John 19:16-30

We're all used to lots of symbols, aren't we? Used to a world where symbols convey so

! much information without having to use many words. So we see a little red circle with a

! line through the middle and we know it's the tube. We see a little silhouette of a

piece of fruit with a bite taken out and we know, huh, that's apple. That's expensive products

made by some poor person in the Far East for a big company in America. And we perhaps never

think to question why is there a round circle with a line through it for the tube? Why is

there an apple with a bite taken out of it for the apple computer company? There's a

chance that we don't think about it. In the same way we're all used to seeing people wearing

crosses around necklaces in earrings. And we know it's a symbol of Christianity but maybe

we don't think quite why. Where does it come from? Why is that the symbol? And maybe we

don't even think how bizarre it is to have a cross as a symbol. The very early Christians

hiding in the catechums of Rome, fearful of persecution and arrest by authorities. He's a

different symbol. He's the symbol of a fish. Now it wasn't primarily because Jesus hung

around with fishermen, although he did. It's actually because of an acronym. In Greek, the

words for Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour. In Greek, the initial letters spell Ichthus,

which is the Greek word for a fish. So the fish was like a secret code they could use for

each other. And perhaps a little bizarrely, we still see it on bumper stickers of cars today.

But that's where it comes from if you ever wanted to know. So why did the fish get replaced by

a cross? After all, if we saw people going around with models of electric chairs on their

necklaces or a hangman's guillotine, we'd think it was weird, wouldn't we? And yet the cross,

far more than a guillotine or a hangman's noose, was a terrible, terrible means of execution.

The Roman philosopher and politician, Cicero, wrote a little bit before Jesus was born, said

this, the very word cross should be far removed, not only from the person of a Roman citizen,

but from his thoughts, his eyes and his ears. So how did this disgraceful instrument of execution

come to be the symbol of the Christian faith? Well, as we look at it, we get to the heart of the

matter. We see why it's a symbol of the Christian faith, because it epitomises the message at the

heart of Christianity. So that's why I thought it would be good to look today at this little account,

this eyewitness account of Jesus' death on the cross. Written by John the disciple, the disciple

whom Jesus loved, the disciple who gets to care for Jesus' mother in this excerpt we read here.

And I want us to ask three questions as we read through this story. We're actually going to ask

them twice. The three questions are this, why is this happening? Who is in control? And so what?

So what difference does it make? And I want us to look at those twice. First time through,

we'll look at it very superficially, as bystanders in the crowd, just seeing what's happening.

But then we're going to go back again and look at them more deeply, with the clues that John,

who writes this, is giving us, to help us see underneath the surface what is going on.

So first of all, why is this happening? Well, we pick up the story in verse 16, and we read that

Pilate delivered Jesus over to them to be crucified. So why is Jesus being crucified? Well, if you've read

the story this far, you'd know why it is not happening. It's not happening because Jesus is

guilty of some crime. He's already had two trials, one a mock trial in front of the religious leaders.

But even in that, it's just across the column there, in verse 23 of chapter 18, Jesus says,

If what I said is wrong, bear witness about what is wrong. But if what I said is right, why do you strike me?

No witnesses can be brought to say what Jesus had said or done was wrong. He was innocent.

And then three times after his trial with the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, Pilate announces,

I find no guilt in him. You can see that at the end of chapter 18, verse 38. You see at the start of chapter 19,

verse 4, and again in verse 6, the chief priests cry, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said to them,

take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him. So Jesus is not being killed because he's guilty

of anything. On the surface, Jesus is being killed because of political conspiracies.

You need to know a little bit of the historical background of the day. The Roman Empire had taken over

and occupied Judea. But they'd done a bit of a deal with the Jewish religious authorities.

So the religious authorities still had some power, some influence. They could still run their religion

out of the temple in Jerusalem. But it was always on a bit of a fine knife edge.

They had to behave themselves. And so a few chapters earlier, the leader, Caiaphas the high priest,

had said of the trouble Jesus was causing by attracting crowds, if we let Jesus go on like this,

this is chapter 11, verse 48, everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away

both our place, that is the temple, and our nation. If Jesus gets any more popular, we will lose our power.

The Romans will take it from us. And so they want to get rid of Jesus.

That's their political conspiracy. At the same time, Pilate, the Roman governor, had a really tricky job.

Judea was well known as a place where there had been lots of rebellions and uprisings in the centuries before.

It was always a pretty tense place. And so he had to try and keep control.

If not, he would lose his job. And that is why the Jewish leaders back him into a corner with their political manoeuvres.

If you notice, if you look up just above the section we read, they say to Pilate,

look, this is why Jesus is claiming to be a king.

So at the top of the column there, in verse 12,

everybody makes himself a king opposes Caesar.

So Pilate, if you're not getting rid of this king, then you're no friend of Caesar.

You will lose your job.

And so Pilate, although he wanted to let Jesus go,

because of his own self-interest, wanting to hold on to his job,

because of the political manoeuvrings of the Jewish authorities,

says, OK, crucify him. You take him, you do it.

And you see those political games continue.

Did you notice that sign that Pilate wrote to go above the cross?

The sign with a charge on it?

