 We're looking at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as is recorded here in Matthew chapter 27. So I'm going to begin reading a portion of Scripture where several things have already taken place, but we're going to pick up at verse 27 where it says, then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around him and they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. Then they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying, Hail, king of the Jews. Then they spat on him, took the reed and struck him on the head. Then when they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, put his own clothes on him and let him away to be crucified. Now as they came out they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Then they compelled to bear his cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say a place of a skull, they gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when he had tasted it he would not drink. Then they crucified him, divided his garments casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots sitting down, they kept watch over him there. And they put up over his head the accusation written against him. This is Jesus, king of the Jews. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right hand, the other on the left. Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself if you are the son of God. Come down from the cross. Likewise, the chief priests also mocking with the scribes and elders said, he saved others, himself he cannot save. If he is the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now if you'll have him. For he said, I'm the son of God. Even the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him at the same thing. Jesus has been delivered up to be crucified. As we know the story, all of us in this room know the story well. We know that Jesus had been betrayed by one of his trusted followers, at least one who appeared to be a follower, a man by the name of Judas. And Jesus had been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Now, he had been taken from that garden, as the scripture says, and he was first brought before the high priest, a man by the name of Caiaphas. And the Jewish leaders, the scribes and the elders had been assembled to hear charges brought against him. While Jesus was before this council, the priests began to seek witnesses to bring testimony against the Lord Jesus Christ. They wanted to put him to death. But they couldn't find any to bring charges against him. Ultimately, there were those who bore false witness, many of them, but their testimonies simply didn't line up. There were those who rose up and said, Jesus said he would destroy the temple and build a new one. But their testimonies were not in agreement either. And so the high priest became frustrated. And he finally demanded that Jesus speak for himself. That is called self incrimination. It wasn't a legal maneuver, but that's what he did. So Jesus said that he was indeed the son of the blessed. And when he said that the high priest at that point had a charge and he said this man has blasphemed. Now that's all he needed to demand a death penalty because blasphemy is what it's called a capital offense in Jewish law. In the Old Testament book of Leviticus in chapter 24 verse 16, it says whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. And so now he's armed with a charge and now he can come before the governor, Pontius Pilate. Now Pilate asked Jesus if indeed Jesus was king of the Jews. And Jesus responded. We know how he said to him, it is as you say. So while standing before him, the Jewish authorities began to and continued making accusations against Jesus Christ. And yet the Bible says Jesus did not utter a word in his own defense and that caused Pilate to marvel because he knew that a man will do anything to save his life. I mean Satan himself knows that in the book of Job chapter two verse four, it says Satan answered the Lord and said skin for skin, yes all that a man has he will give for his life. And Pontius Pilate knew that it was normal for somebody to plead for his own life, plead for his own safety. But Jesus refused to respond. Now as this is all going on, as we've seen the story before as we've read that passage and the passages that pertain to it, Pontius Pilate was not convinced that Jesus should die. Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and he knew what was truly driving the authorities. And what was driving the authorities was really something very basic, it was envy. And he knew that. So the Bible tells us that Pontius Pilate wanted to release Jesus. And so he did something to try to secure his release. At first he tried to release him by offering a choice to the people. He asked which one would benefit the nation of Israel more. I wanna give to you, I wanna give to you a choice. You can have this man Jesus or you can have a man by the name of Barabbas. Which one do you want the most? The Bible tells us that in Luke 2319 that he had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city and for murder. So he said which one do you want? Do you want a murderer or one who claims to be a Messiah? While this was taking place, Pontius Pilate's wife interrupted the proceedings and that gave the priests some time to recover their wits. And so while Pilate was distracted, they began to stir up the people because they had been asked which one do you want? And the priests began to stir them up saying that they should ask for Barabbas and that they might destroy Jesus. Well, when that didn't work, when he couldn't get Jesus released in that fashion, he tried another. And this is when he did something that is very cruel. He had Jesus scourged. He scourged him in order to arouse perhaps, arouse sympathy from the people. We need to remember that Jesus by now was extremely tired. He'd already