from the cross began and ended with a prayer to the Father. He started by praying to the Father for the sake of those who were killing Him. He ended by praying to the Father in a radical statement of trust.

When the Lord Jesus breathed His last, the veil of the temple, according to Mark 15:38, was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The tearing of the veil announced the way into God’s presence was and is open for all who would come to God by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. No more do sinners need earthly temples, altars, sacrifices, or priests, for all of God's requirements have now been fulfilled in the finished work of the Son of God.

The ninth plague of Egypt was a plague of darkness for three days on the land. According to the Jewish Talmud darkness is a judgment reserved by God for human wickedness. This darkness was pregnant with meaning: it was a darkness of secrecy, wickedness, and judgment. The veil was sixty feet tall, thirty feet wide, and the thickness of a man's palm. Another gospel tells us it was ripped in two from top to bottom, not from bottom to top. No man could have tore such a veil. 

The saddest part of it all is that many will spend FOREVER in hell. They will do so because they have refused God's free gift of salvation through His Son who in just three hours, paid in full all the sins of everyone who have and will have existed on this earth. In just three hours an infinite amount of wrath was absorbed by the only infinite man.

Luke 23:39-43

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39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” ~ Luke 23:39-43

Today, we return to the cross of the Lord Jesus at Calvary on that Passover Friday in the spring of A.D. 30. Different from the other Gospel writers, Luke includes the story of the one thief who shows remorse for his sin. What results is none other than a major miracle. The miraculous conversion of this thief hanging on a cross next to the Lord Jesus is the center piece of today's text.

In v.39 we read, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" This first thief implored the Lord Jesus to do what the religious leaders and the people who were standing around the cross had asked the Lord Jesus to do ... "to save yourself." 

This request goes to the heart of all sin, the preservation and the proliferation of self. No matter how much we do for ourselves, we find ourselves miserable when we do. The reason is: we were not created to put self on the throne of our hearts. We are best defined when the Lord Jesus is on the throne of our hearts defining us. This is in line with the God-created order we find in His word.

Here is the One who gives life, who is life, who is about to physically die, so that those who are spiritually dead might be made alive to God. In not saving Himself, the Lord Jesus was able to save others, exactly opposite their assumption that He couldn’t save anybody because He couldn’t even save Himself. Life comes out of death. Knowledge comes out of ignorance.  Light dispels the darkness. 

In v.40-41 we read, "40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

What a contrast between these two. The first is a great host for sin and the other has been broken by his sin. As the hours passed on the cross, one of the two once devoted to violent robbery, changes his tune. All of a sudden, he turns to his friend and rebukes him for speaking out against the Lord Jesus. He then openly acknowledges his own sin. Then he confesses the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus, affirming His claim as the Son of Man. 

In v.41, like the prodigal, this man once ruled by sin came to his senses. This is where true repentance begins, when we come to our senses. He’s guilty, he’s aware of his sinfulness, he’s saying I am a sinner. This is the picture of true repentance. He’s not blaming the evil influences in his life. And, he had no way of bridging the gap between he and God.  He needed mercy and grace and he knew it. 

In v.42 we read, "Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." The thief was begging for forgiveness from the only One who could give it. This man had just heard the Lord Jesus pray, “Father, forgive them.” He knew enough about God to know that God was a forgiving God and now that he is clear on who the Lord Jesus is as the promised Messiah, he begged for forgiveness. He recognizes Jesus as the source of forgiveness and grace and mercy. The lure of self is strong, but the forgiveness of God is strongest. 

Then, in v.43 we read, "Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." Like the father running and kissing his prodigal son, the Lord Jesus guaranteed this man full reconciliation, full acceptance as a son of God. This thief hanging on this tool of condemnation was liberated by it for it was not until he hung on that cross that he entertained the most important question of all. This is where all prodigals ultimately end up, the fork between the Lord and self. That day this man encountered God for the first time in his life and it resulted in "today you will be with me in paradise." What a promise!

This was a man whose whole existence qualified him for hell. And, we are no different than he. I know, I know. We have not acted on our sinfulness in the same ways that he did, but we have the same corruption within. Like this man, in one moment the sovereign God swept down and gave us complete clarity on our wretched condition, and by the power of the Holy Spirit rescued us from ourselves and His divine judgment. The only way the Lord Jesus could save sinners like us was not to save himself.  

Luke 23:32-38

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32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. ~ Luke 23:32-38

In Isaiah 53:12 we learn that the Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors.” As our text indicates in v.32, "Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed." Two criminals were crucified on each side of the Lord Jesus. These men were robbers who used violence to rob people. Again, it was not that the Lord planned it this way. He knew that these men would choose to do these things beforehand, so He told us in advance.

In v.33 we read, "When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left."

The Lord Jesus was crucified at about 9 a.m. and remained on the cross until 3 p.m. According to Mark 15:25,33, from noon to 3 p.m. there was darkness over all the land. From our comparison of the four Gospels, the Lord Jesus spoke seven times during those six terrible hours. Luke recorded only three of these seven statements, the first, the second, and the last. The Lord Jesus' prayer for His enemies, and His ministry to a repentant thief, fit in well with Luke’s purpose to show Jesus Christ as the sympathetic Son of Man who cared for the needy.

According to v.34, while they were nailing Him to the cross, He repeatedly prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Not only did He practice what He taught, but, according to Isaiah 53:12, the Lord Jesus fulfilled prophecy by making “intercession for the transgressors.”

At the end of v.34 we read, "And they divided up his clothes by casting lots." When the people at Calvary cast lots for the clothing of the Lord Jesus, they fulfilled Old Testament prophecy as noted in Psalm 22:18. In addition, when they  mocked Him, Psalm 22:6–8 was fulfilled. And, when they offered Him vinegar to drink in v.36, they fulfilled Psalm 69:21. The word of God has never been proven false, in fact, every attempt to prove the Bible's veracity, it has proven to be true.

