During this Lenten season we’ve been talking about unexpected prophets of the passion. Individuals who speak the truth concerning Jesus and God’s plan of salvation even though they themselves were perhaps unaware. Today we consider one of the criminals that hung beside Jesus on the cross.

It was bad enough that Jesus was wrongfully accused and even wrongfully sentenced to death but even as he’s hanging on the cross he’s with the wicked, hung between two criminals, two thieves that rightfully deserved that sort of punishment and death. And as he is there he is ridiculed and mocked by the religious leaders and others that say “if you are the Christ, if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself and come down from that cross!”

One of the criminals even decides that he’s gonna chime in and we hear about this in Luke chapter 23 verse 39 as it says

One of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39)

However, Jesus was exactly that. He was the Christ, the Messiah, and he was carrying out just what the criminal said. Saving him and all mankind through his death as payment for sin. Yes even though he was unaware, even though the crowds were unaware, Jesus was carrying out this act of salvation. Even though that criminal didn’t believe it the other man did. As we hear he chastised the first criminal and he turns to Jesus and says

“Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”
Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

Yes, Jesus was carrying out the plan of salvation as the Messiah, the Christ. Help us to recognize him also as our Savior. The one who died for us, for our sin, to win for us eternal life paradise in heaven. Amen.

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During this Lenten season we’ve been talking about unexpected prophets of the passion. Individuals that speak the truth of God’s Way of salvation even though most of them were unaware. Today we consider Pilate.

Pilate despised the Jews for what they made him do. He knew Jesus was innocent, he knew he shouldn’t be executed, but they forced his hand.

And so, very much so out of spite for the Jews, Pilate has a sign made to hang above Jesus head while he’s hanging from the cross. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. The Jewish leaders bristle at this. “Don’t write King of the Jews, but that he claimed to be King of the Jews.” However, Pilate responds to them “what I have written, I have written.”

So the sign stood for all to see above Jesus head as he’s dying on the cross “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.” Even though the Jews themselves did not believe it, Pilate certainly did not believe it, yet the truth stood, that this was the Messiah the one long foretold in the Jewish Scriptures, one that Zechariah had spoken of in his ninth chapter when he said

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Just a few days prior Jesus had entered into Jerusalem with the crowds welcoming him with palm branches and with their songs of praise hailing him as their king. And now he still remained their king, very much so, carrying out his plan of salvation that had been foretold of the Messiah.

Yes we see it is true Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews, the Messiah long foretold, our Savior as well. Amen.

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During this Lenten season we’ve been talking about unexpected prophets of the passion. Individuals who spoke the truth concerning God’s Way of salvation yet they were unaware of it. Today we consider the Roman soldiers.

There’s certainly no love lost between Romans and Jews during Jesus day. The Jews despised the Romans as oppressive, ones that had come into their country and we’re now ruling over them. The Romans on the other hand considered the Jews weak and powerless. They’re forced to go out there and maintain order in this newly acquired Roman region.

So it’s a bit ironic when the Jews have to come to the Romans to get their way to have Jesus executed. And yet they know that the reason that they want to execute Jesus is not going to stand up in a Roman Court. The reason they believe Jesus worthy of death was because of blasphemy, that he claimed to be God, but they knew the only way the Romans would listen is if they actually brought a charge that would threaten their power and so they say the reason he should be executed is because Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the king of the Jews, a king threatening the rule of the Romans.

So this had gotten out that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews. Most certainly had gotten out even to the Roman soldiers and so when Pilate passes off Jesus to them they decide to have a little fun with it. Okay this is your king Jews? We’ll make him look like a king. They put a kingly garb around his shoulders, pressed the crown of thorns into his head, get a fake scepter to place in his hand, a reed, and they bow down with sarcasm dripping from their lips hail King of the Jews.

And yet what they spoke was the absolute truth that even though he didn’t look like it, even though they couldn’t see it, Jesus was precisely that: the King of the Jews. In fact even more the King of kings and Lord of lords our King.

In Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 and Paul writes

The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)

Yes he is our King. Our King through whom we have Redemption and forgiveness of sins. Yes hail King of the Jews, hail our King. Amen.

