Tommy Bailey, Associate Pastor
“From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
– Matthew 16:21 (ESV)
“We love until we are betrayed. Jesus continued to the cross despite betrayal. We love until we are forsaken. Jesus loved through forsakenness. We love up to a limit. Jesus loves to the end.”
– Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
– 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV)
The weak character of Pilate:
- Sends Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:5-12)
- Attempts to punish and then release Jesus (Luke 23:16, 23:22)
- Attempts to evade responsibility by offering to release Barabbas (Matthew 27:16-23)
- Attempts to relocate responsibility to the religious leaders and the crowds by symbolically washing his hands (Matthew 27:24)
“Total injustice, met by total, silent suffering. Jesus is in control of the proceedings. It is Pilate, it is Caiaphas, it is the reader who is on trial. Jesus is the one with moral authority at His own trial, majestic in silence.”
– Michael Green, The Message of Matthew
The Approach to the Cross:
- The betrayal of Judas
- The wickedness of the religious leaders
- The fickleness of the crowds
- The weakness of Pilate
- The cruelty of the soldiers
- The release of Barabbas
“For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices Himself for man and puts Himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to God alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone.”
– John Stott, The Cross of Christ