The Greatest Exchange - Luke 23 Vs 13-24

Church Announcements and Upcoming Events

We have Bible study this Wednesday. I think the next one is on the 20th. That Bible study will be at 5 30 p .m. And that's back in the Fellowship Hall. And or you could turn in tune in on YouTube. Sorry about that.

Our missionaries of the month are John and Becky Knox who were here. They serve with BMW in Japan. So just pray for them. We have our ladies Christmas brunch. So mark your calendars that's going to be Saturday December 7th at 10 a .m.

I'm sure you guys noticed on the way in we have the church is being painted so I think their ETA for that is the 20th, so So we all look forward to seeing how that's gonna look. So we'll just open in prayer.

Dear Lord, we thank you for today. Thank you for gathering us all here this morning Lord. Keep getting us here safely. We just pray Lord for today's message that We would all be blessed by Lord and that we could all Take from it and and walk in obedience throughout the week Lord.

We praise you. We love you in Jesus name. Amen.

Worship, Scripture Reading, and the Theme of God’s Love

Well, please stand together. Our first song is how deep the father's love and I was looking at Psalm 136. And it's it kind of repeats that theme over and over again. For his mercy his love endures forever.

And that's dozen plus times of Oh give thanks to the God of heaven for his mercy. Endures forever his love endures forever. And what a loving God that we do have that we can serve him. We can love him.

We can worship him and that's what we do corporately today.

Acts 4 and the Sovereignty of God in Opposition

Scripture is going to be on act or the book of Acts chapter 4 23 through 30. Acts chapter 4 23 through 30. When they had been released they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And Then they heard this they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said Oh Lord, it is you who made the heavens and in the earth and the sea and all that is in them Who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David your servant said?

Why did the Gentiles rage and the people's devised futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against his Christ. For truly in the city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus Whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel To do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur and now Lord take note of their threats and Grant that your bond servants may speak your word with all confidence While you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

The Love of Christ in Worship

Well, let's stand together again. We're gonna sing. What wondrous love is this and it's a. It's a picture of a believer sitting back and kind of meditating on how could God do what he did for me and. We'll never be able to answer that on this side of heaven, but we can certainly appreciate.

What a gift what a blessing it is that we can to understand that love that he has for us.

It's it's great to hear all of you singing.

I.

Think it's important to Know that people who are up here whether Harold singing or Katie and Lauren playing their instruments. It's to facilitate the whole church in Worshipping the Lord right first you're singing to the Lord and second You're even singing to each other because the words that we sing are very deep in rich in theology in Shaping what Jesus had done and who he is.

So all feel free to sing however loudly you Want right? It is a blessing to hear real people singing and with Without any recordings, right? With that let's all turn to Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23 verses 13 through 25.

Luke chapter 23 verses 13 through 25. Then Pilate when he had called together the chief priests the rulers and the people said to them you have brought this man to me as one who misleads the people and Indeed having examined him in your presence.

I have found no guilt in this man Concerning those things of which you accuse him. No, neither did Herod for I sent you back to him and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by him. I will therefore chastise him and release him for it was necessary for him to release one of them at the feast and They all cried out at one saying away with this man and release to us Barabbas Who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city and for murder?

Pilate therefore wishing to release Jesus again called out to them. But they shouted saying crucify him crucify him. Then he said to them the third time why what evil has he done. I have found no reason for death in him.

I will therefore chastise him and let him go but they were insistent Demanding with loud voices that he be crucified and the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed so Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested and He released to them the one they requested who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison.

But he delivered Jesus to their will. This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray father we are grateful that you have sent your son to die on the cross for our sin and that his death was not as a punishment for his guilt.

But his death was a substitution in our place and in also another since Barabbas's place. Thank you that we have The full pardon and forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ who died for our sin Facing the wrath that we deserve.

Thank you that we couldn't have done it ourselves and thank you that it's a free gift in Jesus name. This text follows a series of injustice Done by the religious leaders and also the political leaders and in this particular passage Luke portrays Jesus as clearly innocent.

In fact this short passage alone has Pilate the human judge Declaring Jesus to be innocent three different times. In fact Pilate desires to free Jesus, but he is pressured by the crowd and the religious leaders To release the wrong guy Barabbas who is an actual insurrectionist unless we think this is Just a rare occasion.

I do want us to note how the Bible actually portrays.

The world.