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During this Lenten season we’ve been talking about unexpected prophets of the passion. Today we consider the angry mob.

Pilate had tried to do everything he could to release Jesus, to set him free. He knew Jesus was innocent. He certainly wasn’t guilty of death, but the crowd begged to differ. Pilate tried to free him. He tried to argue with them and tried to release him. He even set up a known criminal Barabbas opposite Jesus and offered to free one of them, certain that the crowd wouldn’t take the murderer, but they did.

Pilate, feeling that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, finally washes his hands in front of the crowd and says “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood, it is your responsibility” to which the angry mob responded in Matthew 27

And all the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” – Matthew 27:25

The crowd was so certain of their judgment that they were willing to have the guilt and weight of it all placed on them and even on their descendants.

We wonder how that crowd could willingly take the guilt and weight of Jesus death upon them. They could say those words “let his blood be on us and on our children,” but for us as Christians those words ring eerily true.

Isn’t it the desire of all Christians that Jesus blood be on them and on their children? Not the blood of the guilt of his death, but his cleansing blood. 1 John chapter 1 verse 7 it says

The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

Just as in the Old Testament as the sacrifices were made for the children of Israel and at times the blood of that sacrifice sprinkled upon the crowd to reassure them that their sins were truly forgiven, don’t we desire that Jesus blood cover us and cover our children? His cleansing blood that forgives our sins?

Thanks be to God that he sent Jesus to die on a cross and to shed his blood for us. By faith we know that we are covered with the forgiveness of sins through that blood. Amen.

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During this Lenten season we are considering some unexpected prophets. Men of evil intent who God used to speak the truth concerning his plan of salvation.

Soon following Jesus raising of Lazarus from the dead the Jewish leaders got together to discuss what to do with this threat. They felt that Jesus was gathering a group of people around him, they were worried what the outcome would be.

We hear in God’s Word in John chapter 11 Caiaphas the high priest says this

“You know nothing at all. You do not even consider that it is better for us that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” – John 11:49-50

It appears that Caiaphas was arguing that it was better to try to put Jesus to death. Whether or not he was innocent it didn’t matter. They needed to kill this threat in order to spare the people because they feared that if Jesus started a revolt the Romans would take action against them and so it was better that one man died than the rest of the nation perish.

Even though Caiaphas spoke these words with evil intent God was testifying through him to the truth of his plan of salvation. That yes, one would die for the sins of the people. That they not perish forever in the fires of hell, but through him have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

The Apostle Paul writes in first Timothy chapter 2 beginning at verse 5

Christ Jesus, gave himself as a ransom for all. – 1 Timothy 2:5-6

This tells us plainly that it wasn’t simply because of evil men wanting to put Jesus to death that he was killed, but Jesus gave his life, gave himself willingly over to these wicked men as a ransom for all. To carry out God’s incredible plan of salvation that though the one man would perish the many would be spared and saved.

Thanks be to God for working even in this way, amen.

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In the book of Numbers there’s an interesting story about a man named Balaam who’s paid by the king of Moab to decree curses against the children of Israel. And so he goes out to speak aloud these curses against God’s people, however, God doesn’t permit him to do so. The only words that are able to come out of his mouth are blessings upon them.

God uses this evil intent of this king and this man Balaam for his good purpose of blessing his people. During the Passion history of Christ we see many unexpected prophets, people who desire Jesus to be arrested and even killed, speaking the truth concerning him and concerning God’s plan of salvation.

I will be elaborating more on this in further videos as we talk about some unexpected prophets of the passion, but the bottom line is this that God uses even the evil intentions of men for his good purpose.

In 1st Corinthians chapter 1 it says this

But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

It seems utter foolishness that Jesus would be considered a savior, one who is so weak and even executed on the cross. And yet God used those evil intentions of men to carry out his plan of salvation. That Jesus perfect life be offered as a sacrifice for our sins there.

Paul goes on to say

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:25

Throughout the passion we see that God is completely in control carrying out your salvation. Amen.

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