been beaten severely, Matthew tells us in chapter 26 verse 67 that they spat in his face. They beat him, others struck him with the palm of their hands. And now he's receiving scourging. We don't know what scourging is. We haven't got a clue what it is. Scourging has been called the living death. It was a punishment that was allowed under Jewish law in the Old Testament. It says in Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse three, he must not give him more than 40 lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes. And so there was an allowance for something called scourging and it was found in the Jewish law. When you consider what scourging is and to describe it, we need to know that the prisoner who was going to be scourged would be led to a post. And he would have his hands tied over his head to that post and it would be high enough to cause him to either be elevated from the ground or to be on his toes so that he was completely stretched and completely helpless. That stretching when his hands were up in the air in that fashion would leave his face, his neck, his arms, his back, his waist, his thighs and his calves completely exposed. There were two torturers they were called Lictors. And they would take turns striking the victim. They used a whip with a short wooden handle with several thongs attached that were embedded with sharpened bone, acorn-shaped bits of lead and metal spikes. Each lash would cut into the flesh until the veins and often the entrails would be laid bare. Often the scourge would strike the face of the prisoner, would knock out his eyes, knock out his teeth. And it's recorded that it almost always ended in fainting and often would end in death. The scourging of Jesus, the beating that he took was actually one of those events that fulfilled biblical prophecy. In the book of Isaiah chapter 50 verse six, it says, I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting. Psalm 129 verse three says the plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long. Isaiah 53.5 says he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. And so they scourged the Lord Jesus Christ, and beat him till he was almost dead. But after the scourging, the Roman soldiers began to play a game with him. It's called the game of the king. Now, as they were mocking him, as they were brutalizing him, it ought to cause those who argue that human nature is good. It ought to cause them to pause for just a moment. Because it's been said that the execution of Jesus is the greatest proof of man's wickedness. It demonstrates how far man can fall. Man can actually rise up to kill God. It reveals how evil human nature really is. And human nature is revealed by how the soldiers treated Jesus Christ. Now, the Bible tells us in verse 27, the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole garrison around him, that word garrison has also translated cohort. They stripped him, put a scarlet robe on him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, or reading his right hand. They bowed the knee before him, mocked him, saying, hail king of the Jews. They spat on him, took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to be crucified. When it speaks of this garrison, that's a cohort, it represents 600 soldiers. They were gathered to be entertained. They stripped him, they put on a scarlet robe, which was to mock him, to mock the fact that he is a king. At this time, his back is wounded, it's totally open. It's an open wound from the scourging, yet they show no sympathy, they show no mercy. They go and they gather a crown of thorns. And they place it on his head. They put a staff in his hand, and they begin to kneel before him, mocking him, hail king of the Jews, they were saying to him. And now that crown that they placed on him was to mimic the wreath of Caesar. But the thorns remind us of the curse on the earth, because that's what the Lord had said when Adam fell that the earth would produce thorns through his efforts. So we're reminded that Jesus is here to redeem. And then they do things that are so horrible, they begin to spit on him. They take the staff in his hand and they begin to beat him severely in his head. His head's already swollen, it's already lacerated. And then after they've done that, they begin to mock him. They then take off the robe, they put his own clothes on him, and they let him away to be crucified. John 19.17 reads, carrying his own cross, he went to the place of the skull. Now as this is taking place according to verse 32, it says as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and him they compelled to bear his cross. Now when they speak of this man, Simon of Cyrene, Cyrene is a Greek settlement at that time. It was near what is now modern Libya. Simon though was a Hebrew name who was more than likely a Jew that was living in Cyrene who had come in to Israel for a time of Passover. And they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus Christ because Jesus now is too weak to carry it. That may have led to the conversion of Simon because later on we read in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 15 verse 21, a certain man from Cyrene, Simon the father of Alexander and Rupus was passing by and as way from the country, they forced him to carry the cross. And then later, Romans 16.13, Paul said, greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord and his mother has been a mother for me also. So this may have led to Simon's conversion as he was there carrying the cross for Jesus Christ. They gave to Jesus according to verses 33 through 37, sour wine mingled with gall. Gall was a mild narcotic. It was intended to stupefy the victim to keep him from struggling. But when Jesus tasted it, he wouldn't drink it. And notice in verse 35 how it says that they crucified him and divided his garments, casting lots. They