It's there in verse 19.

Pilate wrote,

Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

What's he doing?

He's basically thumbing his nose at the Jewish authorities.

He's saying, you want a king? Well, this is your king.

Humiliated, dying on a cross.

He's a loser like you are.

It's Pilate playing political games again.

And the Jewish leaders get upset and say, no, change the sign.

Pilate just says, no.

What I've written, I have written.

Pilate may have lost the battle, but he's making sure they know he is really in control.

So why is Jesus dying?

Well, on the face of it, because of a political conspiracy,

because of human pride in politics.

That then leads us to the second question, doesn't it?

Who is in control here?

Well, it's not Pilate, is it?

He had to give up his control.

His writing that inscription, the king of the Jews,

was his last little gambit to try and show he had some power.

In some sense, it looks like the religious leaders are in control,

but even they aren't so much in control,

because they can't get that charge changed to something they'd be happy with.

Who else is there?

Could the soldiers be in control?

Well, in a sense, yes.

What have they done?

They've nailed Jesus to a cross,

they've hoisted it up and shoved it in the ground,

so it's standing up.

And now they're just getting on with their day,

gambling over his clothes.

It sort of looks like they're in control,

and there's Jesus sitting there,

hanging there above them,

looking down as his clothes are gambled for.

Powerless to do anything, it seems.

So maybe the soldiers are in control.

So thirdly, what difference does this make?

Why does this matter?

Is all that's happening here,

another innocent man,

unjustly dying,

at the hands of a tyrannical regime,

and at the hands of religious despots?

We see that kind of thing on television every night, don't we?

So one of my neighbours said to me recently,

what's so special about this case?

Isn't it just another innocent man

in a world of suffering?

Well, let's go back and look at those questions again.

But this time looking at them,

aware of all the information

that John, who's writing this,

is putting before us,

so we can try to understand

the true answers to these questions.

So first of all, why is this happening?

We look at verse 24 for a moment.

We get a clue to why it's happening here.

So they, that's the soldiers,

said to one another,

let us not tear it,

this seamless garment,

but cast lots for it,

to see whose it shall be.

This was to fulfil

what the scripture says.

They divided my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

So the soldiers did these things.

These Roman soldiers

had no idea of this prophecy.

These were words written

a thousand years earlier,

describing, in Psalm 22,

describing an innocent man suffering,

forsaken by God,

oppressed by people around him,

yet going on to praise God

at the end of the psalm.

The soldiers had no idea

they were fulfilling a prophecy

by playing dice for Jesus' clothes,

and yet here we get a hint

of what is going on.

A plan is being fulfilled.

Promises are being fulfilled.

So why is it happening?

It's happening to fulfil

what God had promised

thousands of years earlier.

We see that not only here,

but throughout the story

of John's Gospel.

If you take one of these Gospels

at the end,

one of these accounts

of Jesus' life,

read through it.

You'll see throughout it

you get hints,

or even better than hints,

clear clues,

that Jesus is fulfilling a plan.

So for example,

back in chapter 10,

he said,

I am the good shepherd,

the good shepherd lays down

his life for his sheep.

Or even before that,

in John chapter 3 verse 15,

John 3:15

he'd given a clue

as to how he would die.

He said,

when I am lifted up,

whoever believes in me

would have eternal life.

In John chapter 3 verse 16,

John 3:16

the very next verse from that,

he gives this clear declaration

of why he'd come into the world,

what plan he was fulfilling.

He says this,

For God so loved the world

that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him

should not perish,

but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son

into the world

to condemn the world,

but in order that the world

might be saved through him.

So why is this happening?

Jesus is dying

to save a world.

It's not power politics.

Jesus isn't a victim

of someone else's pride and gains.

Jesus is willingly

fulfilling the mission

the Father gave him.

Now why is that?

He, the innocent one,

the one who had never

done anything wrong,

is dying to take the punishment

for people like me and you

who fail to live up

to our own standards,

let alone God's standards.

Who fail to treat God

as ruler in the world he made.

Who try to live

as if we're independent of God.

And why is Jesus doing it?

He's doing it to show us

two things.

First of all,

to show us God's great love.

That God is so loving.

He does not want

people he has made

to perish in hell forever.

But also,

God is so loving.

He cannot just ignore

our sin.

He cannot just ignore

our rebellion.

God is loving,

so he has to punish

the things we've done wrong.

If God didn't punish

the evil and the injustice

and the pain

that we cause in this world,

then how could we say

he's loving?

People often ask me,

how could a loving God

punish sin?

Let me ask you

a different question.

How could a loving God

just overlook sin?

If he did,

he wouldn't be loving,

would he?

He'd be indifferent,

which is the opposite

of loving.

See, because God is love,

he sends his son

into the world

so whoever believes in him

may not perish

but have eternal life.

He's so loving,

he must judge,

he must condemn

all that is wrong.

He's so loving,

he wants to forgive.

And so this is where

the rescue plan comes in.

This is why Jesus is dying,

it's to fulfil

the rescue plan

that was promised

in the Old Testament

and unfolds in the New.

So that's what is happening.

That's why this is happening.

Jesus is showing us

God's love.

