Tag Archives: Passion of Christ

Silently Accused – Sermon on Matthew 26:1-27:66 for Palm Sunday

Matthew 26:1-27:66

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

It doesn’t matter how familiar you are with a passage of Scripture, there’s always something more to see, to glean, to meditate on. That’s true for short, familiar passages, but it is certainly true for a long passage like this. While preparing this week, what struck me in a fresh way is what Matthew tells us in Mt. 27:20. The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Of the four Gospels, Matthew is the sharpest on this. They don’t persuade the crowd to just kill, execute, or even crucify Jesus. They want Him destroyed. That’s their desire.

There is utter malice behind this. Jesus looks so weak. He had already been betrayed by Judas. The other eleven disciples fled when He was arrested. Peter denied even knowing Him. Jesus had been mocked, spit upon, beaten, bound, and whipped. And they still call for Jesus to be destroyed. The cruelty of wanting Jesus destroyed is absolutely astounding.

But through all of it, Jesus barely speaks. Jesus talks a lot at the beginning of this reading while He is with the disciples, but once He is arrested, He only speaks three more times before His death here in Matthew’s gospel. All these false accusations are thrown at Him, but He doesn’t respond to any of them. Jesus just stays passive and silent as He is accused. Again, He looks weak.

During His trial before Caiaphas, all sorts of false charges are brought against Jesus, but He simply stands there and receives them. He doesn’t say a word. He only talks when Caiaphas demands, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Mt. 26:63). But then, Jesus says, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power coming on the clouds of heaven.”

It sure doesn’t look like Jesus is seated at the right hand of Power through the rest of His Passion. His silence looks like weakness, but that’s not how we should see it. It is powerful.

Jesus doesn’t speak again until Pilate asks Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” There, Jesus says,“You have said so.” But again, as the chief priests and elders accuse Jesus before Pilate, Jesus is silent (Mt. 27:12). Even though Pilate asks Jesus to respond to all these accusations, Jesus still gives no answer, not even to a single charge. In His silence, Jesus looks weak and passive.

All of this reminds me of the scapegoat. Do you remember what God had commanded His people to do on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16)? Each year, there were two goats. One was sacrificed and the blood of that goat allowed the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies. But the other goat, the scapegoat – it had a different purpose. The high priest laid both of his hands on the head of that goat and confessed all the iniquities, all the transgressions, and all the sins of the people. And God said that what happened there was that the high priest was placing all that sin on the goat’s head (Lev. 16:21).

And what do you suppose that goat did during that? It couldn’t object. The goat didn’t say, “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” The goat remained passive and silent and simply received it. Once all those sins were placed on that goat’s head, it was led into the wilderness carrying all those sins away from the sinners (Lev. 16:22). The scapegoat and all those sins were destroyed, never to be seen again. Yes, the scapegoat was passive, but by it God powerfully removed those sins.

Pilate hears all these accusations and sees how Jesus is silent. He knows these religious leaders want Jesus destroyed for no good reason, but Pilate has an idea. Pilate has the notorious Barabbas in custody who had committed murder and started a riot and insurrection (Mk. 15:7; Lk. 23:18-19). Pilate puts Barabbas and Jesus forward as his nominees to potentially be released. It seems as though Pilate figured Barabbas was such a rotten individual and danger to society that the crowds would rather have Barabbas crucified for their own safety and protection. But the crowd calls out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified.

And that’s what Jesus wants too. So, Jesus stays silent, passive, and powerful.

It was God’s will that Jesus should be on the cross instead of Barabbas. By taking Barabbas’ place on that cross, Jesus also takes your place under God’s wrath against your sins.

God takes all this evil, malice, and injustice and uses it for your eternal good (Ro. 8:28). Jesus’ Passion isn’t a tragedy. It is God’s victory. In fact, this is the victory. Jesus’ silence in all of this isn’t weakness. It’s God’s power because this is God’s plan playing out. This is how God powerfully removes your sins from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Jesus is crucified and heaven rejoices to see God’s great, powerful love for His creation. This is how God loves the world. This is how God loves you.

Jesus silently takes all those accusations, He is loaded up with all your sins, and He is led into the wilderness of death as He is crucified and destroyed. But death will no power over Him.

Dear saints, welcome to Holy Week. Easter is coming. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Purified & Redeemed – Sermon on Hebrews 9:11-15 for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Hebrews 9:11–15

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Father, into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit – Sermon on Luke 23:46 & Psalm 31:5 for Good Friday

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ’Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.’ And having said this [Jesus] breathed His last” (Lk. 23:46).

Hebrews 10:31 tells us, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The majority of times that the Bible talks about God stretching out His hand, it means destruction. This is why death is a fearful thing for us. The wages of sin is death (Ro. 6:23). It is appointed for a man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Heb. 9:27). Deep down, everyone knows this (Ro. 1:18-21).

