Passion Week: Good Friday (Matthew 27)

You are listening to When We Understand the Text. Welcome to Passion Week. Each day we'll be hearing a sermon about an event that happened in the life of Christ during the week leading up to His death on the cross and the resurrection from the grave.

These short sermons are delivered by our elders at First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Here's today's message from Pastor Dwight Keptot.

Friday is not really writing in scripture what time, but we just assume that after midnight. Because when they moved from Uproom all the way to Mount Olive, it's kind of toward that time. So we can just say that after midnight, that's where these things took place.

Matthew 26, 47 -56, You know, when I read to this part, and I can see, you know, the love of Jesus for Judas. Jesus knew Judas that he's the one who's going to betray me, and yet he called him friends.

There's time in my life that when people do something bad to me, you know, I tend to ignore them. I don't want to, you know, talk to them. I don't want to do nice thing to them. I probably, you know, pretend that, you know, I still have that relationship.

But in my heart, I don't have that good attitude toward that person because he did something bad to me. And I'm a person that, you know, always hide things. Nobody sees. And when I look at this part, when Judas approached Jesus to greet him with kiss, the words that he used here to Judas, he says, friend.

And friend means somebody that's very close. Somebody that, you know, in John, he says, you're no longer a slave, but I call you friend. Friend who knows, who's very close to Jesus. Let's continue. Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.

Verse 51, and behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servants of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, put your sword back into its place for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

Do you think that I cannot appeal to my father and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so? At that hour, Jesus said to the crowds, have you come out as against robber with sword and clubs to capture me?

Day after day, I sit in the temple teaching, but all this has taken place that the scriptures of the prophet might be fulfilled. And I'm digging some of the scriptures before this. When Jesus told his disciples about his death, he's going up to Jerusalem to die in the hands of the sinners, elders, Peter took him aside and rebuked him.

And you know what Jesus did to Peter? He says, get behind me, Satan. For what you have in mind is not, you know, for God, but it's for man. When we think of what Jesus is about to do and the world look at this, that's why, you know, in Romans always remind me of the scripture says, the message of the cross is foolishness.

It's falling to those who are perishing. Because this is what God is planning to save the whole world through his son, putting him to die on the cross, to be suffered for all these things in order for him to, you know, to save people.

And when the whole world look at this, what God is doing, it's foolishness to them. The book of John, chapter 18, verse 13 to 24, it says, soldiers arrest Jesus and bond him first. They led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that time, that year.

And so they took him from the garden of Gethsemane and then brought him to this house. In Matthew, chapter 26, verse 57, it says they led him to Caiaphas, high priest, where the scribes and elders gathered.

This is after when they brought him from Annas to Caiaphas' high priest house. I'm going to read from Luke, chapter 22, verse 54 to 65. This is before Caiaphas. Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into high priest, and Peter was following at a distance.

And when they had kindled fire in the middle of the country yard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant crawled, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him and said, this is the man.

This man also was with him, but he denied it, saying, woman, I do not know him. A little later, someone else saw him and said, you also are the one of them. But Peter said, man, I am not. And after an interval of about an hour, still another insisted, saying, certainly this man also was with him.

But Peter said, man, I do not know what you are talking about. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered, saying of the Lord how he had said to him, before the rooster crows, today you will deny me three times.

And he went out and wept bitterly. This is the man that had a heart for God. This is the man that said God first. When you read about Peter's life, he's always changed his mind very fast. This is the man that we just read his story that he told Jesus that I will never deny you.

And this is the same man that took Jesus aside and rebuked him and said, Lord, you're not supposed to go through this. But here, what we've just read, it shows that Jesus knew what Peter, what his future.

And so, when this thing happened, three times, finally, the rooster crows, Jesus looked at Peter, and Peter looked at Jesus, then remember, this is what Jesus said to me. Before the second rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

Then, what Peter did, it's not just, you know, oh, I'm sorry, you know I did wrong. No, when we read this, it says, and he went out and wept bitterly. You and I, we need to have the same attitude, same heart.

When we fall into sin and we realize that, you know, we commit sin, immediately, you know, ask forgiveness. Make things right. Have the heart, you know, to cry, come before the Lord and cry and ask God for, you know, to forgive us.

Peter went out and wept because he feel that really betray his master. He denied his master. What he promised to his master, you know, he failed him, and he really feel that way. So I think for us as a Christian, we need to have that kind of heart.

When we fall into sin, when we do something wrong, go before God. Open our hearts to him, and God will forgive us. It's totally different than Judas compared, you know, with Judas. Judas, when he knew that, you know, what he did is wrong, he went to the temple with, you know, dirty silvers and drew them and said, you know, I don't need this.

There was nothing there that we can read that, you know, he feel sorry and he ask forgiveness from God and cry like Peter. No, instead, he went out and hang himself. Chapter 22, and I'm going to start with from verse 63.

