God's Verdict: Not Guilty

All right grab your Bibles this morning… Go to the gospel of Mark Mark chapter 16 would you turn there.

Mark chapter 16 will begin in verse six and go down through verse 15 entitled this God's verdict not guilty, not guilty. Mark chapter 15 beginning in verse six and going down through verse 15, part 15. Beginning in verse six now at the fees he used to release for them any one prisoner, whom they requested the man name the man named Barabbas had been in prison with the insurrectionist who had committed murder in the insurrection. The crowd went up and begin asking him to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. Pilate answered then what do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews or he was aware that the chief priests and handed him over because of envy of the chief priest stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them. Instead answering again. Pilate said to them, then what shall I do with him whom you call the King of the Jews and they shouted back, crucify him the Pilate said why, what evil has he done, but they shouted all the more. Crucify him wishing to satisfy the crowd. Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged. He handed him over to be crucified.

What's your decision. Jesus or Barabbas in another gospel. The phrase about Jesus is put this way, Jesus who is the Christ. Early church historians say that that was such a common name that it was also the name for Barabbas Jesus, who is Barabbas, or Jesus who is the Christ, which Jesus what you have today.

What will be your decision.

That was the decision before the people on this day as Pilate was about to do what he always did for them. Actually it was a matter of appeasement. It was a gift as it were, to the Jews during this holiest time of the year the Jewish Passover Pilate would release one Jewish prisoner to them.

The Pilate was the Roman governor appointed by Caesar over this part of the occupied territory. Rome occupied the world and Pilate found out that threat and intimidation's and force alone could not keep the Jews in line me, probably of all the nations conquered and occupied by ancient Rome. Israel was the most difficult to keep peace among to the show goodwill and promote some element of peace every year during the Jewish Passover he would release one Jewish prisoner to appease them now Jewish uprising to get occupied Rome were common and one man who participated in an insurrection against wrong with this man Barabbas, or Jesus Barabbas this man Barabbas was a convicted murderer and insurrectionist. He was on trial. He was condemned the crucifixion, Jesus who is the Christ has also been arrested. He was falsely accused.

He was falsely framed.

He was falsely on no grounds condemned.

It was undeniable that he had performed many great miracles and and Pilate knew the Jews, particularly the religious authorities were terribly envious of Jesus.

He had such a great frame.

He had a great following he could do miracles and so Pilate here is wanting to poke at the Jewish religious authorities at this time he comes out there all gathered around the mob of Jews, Jewish religious leaders in an common folk.

And so it begins to read them you want me to release this year at the Passover, the king of the Jews. All this irritated the Jewish religious leaders took to know in there was an interlude here. Pilate goes back into his palace during the interlude, the Jewish religious authorities stirred up the mob and told them demand that Pilate released Barabbas and not Jesus. Pilate returns says again. Okay, what shall I do's for you. So I release for you the King of the Jews prod number poke in them again and I said no release for us. Barabbas is or what what would Jesus, in effect, he's innocent.

There's no evil in him and they cry, crucify him, crucify, crucify him.

Interesting how fickle these multitudes are earlier they loved him when he fed them and they were hungry or when they were hungry. He healed them of their diseases even raise the dead, and his preaching had such wisdom and authority but were spellbound by on Palm Sunday, they yelled hosanna and now on Good Friday, they cry, crucify him and Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent, but Pilate is caught in the middle.

He knows he should defend the innocent.

But if he does. If he doesn't. If he does release Jesus. He knows this will cause a riot.

He knows the Jews while MS will hurt his standing with Caesar. So pilot sales out with this undoubtably was not the first travesty of justice and politics court, but it was without equal. It was the greatest breach of justice he ever committed, or will ever commit the crucifixion of Jesus was the greatest injustice of all time, but Pilate he's a survivalist. He's a man without principal threatened him with a riot and he'll do anything the Jewish religious authorities knew how to get him they actually knew how to control them and get what they wanted out of him wrong. Known for cruelty.

