You get the Glory!     Matthew 27:15-26

Pastor Thomas Kock    2^nd Sunday in Lent    March 20, 2011

(Mat 27:16-26 NIV)  At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called (Jesus) Barabbas. {17} So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" {18} For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. {19} While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." {20} But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. {21} "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. {22} "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" {23} "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" {24} When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" {25} All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" {26} Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Our text for today is the two Scripture readings which we heard a moment ago.  We’ll particularly focus our attention on the account from Matthew, Jesus and Barabbas.

I have a recurring dream.  It goes something like this.  I’m driving to some major worship event, like the installation of a new pastor, or the dedication of a new church building – something big at which there would be quite a few other pastors.  I get there 10 minutes or so before worship is to begin, and one of my colleagues in the pastoral ministry says, “I’m really looking forward to your sermon.”  At that point my stomach turns flip-flops, my mouth goes bone-dry and my eyes get that deer-in-the-headlights look.  For you see, I’d forgotten that I was supposed to preach.  As I think about it, I realize that it’s true; I’d been asked to preach, and inexplicably, I’d forgotten!  So there I’ve shown up for this major event, everyone is looking to me to bring the Word of God to them, and I’ve completely failed.  I’m about to be completely humiliated!  Usually it’s about at that time that I wake up.  (Thankfully!  J ) I don’t think I’ve ever dreamed it to conclusion; did I get up and tell people I’d forgotten? Did  I use a recent sermon and tweak it on the fly?  I don’t know – I’ve never gotten that far in the dream. Usually I lock up at the point where I realize that I’m going to be humiliated.

Have you ever had dreams like that?  I’m guessing that many of us have.  Why so?  Because I can’t think of anyone who likes to be humiliated.  We HATE humiliation.  We HATE to be ridiculed.  We’ll do almost anything to avoid ridicule, to avoid humiliation.  Right?

Well, let’s try to put ourselves into the text.  Jesus is on trial; it’s been a huge sham.  Pilate has figured out that Jesus isn’t guilty of anything, that the religious leaders have handed Jesus over because they envied Him.  So, Pilate should have let Jesus go! 

But, it’s a tough spot for him, because the Jewish leaders are clearly convinced that Jesus deserves to die.  For Pilate to simply ignore their wishes would put him into a precarious position with those leaders.  It’s politically much more expedient to simply allow them to take Jesus and let them crucify Him. 

On the other hand, there’s the reality that Jesus is innocent!  It certainly doesn’t set a good precedent to be putting innocent people to death.

So, Pilate’s looking for a way out.  He thought he’d found one when he’d discovered that Jesus was from Nazareth; Pilate had sent him to Herod, who ruled up there, but who was in Jerusalem for the Passover.  But Herod got nowhere, and sent Jesus back to Pilate. 

So, Pilate is now going to try something else.  At each of the major feasts, the governor would allow the people to ask for one prisoner to be released.  Perhaps this was Pilate’s way out!

It just so happened that at that time they had a notorious prisoner, named Barabbas.  (There’s some textual evidence that his name was actually also “Jesus”, and that Barabbas was like a title or a last name.)  We don’t know real much about him, simply that he was “notorious.”  Apparently, he was a guy whom you wouldn’t want in your neighborhood, a bad guy.  So, Pilate figured, “I’ll give the people a choice.  I can either release Barabbas to them, or Jesus.”

Now, put yourself into Jesus’ shoes.  Can you imagine the humiliation of simply being on the same stage as Barabbas?  Simply being on the same level with this notorious criminal would have been humiliating.

Imagine that this was happening to you.  You’re one of the prisoners; you’re innocent.  The governor puts Jeffrey Dahmer or Adolph Hitler or a serial rapist or someone like that on the other side of the stage.  How would you feel being on that same stage, having people look at the two of you as “equals” in some way?

And then?  And then the people are given the choice!  Surely they’ll choose you, won’t they?!?  But no!  The people choose the serial rapist instead!  They choose the hardened criminal!  And what do they want for you?  They want to send you off to be executed!  Can you imagine how humiliated you’d be?!!  Can you imagine how much shame you’d feel?

Then we can begin to imagine the humiliation which our Savior felt.

But the amazing thing is that your Savior was willing to walk straight into it.  Your Savior was willing to stand there on that stage … in your place.

For you see, it really should be you and I on that stage.  The choice would never be us.  Why so?  Because we’re sinful humans who have rebelled against our God in our thoughts, words, and actions!  In a sense we humans have humiliated God.  He created us to be His children; we grabbed the fruit off that tree, chose to become friends with the devil.  In amazing love He came to this earth and redeemed us, bought us back for Himself by laying down His own life at the cross!  And we’ve re-paid Him … how?  With lackluster worship, with poor Bible study attendance.  We’ve looked out for our own selfish interests, sometimes even to the point where it hurt those around us.  We’ve failed our God in so many ways.  Can you imagine an unbiased observer looking at us believers, and then asking God incredulously, “You mean THESE people are YOUR people?!?  Aren’t you ashamed of them?”

And most amazingly, the answer is “No.”  He’s not ashamed of you and me.  Oh, by all rights He should be.  By all rights it would be appropriate for Him to be ashamed of you and me.

But Jesus dealt with all that.  Jesus stood on that stage with Barabbas, took all the humiliation which needed to be dealt with.  Jesus experienced every bit of the humiliation which we deserve.

And so God no longer needs to be ashamed of you and me!  No.  Never again.

And you know what?  That means that you don’t have to be ashamed, either.  Yes, you and I are going to sin.  No, that’s not okay; that’s damning.

But we have not only AN answer, but we have THE answer – Jesus, crucified in our place.  Where we should be ashamed, we no longer need to be, because the full price has been paid.  We stand before God as right!  We can stand before God with a clear conscience, because Jesus cleansed it!

And that means that there’s really nothing else in our lives which can cause us shame, either.  In Christ, you have been given fullness!  That cannot be taken away from you, no matter how badly you mess up at work, no matter how badly you fail to understand or carry out some direction, no matter how others might mock us or laugh at us.  We have zero reason to be ashamed … ever!  For we are the children of God!