Oftentimes people think That only if God were to come down everything will be made right and people will just obey. Right. I know we just had the election. I know some people naively think oh only if Jesus were running as for president.

This text clearly shows Jesus would not have been elected. But rather he would have been executed. The world is not a fan of Christ in fact. John 3 16 Probably one of the most famous verses in the Bible right.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. Oftentimes we focus on how big the world is. God's love must be so big because there's so many people to love. Yes, that's true but if you consider How John depicts the world?

The world's actually a really dark place. The world actually rejected him. The world rebelled against him and in that sense we get to see a greater depth of God's love. It's that he loves despite their rejection.

In this Passage Has one of the most ironic Exchanges with the crowd and pilot in verse 17. It's said that there's a cultural practice of letting of criminal go free during the festival. Now some translations don't have verse 17 and This is because many of the early manuscripts of the Bible the New Testament They do not have verse 17.

However, the fact that pilot wanted to release a known insurrectionist a known rebel In place of Christ and that being a tradition is actually well recorded in both Matthew and Mark. So nothing really is lost whether Luke originally had verse 17 or not.

Moreover.

Whether it is there or not, it does not change the fact that Jesus the innocent one.

Was.

Executed in place of the guilty criminal. This is this exchange of Barabbas and Jesus is the physical representation of what happened spiritually. Although pilots corrupt court committed injustice in crucifying the innocent Christ and releasing a criminal the heavenly court accomplished the ultimate substitutionary atonement on behalf of his people the unblemished Lamb of God took the place of the guilty and it is not just one guilty person.

The innocent Messiah suffered on behalf of his sinful people. Despite despite their rejection and. This crucial doctrine is called the substitutionary atonement. And in fact, it is the core of the gospel.

It is this idea. It is this belief view that Jesus took on our place of guilt and sin, although innocent and Faced the punishment that we deserved so that we may be found Righteous not in our own righteousness, but in his righteousness alone.

That is the core of the gospel. And if that is lost We lose salvation. We miss substitutionary atonement that we don't have the gospel. And we see a physical Illustration of what really went on when the innocent one was put to death while the guilty was released.

The main point of today's text is that Jesus despite his innocence suffers on behalf of the wicked. So that the guilty may be released. Jesus despite his innocence suffers on behalf of the wicked so that the guilty may be released.

Jesus’ Innocence Before Pilate and Herod

First verses 13 through 16 despite Jesus's indisputable innocence the corrupt authorities unjustly kept him. Despite Jesus's indisputable innocence that corrupt authorities unjustly kept him. After Pilate receives Jesus back from Herod, right?

It was a back-and-forth interaction. He is ready to make the official ruling. Then Pilate when he had called together the chief priests the rulers and the people. Here we actually have a bigger crowd than just the political and religious leaders.

In fact, we have the people. The crowd of people have joined in for once. Jesus will not get the popular support from the common folks. They have been Compromised. The very group that the religious leaders feared would intervene in saving Jesus life.

Have joined their side to oppose Jesus together and Pilate clearly declares Jesus is innocent. In verse 14 you have brought this man to me as one who misleads the people and Indeed having examined him in your presence I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.

The charge was that Jesus misled the people of Israel and Pilate's investigation. Obviously found it false. Jesus is innocent. The irony is of course that the people have been misled. But by the very people who are opposing Christ.

The one who the ones who are guilty are the ones who are going to be screaming Crucify him. The crowd before Pilate have been stirred up by the religious leaders to oppose their true king. In fact, there is more than just one insurrectionist here.

The whole group is An insurrection and that includes Pilate. They have rejected the true king of the universe and Pilate's ruling is corroded corroborated by another official. No, neither did Herod for I sent you back to him and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by him.

This is the second declaration of Jesus's innocence and this is crucial. It is not just Pilate who's just who happened to be prejudiced against the Jews, right? After all Pilate does not have a great record with the Judeans, right?

He one would actually correctly claim his record shows his anti-semitic. However, not here. In fact one of the officials which is Herod. Herod is half Jewish. Find found no fault in Jesus himself and The fact that we have the second witness is pretty crucial because that's what God's law required in Deuteronomy 1915.

The law says two or more witnesses were required to be for a charge to be established.

The law.

Represents God's justice and what that means is under God's standard. Jesus is guiltless right a single witness shall not suffice against the person for any crime or For any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed.

Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. During Jesus's trial his innocence Was according to God's standard of righteousness. The only standard of righteousness God's law was to protect the innocent against the corruptible judges who would take just one evidence and for Jesus trial there were two investigators two officials who found no charge against him and Whether according to God's law or even Roman law Jesus was innocent.

He did not deserve to die and Despite his innocence Pilate desires to please the crowd. I will therefore chastise him and release him. Chastisement here would have been some public whipping right taking a whip and hitting Jesus so that his flesh is torn very painful and humiliating but It's a compromise.

Okay, you don't want Jesus Free, but I can still punish him for you. The irony of course is Pilate just declared Jesus to be innocent not only once but twice Verses 14 and 15 yet. He is willing to whip Jesus before letting him go.

After all innocent men are not to be punished. Unless we think Pilate is pure in all of this we see his true intentions. Pilate is not motivated by justice. But the positive opinion in a man He cares more about what the mob thinks of him rather than what God thinks of him.

In the end justice is not to be found in Pilate's court. We live in a society where justice is Oftentimes twisted Oftentimes criminals are rewarded and the survivors are punished and we have that going now in.

New York.

Veteran who Saved a lot of people in the subway and he's being charged for homicide or whatever. He's being charged with whether manslaughter or homicide, but He saved the people on the subway. Lest we get confused where justice comes from.

Justice is not from human community evolving. Justice is not In fact inherent in normal humans. Justice is having the right relationship with God and others. That's justice. It's being right with God and being right with others.

And This morning justice was not done in this passage. This morning justice was not found in Pilate's court. Pilate chose popularity over justice. Pilate chose positive opinion of man rather than God's standard of righteousness.

Pilate loved political efficiency more so than righteousness of God. And this is important because Jesus suffered injustice for our sake when Jesus Suffered on the cross when he died for our sin. It wasn't for his sin.

He was the only innocent one in the room. When Jesus suffered for our sake it was so that God's justice may be fulfilled in him. There is nothing righteous about Pilate's court. It makes no sense that Pilate did not immediately let Jesus go upon his declaration of innocence.

Yet he wants to beat him up before letting him go. But as it was read to us this morning by Hezekiah in Acts 4 It was although the wicked man rose against God and his Messiah Christ. God had another plan.

But according to God's sovereign plan. This was precisely the injustice that Jesus must suffer. That the divine justice and mercy meet. In Christ alone you find both mercy and justice. Do not let anyone tell you.

That mercy and justice are incompatible. Other religious attempt to Give you one or the other either you get justice where you're heavily burdened by the weight of your sin, and there's no way out and You have to fall under the standards of legalism where you have to follow things that God is silent on.

Or.

You follow this cheap grace that for some reason God turns away from all your false and horrible records and Just by fiat say it doesn't exist. It cheapens God's grace and this is an important question.

We have to add answer. Have you ever wondered how the Holy God? Could remain righteous and holy yet still pardoned the guilty. How can my sin be forgiven when I don't have to pay for it. After all would it not be unjust if the judge says you're innocent.

Even if there are records of guilt and sin against you. Other religions will say your good works will cover the bad works and make sure you solve the algebraic equation So that the good works outweigh the bad.

Yet That equation would not even work in our human court system after all burglars Can't serve food to the homeless to avoid prison terms. Murderers can't even can't earn volunteer hours to avoid serving their sentences.

Their records still stand against them. In fact any human judge who allows that would be disbarred or Voted out. And the question is how could God justly justify sinners and still remain just? It sounds like a tongue twister, but God's justice is at stake.

If God justifies sinners and the sin still remains in the sin on the sinner, then he's no longer just. I think uh. One the first verse of solos's song about romans 3 makes it clear Jesus came to die. God in the form of christ as a sacrifice to appease god's wrath and make us right.

So the judge can freely justify and be just. Ultimately the judge himself served the sentence that we deserved. He faced the punishment the penalty that we have earned. He faced the full wrath of god that was reserved for us.

So that there is none for you to face In order that he may pardon us from our sin and still maintain his holiness and justice. Any god or gods that claim to forgive sin, but have not Taken care of the sin.

Have not paid for the sin. Have not suffered for the sin himself or themselves are practicing injustice.

Only.

At the cross. Justice and mercy are fulfilled. Our righteousness our right standing before god does not in fact depend on our own righteous deeds. But what christ accomplished for us on the cross for our sake?

