The Shameful Scorn of Jesus Christ

What the Bible writers do focus on is not the physical suffering is the abuse of Jesus will remember that the ridicule that is really the unique feature of the execution of Jesus is riddled with scorn and mockery the same as fire saw Jesus as a joke. Anguish in the garden. The beatings and floggings and the horror of crucifixion.

It was perhaps the worst torture any human has ever faced, and yet Christ's agony extended far beyond the physical. John MacArthur explains Christ's spiritual sufferings today in his brand-new study, the divine drama of redemption.before you get your lesson John a question we get from time to time. Is there still interest in systematic detail Bible teaching and I know you have a perspective on that. Apparently apparently there's a lot of interest in it.

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I want you to look at the text beginning in verse 15 verse 15 wishing to satisfy the crowd pilot released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged. He handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers took him away into the palace. That is the praetorian and they called together the whole Roman cohort dressed him up in purple and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on him and they began to acclaim him.

Hail, King of the Jews that kept beating his head with a read and spitting on him, and kneeling and bowing before him. After they had mocked him, they took the purple robe off him and put his own garments on him and they led him out to crucify him.

They pressed into service.

A passerby coming from the country Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus to bear his cross. Our reading that point. When you think about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Typically speaking, and traditionally what most often people focus on is the physical suffering the usual images in people's minds have to do with the profound nature of agony endured through splurging or flogging, and being nailed to a cross. We all have the images of Jesus that had been depicted for us really.

For centuries Jesus set up against the sky.

Hanging on a wooden cross suspended by massive spikes driven through his hands and feet, blood flowing from his wounds, starting with the wounds to his head from the crown of thorns blood running down his face and drying on his face and blood coursing down his body from his wounds we have seen the image many many times and it is a horrifying image. People are repulsed by the idea of hanging virtually naked in the blazing sun and worse than that for all the people he gave been gawk at when you add to that the horrors of scourging flogging. One can only conclude that this is the most horrendous kind of torture that has ever been devised by men, but as bad as that was, that is really not what the Scripture focuses on. It was not the physical suffering that traumatized Jesus in the garden. What was soul wrenching to him that caused him to sweat drops of blood was the anticipation of divine wrath falling on him drinking the cup of God's wrath against sinners, for whom he was the substitute in punishment, flying three separate prayers.

He prayed the same thing, remove this cup from me. So from his viewpoint. It wasn't the physical suffering, but pose the horror of the cross. What the Bible writers do focus on is not the physical suffering is the abuse of Jesus that they are interested in what we mean by that the ridicule the word mock or mocked appears in the text. I read in verse 20 that is really the unique feature of the execution of Jesus is riddled with scorn and mockery and disdain crucify her saw Jesus as a joke. In fact, Philo tells us that life was cruel and that part of the world and that day and then one of the things that people did in that day was taunt those who were mentally deficient.

He writes about the teasing and the mockery and the scorn that was heaped on quote unquote, the village idiot is that kind of mentality that is behind the treatment that I just read Jesus fits into the category as far as the soldiers are concerned of a village idiot, a lunatic who in a diluted way thinks himself to be a king and whom the Jews also try to pass off as some threat to Caesar. Jesus is a joke and Calvary is a comedy played out. The Romans hated the Jews and they love to label this man, this diluted lunatic man as the king of the Jews. They loved that an especially pilot love that. Why put it over the cross and an inscription. The Romans hated the Jews because the Jews hated the Romans. There were among the Jews.

The zealots who went around stabbing Roman soldiers.

There were numerous insurrections against the Romans, which had to be put down. Barabbas, having participated in one of them very likely aided and abetted by the two thieves that were crucified at either side of Jesus. The Romans had no love for the Jews. The Jews had no love for them that this man, this man who was no threat to anybody could be labeled as their king made the joke.

All the more humorous to them. This is no surprise. By the way to our Lord.

This treatment because in chapter 10 of Mark's gospel much earlier. Versus 33 and 34. He described exactly how he would be treated how he would be taken, and how he would be beaten and how he would be mocked and how he would be spit on it, prophesied the details of this ridiculing mockery, not just to set you in the event Jesus is in the custody now if pilot is gone through three phases of a Jewish trial before Annis Caiaphas first two phases.

Phase 3 was a public daylight rehearsal of what had been decided illegally in the middle of the night so that the people would see it as some kind of just trial which had to be conducted in the daylight.

Now becomes the pilot and in the custody of pilot. There are three phases to the Gentile trial first before pilot pilot declares that he is innocent, that he is guilty of nothing, no crime that concerns Rome pilot then sends them to. Herod concludes the same thing that he is no threat sends him back to Pilate for the final third phase of the Gentile trial pilots not ready to kill Jesus because he knows he's innocent of any crime sees them as a rather pathetic figure, so he has Jesus scourged before he hands him over to be crucified.

That's how verse 15 ends. Now we backtrack as we come to verse 16 we backtrack as we come to verse 16. He hasn't yet been handed over to be crucified. The soldiers take him away from pilots tribunal and they take him into the palace. That is the praetorian. But before we get to that Justo a word about what has happened. You can see that all Mark does is refer to scourging and doesn't describe it, and that is exactly what I was saying to you.

