Encountering Christ at the Crossroads part 2

“Behold the Man: The Suffering Savior” (John 19:1-16)

Most of the suffering we endure in this life isn’t planned or anticipated. Things just happen and we just try our best to get through it. But sometimes our suffering has nothing to do with us. sometimes we suffer for those we love.

Today we are celebrating our mothers. and I can’t think of a more loving and self sacrificial role than raising a child. Yes it can be a joy and they make you proud and at other times they worry you. And they definitely cause you to pray and lean on the lord.

Kids will help you develop your prayer life. I know that my mom was a praying mom with some of things i put her through. and i am so thankful for that, there’s nothing that you wouldn’t do for them because they are your kids.

But what about suffering for not only those we love but those who may reject us?

Imagine knowing who’s going to betray you, who will be loyal and knowing all this and still just living your life out, building relationships, having conversations. all while knowing the day you will die and how its going to happen. Well that’s where we find Jesus during his trial.  John describes the last part of his trial as he is before Pilate the Roman governor.

(1) Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. (2) The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. (3) “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face. (4) Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” (5) Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” (6) When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting,

“Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.” (7) The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” (8) When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. (9) He took Jesus back into the headquarters  again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. (10) “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” (11) Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless

it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” (12) Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’  Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” (13) When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). (14) It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,

“Look, here is your king!” (15) “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What³? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. (16) Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.
John 19:1-16 – NLT

1. The suffering Savior– Christ suffered not for himself but those whom he loved and even those who did not yet know him. He gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins, for our rebellion. In this way he not only freed us from our captivity to this world but he left for us and example.

(5) You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (6) Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. (7)   Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ;he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,  (8)   he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 
Philippians 2:5-8 – NLT

what does it mean to have the same attitude that Jesus had? for that we need to consider what Jesus endured.

2. He was ridiculed– he was flogged and mocked by the soldiers who didn’t know anything about him. maybe they had heard rumors. but they placed a crown of thrones on him and a purple robe and slapped him and spit on him.

when the movie the Passion of the Christ came out. it was the most visceral and real representation of Christ’s torture and execution ever portrayed on the screen. in fact the actor was accidently struck for real with that whip just once causing a 14 inch laceration.  I remember being in the theater. packed but very quiet and during that scene i don’t remember if was when we saw or it was someone else experience but people in the audience yelled stop. why? we see violence in so many movies. why did this affect so many so deeply?

• Well for one its Jesus. Its one thing to hear about it in a sermon. its another thing to see it that accurately portrayed.
• The second thing going on deep down in our spirit. is the fact that our sin put him there,

ILLUS: Back in the 1600s there was a famous Dutch painter named Rembrandt. He did numerous famous paintings but there was one that particularly unique called “The Raising of the Cross.” There at the base of the cross Rembrandt painted… HIMSELF. Rembrandt wanted his audience to understand that he believed that it was his sins that put Christ on the cross.

(show painting)

(5)   But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (6)   All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. 
Isaiah 53:5-6 – NLT

3. He was rejected– His own people who had all the knowledge, the laws and teachings of the prophets loved this world more than the son of God. and they rejected the very one who came to save them.

What Attitude did Christ have through all of this? He didn’t say. okay let me show you who i really am. and call down legions of angels. He didn’t get mad at those who rejected him and say ok fine then. I’m going to burn this whole thing down starting with you. No. He did quite the opposite for our sakes he endured the ridicule, the rejection and ultimately death on the cross so that we might enjoy eternity with him. he set us free from the captivity of this world.

4.So how can we have this same attitude today?

Humility– “humility” in Philippians 2:5-8 is “tapeinophrosune”, which means “lowliness of mind”.  humility is not about thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. Christ could endure the humiliation, the rejection because it wasn’t about him. it was all about setting us free from the power of sin, death and the devils grip on our lives.

Compassion– Jesus saw people as captive to powers they didn’t understand. he saw them as sheep without a shepherd. lost and wandering. When he was on the cross he said “father forgive them for they know not what they do.” the one who rejects him today may receive him tomorrow. We don’t know in the end where peoples hearts will be. We just need to keep an open heart and keep praying.

Don’t allow your righteous indignation against sin to boil over in to contempt for those we are trying to reach. You may not understand their particular struggle but you know we all have struggles with something. so keep that in mind.

Faith– trust and obey God understanding that everything you endure in this life is leading to the ultimate goal of becoming more like Christ and one say we will be with him.

Patience– Why is it taking so long lord? is it me. is it something im not doing?  these questions go through our mind when we don’t see the answer to prayer that we are looking for. Often God is looking for us to trust him even when things don’t look good. he always has a plan.