Jesus.

Forgiveness Is only available because he paid for our sin on the cross in fact. Put it another way. It would be unjust for god to hold back wrath against a sinner who has been forgiven by christ. God's faithfulness and righteousness are at stake here.

If you are not forgiven yet believe in jesus christ death and resurrection. Now what happens when jesus is declared innocent? Despite jesus innocence the people choose to release the guilty criminal instead of the innocent christ.

Despite jesus's innocence the people choose to release the guilty criminal instead of the innocent christ. When it seemed like pilot pilot was about to release jesus the crowd steps in they intervene.

And they all cried out at once saying away with this man and release to us barabbas. Different from what the religious leaders feared only a couple chapters ago. The crowd actually wants jesus dead just like them.

Barabbas is a semitic name and for some of you who know Or who have some hebrew like friends or culture you can actually Take it apart. Bar. Son, right simon bar jonah simon son of jonah bar mitzvah son of the commandment.

Right son so bar means son. What would abbas mean?

Well.

Abba father. Translation barabbas means son of the father. The irony is That they want to kill the true son of the father god to release the actual insurrectionist. Who is not the son of the father. Or one would say the son of the devil one who committed murder just says the devil Kept killing from the beginning.

Verse 19 actually tells us what kind of man barabbas was. Who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city and for murder. Ironically barabbas was convicted of starting a resurrection.

The exact charge that they could not establish against jesus in any court. Except against barabbas the evidence was clear. Someone did die. He was a violent resurrectionist who took away another person's life.

And that was clearly established. Pilate astonished by their choice asked again in verse 20 if the crowd resolutely made up its mind. But they shouted saying crucify him crucify him. The fact that they're chanting it twice is emphatic.

There's a measurable Pressure from the crowd against the governor's guilty. I mean guiltless verdict against the verdict of innocence. And pilate makes his last plea to save jesus. Then he said to them the third time why what evil has he done?

I have found no reason for death in him. I will therefore chastise him and let him go. Again, he compromises. Jesus will be whipped and the true rebel rebel barabbas will be dealt with but let's not put an innocent man to death.

And verse 23 will show that pilate was in fact spineless. But they were insistent demanding with loud voices that he be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. And in the next following two verses 24 and 25 pilate actually goes with their demands as he frees the terrorist and crucifies christ.

Pilate was a politician rather than a just judge. His political career was more important than administering justice. His desire to avoid a riot during the festival Outweighed his desire for his the innocent man to be released.

Now let's talk about what crucifixion is. What is crucifixion? Crucifixion was the most humiliating form of execution during roman empire. They did not come up with it. Human cruelty can go way back. It's a persian form of execution.

By the time you get to greece and rome. Common folks weren't executed this way mainly slaves. And in rome roman citizens weren't executed this way. Only foreigners so all the martyrs of roman citizens.

Of rome like paul the apostle paul. He was not crucified. He was beheaded. Because it was too shameful for a roman citizen to hang on the cross like that. The criminal would carry the bar, uh all the way up to uh the cross where where the uh, about a seven feet tall.

Wood had been established on a mount. And he would be lifted up either. Uh, he might have been pierced in jesus case. He was or uh tight. Uh, and he would be in such an unnatural posture. Where every breath he takes would be Exhaustive.

The lungs were not in the right position to fill up with air every breath so he would have to Go up stand on his feet every time in order to grasp some air. But obviously when you're crucified pierced and you've been doing that for hours it gets Exhausting.

And over time as the crowd is watching for hours the one who is crucified would die of suffocation. Unable to go up and hoist himself up in order to grasp the last gasp the last breath of air. Or he would have died of blood loss.

Either way, it was a slow painful and Humiliating way to die. And that was precisely the point. The public execution was to send a message to all never to go against rome or you will face that fate. And that is what The crowd was chanting for.

Against an innocent man Who hasn't done a thing?

Wrong.

And they decided. They wanted the guilty man free rather than letting the innocent man go. Despite jesus's clear innocence and barabbas is clear guilt. The crowd chose to crucify jesus and let barabbas free.

In this passage, the only person who is blameless is jesus alone. Barabbas is an actual insurrectionist who committed murder. The jewish leaders stirred up the crowd to kill the innocent man. They conspired against the lord.

