How we react when suddenly put in difficult circumstances often reveals what we are really like. How does a person react when they are involved in a car accident or when treated badly by someone can reveal the true character. The writer C.S. Lewis recognised this:
“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.”
How I behave when someone I know well is suffering or dying says a lot about me. If I did not like him I may be pleased and may, even then get angry and say hurtful things about him. The other option is to focus on being both truthful, patient and loving as these are the characteristics of God.
When Jesus was arrested on that Passover Thursday evening he was wrongfully tried before the Sanhedrin council at daybreak.
The High Priest and Sanhedrin
Their argument for condemning Jesus was because he claimed to be the Messiah. Their understanding of the role of the Messiah was to free God’s people from their enemies. If Jesus was a worldly rebellious king hen the penalty might be justified but there was so much evidence to show that Jesus did not claim to be a military leader. The process of his trial was illegal under both Jewish and Roman law. When the witnesses failed to agree the High Priest decided on a direct approach so that Jesus could be found guilty of blasphemy,
“If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You say that I am.”
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” Luke 23:67-71
Jesus was now publicly confirming that he was God’s one and only Son, the Messiah. What the Sanhedrin failed to grasp was what the Messiah, foretold so often in the Jewish Scriptures would come to save his people from their sin by dying for them and then rising to prove his claim. The evidence was clearly available for any interested to discover. Jesus was a direct descendant of King David, as the prophecies taught. He had performed extraordinary miracles, including the raising of the dead. The raising of Lazarus, a little earlier, after he had been in a tomb for four days was a well known fact in Jerusalem. His teaching was astounding and spoke to people’s hearts.
The trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin is considered illegal under Jewish law (Mishnah) for several reasons. Criminal cases, particularly capital offences, could only be held during the day, yet Jesus was tried at daybreak at the High Priest's palace rather than in the official courtroom. The Sanhedrin had already decided on death before the trial began, making the proceeding a farce rather than a fair trial. According to Jewish law, at least two witnesses had to agree on the exact details of a crime; in Jesus' case, the witnesses' testimonies did not agree. Jesus was convicted based on his own confession, which was forbidden under Mosaic law. Trials involving capital punishment could not be held on the eve of a Sabbath or a holiday. Capital trials required a verdict of guilty to be reached at least one day after the evidence was presented, yet Jesus' trial was concluded within hours. Furthermore, the judges themselves acted illegally by assaulting the accused, rather than acting as a neutral council.
Each of those members of the Sanhedrin who agreed with the High Priest will therefore be held accountable before God for the way they treated God’s Son.
Later these rulers attended the scene of the crucifixion:
“. . . and the rulers sneered at him. They said ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen one.’” Luke 23:35
These leaders were culpable on so many grounds, they hated his claim to be their Messiah so much that they completely disregarded all the supporting evidence.
Simon of Cyrene
He was forced to carry the patibulum for Jesus. Why did Luke include this detail? Why did Matthew and Mark also include this? Surely it is because all Christians have been called to associate themselves with Jesus and serve with the same attitude, associating ourselves with Jesus’ death and dying to self with him’
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
The soldiers
They were just doing their job. They escorted the condemned Jesus as they walked through the streets of Jerusalem to publicise the approaching crucifixion. The condemned man carried just the patibulum or the cross beam of the cross but even this was too much for Jesus after a Roman flogging. One of the soldiers would carry a placard describing the crime of the condemned man. Significantly the crime of Jesus was described as,
“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”
When they arrived at Golgotha the condemned man was forced to lie on the ground and his arms were either wrapped around the crosspiece and the arms tied securely over the patibulum or else they were nailed to it. They would claim that they were just doing what they were told.
Yet they were also antagonistic to the claim of Jesus:
“The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was a written notice above him, which read: ‘This is the King of the Jews.” Luke 23:36-38
It seems that everybody knew that Jesus claimed to be a Saviour. What they did not grab was what the Jewish Scriptures says about the Messiah being the ultimate sacrifice of sin. Clearly expository bible teaching was not widespread in those days. People were ignorant of the meaning of Scripture and instead just followed the crowd and their leaders.
At the Nuremberg trials of Nazis after the second world war many tried to use this defence to explain why they committed many atrocities.The "obeying orders" defence (or Nuremberg defence) was rejected because the tribunal established that individuals have a moral and legal duty to refuse illegal orders, especially those violating international law or humanity. Under Nuremberg Principle IV, acting under superior orders does not relieve a person of responsibility if a moral choice was possible. The trials established that international law applies to individuals, not just states, and individuals are accountable for their actions.
What is important is what God, our judge, thinks of our behaviour. Just to say, ‘I was doing what I was told or what others were doing will not be an adequate defence. We are responsible before God for our decisions.
'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' was a film depicting the 1943 massacre of Italian soldiers on the Greek island of Cephalonia by Nazi forces. As the Italian soldiers are being lined up for execution, one of Corelli's men, terrified and confused, shouts that he is innocent and hasn't done anything. A German officer, responds with the chilling line:
‘Then you deserve to die,’
He was implying that a soldier who has done nothing for the cause is both useless or a coward.
In today’s church there are many onlookers who are happy to attend church services but seem to do little for their Lord and Saviour.
The onlookers
When Jesus was crucified the reaction of the many onlookers:
“The people stood watching.” Luke 23:35
There have always been onlookers to Jesus who refuse to get involved with him and make a decision. Hadn’t Joshua said to God’s official people:
“‘Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the River Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’” Joshua 24:14-15
The behaviour of some onlookers was despicable and was the subject of a passage in Matthew’s account where he focusses on what this says about those people.