In v.35 we read, "The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One."

The people mocked the Lord Jesus for his claim to be the Messiah. Notice they don’t speak directly to the Lord Jesus.  In fact, there’s no record around the cross that they ever spoke to Him. They spoke to the crowd about Him. Their intention was to stir up the crowd, so they never address the Lord Jesus for themselves. This is the tactic of the Devil himself. He has always attempted to keep us from direct conversation with the Lord Jesus. This, in fact, is the answer, a personal relationship with God.

In v.36-37 we read, "36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." Wine was offered to the Lord Jesus three separate times. The gospels indicate the first time He was offered wine it was mixed with gall. The second time Christ was mocked as a king, and the third time wine was offered to Him as sour wine. The soldiers mockingly offered this wine to the Lord Jesus making fun of His kingship. 

In v.38 we read, "There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews." Historically when criminals were crucified, their crime was posted above them. And, since the Lord Jesus committed no crime there could be no crime posted over Him. According to John 19 Pilate decided an inscription would be put above the Lord Jesus. When the narrative from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are combined, it actually said, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” 

Finally, at the end of v.37, the soldiers requested of the Lord Jesus to "save Himself." The Lord Jesus did not come down from the cross, because, if He had, we would have no forgiveness for sin. According to Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death” and, according to Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” 

The Lord Jesus came that He might be the atoning sacrifice for sin, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God sent his Son into the world to be the propitiation, the satisfying sacrifice for our sins. If He had come down from the cross, we would still be under the curse and Law, and separated from God, deserving wrath for our sin against Him.

Luke 23:28-31

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28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” ~ Luke 23:28-31

We come to the portion in this narrative that the Lord Jesus speaks to the weeping women who were not the women who had followed Him so closely over the past few years. These were professional mourners. Their role was traditional, they mourned professionally. They were hired to do their duty. They were always counted upon when someone was going to be crucified by the Romans.

Their mourning included the pounding of their chests. It was their cultural way of showing the agony of death. Their weeping included verbal wailing. The scene was quite tragic. There was the bloodied body of the Lord Jesus, struggling to get to Calvary, assisted by a man who was confused to be caught up in this unjust moment. Then, there were the wails of these women who were beating their chests profoundly.

Clearly, not everyone hated the Lord Jesus, and these women represented the feelings of those who felt sad for the Lord Jesus, those who who found in the Lord Jesus a uniqueness who didn't deserve this moment. 

In v.28 we read, "Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children."

The title "Daughters of Jerusalem" is found in Zechariah 9:9 which reads, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 

The Lord Jesus speaks to those who had just a few days before this were shouting "Hosanna" from the hope that they were experiencing in their hearts. Now, they were finding that their joy had turned to mourning because they lacked the biblical understanding to recognize that the Messiah must suffer for the sins of the people. 

Very often, if we give the Lord just a little more time to reveal truth to us, it is then that we begin to get it. If Israel had just as much been aware of Zechariah 9:11 as they were Zechariah 9:9, the outcome would have been different. Zechariah 9:11 reads, "As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit."

The Lord Jesus implored these women to weep for themselves. Their sympathies were misdirected for they were the recipients of the wrath of God for their sins were not forgiven them. 

Notice the Lord Jesus did not give a final invitation to the people who were along the way. He rather pronounced a final doom on them. Their perspective was totally skewed. They didn’t get it. They needed to shed tears not for Him, but tears of terror and tears of fear and tears of remorse and tears of repentance for themselves in the light of the coming judgment of God.

In v.29-30 we read, "29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!"

When the Romans invaded Israel a few years after this occasion, the terror was so bad that they begged the mountains to fall on them. This was a reference to the invasion of the Romans in 70 A.D. And so, the hours of grace had gone fleeting away. There would be no more invitation to grace but only judgment. It was in John’s gospel that Jesus said, “Whoever believes not in me is condemned already because he does not believe.” 

The phrase in v.29, "Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed" was a strange beatitude that was the opposite of all Jewish hope. In their culture, the worst thing that could happen to a Jewish woman was to be barren. This was like a divine curse in their culture. Jesus was saying, "When the judgment of God falls, the destruction will be so vicious that those who have no children will have the least suffering." 

The words, “They will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” This is a quotation of Hosea 10:8. The prophet Hosea prophesied to the wayward northern kingdom which never had any good kings. From the outset, they were idolatrous, adulterous, and apostate. And so God pronounced judgment on the northern kingdom and it was in 722 B.C. that the Assyrians came and slaughtered them.

In v.31 we read, "For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" These are the Lord Jesus' final words as He stumbled to the cross. The green tree symbolizes life, fruitfulness, and blessing. If the Romans could do this to the giver of life, imagine what they will do to the nation of Israel which is like a dried twig, ready for judgment.

Luke 23:26-27

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26 And when they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. 27 Now following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and grieving for Him. ~ Luke 23:26-27

The earthly journey of the Lord to the cross did not begin thirty-three years earlier, it began in eternity past. This was no surprise to God, it was a part of His plan to redeem mankind.

Imagine, the God of all is being led away by the very ones for whom He is about to be made sin. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

From Pilate’s residence to Golgotha was only a few hundred yards. For now, these were the final steps of the Lord Jesus on the earth. And, it was a part of the prisoner’s humiliation that He carry His cross to the place of His execution.

In v.26 we read, "And when they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus."

