Last week we began talking about the trials of Jesus. This week we move to look at those who had gathered at the trial, at least those who had gathered at the public viewing of the trials that were seen in public. Remember, many of the trials were held at night, which was against the Jewish law, and they were held in private, which was also against the law. All of this trying Jesus in private and at night was done so as not to draw attention to Jesus’ supporters and in order to facilitate the outcome of a guilty verdict with the sentence of death, which was the predetermined outcome of those trying Jesus. But what about those people who had gathered? Tonight we want to look at the crowd that called for Jesus’ death.
In thinking about the crowds that had gathered to see Jesus, we might want to first go back a few days to Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, a few days earlier, the crowd was heralding Jesus as the “son of David.” They were casting down their robes and palm branches welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. They were singing “Hosanna.” So, were these people that had gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem the same people who are now at the trial? Were these the same people who had gone out of the city during the last three years to hear Jesus preach and teach in the neighboring synagogues and by the sea shore?
Jesus came into town on Sunday and during the week, on Monday and Tuesday the people came and listened to Him preach. Are these the same people who quietly listened to Jesus preach and we might infer from their listening, accepted and believed what He was preaching? Is this a crowd of rock solid believers or a crowd that is swayed by every wind of counsel and doctrine?
Perhaps it was the same group of people all along or perhaps it was another crowd, a different group of people. Were these people at the trial, the ones asking that Jesus be crucified, the same people from earlier or were these people “plants” of the Sanhedrin? Where they there perhaps bribed by the Sanhedrin to be against Jesus? Could this be similar to what happens today when politicians bus in activists to protest? Perhaps these people had no idea why they were there, maybe they were paid to come in or perhaps they were simply so simple minded that they followed along with crowd. How often do we see this “herd” instinct today and see people worked up into a riotous frenzy by those who know how to “work” a crowd. Unfortunately, because we are conceived and born in sin, because every inclination of our heart is evil all the time, there are people in our world who can easily be worked up and fail to think about what or why they are protesting.
Jesus had been on trial before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, Herod and now this is the second appearing of Jesus before Pilate. Certainly the members of the Sanhedrin had plenty of opportunity to gather a crowd of a group of willing participants who could be swayed to do their bidding.
How would the Sanhedrin go about “leading” this crowd? Perhaps the warm up for this riotous bunch might be to start asking the people some simple questions, questions which struck at their own egos. Maybe they began whispering, “Who is this man and who does He think He is?” Remember, they do not have to speak words of truth. They do not have to tell the whole truth. Their goal is simply to cast aversions on Jesus and His character.
Also, remember the accusation against Jesus, at least the civil accusation was treason and that He claims to be a king. What affect does presenting Jesus with a crown of thorns have on this crowd? Is this mocking jester enough to spark their jealousy and anger, after all, in their minds He is no better than they are.
Thus, the goal of a riotous frenzy is accomplished by the stirring up and goading by the chief priests and the elders. They know Pilate’s weakness. They know that Pilate does not need a riot. Thus, a good offensive strategy is to work the people up so that the only way out is to give them what they want, blood, Jesus’ blood.
What does this mean? So, back to the question of who are these people that make up this crowd? They could very well be the same crowd that was there on Palm Sunday. And for that matter, let me remind you as we said a few weeks ago, we are the crowd on Palm Sunday. We welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives. We welcome Jesus into our churches and homes. We love Jesus and we sing His praises.
This group of people, this crowd could also be the same crowd that was there on Palm Sunday, the only difference being that they have been swayed by the chief priests and elders. They are a fickle bunch. And so we might be reminded that, yes, even though we may deny it, we are the crowd at the trial as well. How fickle we are as Christians. We try to keep the Ten Commandments and some days we are good at it, and other days, my how we look like we are more friends of the devil than of Jesus. Indeed, we daily sin much and are in need of forgiveness. We are at the same time sinner and saint.
We fail to realize that in our sin, we are crying out down through time, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Yes, on any given Sunday morning and at any divine service we join those who joyously and in praise and adoration welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, but every time we sin, we are also the ones standing in judgement yelling, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”
Thanks be to God that it was for this very reason, our sinfulness, our fickleness, our crying out against Jesus that He came for us. He came for us because we cannot save ourselves. Left to ourselves we would be eternally lost and condemned. Left to ourselves we would be lost and helpless. We are conceived and born in sin, so we can never meet God’s command and demand for perfection.
Jesus came for us. He came to live for us. All that the whole nation of Israel could not do, live according to God’s laws perfectly and all that we cannot do, live according to God’s Word perfectly, Jesus came to do. He came to live perfectly for us in our place. The whole of the Gospel is that Jesus came to live for us, thus He could be our substitute, giving His life for us.
Jesus came in perfect active obedience. That means that He came and actively took our sins upon Himself. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He who was without sin, who was perfect and holy, who had lived a perfect and holy life, obeying all God’s commands perfectly, fulfilling all of God’s promises perfectly. He took our sins and all the sins of all the people who ever lived, who were alive and who ever will live, of all places, on Himself. He suffered, not only the consequences of our sins, but more importantly, the eternal punishment, eternal spiritual death, hell, for us in our place.
Jesus actively obeyed God and took our sins upon Himself and He passively allowed Himself to be crucified, for us, this obedience is what we call passive obedience. He did not fight against those who crucified Him, but allowed Himself to be mocked, tortured, nailed to the cross and killed.
Yet, in Jesus passive and active obedience, Jesus did not lose, but through His death, Jesus defeated sin, death and the devil. Death and the grave had no power over Him, but as we celebrate each year at Easter, He rose victorious over sin, death and the devil.