There is a very restrained perspective on the physical issues regarding Jesus. Jesus is scourged. This was a flogging wooden handle wrapped with leather leather extended in multiple leather thongs at the end of those thongs embedded in the leather were bits of sharp bone and stone and metal and the beating was carried out by two electors who alternated blows and they kept it up until the flesh was destroyed virtually on the back flesh was torn lacerated all way down to the bone itself and the record tells us the deep veins and arteries and sometimes entrails and organs were exposed, and sometimes death occurred. The muscles were shredded as well. As the skin and after the scourging and before the crucifixion is when we pick up the story in verse 16. This is a scourged Jesus but the soldiers take away into the palace pilot hasn't rendered his final verdict yet Jesus is still there in the palace in that scourged condition in the care of the soldiers who decide to extend their comedy ribald kind of mockery like you would keep upon a witless man or a witless boy plus call movement one in this account of the crucifixion, the soldiers parody the soldiers parody PAR OD why verse 16.

The soldiers took him away into the palace. That is the praetorian and they call together the whole Roman cohort Roman cohort members had come into the garden to arrest Jesus, remember that a cohort would be 600 Romans 1/10 of the Legion which was 6000 men. Some of these cohort members who had been assigned to arrest Jesus are now assigned to guard him after his scourging, and their task is simply to hold him as a prisoner until the final verdict is set until the final disposition comes down he will be ultimately taken to the hill would be crucified. But that hasn't been determined yet so he is in the custody of the soldiers he's not where you might think he would be in Fort Antonio, the military fort right next to the temple ground. Rather, he is in the palace. This is a palace built by Herod.

It was begun 23 A.D. it was a massive palace. It was used by the Harrods and it was also the dwelling place of Roman governors when they came into Jerusalem, so it was the house occupied by pilot is called praetorian because the elite troops were there praetorian guard and they gave name to the very place where they were quartered when the soldiers had done what they needed to do and scourging him and there he was in their presence. They were waiting for orders as to what to do with them. They decided to carry out their little comedy they wanted everybody in on the fun.

So verse 16 says the call together the whole Roman cohort, it wouldn't take 600 men to guard Jesus not in that condition and the other men may have been dispersed in various places, but they got them all together for the fun and so the whole spire run the whole cohort comes together and they begin the parody they dressed in verse 17 up in purple mock royal robe. It's interesting the integrity of Scripture is remarkable.

Sometimes in the smallest ways. Matthew 27, 28 says it was a scarlet robe was a scarlet robe. I love the fact that it says purple here and then John and scarlet in Matthew. There's so much integrity and that is it will wait a minute is is that that's a contradiction. It is in the contradiction. It is so readily and easily explained because Roman soldiers wore as a matter of their uniform issue a scarlet colored mantle, but a scarlet colored mantle worn by a soldier over a long period of time that rough hard stiff mantle would've faded in the brilliant sun. As the months and years passed by and so what started out very likely is a scarlet robe was faded red that resembled purple somewhere in between through on him. This course will robe on his bare exposed back and then after twisting a crown of thorns.

They crushed it down onto his skull and some writers describe the plan as having thorns and were as long as 12 inches. This was a mock goldleaf wreath.

The laurel wreath replicated in gold that Caesar would wear this was to mark him out as a mock king and crushing it on his head would've punctured his head where there is much blood and caused the blood to run down all over his head and neck and flow down, to be mingled with the blood that was still oozing out of his back and running down the rest of his body and some of the lashes would've come around to the front and bloodied the front as well. Matthew adds that in setting them up to look like a king in their little comedy. They put a reed in his hand.

They put some kind of a mock scepter in his hand, which kings held in Matthew, then says in Matthew 27, 29, they knelt down before him and mocked him. That's what Mark says they put themselves in front of him at the end of verse 19 kneeling and bowing verse 18 says they began to acclaim him. Hail, king of the Jews. That's the essence of the mockery because that's what they would've said Caesar hail Caesar hail Caesar here it's hail, King of the Jews, the fun has descended to the worst kind of blasphemy.

At this point in his being toyed with, as if he is bereft of his senses.

In verse 19 it even gets uglier.

They kept beating his head with a column us. The Greek word, must means a stick and then they kneel before him as if he is a king. They're having a party. It's a celebration. It's a comedy it's a parody they're doing this with the God of heaven. At this point, we have to turn to John 19 to get the story's open John's Gospel to the 19th chapter for the rest of the story here. We pick it up.

The soldiers twisted verse to a crown of thorns put on his head, put a robe on in purple robe, that's exactly what Mark said and they began to come up to him and say hail, King of the Jews in and slaps in the face. So that's where we are. Then we read this pilot came out again and said to them out to the people.

Behold, I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in him localities.

