Good Friday March 25, 2016
Good Friday
John 18:1—19:42
March 25, 2016
“Free to Go”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Some trials just aren’t black and white. It’s not always easy to tell who is guilty and who is innocent. People still talk today about the OJ Simpson trial. There was a mess, right? The glove. The bronco. The knife. Was he guilty? Who knows? Some think so. Some aren’t sure. It just wasn’t black and white.
Or what about Hillary Clinton’s email server? Is she guilty? Is she innocent? It’s rather fuzzy, isn’t it? Some want her in prison. Some say she did nothing wrong. It’s not always easy to tell.
It’s like when two of your kids or grandkids come up to you and they’re both yelling and crying. One of them makes their case of innocence. The other blasts them with evidence of their guilt. Who’s right? I’ll tell you with my own kids…sometimes I have no idea who’s guilty and who’s innocent. So I punish them both…ha. Or tell them to go to their mother. Some trials just aren’t black and white.
But then there’s this one. This one on Good Friday. This one isn’t confusing. This one would never hang a jury. This one is clear. Everyone can easily see who’s innocent and who is guilty. Clear as day. Jesus must be let go. It’s the only right thing. He’s completely innocent. The only right verdict is a full acquittal. Yet in the end—the innocent Jesus dies and the guilty ones go free.
First Jesus is before Caiaphas the high priest and all the religious leaders. These guys were some of the crookedest church leaders you’ve ever seen. They make some of our current politicians look like angels. These guys had their hands in all kinds of other peoples’ pockets. They were hypocrites of the highest sort. They should have been on trial. They’re the guilty ones. But they make Jesus out to be the real criminal.
What a joke! They bring in some witnesses but none of them tell the same story. It’s clear they really don’t have anything on Jesus. But it doesn’t matter. Because they’re going to get rid of Him. So the innocent Jesus gets handed over to Pilate while the crooked religious leaders go free.
Then Jesus stands before Pilate. Pilate was certainly no angel. There was a lot of blood on his hands in the past. He was a man with only one ambition and it wasn’t the truth—it was his own success. All through this trial he can see that Jesus is innocent and he even tries to let him go—but when push comes to shove Pilate would rather see Jesus die than see a riot start. So the arrogant Pontius Pilate hypocritically washes his hands while the innocent Jesus goes to the cross.
Then there‘s Barabbas. Guilty as sin. Nobody doubted it. There’s no way he should be let go. But that’s how messed up this trial is. Guilty, murdering Barabbas goes free and innocent Jesus is led away for crucifixion.
Now before you think this is really strange or out of the ordinary, let me tell you that it’s not. In fact, this is what happens every single day with us and God. We, the guilty ones, blame everything on God and make Him the guilty one. It’s been happening since day one when the devil told Adam and Eve that God was just a jerk for not letting them have the fruit of that one tree.
We blame everything on God. It’s all His fault, we say. Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Terrorists attack Belgium and kill over thirty people—it’s all God’s fault. How could He let this happen? Never mind that all of us think we’ll solve the problem by going over there and killing them back—such great, loving people we are—but yeah, it’s all God’s fault. Never mind that all of us wish evil on other people all the time—but yeah, it’s all God’s fault.
Other people don’t treat us fairly and we say, “God, what’s the deal? It’s all your fault. Why are you letting this happen?” Never mind that we don’t treat anyone else fairly. Never mind that we’re constantly judging everyone else by our own standards and gossiping about them and neglecting to help them. But sure, God’s the one to blame.
We have money trouble and we say, “God, why are you doing this to me?” Never mind that He has given you every single thing that you have. Never mind that it’s you and me that waste 90% of what He gives us on worthless stuff. Never mind that we’re ungrateful. But yeah, it’s all God’s fault when we don’t have money or when the bills come in.
We see all the evil in the world. All the violence, the abuse, the hunger, the crooked governments, the terrorism—and we want to blame it all on God. It’s all your fault, God! Why don’t you do something? Never mind that it’s actually all our fault. Never mind that we’re the evil ones and He is the good and gracious, loving God. Never mind that He created us good and gives us everything we have. Never mind that He has never once broken a promise to us. Ever.
So yeah. Good Friday is actually the way we play it all the time. Put God on the cross while we go free. Blame it all on Him. We’re no better than the religious leaders. No better than Pontius Pilate. No better than Barabbas.
So what does God do? He says, “Okay. I’ll take the blame.” We’re the guilty ones. He’s the innocent One. But He decides to take the punishment. All of it. He takes the beating. He takes the mocking. He takes the nails. He takes the death. All of it. And Jesus the innocent One says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
There is no reasonable doubt here. You and I are guilty. It’s black and white. We can’t blame it all on God. We can’t act like we’ve been wrongly accused or framed for something we didn’t do. We can’t yell about how it’s everyone else’s fault. We’re guilty.
And God has laid all of our guilt on Jesus Christ our Savior. You are free to go. The verdict is in. Acquitted on all charges. God says you are innocent. Because the blood of Jesus has paid for all of it. Don’t blame it all on Him. Just believe in Him. And lay it all on Him. He can carry it.
The religious leaders were wrong. Pilate was wrong. Herod was wrong. All of us are wrong to blame Jesus. But don’t worry. God is right. God knows what He is doing. God wants to set you free from sin and death. So this trial is His trial. It is finished. And you are free to go. Go in peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.