Sermon - Lent Midweek 3, 2024 - Mark 14:26-50

The Crucified Christ, Peter Paul Rubens, 1610

God Himself Punished Christ

1. Jesus is not a victim, but a willing sacrifice

2. God punished Jesus, in order to have mercy on us

There is a sort of victim mentality in our modern culture. It is popular for people to see themselves as victims of someone or something else. Folks want to be able to say that certain bad things happened to them, and that’s why they have the particular issues that they have. I’m not saying bad things didn’t happen to them, but today people have a desire to see themselves as victims. We don’t have to go into what is influencing this current trend, for now it’s just enough to notice that victimhood is considered a socially advantageous status in our culture. 

Now, it’s not particularly healthy to want to see yourself as a victim. It’s not good for you, or for all of the people around you that you’re trying to set up as your oppressors. This is only going to instill grudges in your heart. So recognize that. However, I especially want us to recognize how this culture of victimhood also shapes the way that we view the crucifixion of Jesus.

Jesus’ crucifixion is commonly thought of today with Jesus as a victim. It’s thought that: “The Romans and the Jews were Jesus’ oppressors and they cruelly executed an innocent man. Jesus was the victim of Rome and Jerusalem.” Historically there is truth to that; Jesus was crucified under the Roman authority of Pilate, which was the result of Jews in Jerusalem demanding Jesus’ crucifixion. While this act was carried by those two groups of people, Jesus was not a victim. Jesus wasn’t crucified against His will, but He willingly went to cross.

Jesus said: “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” No one took Jesus’ life away from Him against His will. Sure, these things happened at the hands of Romans and Jews, but it was God’s will that Jesus lay down His life. He laid down His life of His own accord. Pilate only had authority to crucify Jesus because God had given him that authority. Ultimately, Pilate is not responsible for Jesus’ death, rather God Himself is responsible for the death of Jesus. Jesus is a willing sacrifice who went to the cross because Jesus is God and it is His own divine will to be crucified. As it is written in Zechariah and as Jesus also quoted, God said: “I will strike the Shepherd.” Indeed, Jesus was not crucified as a victim of some group of humans, as if Jesus were powerless. But it is God’s good will to punish Christ.

If it is the Father’s will to punish Christ, then it is also Jesus’ will to be crucified. Nevertheless, there is tension in Jesus’ will to be crucified. We heard some of that tension this evening when Jesus said: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Remember that Jesus is fully perfect God and fully perfect man, meaning that He has a perfect divine will and a perfect human will. The perfect human will does not wish to die, because death is not natural and death is not good; Jesus was not suicidal and the crucifixion was not suicide. Nevertheless, as we talked about a couple weeks ago, Jesus is obedient to the Father. He submits His will to the Father. “Not what I will, but what You will.” “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Jesus gladly and willingly submitted Himself to punishment for our sake, in order to have mercy upon us. Jesus was not crucified because God the Father hated God the Son. This isn’t Divine child abuse or anything goofy like that. Jesus was punished for us because He loves us. We are deserving of punishment, we are the ones who have sinned and ought to suffer the wages of our sins. It is only out of love for us that Jesus willingly went to the cross to suffer in our stead. He bore the punishment which we deserve. We deserve death, and Jesus took it. We deserve hell, and Jesus took it. Our punishment was carried out upon Jesus.

This means that properly speaking God doesn’t punish His Christians, since our punishment for sin was carried out on Jesus. God may surely send us sorrows and afflictions, but that is more along the lines of chastisement or discipline in order to keep us in the faith. But God doesn’t punish Christians for their sins, since that would imply that Jesus hasn’t taken all of our guilt and that we must bear some of the burden of punishment. Jesus bears all of our punishment. All of the wrath of God over our sins was poured out on Jesus on the cross. Jesus took all of our punishment, all that we deserve, so that we receive salvation completely as a gift.

This is powerful and emboldening! Jesus wasn’t a victim, but He was always in control of the situation and it went the way that it had to. God’s will is always done and God’s will is always perfect. Even when it’s painful, God’s will is good and He can work through and in spite of evil.

This means that we should also be emboldened in our lives of faith. Let us not be tempted by a victimhood mindset, in which we are powerless against the forces of evil. Instead, we are like the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. When the authorities tried to silence the early Christians, they prayed to God and asked for boldness: “Lord, now look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” Their prayers were answered. They were bold to speak the word of God and didn’t shrink away in fear because they were victimized. Neither should we shrink away in fear of the challenges that we must face, since God goes with us and His will is to give us boldness in the face of evil. He has saved us wholly and completely, therefore let us gladly go with Him wherever He may lead.