THIS IS THE TRUTH JOHN 19:17-24
Solemn Good Friday Service April 13, 2001
What is truth? This is a question that people have wrestled with since Adam and Eve first listened to the words of the devil in the Garden of Eden. In our world today we are led to believe that whatever you think to be true is true. In other words, there is nothing that is wrong. No one can say to another, “That’s wrong.” We have been taught that we are to accept and tolerate anything. There are no absolutes.
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who signed the execution warrant for Jesus Christ had questioned our Savior. The Jews had brought the charge against Jesus that he claimed to be a king and was subverting the authority of the Roman Emperor Caesar. So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus replied, “Yes it is as you say.” (Luke 23:3) He then went on to tell Pilate, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” What is truth? Pilate asked.” (John 18:37-38) This is the same question that many people still ask today. They want to know what is the truth.
Today we
are confronted with an event, an event that reminds everyone of us that we are
mortal. There is a day when our life
will end on this earth. We are here to
remember the execution and death of Jesus Christ. As we consider what happened on that Friday
afternoon God says to each of us loudly and clearly – THIS IS THE
TRUTH. What is this truth? I) Sin
is Serious. But God doesn’t just
impress us with the seriousness of sin he also sets before us the comforting
and uplifting truth that II) Our King
Fought and Won the Battle for Us.
A poet once wrote, “You who think of sin but lightly, nor suppose its evil great here may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate.” (Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted LH #153 v. 3a) Do we believe that sin is serious? How often haven’t we defended our wrongs? How often have we thought or said, “Oh, that isn’t that bad” or “I really didn’t mean to say or do that.” We excuse or dismiss our wrongs as not that bad or we compare what we have done to others and think, “Well, they have done a lot worse than I.” Look at Jesus nailed to the cross. Sin is serious.
Just exactly what is sin? Sin is our failure to be perfect. It is our failure to hit the bull’s eye on the target of perfection that God has set for us. Sin is not just the wrongs that we do or the good we fail to do. Sin is a condition that we are born with. It is a disease that infects our entire being. As David wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5) This infection influences the way we think, the words that come out of our mouths and our actions.
Is this disease terminal? It certainly is. In fact, God had told Adam and Eve, “the day that you eat of it (the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) Sin results in death – separation from God. And there are three types of death that sin causes – spiritual, physical and eternal. Sin destroys our trust and belief in the words and promises of God. Sin leads to the separation of our souls from our bodies, physical death. And sin can lead to our being separated from all of God’s blessings in hell.
Why was Jesus put to death? Why did the Romans nail him to that cross of torture and death? Was Jesus suffering for his sins? No! Jesus truly was an innocent man. He was the only perfect person that has ever walked on this earth since Adam and Eve before they fell into sin. He was put to death because the religious leaders of his day did not like what he was doing. He was put to death in accordance with God’s plan to rescue us from eternal death.
As we listen and watch Jesus die, we suddenly realize the seriousness of sin as Jesus experiences the punishment of hell. For God placed on Jesus your sins, my sins, every person’s sins and he forsook him, he damned his only son. It wasn’t the physical torment and pain that was so great, but the eternal punishment that Jesus experienced. In fact, the Bible tells us that during those three hours from noon until three o’clock darkness covered the earth as Jesus was forsaken by his heavenly Father. He was left alone to experience hell. This is exactly what God had said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a)
Is sin serious? It certainly is! Just see Jesus dying there on that cross and realize, “It is my sins for which he is suffering. It is my sins that nailed him there. It is my hell that he is enduring.”
Why did Jesus to this? Because he loves each and every one of us. He wants each of us to be with him forever in heaven. Pilate had asked, “What is truth?” When Jesus was nailed to that cross Pilate had a sign made which he nailed above Jesus’ head. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. The Jewish priests and leaders objected to that notice. They said to Pilate, write that this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Pilate responded, “What I have written. I have written.” Unknowingly Pilate had written the truth. Jesus is the King of the Jews and not just of the Jews but also of the entire universe.
In the Old Testament time the kings of the people would not just rule over their people, but would lead their armies into battle and fight for and defend their people from their enemies. That’s exactly what our king did for us. Jesus Christ fought for you and me.
He faced our enemy the devil. The devil attempted to get Jesus to disobey the word of God. For 33 years the devil attempted to lead Jesus into sin. Jesus fought and he won. He defeated all of the devil’s temptations. What you and I cannot do, Jesus did for us.
Jesus then faced death, eternal death, and the punishment of hell. On the cross Jesus endured hell for each of us. When our Lord cried out, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) all was completed. And when Jesus rose from his grave on Easter morning, it was to announce that our final enemy death has also been defeated. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Where O death, is you victory? Where, O death, is your sting. The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) Even physical death, the separation of our souls from our bodies, has lost its hold on us. We may die physically, but we know that at the moment our souls separate from our bodies, the angels of God will usher us into heavenly glory. And we know that at the Last Day when Jesus returns in the clouds of the sky with all his holy angels, our souls and bodies will be reunited and we will be raised holy and perfect never to face sin, death or the devil again. We know this because our King Jesus fought the battle and he won. His victory is our victory.
What is the truth? The truth is this: Sin is serious. Sin is damning. But Jesus Christ fought that battle for us and we are forgiven. Death has been defeated. We have eternal life. For God loves us.
Amen