He's allowed Jesus to be abused like this lashed battered around the face, spit on, bloodied and heat every time referring to Christ, declares his innocence but he thinks this might be enough when they see him with the blood all over him running down his face everywhere else when they see him in this horrendous condition. Certainly that will be enough choices to bring them out so that you may know that I find no guilt in them and that you have those two go together a few final Guillen him, why have you put them in this condition, why have you eaten him virtually to a pulp pilot said to them, can Homo that famous statement.

Behold, the man, behold, the man, as if to say, is not enough. There he stands, the son of God. The glory of heaven covered with blood bleeding from caching wounds across his back.

Blood from droplets of sweat that have come through his flesh and blood streaking down his face and neck in his face pummeled into a condition where it may not of been recognizable cruel disfigurement is not enough. Is not that enough. Behold, the man hardly had this appeal come out of the mouth of pilot when the chief priests in verse six, and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, crucify, crucified, nothing had changed. Pilot had already known why they wanted him dead because of in the because Jesus was more popular, more powerful, more truthful, far more pure than any of them. They are what Paul describes is past feeling they hounded Jesus to death and they hounded pilot to his own self-destruction is a maddening mob shrieking frenzied fanatics and so pilot says in frustration. In the middle of verse six take him yourselves and crucify, for I find no guilt in him. You can member what it said back in verse 31. Pilot said that earlier take him yourselves, judge them according to your law and the Jews said to him, we are not permitted to put anyone to death to fulfill the word of Jesus which he spoke, signifying but what kind of death he was about to die when pilot earlier in the trial said you killing I give you the permission I relinquish Rome's right to you. You killing this at all we can do that were not permitted to do that. That's against Roman law and that of course kept him from being stone couldn't of been stone because if you die being thrown down. You're not dying being lifted up and he said he would be lifted up pilot was a desperate coward.

He tries one more time to get them to take him and do whatever they want with him because he finds no guilt in him. He says it again in verse six and their responses.

We have a law, and by that law he ought to die because he has made himself out to be the son of God. Now they articulate the real issue. Let it be said, let the record of history say when the thing finally came down they wanted him dead because he claimed to be the son of God and the truth of the matter is they were at the pinnacle of apostasy was about politics was about social order.

They were of the kingdom of darkness belong to Satan so they pretended to belong to God, the Jews condemned God's son because he was God's son.

That's how far from the truth. They were so they are without excuse. Well pilot is now in a very difficult position. Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid he doesn't want to kill Jesus and he doesn't want to kill Jesus just because they want him to kill Jesus because he doesn't want to be thereupon and he has a sense of justice. After all, is the leading judge representing Roman that part of the world, but when they say he is the son of God. He claims to be the son of God. That's the blasphemy pilot verse 12 goes back to the people and he made efforts to release Jesus but the Jews cried out, saying if you release this man.

You are no friend of Caesar.

Another back to Jesus being a self-proclaimed King who is a threat to Caesar and everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar. They moved from the blasphemy of saying your God to the threat. Therefore, verse 13 when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat. He brings them now out for the public.

This is the final verdict after his private consultation with Jesus he comes out and says, isn't that enough let me release them they will not respond except to scream, crucify, he brings Jesus out one final time, sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the pavement but in Hebrew, thought were not exactly sure where that is. But in the vicinity. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover everybody was getting ready for the Passover, which began at sundown that night. The Judean Passover was about the sixth hour. That's Roman time goes from midnight to midnight Jewish time from 6 AM to 6 PM so third hour Jewish time 9 o'clock sixth hour Roman time 9 o'clock.

It's 9 o'clock and he said to the Jews, behold, your King, behold, your King and one final expression of disdain. He would not pronounce the verdict.

He refused to pronounce the verdict. He let them do it. Verse 15 they cried out, away with him way with him, crucify him pilot so I crucify your King, the chief priests and one unbelievably hypocritical statements that we have no king but Caesar after they had mocked him. After all this it happened after the final verdict have been given by the people. They took the purple robe off him put his own garments on him.

It's now that they led him out to crucify. They led him out to crucify your listening to Grace to you with John MacArthur today. John continued a study that can deepen your worship. This Easter it's titled the divine drama of redemption and outgoing back to what John said before the lesson. Everything we do at Grace to you is meant to reach people with biblical truth and on behalf of the men and women who benefit from this teaching around the globe. Thank you for partnering with us your support really does make a difference in people's spiritual growth. If you'd like to stand with us in this life changing work. Contact us today mail your tax-deductible gift to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412. You can also donate online@tty.org or when you call 855 Grace again to donate, call toll-free 855 Grace or visit our website TTY.org. Thank you for remembering to pray for us. That's really the most important way you can support this ministry. Now, while you're at TTY.org. Make sure you take advantage of the thousands of free resources available. You can catch episodes of this broadcast that you may have missed or watch Grace to you television. You can also read helpful articles from John and the staff on our blog or download any sermon from John's entire sermon archive. That's more than 3500 messages all free to download in MP3 and transcript format or web address again TTY.org now for John MacArthur until Johnson. Keep in mind you can watch Grace to you television Sundays on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channel times and then join us next week as John continues his series the divine drama of redemption with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on wasting