Intro
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). I
wonder whether the soldiers who crucified Jesus were taken aback when they
heard those words from Him on the cross. Most victims of crucifixion, who
still had breath to speak, were calling down curses on the crucifiers instead
of praying for their pardon. But the soldiers heard this man, Jesus, asking
for their forgiveness because they didn’t know what they were doing.
Main Body
But the Roman soldiers knew exactly what they were doing--at least when it came
to killing their victims by crucifixion. They were bringing Roman justice to
this man who had been making noises that He was king. What else could they do?
Quake in fear before the great descendant of David, David who was some Jewish
hero from a misty past whose descendants had lost their kingdom long ago?
Oh, they knew what they were doing--at least when it came to being professional
soldiers. And we, as God’s people, also know what we are doing, for we are
just as sure as the Romans soldiers, sure that we would never join in their
mocking and disrespect of Jesus.
But we do, all the time. You and I do it everyday when we don’t realize what
we are doing. You do it everyday when you act in a way that says you are more
important than Jesus.
But why would the soldiers be so especially cruel to this one man, Jesus?
Consider the times in which they lived and the ruthlessness of the empire they
served. It was Roman policy to humiliate and torture the condemned, to
dominate and preserve power.
The scourging the condemned had to undergo was known as “the little death,” and
the pain and agony from such scourging would not go away until the victims
breathed their last. But even beyond that, those who earned the cross’s
punishment were put on public display, nearly naked, nailed to the wood by iron
nails, bleeding, gasping, and dying for all to see.
But with Jesus, there was more. His case called for an even-more horrific
cruelty than did, for example, the two criminals who were crucified at His
right and at His left. No crown of thorns adorned their heads. No paying of
homage in mocking jest took place before those two. But with Jesus of
Nazareth, the Roman soldiers were clenching their jaws to treat Him as the
greatest of fools.
The soldiers enjoyed mocking Jesus because they didn’t take anything about Him
seriously. They knew about His triumphant entry into Jerusalem at the
beginning of the week. The Romans knew about all the Jews who were in
Jerusalem for the Passover festival, who had hailed Jesus and had shouted out
that He was the Son of David, the great Messiah, the King of the Jews.
Some king, the soldiers thought. Where were His armies? Where was His
glorious crown? Where was His robe of state? Where was His scepter? Was this
fool of a carpenter the best Judea could come up with for some make-believe
monarch?
And so when they mocked Jesus, they also mocked the rebellious people of His
nation. They let every single Jew see what the legions of Rome thought about
their grand delusions of being God’s chosen people with a Messiah-King to lead
them to everlasting glory. What a joke! Such delusions needed to be mocked.
To the Roman soldiers, everything about Jesus of Nazareth was a big joke.
“King of the Jews” sounded like foolishness to them, for there was no ruler but
Caesar. Judea was a conquered territory. What was all the fuss the Jews made
about this man and their God? The Romans couldn’t care any less about the
loser religion of this loser nation. To them, all the religious debate
surrounding Jesus was just childish and foolish and deserved derisive contempt.
And that is why they pushed down a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. That’s why
they beat Him with a reed and threw a cloak over His torn and bloodied back.
They began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They knelt and bowed
before Him. And when they had finished mocking Him, they stripped Him of the
purple cloak and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to be
crucified.
The same attitude is all around us--it’s just displayed differently. Think of
those who feel it’s just too childish to believe what’s in the Bible. Think of
those who think the followers of Christ are enemies to what they hold dear,
such as the freedom to sin as much as they wish. And so they mock and
dehumanize what they fear. Think of those who have become so jaded about life
itself that they hold in contempt any who, like us, think a deeper meaning and
purpose exists for those in Christ Jesus.
Yet, let’s be honest. We also find ourselves tempted to edge toward such
thinking. As we know all too well, we have all had times when life would be
easier without the albatross of a two-thousand-year-old religion hanging around
our necks. Sometimes, you just don’t want to be the one whom others belittle
for your beliefs. Sometimes our religion makes demands of us we don’t really
want to do, or condemns what we’d really like to be doing.
Why be an oddball in this culture that is beginning to despise all things
Christian? Why be an oddball in this culture that is addicted to satisfying
whatever it wants, whenever it wants, however it wants it? And it is then that
the temptation comes and whispers in your ear not to take all this Jesus stuff
so seriously, but to grow up and join the 21st century, just like everyone else!
If that thinking takes hold in your head or your heart, stamp it down. For it
is the beginning of the sin of idolatry. It’s replacing your Lord and your God
with yourself. You then become the foundation of yourself. And when that
happens, you will not even let Jesus claim authority over you.
The trouble with those Roman soldiers who mocked Jesus was that they had based
their lives on something less than what God holds out for us. Do you remember
how Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount? He spoke of building your house on
the rock or on the sand.
The soldiers couldn’t tell the difference between rock and sand. The worldview
God had for them meant little, and had no appeal for them. Believe in Jesus
Christ? What utter nonsense is that? Believe in Jesus Christ? For us, the
followers of Christ, that is the true, solid ground--but to those foolish men,
it seemed worse than the sand.
Repentance wasn’t even in their vocabulary. Why should it be? They believed
that they hadn’t done anything wrong to begin with. Even when they tortured
their victims, they had the approval of their culture and leaders.
These Roman soldiers had no room for guilt on their backs. They had no room
for repentance. Who could live that way, especially a soldier who sometimes
had to act in ways that would freeze the consciences of lesser men? These
Romans had no room for God’s Commandments. Such foolish Jewish writings, in
their mind, were of no use to the masters of the world. To them, it was all
silliness.
But is repentance in your vocabulary? Are you more like the Roman soldiers
than you realize? Do you, also, believe that you haven’t done anything wrong
to begin with? And if you have, does it really matter? Do you secretly have
no room for God’s Commandments--or even repentance?
Truth be known, God’s standards do not change and waver, for the Roman soldiers
or for you. His Law and ways should garner your greatest awe, respect, and
trust--trust that God knows better than you do how you should live your life.
God’s ways aren’t a convenient overlay to your life, added at the time and
place of your choosing. If so, then you are the same as the Roman soldiers.
If so, you are mocking Christ and putting a crown of thorns on His head. Only
the specific act of defiance differs.
Thank God that the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses you from all sin (1 John
1:7). How could we deny, by word, thought, indifference, or deed, that we
belong to Jesus, who paid so great a price to make you His own? Don’t look at
yourself like the world sees itself. You belong to Jesus, not to the world or
even to yourself. You are part of His bride, the Church, and God has better in
store for you--eternally better!
Unlike the soldiers of Rome, Christ is to be the foundation of your life. This
isn’t some burdensome and unwelcome imposition. It’s an honor. “Take up my
yoke and learn from me,” Jesus once said, “for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). How could anything but
Jesus Christ be the foundation of your life? Only He gives you true rest and
peace.
Conclusion
Many mock and deny Jesus. But we bend our knee before Him who shed His blood
to make us His own. We gladly confess Him as King and pray for strength to
guard and cherish His Word.
We pray, “Our Father, by Your Holy Spirit’s power, may Your Son, Jesus Christ,
be my King in more than just words in Your wonderful kingdom of grace. Make
Jesus Christ the foundation of my life! Amen.”
--
Rich Futrell, Pastor
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO
Where we are to receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the
Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of
Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh
and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body,
soul, and spirit.
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