Yes, we lament the fact that it was because of ours sins that Jesus had to die. We who are at the same time sinner and saint, while we are in this world, we will continue to praise Him and seek His crucifixion, but the greatest joy is knowing that because of His great love for us, He willing gave His all so that we might have His reward, that is, as forgiven sinners, we are robed with His robes of righteousness. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
In thinking about the crowds that had gathered to see Jesus, we might want to first go back a few days to Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, a few days earlier, the crowd was heralding Jesus as the “son of David.” They were casting down their robes and palm branches welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. They were singing “Hosanna.” So, were these people that had gathered to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem the same people who are now at the trial? Were these the same people who had gone out of the city during the last three years to hear Jesus preach and teach in the neighboring synagogues and by the sea shore?
Jesus came into town on Sunday and during the week, on Monday and Tuesday the people came and listened to Him preach. Are these the same people who quietly listened to Jesus preach and we might infer from their listening, accepted and believed what He was preaching? Is this a crowd of rock solid believers or a crowd that is swayed by every wind of counsel and doctrine?
Perhaps it was the same group of people all along or perhaps it was another crowd, a different group of people. Were these people at the trial, the ones asking that Jesus be crucified, the same people from earlier or were these people “plants” of the Sanhedrin? Where they there perhaps bribed by the Sanhedrin to be against Jesus? Could this be similar to what happens today when politicians bus in activists to protest? Perhaps these people had no idea why they were there, maybe they were paid to come in or perhaps they were simply so simple minded that they followed along with crowd. How often do we see this “herd” instinct today and see people worked up into a riotous frenzy by those who know how to “work” a crowd. Unfortunately, because we are conceived and born in sin, because every inclination of our heart is evil all the time, there are people in our world who can easily be worked up and fail to think about what or why they are protesting.
Jesus had been on trial before Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, Herod and now this is the second appearing of Jesus before Pilate. Certainly the members of the Sanhedrin had plenty of opportunity to gather a crowd of a group of willing participants who could be swayed to do their bidding.
How would the Sanhedrin go about “leading” this crowd? Perhaps the warm up for this riotous bunch might be to start asking the people some simple questions, questions which struck at their own egos. Maybe they began whispering, “Who is this man and who does He think He is?” Remember, they do not have to speak words of truth. They do not have to tell the whole truth. Their goal is simply to cast aversions on Jesus and His character.
Also, remember the accusation against Jesus, at least the civil accusation was treason and that He claims to be a king. What affect does presenting Jesus with a crown of thorns have on this crowd? Is this mocking jester enough to spark their jealousy and anger, after all, in their minds He is no better than they are.
Thus, the goal of a riotous frenzy is accomplished by the stirring up and goading by the chief priests and the elders. They know Pilate’s weakness. They know that Pilate does not need a riot. Thus, a good offensive strategy is to work the people up so that the only way out is to give them what they want, blood, Jesus’ blood.
What does this mean? So, back to the question of who are these people that make up this crowd? They could very well be the same crowd that was there on Palm Sunday. And for that matter, let me remind you as we said a few weeks ago, we are the crowd on Palm Sunday. We welcome Jesus into our hearts and lives. We welcome Jesus into our churches and homes. We love Jesus and we sing His praises.
This group of people, this crowd could also be the same crowd that was there on Palm Sunday, the only difference being that they have been swayed by the chief priests and elders. They are a fickle bunch. And so we might be reminded that, yes, even though we may deny it, we are the crowd at the trial as well. How fickle we are as Christians. We try to keep the Ten Commandments and some days we are good at it, and other days, my how we look like we are more friends of the devil than of Jesus. Indeed, we daily sin much and are in need of forgiveness. We are at the same time sinner and saint.
We fail to realize that in our sin, we are crying out down through time, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Yes, on any given Sunday morning and at any divine service we join those who joyously and in praise and adoration welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, but every time we sin, we are also the ones standing in judgement yelling, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”
Thanks be to God that it was for this very reason, our sinfulness, our fickleness, our crying out against Jesus that He came for us. He came for us because we cannot save ourselves. Left to ourselves we would be eternally lost and condemned. Left to ourselves we would be lost and helpless. We are conceived and born in sin, so we can never meet God’s command and demand for perfection.
Jesus came for us. He came to live for us. All that the whole nation of Israel could not do, live according to God’s laws perfectly and all that we cannot do, live according to God’s Word perfectly, Jesus came to do. He came to live perfectly for us in our place. The whole of the Gospel is that Jesus came to live for us, thus He could be our substitute, giving His life for us.
Jesus came in perfect active obedience. That means that He came and actively took our sins upon Himself. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He who was without sin, who was perfect and holy, who had lived a perfect and holy life, obeying all God’s commands perfectly, fulfilling all of God’s promises perfectly. He took our sins and all the sins of all the people who ever lived, who were alive and who ever will live, of all places, on Himself. He suffered, not only the consequences of our sins, but more importantly, the eternal punishment, eternal spiritual death, hell, for us in our place.
Jesus actively obeyed God and took our sins upon Himself and He passively allowed Himself to be crucified, for us, this obedience is what we call passive obedience. He did not fight against those who crucified Him, but allowed Himself to be mocked, tortured, nailed to the cross and killed.
Yet, in Jesus passive and active obedience, Jesus did not lose, but through His death, Jesus defeated sin, death and the devil. Death and the grave had no power over Him, but as we celebrate each year at Easter, He rose victorious over sin, death and the devil.
Yes, we lament the fact that it was because of ours sins that Jesus had to die. We who are at the same time sinner and saint, while we are in this world, we will continue to praise Him and seek His crucifixion, but the greatest joy is knowing that because of His great love for us, He willing gave His all so that we might have His reward, that is, as forgiven sinners, we are robed with His robes of righteousness. To Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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