John 19:1-18 JESUS: THE CRUCIFIED KING
Intro: On December 7, 1941, the Japanese armed forces bombed the US
Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Roosevelt delivered a radio address the next
day that described the event as a "day that will live in infamy." Webster's
Dictionary describes infamy as, "disgrace, dishonor, great wickedness." Now,
there is no one who will deny that what the Japanese did that day was an act of extremely
great wickedness. In fact, it lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers all
over the South Pacific. I have heard the assassination of President Kennedy described as
the most "infamous" day in the history of our great nation. That may very well
be so. However, I would like to take you back in time to a day 2,000 years ago that will
forever stand as the most infamous day in the history of humanity. On that day, the
creature took steps to kill its Creator. On that day, mankind raised its rebellious fist
against the Almighty. On that day, the darling Son of God became the Lamb slain from the
foundations of the world. The day Jesus Christ was crucified is the most infamous day in
the history of the world.
This morning, I want us to see a portrait of Jesus: The Crucified King.
Today, I want us to remember what He endured to provide salvation for sinners. Today, I
want us to look at the King of kings and the Lord of lords as He dies for you and for me.
Today, I would like for us to take a fresh look at Calvary and the events that took place
there that day. As we consider Jesus: The Crucified King, I want you to see just how much
this man Jesus loves you. I want you to see what He was willing to endure for your sake. I
want you to see how His death on the cross can become the means of your salvation if you
do not know Him, and what this means to you if you are saved. Let's take a look at the
various aspects of this chapter as we consider Jesus: The Crucified King.
I. V. 1-17 THE KING CONDEMNED
(Ill. There were several groups that were involved in the rejection and
the condemnation of the King on that infamous and awful day. Let's take a moment to
consider those directly involved in the death of the King of kings.)
A. V. 2-3 The Ruthless Men (The Soldiers) -
These verses tell us that these hardened men took the Lord Jesus, scourged Him and then
mocked Him by placing a crown of thorns upon His head and treating Him cruelly. These were
some of the same men who would later take the Lord Jesus to Calvary, nail Him to a cross
and gamble over His garments as He died for sin. These men were directly responsible for
the death of Jesus Christ!
B. V. 4-7, 15 The Religious Men - The chief
priests and scribes were involved in the death of Jesus in that they arrested, accused and
condemned Him under false charges. These same men would later walk by the cross and mock
Jesus as He died, Mark 15:29. These men were directly responsible for the death of Christ!
C. V. 6-16 The Ruling Men - Both Pilate and
Herod were guilty of ignoring what they knew to be true about Jesus. It would appear from
the story that Pilate tried everything short of bravery to get Jesus released. Be that as
it may, these men had the power and the ability to set Jesus at liberty, yet they chose to
let Him die. Therefore, they are directly responsible for the death of the Lord Jesus.
D. V. 18 The Rebellious Men - The Bible tells us
that Jesus was crucified between two thieves. The Bible also tells us that these men
ridiculed Jesus and rejected Him vocally that day, Luke 23:39. Even though one of the
thieves came to Jesus later, they were both directly responsible for the death of Jesus
Christ.
E. Luke 23:21-23 The Riotous Men - Among those
who rejected Jesus on that fateful and infamous day were the crowds that had gathered in
Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Without a doubt some of these people were the same
ones who had lined the road into the city just a few days before and had hailed Him as
their coming King. Now, they stand with their leaders and call for the blood of their
innocent Messiah. These people were directly responsible for the death of the King.
F. All Regular Men - Lest be quick to condemn
those who condemned the Lord, we need to take a step back and look at the real reason
Jesus went to the cross. Why did He go? He went there because all men are sinners and
stand in need of a Savior. When Jesus went to the cross, He was dying for the sins of all
humanity, 2 Cor. 5:15. When Jesus went to the cross, He literally became sin for you and
me, 2 Cor. 5:21. Since that is true, then you and I are responsible for the condemnation
of the King. Why did the cross happen? For you and me! The King was crucified and it was
my fault!
I. The King Condemned
II. V. 18-29 THE KING CRUCIFIED
(Ill. These verses give us a brief account of the time Jesus spent on
the cross at Calvary. John doesn't give us some of the detail of the other Gospel writers,
but his account is vivid enough to give us insight into that infamous day when Jesus died
for humanity.)