crucified him. Psalm 22.14 says, my life is poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. In verses 16 and 17 of the same chapter, it reads my enemies surround me like a pack of dogs and evil gang closes in on me. They pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. You see, Jesus was crucified. And as I was mentioning today in the noon service, crucifixion was a Roman form of capital punishment. It wasn't Jewish. The Jews, when they would enact capital punishment, would normally stone a person to death. The Romans had taken an ancient method of torture and had actually refined it. As again, I mentioned in our noon service, in the history of the nation of Assyria, the Assyrians had actually used a form of crucifixion to kill prisoners or those that were suffering capital punishment. And what they would do is they would take a young sapling, they would cut it, then they would sharpen it at its tip. So it was like a pencil. And just picture a pencil that is in the ground. That's what this would look like with a sharpened end pointing upward. They would take the prisoner, that was to be put to death on this particular implement, this stake, and they would place them on top of the sharpened edge penetrating from their bottom up. They would go straight into them and they were so good at it that they would actually leave the prisoner approximately, his heart would be approximately an inch away from the sharpened point. And over time, gravity would be working on the body of that prisoner until he sank into the sharpened point and his heart would be pierced by the edge until he very slowly and excruciatingly died in that fashion. The Romans were aware of how the Assyrians would execute prisoners and they had actually refined that into a form of torture that could actually last for several days. So when they would place a prisoner on a cross, they intended for that prisoner to suffer as much as possible. The person would be either nailed to the cross beam or he'd be raised by cords to the cross beam and nailed to it. The wrists would be nailed to that cross beam. The legs would be twisted underneath in order to encourage fatigue and cramping and then they would be nailed to the post. A rope would be tied around the waist and when the prisoner would rise up to draw a breath, he would be tortured by a sharpened iron saddle peg that was digging into his back. And as that was taking place over time, he would suffer the dislocation of his shoulders. His veins would begin to bulge. He would experience congestion of blood in the head, lungs and heart. Would suffer dehydration. Ultimately would die of shock, blood loss, intense fever, but more than likely suffocation. Because what would happen would be that soldier had, rather that prisoner would have had the nails that would have been put in the wrist. And when the nails were in the wrist, there are bones there that they actually knew how to put a nail between them without breaking the bone. And so as they were placed there on this cross beam, there was a sharpened peg that was in their back. In order to breathe, the prisoner would have to lift themselves up. But their legs were twisted in an S shape. So they were dehydrating and cramping, which was causing intense pain. But in order to breathe, I was gonna have to do anything that I could do to be able to take a breath. So in spite of all the pain I was going through, I was gonna lift myself up. And that's where that sharpened saddle peg comes in. Because that peg would be lacerating my back. Every time I lifted, the sharpened edge would go into my back, slicing it. Jesus already had his back opened up through the scourging. And so every time Jesus would take a breath, that saddle peg would lacerate him one more time. See, a lot of times people don't understand what it cost the son of God. We think sometimes that it was his job to do that. We think sometimes that it's just something easy to do. We don't even take into consideration the pain that he went through for us. I remember on one occasion, I went to one of my Bible professors. I was upset about something or other. And as I was speaking to him and sharing with him, you know, I was angry about something. He said to me, you need to forgive. And I said, no. I said, I can't do that. He said, you must do that. He said, God forgave you. And I still remember looking at my professor, Dr. Moore. And I looked him right in the eye and I said, yes, he forgave me. That's his job. I'm surprised that lightning didn't take me out at that moment. Yes, he forgave me. That's his job. He says, no, it's not. That's his grace. That's his grace. There are a lot of people who don't understand what it cost Jesus. Sometimes we think it was easy. But when you begin to look at what he suffered, what he went through, all the humiliation, all the pain, all the suffering. When you begin to consider what he went through, it has to do something to your heart. You have to come to an awareness of the fact that he didn't have to do that, but he chose to do it. He died for us. And as this is taking place, just to show you the callousness of human nature, notice in verse 35 how the soldiers are there impassively gambling for the clothing of Jesus Christ. Because to them, Jesus was just another criminal. He wasn't even worth the effort of killing. Now you see, when it speaks concerning the fact that they were dividing his garments among them and all, we need to know that the average Jewish man would wear four articles of clothing. And a condemned prisoner would be escorted by four soldiers and each would keep an article of that clothing. The Jewish male usually had a turban, a sash, an outer robe, and sandals. But Jesus had a fifth article. It was a seamless interrobe. It was a robe like the high priest. And so they were already through dividing four of the articles, but there