Pilate has Jesus scourged or flogged two strong soldiers with up with the cat of nine tails. They call it leather strands nine leather strands with pieces of rock or metal are bone in it.

They would tie you up so that your back skin was taught and each guy would take turns slashing across the back. Historians tell us literally would take out chunks of flesh off in the bones and the organs were exposed often the one scourge never made it to crucifixion. They died during the scourging.

So Pilate renders his verdict verse 15 wishing to satisfy the crowd. Pilate released Barabbas for them after having Jesus scourged. He handed him over to be crucified. That was Pilate's verdict now to talk about politics verdict now to talk about some others also that in the balance of Scripture were given on this very day notice number one. First of all, Pilate's verdict was this innocent but condemned to crucifixion. He said, is innocent, yet he condemns into crucifixion. What's the reason one reason judicial cowardice. You say Pilate's colors are yellow and more yellow.

He's a corrupt self-serving politician who lived off the sacrifices of the common man, you threaten Pilate with a riot. He'll do anything morals do not matter. He's not a principled man.

He's a pragmatist. So Pilate takes his stand on Jesus the wrong stand see Jesus showed us during his earthly ministry that you have to take a stand on him. One way of the other. You cannot evade dealing with Jesus Christ one way or the other in the Scriptures. He said who is not with me is against me is only two places to be either forming or against me on judgment day there will only be two groups, those who embrace Jesus and those who are against him by then it will be too late. The decisive moment to choose is always now. Now when you're confronted with Jesus Pilate. This case confronted with Jesus. He would like to take in the milligram but there was no middle ground, either embracing and defending delivering over Pilate's verdict innocent but condemned to crucifixion. But the Bible says in Psalm 95 or seven.

All that you would hear his voice, all that you would hear his thoughts and embrace him as Savior today and the Bible says in Hebrews 47 today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart receive Christ deal with him, embrace him, trust him as your only Lord and Savior Pilate's verdict innocent but condemned to crucifixion Roman to God's verdicts. God has three of them that I like to bring out for the balance of New Testament teaching to concerning Jesus and one concerning us. The first one concerning Jesus is God's verdict concerning his son, and here's God's first verdict concerning his son innocent, but condemned the crucifixion white pastor that sandlot Pilate's verdict of the same thing. Pilate's verdict is identical to God's verdict concerning his son Jesus Christ.

Pilate was right because you see if Jesus is not totally innocent. He could not atone for the sins of his children face got innocent he is not one heartbeat.

He is not qualified to take our place in judgment. First John 35 says and you know that he appeared in order to take away sin and in him there is no sin. He's in this piece innocent but condemned to crucifixion because it took an innocent 18 if you will, a pure and spotless lamb to be sacrificed for our sins fiscal further. The second verdict, God the father gives us concerning his son Jesus guilty by reason of substitution guilty by reason of substitution. You see, Jesus was willing and going to the cross and going to the cross.

He's our substitute and going to the cross. He takes our place and going to the cross. He does two things in the broadest sense number one. He takes on our guilt. He stands in our room as it were.

He takes our place as guilty before the father. I've been on the cross listed.

The cross is not a figment.

It's not meant. It's not an illustration. It was an actual, literal, bodily crucifixion and death and better in that crucifixion and bearing that suffering and bearing that death. Jesus Christ became guilty and endured the punishment that we deserve for our sin. God the father says he's guilty, but only by reason that he's substituting for the children see he's standing in our place or what a verdict would've verdict that is to say it was God's eternal sovereign plan that all of this would happen in second Corinthians 5 to the Bible says he made him who knew no sin. He's innocent. Who knew no sin to become sin or be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in him. In other words, God looked upon Jesus who never sin as if he committed all the sins you've ever committed or ever will commit. That's the way the father viewed.

He viewed him as guilty as he stood in our place. But it's comforting to know that things are out of control. By the way things are never out of control. Our God is sovereign over everything that occurs everything that has occurred in everything that will occurred. By the way it needs to dawn on you that nothing ever occurred to God.

He knows it all behind. In the present and the future.