At this point the Lord Jesus was unable to carry His cross due to the beating that was levied on Him by the bloodthirsty Roman soldiers. During the beating the Lord Jesus lost a substantial amount of blood and was physically weakened to the point of utter exhaustion. And, since He was unable to carry His cross, the Roman soldiers seemed to randomly choose Simon of Cyrene to carry it for Him. 

We live each day thinking our lives seem to be very random. The Roman soldiers seized what seemed to be a random man but I would beg to differ. In v.26 we read, “as he was coming in from the country.” 

Simon had just arrived in Jerusalem at Passover. I wonder if he had left his country at the time he wanted or was he off schedule. These details paint a story that only Simon knew. I am sure after these events, He rehearsed them in his mind and marveled, especially since he came to faith in the Lord Jesus.

Simon didn’t live in Israel, and, the Lord Jesus had never visited his home town or his home country. He was in Jerusalem in order to observe the Passover as a devout Jew. What seemed to be a mistake turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for this worshipper from Cyrene. And, it turned out to be the greatest blessing because it brought him in contact with the Lord Jesus. 

Simon was converted because of this encounter with the Lord Jesus. In Mark 15:21, Mark identified him as “the father of Alexander and Rufus.” A Christian named Rufus was greeted by Paul in Romans 16:13, and it is possible that he was the son of Simon of Cyrene. Apparently Simon and his two sons became well-known Christians who were held in honor in the early church.

Before Simon met the Lord Jesus, he had religion, but after he met the Lord Jesus, he had received real salvation. He did both a physical and spiritual “about face” that morning, and it transformed his life. God always uses unexpected and difficult situations, even humiliating situations, to bring people to the Savior.

In that day, public executions drew large crowds of spectators, and this one was no exception. Add to this the fact that Jerusalem was crowded with Passover worshippers, and it is not difficult to believe that a “large crowd” was following the condemned savior to Calvary.

In v.27 we read, "Now following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and grieving for Him."

In that crowd was a group of women who openly wept and lamented as they grieved for the Lord Jesus. This one verse underlines the truth that no woman was ever an enemy of the Lord Jesus. Nor was the Lord Jesus ever the enemy of women.

In their culture women were considered the least. God has always had a heart for the least. Aren't you glad that He has a heart for the least. I am, because I am the least.

Luke 23:20-25

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20 But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” 22 And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out. 25 And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will. ~ Luke 23:20-25

The trials of the Lord Jesus by the Jews and the Romans have been completed. At this point, Pilate has realized that his handling of the situation almost caused a Jewish uprising which would not go well with Rome. He was fearful that he would be relieved of his duties as governor of Israel. Even though he wanted to release the Lord Jesus, to do so would be political suicide.

In v.20-21 we read, "20 But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!"

Just five days before the happenings of today's text, the people were crying out "Hosanna" as the Lord Jesus triumphantly rode by on a donkey. The people followed the Lord Jesus as long as He was feeding them and performing miracles for them. But, when the religious leaders continued to accuse the Lord Jesus wrongly and the Lord Jesus put forth the message of the cross, those who viewed the Lord Jesus favorably became more and more less in numbers. 

For these, their faith lost traction amid the darkness of the accusers of the Lord Jesus. But, this is where faith was designed to get traction. The darkness serves to increase our faith if we follow its cry to depend upon God more. Our trials are designed to drive us to the Lord Himself. This is what happened to the disciples. On the heels of their denials and abandonment, they learned to follow the Lord more ardently.

It was at this point, according to Matthew 27:24-25, that Pilate called for water and washed his hands before the crowd, affirming his innocence and the innocence of the Lord Jesus. 

In v.22-24 we read, "22 And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” 23 But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out."

This is the third time that Pilate openly pronounced the Lord Jesus to be innocent. As in this case, there are times when there is nothing we can do when it is the will of God that things go a certain way. Otherwise, we will find ourselves most frustrated as we fight against God's will. The best we can do in these circumstances is to learn to embrace Him through the trials. 

Many, at this point say, "It is unjust that God made the people do what they did." This is the wrong conclusion. This is not a matter of justice or injustice. This is a matter of sovereignty and omniscience. God knew what the people would do, He didn't make them do these things. And, knowing what they would do, He allowed them to be the means by which salvation would come even to them if they so chose to believe.

But, it is not that God was at the whim of man. No, the Lord Jesus layed down His life. No one took His life. In John 10:17 we read, "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again."

Just like a sheep being led to the slaughter the Lord Jesus was silent before his shearers. The cross was the very reason why Jesus came. The cross was the center of God's will for Him. The cross wasn't an unexpected tragedy, but God's plan before the foundations of the earth. The Lord Jesus did not die for a cause, He died for you and me and anyone else who would believe.

Pilate tried to be lawful and legitimate, yet he permitted the Lord Jesus to be beaten and condemned to death. He carefully questioned the Lord Jesus and even trembled at His answers, but the truth of the Word did not impact his heart. This is the nature of truth, it capitalizes at bringing meaning to the yielded heart. But Pilate was more interested in keeping His job than he was to herald the truth. 

In v.25 we read, "And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will."

That day the religious leaders thought they were done with the Lord Jesus, but they weren’t because He was not done with them. The grace of God still is reaching out to Israel and in the end, they will return to the Lord.

Sadly, Pilate committed suicide a few years after this very hard day. A man who at one time had such political power, in the end lost his mind. Pilate questioned the truth and rejected it. This was at the root of his problem: the rejection of the truth.

What Pilate and the people did not know was God wanted the Lord Jesus on the cross more than they. The motivations were obviously different, but the goal was the same. And, of course, the outcome tragically different. One brought forth death and the other brought forth life.