was a seamless robe. And so they didn't want to tear it. So they gambled for it. They were going about their daily duties there. This didn't impact them whatsoever. They didn't have a clue what was actually taking place. They were apathetic. They were indifferent to what was taking place. And today there are still those who are uncaring filled with apathy concerning the righteousness of God. They get caught up with their daily grind. They don't even notice that today is the day that we recognize that Christ was killed. They don't even care. They're too busy. They're lost by life. They're making a living and they're trying to get ahead. And they don't have an interest at all in the Lord Jesus Christ. But there's Jesus dying on the cross, being crucified according to verse 38, between two thieves. Two Jewish robbers were crucified next to him. There's no doubt they knew something of Jesus. They knew something of his ministry, but they hadn't been attracted to him. They didn't need God in their lives. As a matter of fact, notice verse 44. Now it says, even the robbers who were crucified with him reviled him for the same thing. And there they are. There's a man, Jesus, who is in the center cross. There's one thief on the right hand. There's one on his left. And as they're there, at first they begin to hurl insults at Jesus Christ. You see, the soldiers were apathetic, but these men were antagonistic. And these are people who are caught up with violence, with materialism, with the hunger for power. For them, obviously, religion was only for the weak. Yet there they are, next to Jesus, dying alone, abandoned. Bay everybody else. In verses 39 and 40, we see another reaction, and that's the reaction of abuse. It says, those who passed by blasphemed and wagging their heads saying, you who destroyed the temple, build it in three days, save yourself. You're the son of God, come down from the cross. And so what we have here is we have people who are abusive. Then you have, worst of all, verses 41 through 43, the religious. These are the priests, and they mocked with the scribes and elders. They said he saved others himself. He cannot save if he's the king of Israel. Let him now come down from the cross and we'll believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him. Now, he'll have him. Or he said, I am the son of God. This I think is by far the most wicked. They knew better, and yet they still killed him. The question has to be, why did you do that, Lord? Why did you suffer like that for me? Why did you allow yourself to be taken in such a fashion? Why did you die? God says in his word, I so love the world that I gave my only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. As I was saying earlier in the earlier service, it was not the nails that kept Jesus on the cross. It was love. It was love for us. It was a revelation of the heart of God for sinful humanity. It was a revelation of God's willingness to forgive, willingness to pay a price that no man could ever pay. And in salvation, what we end up with is a washing away of all of our sin through the blood of Christ. No matter how hard you might try to be good, no matter how religious you can become, unless God forgives you of your sin and cleanses you from your unrighteousness, then ultimately when you stand before the just and holy God of the universe, you have to give an account of yourself and ultimately you will find yourself to be guilty because there's nothing you can do to save yourself. And the amazing thing about God is our God knows everything about us, every single thing, and he is able and willing to forgive us for all of our sins, all of them. Today we had the opportunity to go to the Christian school that my grandchildren, two of my grandchildren, actually three of my grandchildren attend, and a young boy recited something from memory. I was extremely impressed by this young boy as he shared with us something that was called the file room. And it was so impactful that I listened to it and just thought to myself, I'm gonna read that to our congregation today just to illustrate how God's forgiveness is beyond our ability to fathom. So let me read to you something called the file room. It was written by a man by the name of Joshua Harris. And this is what he wrote, in that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features saved for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read people I have liked. I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity coupled with horror stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories, others a sense of shame and regret, so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named friends was next to the one marked friends I have betrayed. The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird, books I have read, lies I have told, comfort I have given, jokes I have laughed at. Some were almost hilarious in their exactness, things I've yelled at my brothers, other I couldn't laugh at, things I've done in my anger, things I have muttered under my breath at my parents. I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often, there were many more cards than I expected, sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked songs I've listened to, I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed. Not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked lustful thoughts, I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind. No one must ever see these cards. No one must ever see this room. I have to destroy them. In an insane frenzy, I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end, I began pounding it on the floor. I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore, people I have shared the gospel with. The handle was brighter than those around it new or almost unused. I pulled on its handle in a small