Even the most hardcore atheist who wrongly thinks we are nothing more than a glob of atoms who randomly evolved knows that death is something to be avoided. Over the past few years, we have watched the absurd and, even, the evil things people will do in an attempt to avoid death. But unless Jesus returns first, we will all die (1 Thess. 4:17). And Satan uses the fact that sinners die to his advantage. Hebrews 2:14-15 says that the devil is able to hold all of humanity in bondage and slavery using only one tool, the fear of death. People try to stay alive at all costs and put even the thought of death as far away as possible. Death reminds us that we are not in control and are not in charge.

So, we have to learn from Jesus how to die. Jesus does not go into death as though He is falling into the hands of an enemy, but safely into the hands of His Father. These words of Jesus, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit,” are a quote from Psalm 31:5, and by quoting it, Jesus wants us to consider the entire Psalm. Just like when you hear a line from a song or a movie and, so long as you are familiar with it, the whole song or scene comes to mind, this one line Psalm 31 would have brought the whole Psalm to the minds of those who were there at the cross.

I would encourage you to read all of Psalm 31 tonight with your family and have the crucifixion in mind. For now, hear the first five verses:

1 In You, O Lord, do I take refuge; 
let me never be put to shame; 
in Your righteousness deliver me! 
2 Incline Your ear to me; 
rescue me speedily! 
Be a rock of refuge for me, 
a strong fortress to save me! 
3 For You are my rock and my fortress; 
and for Your name’s sake You lead me and guide me; 
4 You take me out of the net they have hidden for me, 
for You are my refuge. 
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; 
You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

Psalm 31:1-5 ESV

With His dying breath, Jesus commits Himself into the hands of the Father, and Christ can do this because He knows God is not angry with Him. And you, when you come to the end of your life, when you are breathing your last, you need to know this as well.

God is not angry with you. His anger over your sin has been satisfied. He has redeemed you through Jesus’ death. He has purchased and won you. Christ has paid the price for your sins. Unless you stubbornly hold on to your sins and refuse to believe that Christ has taken your place, there is no wrath, no judgment from God for you. You, Christian, you are a child of God, a child of the heavenly Father because Jesus has paid the price for your sins. You are no longer a sinner, but a one who has been redeemed and purchased by Jesus, the only-begotten Son of God.

By His blood, Jesus has washed away all your sin. You stand before God in the robe of Christ’s righteousness (Is. 61:10). For you, Christian, it is no longer a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God because God’s hands were nailed to the cross for you. Those are the hands that you commit yourself to.

There is therefore now no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:1) because your condemnation is in the past. It has already happened as Jesus died on the cross for you.

Jesus died after praying Psalm 31:5a, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” And it is important to notice that Jesus only prays the first line because He could not pray the second line, “You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” Jesus couldn’t pray the second line because He was not redeemed; instead, He was redeeming. He was redeeming you. He was there on the cross paying the price; winning your salvation; forgiving your sins; overcoming sin, death, and the grave. He was doing all of that so you can pray all of Psalm 31:5. The entire thing. Because of what your Lord and Savior has done, you can rightly pray, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

You belong to Jesus. He is your Brother and God is your Father. At the end of every day, take up these words, “Almighty God, my heavenly Father, like Jesus did before me, into Your hands I commit my spirit, for You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” And as you pray that, know that Jesus, who committed Himself into the hands of God the Father, has gone and prepared a place for you so that where Jesus is, you may be also (Jn. 14:3). Amen.[1]The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] This sermon was adapted from a sermon by Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller.

Passover to the Lord’s Supper – Sermon on Exodus 12:1-13 & Mark 14:12-28 for Maundy Thursday

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Before God rescued His people from slavery in the land of Egypt, He gave them a meal to celebrate their deliverance – the Passover meal. They were to take a lamb and slaughter it at twilight. God told them to take some of the blood and smear that blood on doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they would eat it. They were to eat that lamb and unleavened bread quickly and dressed to travel. That night, God passed through the land of Egypt and struck dead all the firstborn of both man and beast, but He did not enter any houses where He saw the blood of the lamb on the door. That blood was a sign that shielded God’s people from death.

It’s interesting, though, God had already set apart His people so they were not troubled by the previous plagues. Scripture tells us that the flies of the fourth plague didn’t pester the Israelites (Ex. 8:22-23). In the fifth plague, the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not the livestock of God’s people (Ex. 9:4, 7). The hail of the seventh plague didn’t fall upon the Hebrews (Ex. 9:26). Same with the darkness in the ninth plague (Ex. 10:22-23). God didn’t have His people set up any sign to keep those plagues from harming them. They didn’t need to put a fly in their window or write a “Have a nice day” in chalk on their sidewalks to be spared from those plagues. But with this final plague, God had His people set themselves apart with the sign of the blood of the lamb marking their doors.

The fact that God had His people do this not only on that day but also every year afterward was to preach an annual sermon. Each year in the Passover feast, God was reminding His people and preaching to them that the blood of a lamb protected and guarded them from His wrath and death. That blood and meal reminded the people of what God had done in the past, but it was also pointing forward to another Lamb and a better blood that would protect and shield God’s people. And that Lamb is Jesus.