And, God had a timeline that had to be met. Throughout the Old Testament God foretold of this, the greatest event in the history of this world. The Lord Jesus had to be crucified before that Passover Friday was over. He had to die at the time the Passover lambs were being slain between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Then He had to be taken to the grave and buried so that He would be in the ground a portion of three days, that He might rise as the Scripture says after being dead three days. 

This is the gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without this gospel, we have no hope. It is because of His gospel that we can endure anything the enemy has and will thrown at us, and thrive. And, since all life never truly dies, the gospel guarantees that we will live for eternity in heaven with God and His people.

Luke 23:13-19

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13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” 17 Now he was obligated to release to them at the feast one prisoner. 18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) ~ Luke 23:13-19

This is the sixth and final trial the Lord Jesus endured before His death. As we have seen, these six trials are divided into two parts, the first three at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders, and the second at the hands of the Romans.

In v.13-16 we read, "13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

Today's text chronicles the last trial of the Lord Jesus at the hands of Pontius Pilate who made a noble effort at being a just judge. Three times he declared the Lord Jesus "not guilty." And then, he even says in v.15 that Herod came to the same conclusion. Pilate tried to do the right thing, but he was under tremendous pressure to be unjust, illegal, and illegitimate. 

According to John 19:14, when Pilate rendered his final verdict, it was 6:00 a.m. Imagine, three separate trials in less than one hour. What a massive abuse of any due process of law. No witnesses, no evidence, no proof, no discussion, and by now the Sanhedrin had been hanging around the entrance to Pilate's judgment throne awaiting a verdict. The gospel of John records seven different movements that Pilate made as he went out to meet the people and then went in to question the Lord Jesus. He kept looking for a loophole, but he found none. They were at an impasse until Pilate, in v.16, offered to punish the Lord Jesus and then release Him.  

In v.17-19 we read, "17 Now he was obligated to release to them at the feast one prisoner. 18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)"

Since it was customary at Passover for the governor to release a prisoner, Pilate offered the Jews a compromise. He had another prisoner on hand, Barabbas, and Pilate was sure the Jews would not want him to be released. After all, Barabbas was a robber, a murderer, and an insurrectionist.

Nothing worked, however. Everything Pilate tried only mounted the hostility of the masses. The crowd became more bloodthirsty, more infuriated as the minutes marched on.

Pilate attempted to stand on legal ground. He knew the Lord Jesus was not guilty of any crime and he knew His accusers, this Supreme Court of Israel, was jealous. There was history here between Pilate and the people of Israel which explains the tough spot Pilate was in here. Three incidents had happened prior to this that put Pilate in this tough position. 

When Pilate first arrived in Jerusalem as governor, he wanted to make a statement. He was the sixth governor that had been assigned, and he wanted to establish his authority. So, on his first visit to Jerusalem, he came with a massive entourage of soldiers. He wanted to show that the full power of Rome was behind him. 

So, Pilate had soldiers ride on horses with banners promoting the worship of Caesar who was considered a god by the Romans. When the Jews saw this they remembered their captivity in Babylon. It was then that they forever abandoned idolatry. Their history explained why they despised anything that was an idol.

The previous Roman governors in Israel had avoided such offenses. And, a battle ensued. In fact, Pilate returned to Caesarea where he lived, where the Roman base of operations were, and the people followed him all the way to the coast from Jerusalem to Caesarea. There, they harassed him for five days, demanding that he remove the idols. In frustration, Pilate sent word to the Jews to meet him at the amphitheater where he ordered his troops to slaughter the Jews.

But, the Jews didn't back down and Pilate had to. And at that moment it was established who was in charge, and it wasn’t Pilate. 

Later, Pilate determined to bring a new water supply to Jerusalem which would be paid for by money plundered out of the temple treasury. In response, the people were so upset that they rioted, and Pilate responded by sending his soldiers who clubbed and stabbed the Jewish people to death. The report of this incident was not received well in Rome.

The third incident that put Pilate in this difficult position came when he decided to decorate the palace in Jerusalem with the inscription of Tiberius Caesar on the shields. The Jews demanded that Pilate remove them, and in another test of wills Pilate said he would not remove them. The Jews sent a messenger all the way to Caesar in Rome who was furious, and demanded that Pilate remove the shields immediately. 

So, Pilate comes up with the idea to punish the Lord Jesus a little bit and then release Him. And, when that didn't work, he thought of releasing a prisoner and surely the crowd would pick the Lord Jesus over the thug Barrabas. But, to no avail. 

Barabbas was scheduled to be crucified because he was found guilty of murder and insurrection. And, it was thought that the two thieves crucified beside the Lord Jesus were two partners of Barabbas. The Lord Jesus died in the place of Barabbas whose name means "son of the father." God sent the Lord Jesus, the Son of the Father, so that people like Barabbas could become "sons of the Father."

Luke 23:8-12

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8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. ~ Luke 23:8-12

Pilate, at the end of his first trial of the Lord Jesus, concluded He was guiltless. The Jews rejected his verdict, but when they mentioned the Lord Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate seized the opportunity to send the Lord Jesus to Herod Antipas who was the ruler of Galilee and just so happened to be in town.

Herod Antipas was one of the sons of Herod the Great who was a long time Roman ruler in Israel. He died in 4 B.C. When Herod the Great died, he had planned to divide the kingdom of Israel up among his sons. One of those sons was Herod Antipas. And to him was given the region of Galilee. 

Now, Herod the Great was a very formidable ruler and a sole ruler of the whole land of Israel. And Herod the Great was a great builder, as we all know. He built the great Herodian temple which stood until 70 A.D., the temple with which the Lord Jesus was so familiar.