The powerful roman politician who had the authority to free this innocent man instead bends justice to appease the crowd rather than God. And the only innocent person in this room is jesus alone. And in the literal sense jesus dies so that barabbas lives.

Jesus died so that the wicked terrorist was freed. Jesus died so that a sinner lived. And this is the spiritual picture of what was accomplished through jesus's death on the cross. Although barabbas was temporarily freed in this exchange christians Are eternally eternally freed because jesus took our place on the cross.

Barabbas was literally freed from death that specific day. Christians are spiritually freed from death for all eternity. I have no idea what happened to barabbas afterward. But you can have assurance.

What will happen to you because jesus took your place. And this is because if you believe in jesus christ your sin was placed on him. Jesus died despite his innocence so that you A sinner could be freed.

And just like the physical realm there was also a judicial exchange in the spiritual realm. God poured out his judgment on his innocent son. So that you the guilty may be spared. Remember when jesus died when he took his last breath is it wasn't because he could no longer take his last breath.

Because he died after shouting. If you're not Out of it unless you are full of breath, you can't be shouting yet. This is finished. This was his cry. He didn't die of suffocation. He died after facing god's wrath.

God outpoured his own judgment on his innocent son so that you the guilty may be spared. And the question we have to ask is what are you freed from. You're freed from god's judgment against your sin. All of us are born into sin.

We commit sin against god. We choose to rebel against god. We consistently attempt to usurp god's throne. We constantly reject god's rule. Not only that. Even after we sin our instinct our nature is to justify ourselves.

I don't believe in white lies, but people often say that was a white lie. Not a big deal. Or that wasn't gossip I just needed it to get it off my chest.

Or.

Even more sinister. That's that was a concerned prayer request. I'm concerned for her. I'm concerned for him. Or you you you deserved to be yelled at. Or you deserve the cold silent treatment. Instead of falling before the judge's throne for his mercy We enthrone ourselves to decide the verdict for ourselves.

Right that wasn't adultery. It was just an inappropriate relationship. That's self-justification. In this sense, we're no better than barabbas the insurrectionist. After all, we too have committed treason not against rome, but the highest authority.

When we decide to justify ourselves We take the throne of god. When we make excuses for our sin We dethrone god and enthrone ourselves. We have committed treason against god. But if you trust that jesus took your guilt He took your guilty place and he faced god's wrath for you.

Then you must believe there's no more leftover wrath for you. After all, how could god try you twice? That would be double jeopardy. You cannot be tried for the sins that been paid for. God graciously took your place so that you may be pardoned from not just some of your sin, but all of your sin.

If that is true in your life, you do not need to justify yourself ever. Who are you trying to hide from to cover up your sin? Whose justification are you longing for if you're justified because of christ's suffering?

Whom do you need to impress. When? When also for that sin christ suffered. Christ's substitutionary atonement not only frees us from the wrath to come. But also the deceitful desire to justify ourselves.

When you are made righteous when you're declared righteous in christ god looks to christ's perfect record. Your sinful record has been nailed on the cross and been paid for. God does not resurrect. The past record that's been paid for.

The only thing god has resurrected is christ. And that is the foretaste of your resurrection in righteousness christ's substitutionary atonement transfers the focus from our wickedness wicked past our past records our evil desires to his abounding grace.

That is what happened when christ suffered on behalf of the guilty. And I don't mean just barabbas when you truly believe in christ's substitutionary atonement. You are quite mesmerized by his abounding grace.

That even the thought of just making myself righteous with my own excuses. Seem preposterous. And I think charles wesley wrote such a great hymn. Oh rather not charles wesley, uh the hymn grace greater than our sin.

Depicts this really well marvelous grace of our loving lord. Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt yonder and calvary's mount outpoured. There where the blood of the lamb was spilt. Grace grace god's grace.

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within grace grace god's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin and we can sing that and mean it. Because we believe in the greatest exchange of all the innocent died.

So that the guilty may live. Let us pray. Father, we are grateful That jesus died for us. So that we may live so that our records may be expunged. So that our guilt may be cleansed. So that the judgment that were overdue against us Would be poured on him.

And father, thank you for this grace that we cannot earn But was earned for us and freely given at such a high cost. And help us to trust that believe that be transformed by that. Help us to never to justify ourselves help us to Also not take sin so lightly.

But to.

Completely.

Lean on the cross of jesus by which the wrath of god was satisfied. In jesus name, amen.