In acts 222 and 23 notice what the apostles preached to the people as their listening is the church age is beginning ministry is Israel. Listen to these words. Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put them to death. These men are responsible for the murder Jesus but God was behind it was God's predetermined plan that he come to die for the children suffer the father's verdict is he's my son. He's innocent but he's taken the sinful children twice so therefore he takes their guilt.

So I declared him guilty by reason of substitution is taking their place. Here Jesus is before all of these people on this day in their yelling crucify him, crucify him. It's interesting that these Jewish religious authorities. They wanted to get rid of Jesus as quickly and quietly as possible.

It is been recorded in sacred Scripture.

And it's the most talked about talk, preached, recorded and documented event involve human history. Be sure your sins will find you out this crucify him that was orchestrated by the religious authorities must've pierced through the heart of Jesus like a hot dagger. These are Jews. These are his people.

He created them east God Almighty. He called them through Abraham to be his unique special one and only people he carried them through the wilderness turnings into their battles and through their their their exiles in all that they incurred in their life.

Nice come to them and is about to die for them.

What you see here only their vengeful hatred cry, crucify Jesus was God.

He was fully man the same time, he felt this the most abuse, child the most battered wife the most brutalized prisoner of war never felt what Jesus is feeling at this moment the rejection. He felt did he hear a comforting voice.

Did he see a concerned tear that he feel an encouraging embrace. No, only the piercing pleas of his own people screaming crucify like a schooler swarming Purana around the dead carcass.

Their intent only in satisfying their desperate appetite but all thank God for conjunctions but behind it all is God things out of control here. You known a very real sense, it's our sin that put them there is that hatred in your heart that put in their is that lying tongue putting there it's your gossiping tongue putting their it's that jealousy and envy that put them there is loving this world more than you love God putting their all our sins. Put Jesus there. I read about a preacher he was preaching on the cross and he went to bed on Saturday night it on in Saturday not he begin dreaming a dream that he was at the cross event and he's just a few feet away, and he saying Jesus died on the cross, and his heart was broken. He said this can happen. This can happen and he runs up to the Roman centurion. There standing at the foot of the cross he granted by the seller. He turns around when the man turns around he saw his face, his apologies, the father crucify Jesus for you. He was guilty by reason of substitution. Now there's a verdict concerning us the verdict concerning us is not guilty by reason of substitution, not guilty by reason of substitution. Isaiah 53, five and six reminds us, for he was pierced thoroughly for his own well-being. Note for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon him and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has caused iniquity of us all to follow him because he's pierced through because he was crushed because he was chasing because the iniquity of us always followed him as our substitute. He's taken our understanding of guilt the way a father now can look at us and declare with it thunderous roar that April through the ends of the universe terrorizing demons and rejoicing the anger of the Angels not guilty, not guilty by reason of substitution, he was innocent. You say he being innocent was attacked so that we, being guilty might attain his glory. We being innocent or he rather being innocent was brutalized so that we, being guilty might be blameless, he being innocent was condemned so that we, being guilty could be cleared. He being innocent was the main so that we, being guilty could be delivered keeping innocent was executed so that we, being guilty could be exonerated. He being guilty was framed so that we, being guilty could be forgiven, he being innocent was Gord so that we, being guilty could be granted eternal life, he being innocent yet was hurt, so that we, being guilty could be healed. He being innocent was insulted so that we, being guilty again and corruption, he being innocent was judged so that we, being guilty could be justified. He being innocent was killed so that we being innocent would become his first of 10 keeping innocent was last so that we, being guilty might know love, he being innocent was murdered so that we, being guilty might be made new, he being innocent yet. Name the center so that we, being guilty would be named St. he being innocent was oppressed, so that we, being guilty would be over commerce, he being innocent was punished so that we, being guilty could be pardoned.