So after his death, he divides this kingdom up into parts. He gives one part to Herod Antipas, one of his sons, who rules there from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. Forty-three years, this man had a presence there. Since Rome was in control of Israel, no one could accept any kind of appointment without Roman approval. 

So, Herod Antipas, even though he was appointed by his father who was the king, had to go to Rome to have it confirmed. He had lots of friends in Rome, so it wasn’t difficult because he was educated in Rome. When he was young, his father, Herod the Great, had sent Herod Antipas to Rome to be educated. 

In v.8-9 we read, "8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer."

Herod must have been nervous when the guards brought the Lord Jesus to him, but the more he questioned Him, the bolder he became. Perhaps the Lord Jesus might even entertain the king with a miracle! In spite of the king’s persistent interrogation and the Jews’ vehement accusations, the Lord Jesus said nothing. 

In Isaiah 53:7 we read, “He stood there silent like a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.” The Lord Jesus had been silent before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin until finally He had to speak because they placed Him under oath to God to answer back in Luke 22:67. He only answered when they obligated Him by an oath to God to answer; otherwise, He said nothing in His own defense. 

In v.10 we read, "The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him." Imagine the ones who were known as God's representatives accusing the Lord Jesus of sin. Despite the fact this wasn't true, it had to be this way so that the process would end in the Lord Jesus dying for the sinfulness of man. The sinful accuse the sinless so that the sinful could become sinless.

We are positionally sinless in Christ. Having believed that His death on the cross procured the forgiveness of our sin from God, God sees us through the lens of His son. Practically, we still sin. In fact, we will struggle with sin until the day we go home to heaven.

In v.11 we read, "Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate."

The king finally became so bold as to mock the Lord Jesus and permit his soldiers to dress Him in “an elegant robe,” the kind that was worn by Roman candidates for office. Herod did not issue an official verdict about Jesus, but in time, it became clear that he did not find Him guilty of any crime worthy of death. This was the completion of the second Roman trial.

In v.12 we read, "That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies."

The only thing accomplished by this maneuver was the mending of a broken friendship. Herod was grateful to Pilate for helping him to see the Lord Jesus and for honoring him by seeking his counsel. A friendship built around the mistreatment of the Lord Jesus. A friendship built around a common hatred for the intimidating Jews to which they had to acquiesce.

While Pilate sent the Lord Jesus to Herod to confirm his guiltless verdict, the guilt and innocence of anyone was to be confirmed in the mouth of two witnesses according to Deuteronomy 19:15. Well, here are two witnesses concluding “Not guilty.”

Acts 4:26 is a quote from Psalm 2:2 which reads, “The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His Anointed.” Then in Acts 4:27 we read, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.” That’s the fulfillment.

The message of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is: if we believe that He died for the forgiveness of our sin, we will be saved. It is this message of the cross that is the axis between God and man, bridging mankind back into a personal relationship with the One who came and died for His creation.

Luke 23:4-7

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4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.” 6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ~ Luke 23:4-7

It is now Friday during the Passover Week, the day the Lord Jesus was crucified. Earlier this morning He was put through a series of three fake trials before the Jewish leaders. In yesterday's blog, we entered into the first Roman trial before Pilate. Today, we re-enter that trial.

In v.4 we read, "Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man."

To this point in time, Pilate had never had a visit from the whole seventy member Sanhedrin but they are at his door. And, they wanted Pilate to buy into the idea that the Lord Jesus was a threat to Rome. They hated the Lord Jesus for every reason, but Pilate was aware that their dominant attitude was envy. Pilate knows that they want the Lord Jesus dead because He was a threat to them. So, not wanting to get backed any further into a difficult place, "Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man."

Pilate had criminals brought before him as a regular routine, and those criminals brought before him would cry and plead and beg their case. Here was a man who was absolutely innocent of all charges and never said a word in His defense. The resolute silence of the Lord Jesus screamed at Pilate, "Not guilty!"

Even though Pilate found no guilt of a crime in the Lord Jesus, he only saw Him as "a man." If we never see the Lord Jesus as more than just a man, we will never know Him as our Savior and we will not have a personal relationship with Him. This is a very important particular in this narrative. 

C. S. Lewis popularized the argument that Jesus was either a liar or a lunatic or the Lord. He wrote, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a liar: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."

The Jewish religious leaders were not interested in justice, so in v.5 we read, "But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." The religious leaders were driven by their vicious hatred of the Lord Jesus. And, Pilate knew that the Lord Jesus was innocent but he was in a tough spot. He was afraid of both the Lord Jesus and the Jews. 

When we are driven by any expression of our flesh which are the evil desires within, we will experience the corruption the flesh brings with it. The Apostle Paul says it clearly in Galatians 6:8, "Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

In v.6-7, when Pilate heard the Lord Jesus was a Galilean, he decided to send Him to Herod Antipas who ruled over Galilee. And, Herod just so happened to be in Jerusalem that day. This was Pilate’s way of getting rid of this very difficult issue.

Pilate lived for the here and now. He could not see the realm that exists beyond this world. He knew nothing of the difference between being led by the Spirit or being led by the corrupt flesh. 

Those who have no hope for eternity invest everything in this world. This is why people invest in politics as if it will somehow save them. The believer in Christ sees it all differently for we have a sure hope of what awaits us, because the Lord Jesus died on the cross to procure for all who would believe in Him and receive from Him the free gift of eternity with Him, the author of all that is holy and good.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples in John 14, "1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

Luke 23:1-3

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1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. ~ Luke 23:1-3

The trial of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals mankind's wicked heart and God's gracious heart. The Lord Jesus was not crucified because evil men decided to do Him in, His crucifixion was planned by God from before the world was created. God revealed this great plan before Adam, the first man, sinned. God told him that He would provide a Savior who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

In v.1 of today's text we read, "Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate." The whole body means the entire Sanhedrin. In an attempt to display the righteousness of their cause, they all come, all 70 of them show up, bringing the Lord Jesus to Pilate. John says in John 18 that He was bound. He had now been ridiculed, spit on, beaten, and now He is still bound and taken by this entire body to Pilate.