box, not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep, sob so deep that the hurts started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw him. No, please, not him, not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as he began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch his response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at his face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did he have to read everyone? Finally, he turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in his eyes, but this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands, and began to cry again. He walked over and put his arm around me. He could have said so many things, but he didn't say a word. He just cried with me. Then he got up and walked back to the wall of files, starting at one into the room. He took out a file, and one by one began to sign his name over mine on each card. No, I shouted, rushing to him. All I could find to say was no, no, as I pulled the card from him. His name shouldn't be on these cards, but there it was written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written in his blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled, a sad smile, and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how he did it so quickly, but the next instant, it seemed, I heard him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, it is finished. I stood up. He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written. Imagine that for a moment. If every detail of our life indeed was written down on little cards, imagine for just a moment all the sins in their details that could be written out. The things that we've said, the things that we've thought, the things that we've done, the things that we've looked at, the things that we've listened to, all in detail. And yet, what touches my heart is the fact that the Lord, being aware of all of those things, has washed us clean from all of those sins by his blood. Every single sin that you and I have ever committed if we're born again has been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, every one of them. We are new in Jesus Christ, but without that, we stand before God as guilty as possible. Why did Jesus die? Jesus died on the cross so that by his blood, he might wash us free from the stain and conscience of sin. He washed us and cleansed us, and he took those sins that we have committed, and he cast them into the deepest part of the sea, never to once again retrieve them to look at or to blame us for. What a savior, what a God, what a savior we have in Jesus Christ. That's what it means. That's what it means to be born again. That's what it means to become a new creation. That's what it means when Paul says, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. That's what it means. We didn't try and we're not trying to reform ourselves. We are sinners in need of salvation and Jesus Christ, knowing that, took upon himself our sin. He died as the sin offering for us, and though man walked by, gambled for his clothing, mocked him as he was dying, yet he did it for us. He was placed on that cross. He died on that day. He was buried, but three days later, he rose from the dead so that we might have life because of him. Oh, what a savior we have in Jesus Christ. What a savior. And I believe that the Lord would have us to remember that even today. Yes, Lord, thank you for dying on the cross, but even more, thank you for giving me life. Thank you for the newness of life that I have because of Jesus Christ. Thank you because you washed me and cleansed me from all of my sin. You have blessed me beyond my imagination. You love me. Not only have you loved me up to this point, but tomorrow you know I'm gonna fail you and you still love me even tomorrow. What a God that I worship. What a God that I love. And so here we are, good Friday. Indeed, it is good. It's good because our God has made it so because our God gave his son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for us. Without him, we're nothing. With him, we're brand new. We're not religious people, though we do have a form of religion, indeed, and it is something that God blesses. We have what is called a true religion, a true religious faith. But it's not just a religious behavior that we have. It is a lifestyle of worshiping God and enjoying of God, his presence in our life. It is not us attempting to do good things. It's God who did a good thing for us. It's not us trying to become something. It's us becoming something because of what God has done for us. We are born again because the Lord Jesus Christ has given us an opportunity for newness of life. And so, even as we've gathered, there are some today who still have a file cabinet, multiple files that are filled with sins that you ultimately will give an account for. But you can receive Christ as Lord and Savior. He will wash you free from sin because the word of God teaches us. If we confess our sin, he is faithful in just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And he can and will do that in an instant, in an instant. I committed my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ 43, almost 44 years ago. And I can tell you, as I stand before you now, that I never will regret that decision when the gospel was presented to me. I will never regret the decision that I made when I said, yes to Jesus, I will follow you. It has been an amazing ride all of these years and it's only going to get better as the years progress because my God makes each day brand new. His mercies are renewed every day. He blesses us in ways that I can't even count. And he can do that for you. If you have yet to give your heart to the Lord and you've been invited to come here perhaps you're somebody who at one time was walking with the Lord and you walked away today is a day that you can get right with the Lord.