Love to rescue us.

Love to condemn sin.

So then who's in control?

Is it the soldiers?

Is it Pilate?

Is it the religious authorities?

No.

Look carefully.

John gives us

three pieces of evidence

to show that it's really

Jesus in control.

Look down to the end there,

bottom of the page,

verse 26.

Here's Jesus

hanging on the cross

and when Jesus saw

his mother

and the disciple

whom he loved

standing nearby,

he said to his mother,

women,

behold your son.

Then he said to the disciple,

behold your mother.

From that hour

the disciple took her

to his own home.

I don't know about you

but when I'm in pain

I'm really bad

at looking out

for other people.

I get very obsessed

with what's causing me

discomfort.

I get very irritable

with everybody else.

Maybe that's just me.

But what does Jesus do?

As he dislocates

his shoulders

every time he breathes,

as he hangs there

with nails

through his hands

and feet,

he looks out

on and loves

his mother

and cares for her.

It's a sign

that he's really

in control.

But secondly,

look at verse 28.

After this,

Jesus knowing

that all was now

finished,

said to fulfil

the scripture,

I thirst.

He's so in control

that even at that moment

as he reaches

the end of his life,

he can do one

little detail

to fulfil another

scripture,

to fulfil another

promise laid out

in the Old Testament.

Then the greatest

piece of evidence,

the third piece of evidence

is there in verse 30.

When Jesus had received

the sour wine,

he said,

it is finished

and bowed his head

and gave up his spirit.

Notice the words,

it is finished.

Not I am finished,

but it is finished.

It's the cry of a student

when they get to the end

of their final exam

or final piece of coursework,

it's finished!

It's the cry of a couple

who for 25 years

would pay off their mortgage

and finally it's done.

It's finished!

We own this place!

It's the cry of a prisoner

who's finally let out

having served his sentence.

It is finished!

It's the cry of the

relieved marathon runner

who after 26.4 miles

of agony

crosses the line

with joy on her face.

It is finished!

What is finished?

What is finished

is the work

God the Father

had given the Son

to do.

What is finished

is the work

of rescuing

rebels like me

and you.

What is finished

is fulfilling

the promise

that I read earlier

in chapter 3

verse 16.

That God so loved

the world

that he gave

his only Son

that whoever

believes in him

should not perish

but have eternal life.

That is finished.

So that anyone

who believes in him

will not be judged

themselves

but will have

eternal life instead.

So let me ask again

what difference

does this make?

And we rattle through

very briefly

five things

we cannot say.

Five things

we cannot say.

We cannot say first

that God doesn't care

about the injustice

of the world.

He does.

He cares deeply.

He came down

in the presence

of his Son

and suffered

injustice himself

so he could put

an end to it all

one day.

Secondly we cannot say

all religions

are basically the same.

Every other religion

is all about

what human beings

have to do

to impress God

or to get forgiven

by God

to earn life

from God.

Christianity

is completely opposite.

It's not about us

trying to get up to God

it's about God

come down

to rescue us

in the presence

of his Son.

Thirdly we cannot say

my life isn't worth

anything

no one cares about me

my life's a mess.

If you trust in Jesus

see how much

your life is worth

that the eternal

Son of God

the one

through whom

everything was made

as John said

right back at the

start of this book

took on human flesh

lived a human life

and died on a cross

to rescue you.

You cannot say

you are worthless

if you put your

trust in Jesus

and he has paid

a supremely

valuable price

for you.

Fourthly

you cannot say

oh if there is a God

I'm sure I'll be alright

because I'm a nice person

or I've been baptised

or I go to church

I'm open minded

I'm fair

we cannot say that.

If you can be accepted

and forgiven by God

by our own actions

if any of us

can be accepted

because of what we've done

then why would it be

necessary

for Jesus Christ

the Son of God

to die in our place?

So we cannot say

I'll be alright

on my own

without Jesus

we cannot say

all religions

are the same

we cannot say

my life is worth nothing

we cannot say

God doesn't care

God doesn't understand

and the final thing

we cannot say

is

oh it doesn't really matter

we cannot say

it doesn't really matter

God has gone

to these great lengths

to open a way

for people like me

and you

to be forgiven

that we may not perish

we may not spend

eternity in hell

cut off from God

but instead

we may have a life

that begins now

a whole life

the life we are

meant to have

John

at the end of the next chapter

will write these words

these things about

Jesus are written

that you may believe

that Jesus is the Christ

the Son of God

and that by believing

you may have life

in his name

so you cannot say

this doesn't matter

because it's through

Jesus' death

that we can

have life

so that is why

the cross

is the heart

of the matter

it's the centre

of the Christian message

Christianity is not

about what we do

it's what God has done

it's the heart

of the matter

because in the cross

we see the heart

of God

his hatred

of all that is evil

all that pollutes

all that damages

the people he's made

and the world he's made

but also we see his heart

in his great love

for lost people

and it's the heart

of the matter

because how we respond

to the death

of Jesus Christ

on the cross

will determine

not just our life now

but all eternity

for us

so how do you

respond to Jesus

let me pray

let me get a couple

of minutes for questions

if there are any