The Lord Jesus was never the victim of human decisions, a corrupt disciple who betrayed Him, or a couple of corrupt high priests who arraigned Him. He wasn’t the victim of the Jewish Supreme Court who condemned Him, nor was He the victim of Pilate and Herod, who ultimately executed Him. He was God’s chosen Lamb, and God had predetermined that He would die. 

In Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 we are given a description of the Son of God as being crucified in language that could only be fulfilled in a crucifixion. In John 18:32 we learn that the Lord Jesus said He would be lifted up, a picture of crucifixion.

In order for these events to happen, the Lord Jesus had to endure six different “trials,” three before the Jews and three before the Romans. In our text today, we read of the first trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea from AD 26 until AD 36. Although hated by the Jewish religious leaders, Pilate became a useful ally in the seeming halt of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. They could not fathom their efforts would aid Him in winning the hearts of many.

In v.2 we read, "And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king."

Pilate has gone down in history as the man who tried the Lord Jesus Christ, three times declared Him not guilty, and yet crucified Him just the same. When the Lord Jesus was brought to Pilate, there were three false charges delivered as well: He perverted the nation, He opposed paying the poll tax to Caesar, and He claimed to be a king.

Pilate privately interrogated the Lord Jesus about His kingship because, for him, that was the crucial issue, and he concluded that He was guilty of no crime. Three times during the trial, Pilate clearly affirmed the innocence of the Lord Jesus (Luke 23:4,14,22).

In v.3 we read, "So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied." The Lord Jesus is no King of any country in this world, He is the King over the hearts of men. The kingdom of God right now does not come by outward observation. It will one day, however, but not today. 

"So Pilate asked him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' This question of Pilate is recorded in all four gospels, and the "you" is emphatic. The Lord Jesus was brought before Pilate, and Pilate asked, "You, are you the King of the Jews?" Pilate was looking down at the Lord Jesus who was in peasant rags tattered with blood, somebody who did not look threatening or powerful or like he's going to take over. He asked, "You, are you the king of the Jews?" The implication is that the Lord Jesus is no threat at all to the Roman Empire.

We tend to make God in our own image. If we would react in a certain way, we assume God would think and act in a similar way. But here God reminds us that He exists and thinks on a much different level. Human reasoning can’t grasp the thought processes of God. 

The Lord Jesus came this first time to reveal His kingdom of grace and mercy, the kind of kingdom mankind actually needs. If He had come overthrowing tyranny and oppression, who would be left? The Lord Jesus came as a gracious king who suffered the punishment mankind deserved. And, in order to accomplish this Herculean task, He had to conquer not only sin and death, He had to conquer the human heart.

Standing before Pilate was the only One who could die for mankind's sin, and Pilate didn't get it. But, aren't you happy, because we would still be in our sin had he not? Martin Luther once asked, "Is it not wonderful news to know that salvation lies outside ourselves?"

Luke 22:63-71

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63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to him. 66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” ~ Luke 22:63-71

We come back to the last Friday for the Lord Jesus on this earth as the Son of Man. As we pointed out in our last blog, the Lord Jesus endured six trials: three by the Jewish religious leaders and three by the Romans. The first three Jewish trials happened between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 in the morning. 

There was no justice at these Jewish trials. The entire thing was completely illegal. The Jewish writings known as the Mishnah outlined eighteen rules to be employed at a trial of a capital case. The very first rule of the Mishnah stated, "No trial for a capital offense can ever happen at night. It has to wait till the next morning, even if the offense is known at night, till the next day, after the morning sacrifice." 

The second rule of the Mishnah states, "No trial for a capital offense can happen on a Sabbath even or during a festival. His three trials before the religious leaders happened on the early morning of the Passover. 

The third rule in the Mishnah states,"It can never be done in private, it has to be done in the open, in a public place." 

And the twelfth rule of the Mishnah states, "No high priest shall interrogate the prisoner." All of these rules were broken by the Jewish religious establishment. These three Jewish trials of the Lord Jesus were a sham and were illegal. The Sanhedrin  managed in all of their religious blindness to, in the name of God, to go through an illegal trial and break the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not murder." 

In v.63-65 we read, "63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to him."

At this point the soldiers mocked and beat the Lord Jesus. Without warning a temple guard delivered a severe blow to His face because it appeared the Jesus disrespected the former High Priest. 

As God, the Lord Jesus came to redeem mankind from our guilty verdict. In Luke 19:10 we read, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." This is the theme for the entire Gospel of Luke and it explains how and why He allowed the lowly to treat Him the way they did.

The Sanhedrin could not vote on capital offenses at night, so the religious leaders waited til it was day. This explains their early morning meeting. This was the climax of the religious phase of His trial. They went forth with a verdict of blasphemy, and the penalty for blasphemy was death according to Leviticus 24:10–16.

The Lord Jesus referred to Himself as "the Son of man," a messianic title found in Daniel 7. He also claimed to have the right to sit "on the right hand of the power of God," a clear reference to Psalm 110:1. Seated at the right hand of the Father is the place of honor, authority, and power. By claiming this honor, the Lord Jesus was claiming to be God.  

In v.66-69 we read, "66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."

Caiaphas, the High Priest, had earlier unknowingly prophesied, "You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." Then, after a string of false witnesses, Caiaphas in frustration said to the Lord Jesus, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." 