“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” Matthew 27:39-40
It was clear that what was said at the trial about Jesus destroying the temple and rebuilt it is three days had been publicised to justify the decision to kill Jesus. They all knew by now that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. The proof of this claim would become finally apparent when he did rise on the third day.
Matthew also alludes to the fact that people, even Christians, tend to stay away and withdraw from facing difficult times,
“Many women were there, watching from a distance.” Matthew 27:55
The criminals
Luke wants us all to understand that there are only two ways people regard Jesus and he demonstrates this by the reaction of the two condemned criminals next to Jesus.
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” Luke 23:39
Note that even this criminal knew that Jesus was in the business of saving people yet he only thought in terms of this life.
“But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23:40-41
What a stark contrast was seen in this other criminal. In spite of the agony he was undergoing he recognised that Jesus was no ordinary man. ‘Don’t you fear God?’ is a very pertinent question. It is fundamental anyone is to have any hope of getting right with God. Did he recognise that Jesus was indeed God who had entered this world to save people. The next sentence shows that he did have this eternal dimension to the kingship of Jesus, for this criminal then said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:42
What Jesus then says to him gives hope to all of us who recognise who Jesus is:
“Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43
The centurion
Jesus had been crucified at about 9 a.m., from midday till 3 p.m. in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. Darkness signifies God’s rejection of sin; Jesus was now bearing the sin of the world and God hates sin. At the same time the very thick curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. God himself had now opened the way fro people to enter God’s presence. The Holy of Holies in the temple was where the Ark of the Covenant stood and only the High Priest could enter that room once a year. Now through the work of Jesus on that cross, God’s ultimate high Priest all can have access to the Father. At this point Jesus cried out with a loud voice:
“‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Luke 23:46
These words are highly significant. They are a quote from Psalm 31 where King David, Jesus’ forebear, was being rejected and hounded by the ruler. David expressed his utter trust in God in spite of the dire circumstances he was in and looked forward to a glorious future:
“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19
As the darkness overshadowed the last hours of Jesus how the subsequent words must have reassured him:
“In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.” Psalm 31:22
This psalm actually says:
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” Psalm 31:5
Jesus adds the word ‘Father’ instead of Lord. It is the same word that he taught his disciples to say when we use the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Our Father’. What a glorious thing it is to be in such a relationship with god through Jesus.
What was it that convinced the centurion in charge of the execution party about Jesus. Was it what he said from the cross or the way he died or most likely a combination of both. He makes the decision that the gospel writer hopes that his decision is the one that all people will come to so that they can be saved.
“The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
An alternative translation given in the margin is “this man was the righteous one’. Matthew and Mark record the centurions words as meaning’
“This man was the Son of God’. Matthew 27:54
‘A righteous man’ and ‘the son of God’ have very similar meanings as no mortal is righteous compared to God. Being ‘righteous’ is a status god gives to those who follow his son Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea’s journey to faith was a gradual progression from a hidden, intellectual conviction to a bold, public allegiance. His transformation is one of the most striking examples in the New Testament of how love for Christ can conquer deep-seated fear and self-interest. Joseph was a wealthy, highly respected, and prominent member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high council).
“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ” Luke 23:50-51
His study of scripture and spiritual hunger primed him to recognise Jesus's fulfilment of messianic prophecies.
Attracted by Jesus’s teachings and miracles, Joseph came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. However, the Gospel of John explicitly states that he was a secret disciple because he feared the Jewish leaders.
“ Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.” John 19:38
Openly aligning with Jesus would mean taking the risk of instant social ostracisation and political ruin. When the Sanhedrin plotted to condemn and crucify Jesus, Joseph refused to consent to their decision and action. While he was either overruled, absent, or chose not to speak up powerfully enough to stop it, witnessing the raw injustice of the crucifixion became his ultimate turning point.
The death of Jesus shattered Joseph’s secrecy, transforming him in several profound ways. The ultimate evidence of Joseph's changed heart occurred on the evening of Good Friday. Risking a charge of treason or complicity, he went boldly to Pontius Pilate to request the body of Jesus. In Roman times, crucified criminals were typically left to rot or thrown into mass graves. Joseph stepped into the light when Jesus’s closest disciples had fled in terror. Thus he actively blew his cover, he was now willing to sacrifice his elite reputation for Jesus.
Joseph put his earthly assets at the disposal of his faith. Along with Nicodemus, he bought expensive linen shroud cloth, processed seventy-five pounds of costly burial spices, and laid Jesus in his own unused, rock-hewn family tomb. By providing this burial, Joseph willingly fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaiah 53:9—that the suffering servant would be “with a rich man in his death.”
By touching a corpse on the eve of the Passover, Joseph willingly made himself ceremonially unclean, disqualifying himself from the most important religious feast of the year. Ultimately, "outing" himself as a Christ-follower cost him his seat on the Supreme Court, his high social standing, and his access to the synagogue.
Joseph’s transformation shows that true faith eventually demands open acknowledgment of the rule of Christ in a person’s life. He never preached a sermon or performed a miracle recorded in scripture, but his quiet, costly act of love provided the exact, secure setting required for the miracle of the Resurrection. Early Christian traditions even honour him as an active missionary who eventually carried the Gospel out of Judea and into Europe.
Am I responsible for how I react to Jesus. God says that I certainly am:
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” John 3:36
BVP