He being innocent was quiet before his accusers so that we, being guilty could gain quiet rest before a holy God. He being innocent was ridiculed so that we, being guilty would bear his righteousness, he being innocent was smitten of God, so that we, being guilty would know the salvation of God, he being innocent was tortured so that we, being guilty might be a trophy of grace, he being innocent was undermined so that we, being guilty would know union with God, he being innocent was considered a villain so that we, being guilty could be considered the victor, he being innocent was whipped so that we, being guilty would be a winner. He being innocent was asked out so that we, being guilty might be xeroxed in the Lamb's book of life. Keeping innocent was yelled at, so that we, being guilty can now from our hearts. Your glory, he being innocent was considered a demonic zealot so that we, being guilty might obtain the divine design substitution guilty by reason substitution, Luke, chapter 24 verses one through the first part of her six on the first day of the week and early dawn they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing as the women were terrified and about their faces to the ground. The men said to them, why do you seek the living one among the dead was a good question.

He is not here.

He has risen he is risen. Romans 425 is a great summary of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, says he was delivered over because of art. Art for our transgressions, and raised because of our justification delivered over our transgressions, raised because of our justification, here's the point delivered over our transgressions us across. That's Calvary race because of our justification at Easter.

Here's the point.

There's no Easter morning without Calvary's night. There is no justification secured by Christ resurrection and lessee's first delivered over for our transgressions on the cross and he did both perfectly and now today he's resurrected anymore is glorified today on the throne of heaven since the God man, Jesus Christ.

Today he is in heaven but yet he still bears the wounds of crucifixion, the New Testament tells us that after he was raised. He appeared to his disciples and he said look, he showed them his hands and the nail print.

He showed them his side in the gaping hole in the side. Remember doubting Thomas. Thomas what they are. My first appearance in Thomas at all not believe it until put my hands in his put my hand in his hands and put my hand in the hole in the side Jesus appears to doubting Thomas and says put your hands in here feel the nail print an amazing thing. He still bears the wounds, even in his glory. In Revelation 56 John the river later talks about seeing Jesus in heaven and he says he's he's standing as if the Lamb slain no one such terminology because he is the Lamb of God, but he still bears the marks of being slain twice more in Revelation.

The Bible speaks of him as the Lamb who slain interesting. Why is the risen Lord still scarred while the print of the nails while the wound in his side.

Perhaps it's to say to us, you will not see Jesus. If you will not see the wounds you don't get to make Jesus out to be the kind of Jesus you wanting to be. He is who he is. He is the expiring Lord.

He went to the cross because your sins my sins are so great gifts. It took the death of the son of God to cleanse us. You will not see Jesus. If you do not see the wounds and what's behind the wound's the resurrected Lord is the scarred Lord. Now many a scar can completely healed, and because no detriment to your life but a scar does remind you of what happened in the past. That's were Jesus cars child of Artie done this for the price is already been paid.

Jesus wounds remind the remind us that the cost for our sins and the cure for our standing before God is finished.

The old song says my faith is found a resting place, not in device or creed. Men are always making up devices, religious devices, jobs, rituals, ordinances, sacraments systems that you adhere to. My faith is found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever living one for me is wounds.plate that's our Bible says in Hebrews 725 that he ever lives to make intercession for us that God is in heaven right now. He ever lives to make intercession for us now anthropomorphic lease speaking the word. It just means attributing the God human attributes of the can understand the point you can understand the truth anthropomorphic lease speaking I see God the father on his throne in heaven and bear to his right side is Jesus the son of God on his throne as they're sitting there. The father turns to look down on us.

Those of us whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Those of us who have believed on Jesus and ask God the father looks down on us. He sees our heart and he sees our deed. This braille begins to layers in his eyes. His countenance falls as he looks down on us.

He begins to feel such deep the disapproval. He looks over at his son honorably, but with confidence. The sun goes sees what fathers countenance change his countenance lifts his eyes are bright smile comes across his face not loudly, tenderly and with conviction. He said yes. Not counting knockout. My faith is found a resting place, not in device or creed. I trust the ever living one who is willing for me. The fleet, so I stand before you today. Jesus or Barabbas.

Barabbas represents this world and man's wisdom. Jesus represents God's was in God's power. You must today choose Jesus. Jesus. Jesus, who will be Jesus or Barabbas