The Lord Jesus responded. It was then, at that point, Caiaphas tore his robes and accused the Lord Jesus of blasphemy. 

In v.70-71 we read, "70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."

It was at this point that Isaiah 53:7-8 was fulfilled: "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away."

When the Sanhedrin heard what they needed to hear in order to charge the Lord Jesus with the Jewish crime of blaspheming God, they took Him off to Pilate. 

In 1 Peter 2:23 we read, "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." 

It was the Lord Jesus love for His Father that enabled Him to come to earth and die for the sin of languishing mankind. Like the Lord Jesus, as we grow in our love for God, we are set free from the insults of others. As this happens with increase, we find ourselves increasingly being defined by God. And, the more we grow in our understanding of God's love for us, we grow in our love for God. The more we love God, the less we set our hearts on the interests of this world and the more we become like Him.

Luke 22:54-62

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54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly. ~ Luke 22:54-62

We come back to early Friday morning just after the Lord Jesus had been betrayed by Judas. From this point onward, the Lord Jesus endured six different “trials” before He was condemned to be crucified, three trials before the Jews and three before the Romans.

To set the stage for today's text, you will remember back in Luke 22:33, “Peter said to the Lord Jesus, ‘Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death.’" To which the Lord Jesus responded, "I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."

In v.54 of today's text we read, "Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance." It was during the second Jewish “trial,” the one before Caiaphas, that Peter in the courtyard denied the Lord Jesus three times. “Peter followed at a distance.” When we follow the Lord at a distance, we will deny Him every time.  

Peter’s denials reveal his weakness in its saddest form, and yet, so necessary. Sometimes we must fail miserably in order to learn to be dependent upon the Lord. Peter's denial also reveals the strength of the Lord Jesus. It was Peter during his lowest moment of failure, yet, it was the Lord Jesus at His greatest moment of grace and triumph.

In reality, Peter’s story is the story of all who have come to know Christ. It is a story of devastation and disappointment. But, it is through moments like these that we come to the end of ourselves and we learn of the Lord Jesus' huge heart for us. It is through moments like these that we learn to view all things, even ourselves, through His eyes.

I love that scene at the end of the movie, Bruce Almighty, when God, played by Morgan Freeman, asks Bruce, played by Jim Carrey a question. The scene is in heaven just after Bruce had just been run over by an eighteen wheeler. God asks Bruce what he wants and Bruce speaks one word, "Grace," the name of his girlfriend. God asks Bruce, "You want her back?" Then Bruce says, "I want her to meet someone who will treat her with all of the love that she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who sees her always as I do now through your eyes."

In v.55-57 we read, "55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him. 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said."

When we compare our text with Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18, we discover that Peter's three denials actually took over a period of two hours. Peter's first denial came on the heels of one of the high priest’s servant girls accusing him of being with the Lord Jesus. 

In v.58 we read, "A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied." After his first denial, a second servant girl recognized Peter as one of the Lord Jesus' disciples. And, for a second time, Peter lied and denied knowing the Lord. Have we not all been in that very spot? Have we not all struggled acknowledging that we know the Lord before the world?

In v.59-60 we read, "59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed."

An hour later, the bystanders were not convinced, especially when one of Malchus’s relatives showed up and identified Peter. Then one of them said, “Surely you are one of them, because the way you talk gives you away. You talk like a Galilean.” At this point Peter cursed and said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 

Peter pronounced curses on himself. It’s as if he was saying, “May God damn me if I am lying.” He pronounced divine judgment on his own head if he was lying. It was at that moment that the rooster crowed for the second time and the Lord’s prediction was fulfilled.

In v.61-62 we read, "61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly."

In the thickness of that moment, the Lord Jesus, being led away to the next trial, turned and looked at Peter, and His look broke Peter’s heart. It was from the place of the servant that Peter saw the Lord best. It was in that moment that Peter gained the vantage point of God taking him deeper with God.

Peter slipped out and went off and wept bitterly. It is to Peter’s credit that all the Lord had to do was look at him to bring him to the place of repentance. Ah, there's another word that we do not naturally, repentance, turning away from self to the Lord.

For one rooster to crow at the right moment while the other birds in the city remained silent was certainly a miracle. But the crowing of that rooster was a special message to Peter, a message that revealed to him the heart of God for him which helped to restore him to fellowship again. 

That rooster crow was an assurance to Peter that the Lord Jesus was still in control of all things even though He was a prisoner, bound and seemingly helpless before His captors. 

Peter was later used mightily by the Lord to help many in our struggling faith. This moment of intense failure was turned around by our loving God to make of Peter one of the greatest leaders ever. In order to lead sometimes we must fail miserably because our leadership success is the result of His presence in and through our yielded lives.

Luke 22:47-53

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47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.” ~ Luke 22:47-53

It is early Friday morning and the Lord Jesus was about to be betrayed with a kiss by one of His disciples. This event was so fascinating, and so dramatic, it appears in all four Gospels. 

In v.47 we read, "While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him."

It was customary in that day for disciples to greet their teachers with a respectful embrace and kiss on the cheek. This kind of embrace was a sign of close intimacy and warm affection between a Rabbi and his student. Judas really overstepped the protocol that morning. It was appropriate in their culture for the Rabbi to initiate this embrace, but Judas had an agenda. He used the embrace and the kiss to identify the Lord Jesus for the arresting guard.

In v.48 the Lord Jesus asked, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?’” This question revealed the omniscience of the Lord Jesus for He asked the question before Judas had embraced Him. There is nothing in our lives that is beyond His awareness. In fact, He is more aware of all that goes on in our lives on a day to day basis more so than we. 

In v.49 we read, "When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?" Earlier, the Lord Jesus had said, “From now on, if you have a sword, you better carry it.” 