A. The Pain Of The Cross - The Bible sums up the
crucifixion in one verse. Actually, verse 18 simply says, "they crucified
him..." However, we need to realize just what He suffered for you and me. Can you
imagine having long, iron spikes driven through your hands and feet? Can you imagine
hanging on a cross for 6 hours after you had been beaten and whipped by a band of
soldiers? We can't even begin to comprehend the pain that Jesus endured on the cross that
day to atone for the sins on man. In fact, crucifixion is widely regarded as the most
horrible form of execution ever devised by man. When a person was nailed to the cross, the
nails would come into contact with the median nerve that runs though the forearms and into
the hands. This would irritate this nerve and cause the body to undergo violent spasms,
which would result in the body being slammed into the upright wood of the cross. Also, the
body would sag due to fatigue and weakness in the limbs. This collapsing of the body would
result in the chest muscles preventing the lungs from expanding. The only way the
condemned man could breath would be for him to push against the nails in his feet as he
pulled against the nails in his hands. This action would raise him up and allow his to
fill his lungs. This would have to be repeated each time a breath was needed. Eventually
the body would be so weak from the combined influence of gangrene, blood loss, dehydration
and exhaustion, that the victim would be unable to lift his body and would suffocate.
Jesus Christ died a horrible death, a painful death, a death unspeakably cruel and vile,
all because He loved you!
B. The Purpose Of The Cross - When we think of
the death Jesus endured for us on the cross, the question comes as to why He would do
this. The reason is simple and straightforward. Jesus died the death He did, He suffered
the agony He did, He endured the pain a suffering that He did so that He might manifest
the love of God to lost sinners, Rom. 5:8, and that He might pay the price for our sins, 1
John 2:2! Why did He go to Calvary? He went to the cross so that you would not have to go
to Hell!
C. The Primacy Of The Cross - There seems to be
a movement afoot today that would take down the cross and undermine the necessity of blood
atonement for sins. However, try as they might, men can never take away the need for the
cross! In fact, what the world calls foolish is called powerful and necessary by the Lord,
1 Cor. 1:18, 1 Cor. 1:23-24; 1 Cor. 2:14. Man may try to sanitize the Gospel to make it
more appealing to a lost world, but when the blood of Jesus and His agony on the cross is
stripped away from the Gospel message, there is no Gospel left! There is only some
religious message that doesn't have the power to save one sinner from an eternal Hell! Let
the world take what it will, I'll take the old rugged Cross and the blood of Jesus that
was shed there as the payment in full for all of my sins!
I. The King Condemned
II. The King Crucified
III. V. 30-42 THE KING CONQUERING
A. The Cry - After 6 hours on the cross, Jesus
had spoken a few times already, yet when He is about to give up His spirit into the hands
of death Jesus makes this cry, "It is finished!" Please note that Jesus did not
say, "I am finished!" This was not the cry of a defeated man, no! Rather, this
was the cry of a Victor! This is the cry of one who has paid the price and finished the
work He came to do! In truth, this word, "Tetelestai", is a very vivid and
expressive word. Understanding how it was used in that day may help us have a better grasp
of what Jesus said when He said "It is finished!"
1. It Was A Servant's Word - Used when a task
was finished!
2. It Was A Priest's Word - Used When a
sacrificial animal was examined and found worthy.
3. It Was A Farmer's Word - Used when an animal
was born that was a perfect specimen.
4. It Was An Artist's Word - Used when an artist
had applied the finishing touches to a masterpiece. It meant that nothing more could be
done to make it better.
5. It Was A Merchant's Word - Used when a
merchant and a customer had haggled over a price and had reached a price that was
acceptable to both. This implied that the haggling was over, the deal was struck and
everyone involved had been fully satisfied.
(Ill. When Jesus made this cry, He was telling us that the price had
been paid, salvation had been finished and that God was satisfied with the price that had
been paid.)
B. The Completion - After Jesus uttered this
cry, He died and was taken down from the cross and was buried. Please understand that when
Jesus went to the cross, it was absolutely necessary for Him to die. If He hadn't died on
the cross, sin would have never been paid for. After all, the wages of sin was, is and
will ever be death - Rom. 6:23! People think the cross is bloody, and they are right! But,
you cannot be saved without faith in the shed blood of Jesus!
C. The Continuation - I am about to get into
next week's sermon, but I decided many years ago that I would never leave Jesus hanging on
the cross and that I would never leave Him dead. The good news is that 3 days after He
died, He also arose from the dead. He did to pay for our sins and He arose to provide for
our justification. The greatest words in the Bible are probably those found in Matthew
28:6. The fact that Jesus is risen is what sets Christianity apart from the rest of the
world's religions. Our is a living faith in a living Lord. Jesus is alive and so is
everyone who places their faith in Him for salvation!
Conc: I thank God this morning for Jesus The Crucified King! I am
thankful that He was willing to suffer what He did so that we might be saved. The question
that remains today is this; have you been saved? Are you trusting in Jesus and Jesus alone
for your soul's salvation? If you are trusting anything else, then you are lost and need
to be born again. What will you do with Jesus? When you think of what He has done for you,
there is only one answer that makes sense. You must give Jesus you heart and your life and
then serve Him until He calls you home. Now, for the Christian, there is this question:
When faced with all that Jesus did for you on the cross, can you honestly say that you are
living for Him like you should? If not, or if you need to be saved, then I invite you to
come to Jesus right now and to allow Him to have His way in your life. Will you respond as
the Lord has spoken to your hearts today?