It says, Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, prophesy, who is it that struck you? And they say many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council and Pilate

Verse 26, it says, When they came, the assembly of elders of people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away to their council. And they said, If you are the Christ, tell us.

But he said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you, you will not answer. But from on, the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. So they all said, Are you the son of God then?

And he said to them, You are saying that I am. And they said, What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips. Chapter 23, Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king. And Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews?

And he answered him, You have said so. Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, I find no guilt in this man. But they were urgent, saying, He stir up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.

Verse 6,. When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at the time.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him. Because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him. At some land, but he made no answer.

The chief priests and the scribes stood by, and Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him, then arranging him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. Verse 12,. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day.

For before this, they had been at enmity with each other. Remember what Pastor Gabe shared with us last night about the Pharisees and the Sadducees? You know, because of the death of Christ, they became really good friends together.

It's the same thing to this one. Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people and said to them, You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.

Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him. Let's continue to read 18. But they all cried out together, away with this man and release to us Barabbas.

A man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection started in city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, deciding to release Jesus. But they kept shouting, crucify, crucify him. A third time he said to them, why?

What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. But they will urgent demand with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevail.

So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder for whom they asked. But he delivered Jesus over to their will. It's a scripture that has been read to us many times.

Or during our study time we read this. You know, I think most of us, they know most of these scriptures, these verses in here. But the thing is, it's to remind us of what our Lord went through. It was not easy or just, you know, he went through.

Before all this took place, remember when he was in Gethsemane, during his prayer time, he prayed and the scripture says, the tears of his eyes dropped like blood. And because of what he's facing, it's not easy for him.

It was not easy for him. Even when he finished praying and when he went back to see his disciples, they were sleeping. There was nobody around, you know, to help him during that time. They were sleeping.

So he wake them up and said, wake up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. So you need to pray. During his time in Gethsemane, during his prayer time, and what he prayed to his father, he says, Lord, if it's possible, if it's possible, let this cup pass by me.

Because, you know, he's looking at these sins and the wrath of God for him. The son of God, sinless, and God put him in that position. And he's about to drink that cup, and he prayed and said, God, if it's your will, let this cup.

If there's any way, let it be done. But not my will, let yours be done. It was not easy for Jesus. I want to read Matthew 27, verse 24. So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowds, saying, I'm innocent of this man's blood.

So to eat yourself. I'm just going to stop there. He took water and washed his hands and said, I don't have anything to do with this man's blood. My friends, to me, this is very, I mean, I'm scared of this.

Because it's something that a person says, I don't have anything to do with the death of Jesus on the cross. The blood of Jesus is not me, not for me. I've washed my hands, his death is not for me. That's what I get from this.

He washed his hands and said, I don't have to do anything with his death and his blood. Friends, we gather here to remind ourselves about the death of Jesus on the cross. His death, his blood was shed on the cross 2 ,000 years ago for the forgiveness of sin.

Without blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Without the blood of Christ, what we heard last night, Chris talked about the blood of the Lamb. And when I read this, I say this man, a pilot, he missed the very important part here.

And who knows how many people out there, they're still denying Jesus. They still said, I don't have anything to do with his death. I don't have to, you know, have anything to do with his blood. When they led him to be crucified, there were two men.

You know the story. There were two men, also criminal. They crucified them with Jesus. One is on the right and one is on the left. And the other one is kind of like, you know, he's insulting Jesus. If you are the Christ, save yourself and also save us.

But the other was also on the right, rebuked him. And said, don't you know that what we have is, you know, that's what we deserve? But this man, this man is innocent. And what he said to Jesus, Jesus, when you enter your kingdom, remember, very short.

Remember me when you enter your kingdom. And what Jesus said to him, right now. He said, right now, you will be with me in paradise. As soon as we confess our sins, asking Jesus to come into our hearts, right now, right there, he's your savior.

You know, for all these hardships, all these trials, all these sufferings that Jesus went through. Start from after midnight on Friday, all the way till morning, all the way till noon. And on the cross, he's still able to say, Father, forgive them.

For they do not know what they're doing. How many times, or how long, when someone bring harsh things to us, how long we can stand to say, you know, I forgive you. Something, you know, happened to me, I'm starting to think of, you know, what I can do to that person.

But Jesus, because of his love, because of his love for you and I, because of his love for these people, because of his love that, you know, that's why he said, do you think that, you know, I can, you know, bring angels to come and rescue me?

But because of his love, he wants to save people from their sins. Because of his love, he says, Father, forgive them. Yeah, we can say it's Good Friday because what God done for us. It's not Good Friday so that, you know, because we were enjoying our holidays, have a good time.

No, it's because of what Christ, of what Christ done for us. His blood was shed for our sins.

The Meaning of Peter's Denial and Judas's Betrayal

Thank you for joining us during Passion Week as we studied the events leading up to Christ's death on the cross for our sins and his resurrection from the grave. On behalf of our church family, my name is Becky, inviting you to join us again tomorrow.