But then, in our Gospel lesson tonight (Mk. 14:12-26), that Passover sermon was preached for the final time. Jesus has His disciples prepare the Passover meal, and that very night, that sermon is fulfilled. It’s no longer needed. The Passover sermon is about to become obsolete because Jesus institutes the new testament of His Supper where He gives His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins.

One interesting thing to notice before we move on here: In both instances, both with the Passover meal and the Lord’s Supper, God gives this meal to His people before the event actually happened. Before God passed through Egypt, God gave the Passover meal. The same thing is true in the Lord’s Supper. Before Jesus goes to the cross and gives His body unto death and sheds His blood, Jesus gives the meal of His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus had come, and He was about to do His Father’s will. The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29) and eternally protects God’s people from the plague of death (Heb. 12:24), this Lamb had come to give Himself so that His blood can shield you and death no longer has a claim on you.

The Passover meal had served its purpose. Tomorrow, Jesus will go to the cross. And to replace the Passover meal, Jesus now gives you Holy Communion. Yes, the Lord’s Supper was instituted in the context of the Passover, but it lays aside that old meal. Many people have tried to figure out at what point during the Passover meal Jesus gives Communion as its replacement. But Scripture indicates that Jesus institutes Holy Communion as a separate thing after they had finished that final Passover meal. The Gospel of Luke especially indicates that Jesus institutes His Supper after the Passover meal was finished (Lk. 22:20). 

Now, instead of the Passover meal, you are to eat the bread, which Jesus says is His body, and you are to drink the cup, which Jesus says is His blood. And you do this as a remembrance of what Christ has done for you. Yes, there is remembrance in this meal, but it also delivers exactly what Christ promises it delivers. Jesus promises that in this little meal, you receive the forgiveness of your sins. And unlike the Passover meal, which was an annual thing, Jesus says to do this often in remembrance of Him (1 Cor. 11:25).

So now, Jesus invites you – yes, you – to His altar, to His table. Jesus knows what you need, and He invites you to come and receive it. This is your entry into the Holy of Holies. Here in this meal, the time and distance between you and the cross of Jesus collapses as you participate in the feast of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:19-20). Here, your Lord gives you everything you need as you walk out of your slavery to sin and toward the Promised Land of the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:1). Here, your sins are forgiven. Here, the Body and Blood of Christ are given for you.

So, come. Your Brother, your Lord, and your Savior invites you. Amen.The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

A Different King with a Different Glory – Sermon on John 12:12-19 and Matthew 26:1-27:66 for Palm Sunday

John 12:12-19 & Matthew 26:1-27:66

In the name of Jesus. Amen.[1]

October 21st and 22nd 331 BC, Alexander the Great of Greece made his triumphal entry into the city of Babylon after conquering it. And we have a historical account of Alexander’s entry into the city.[2]

While Alexander was approaching Babylon, some went up on the walls of the city to watch their new king enter, but most went out to meet him. For miles, the road into Babylon was carpeted with flowers. At regular intervals, silver altars were placed on both sides of the road heaped with frankincense and perfumes. Herds of cattle and horses were in the procession as well as lions and leopards in cages. Large choirs sang the praises of Alexander. The Babylonian cavalry marched along with all their equipment and horses. Alexander himself was surrounded by an armed guard as he rode in his chariot, and the people of the city followed him. Finally, this massive, impressive parade approached the gates, and Alexander entered the palace. Now that is a triumphal entry. Miles of people, soldiers, animals, and all sorts of pageantry following the king. It was a display of might, power, and authority.

Have Alexander’s entry into Babylon in mind as you consider the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, the crowds went out to meet Jesus. They waved palm branches and laid them and their cloaks (Mt. 21:7) on the road before Jesus. They cried out, “Hosanna,” which means “Save us now! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

They find Jesus sitting – not on a chariot, war horse, camel, or elephant. Jesus sits and rides a donkey – a beast that helped people carry burdens and was used for normal, everyday work. And this fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey.”

This entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem is His triumphal entry. But unlike Alexander’s entry, it is humble, lowly, and peaceful. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem as King but not as a normal king. He certainly has power, strength, and glory, but He isn’t intimidating, either to the citizens of His kingdom or to those outside His kingdom. Jesus does not come to demonstrate His might. He comes to demonstrate His love. He comes not to conquer Jerusalem or the world; instead, He comes to conquer your sin and death by His own death on the cross.

Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). Jesus is a different kind of king with a different kind of glory. He is a king who has come to die for His subjects – for you. Christ’s glory is to be humble and take the form of a servant. Jesus is a king who is obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Php. 2:5-8). And the cross is His triumph. Because Jesus has given Himself unto death for you, God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name above all names. Dear saints, Jesus comes with mercy, and He comes for you. Welcome to Holy Week. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] This sermon has been adapted from a sermon by Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller.

[2] The account was written by Quintus Certius Rufus and can be found here.