In v.50-51 we read, "50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him."

Malchus was the servant to the High Priest. He was what they called the “ears” of the High Priest. Whenever anything happened in Jerusalem, Malchus was right there to report the happenings to the High Priest.

According to John, Peter cut off the right ear of Malchus. In the scriptures, right is always the sign of power and authority, therefore Peter cut off Malchus' ear and his power and authority. At that point, the Lord Jesus reached down, picked up Malchus's ear and put it back on Malchus' head. Miraculous! And, I have always wondered, "Why have we no more information about Malchus in the scriptures?" This just goes to show, signs do not always change hardened hearts. 

Since Malchus' job was to go back to the High priest to report what he had seen and heard during the day, the fact that the Lord Jesus put his ear and authority and power back in its place, Malchus could go back and tell The High Priest. He probably said something like, "This Jesus of Nazareth, whom we are trying to kill, He put my ear BACK ON my head!"

The Lord Jesus' response in v.51 was to say, "My kingdom is not advanced militarily, it is advanced by my grace." The Lord Jesus gracious treatment of all who were there in the garden underscores this principle of His kingdom. We do not advance the cause of God with a sword, we advance it by His grace. 

In v.52-53 we read, "52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."

It was in that hour that the power of darkness was given ultimate power. These events had to be as they were so that all righteousness could be sustained. Aren't you glad the Lord Jesus was aware of the details, all of the details? Otherwise, His righteousness would be insufficient.

Think of it. There was the fulfillment of Psalm 41:9 which reads, "Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me." And then, there was the fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7 which reads, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My fellow,” saith the Lord of hosts. “Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones." 

God truly is in control of every detail of our lives. Whatever happens in our lives come through His will and we can trust that even the bad has a good ending. To the degree that we trust Him will be the degree to which that we see His mighty hand at work in this world and in our lives.

Luke 22:39-46

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39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” ~ Luke 22:39-46

The Lord Jesus truly has our best interest at heart. In the middle of one of the biggest struggles for Him, He is most concerned about His disciples. This is what motivated Him to come to earth as our Savior in the first place: the need of mankind for a Savior.

Human history began in the Garden of Eden and so did human sin. According to Revelation 21, for the redeemed, the whole story will climax in a “garden” where there will be no sin. Between the garden where man failed and the garden where there will be no sin, we come to the garden where the Lord Jesus accepted the cup of God's wrath Him. 

By now, in this narrative, it is probably early Friday morning. The Lord Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane which is on the Mount of Olives. Gethsemane means “olive press.” The first Adam rebelled against God in the garden of Eden and brought sin and death into the world. The Last Adam submitted to God in the garden of Gethsemane and brought life and salvation for all who will believe.

Before going into the garden, the Lord Jesus gave His disciples the weapon against temptation: PRAYER. According to Mark 14, eight of His disciples stayed at the entrance to the garden. Three of them, Peter, James and John, went into the Garden with Him a little further, but only the Lord Jesus went all the way in, alone. A sign that only He could accomplish the impossible for humans.

In v.40 we read, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." To pray that we will not be pile-drived by temptation is the answer. Though we have been forgiven, and though we have been made new in Christ, we’re like Lazarus. We came out of the grave; we have new life, but we stink. We have our dirty grave clothes on. We are citizens of heaven, trapped in unredeemed bodies. And we are seduced by the remnants of our fallenness. The temptation is to hold onto sin and not invest in His righteousness.

The power of evil is still strong in the believer in Christ, even though we have been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within. We struggle because sin still dwells within us. Our battle is to fight against our natural attraction to sin, to fight against our fallenness, and to kill it and embrace Him.

The Lord Jesus struggled with temptation in exactly the opposite way as we do. He struggled because He was and is holy. We struggle with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. He struggled against three impulses: holy, holy, holy. Whereas we try to abandon sin and embrace holiness, He was being tempted to NOT embrace being the sin bearer. 

In v.42 we read, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." It was not the will of the Father for Him to NOT take the cup. There will always be a certain agony in legitimate prayer. The only way we can overcome the flesh is by yielding ourselves to the will of the Father. In the Old Testament, the "cup" is associated with judgment of God. This is the cup the Lord Jesus had in mind, the cup of suffering, agony, pain, and wrath. He did not do this for Himself, He did it for you and me.

In v.43 we read, "An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him." There were only two times in the life of the Lord Jesus when angels showed up to directly help Him. The first time was during His temptation in the wilderness. The second time, during His temptation in the garden of Gethsemane. In both cases the angel affirmed Him, reminding Him that His Father was totally committed to Him. 

In v.44 we read, "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." The agony the Lord Jesus experienced in Gethsemane describes combat unto death. The medical term Luke used here describes the stretching of muscles to the max of their capabilities. His anguish expressed itself in tremendous sweating. It was the Spring of the year, thus it was not very hot. Yet, He sweat profusely as if He were bleeding.

In v.45 we read, "When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow." The sleepiness of the disciples was an argument from God to the Lord Jesus that only He could endure the cross for man's salvation.And so, Theo agony the Lord Jesus  escalated. He agonized in prayer and then He went back to find the disciples asleep. Then He goes back and continues and goes through that process until finally His agony is over. The sleepiness of the disciples was undoubtedly a reminder to Him that we could not endure the cross like He. Satan had given his best shot, he tried to divert the Lord Jesus from the will of God, but the Lord Jesus prevailed. 

The disciples yielded to temptation because they could not endure in prayer. In addition, they were exhausted by the sorrow. It was after this that the Lord Jesus set out to go to the cross where He crushed the head of the serpent. At His cross, He did what we could never do, He was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.