As William Cowper wrote in his hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way, "You fearful saints, fresh courage take: the clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head," so it in life. It is oftentimes that which we dread and from which we see no good coming which brings us great blessing. It is like the child with a toothache fighting against going to the dentist when complete relief of the pain waits on the other side.

So it is with the cross. If one were to poll believers as to the greatest evil committed and the greatest blessing from the Lord ever given, one would likely receive the same answer to both questions - the cross, the death of the Messiah. The cross confirms that one event can communicate two things. Thus, when one reads these two chapters in John's gospel, he no doubt sees both agony and victory. So, what is it that John wants his readers to see, to understand as he reads these two chapters? Does he want us to see the triumph of evil men? I do not think so; and yet you cannot read this story and miss the evil nature of Jesus' accusers, the cowardice of Pilate, and the irrationality of sin. It is, from one perspective an evil, tragic picture indeed.

Walking through the details of the story, it begins with Jesus' disciples entering a garden where Judas, leading a band of soldiers, comes to him, betraying him, so that Jesus might be arrested. Jesus asks whom they are seeking, he identifies himself as the one, and those seeking to arrest him fall to the ground. However, not being deterred, they gather themselves, go to arrest Jesus, and are greeted with Simon Peter's dagger. Yet, being as clumsy as he is courageous, he cuts off a soldier's ear, receives a rebuke from Jesus, and watches as Jesus is arrested and led away to be tried.

The next scene is also tragic in 18:12-27. If this were film, John would be cutting from Jesus' trial to Peter's denial and back again throughout. He goes from setting to setting. First, Jesus' trial is clearly not handled legally. He is first brought to Annas who questions Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus responds to this question in keeping with the way a trial should go. The witnesses in favor of the defendant would have always been heard first. And Jesus points out that they should not lack individuals who could give witness, for he continually spoke openly in the synagogues and temples. In short, Jesus was asking why the right procedures of a hearing were not being followed. This highlighted even more irrational evil as he was hit by one of the officers for asking the question. This leads Jesus again to question why these things were taking place. All in all, the trial was simply an abuse of the system. The verdict was already clear in the minds of his accusers, and they didn't care what law needed to be broken. They were determined that Jesus must die. And so Jesus is sent to the high priest, Caiaphas.

Meanwhile, Peter was standing in the courtyard, having gotten in by the pull of John. He was standing around a fire, no doubt warming himself in the cold night air, and yet the heat he was about to receive he in no way desired. Three times individuals asked him if he was one of Jesus' disciples, and on all three occasions he denied any link with his Master. Then, the rooster crowed, and it was clear that Peter had fulfilled Jesus' statement that Peter would deny him.

The scene is nothing short of tragic. Inside the rules of law are being utterly disregarded as evil men desire to kill an innocent man and will settle for nothing short of his death. Outside, he who had shown most promise to stand courageously at the side of his Master was denying him.

Then, Jesus was sent to Pilate. This was a necessary step because if the Jewish leaders really wanted Jesus to be killed they would need to appeal to Rome. They simply did not have the right to carry out criminal punishment. And apparently they had already secured some soldiers from Rome, for they were with Judas in the garden when Jesus was arrested. Therefore, they probably came to Pilate thinking their struggle against Christ was almost over and his death imminent. What they found, however, was more struggle.

Pilate came out to meet the Jews outside of his headquarters because they could not enter without defiling themselves, and he asked them, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" Their answer - "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you" - is probably their way of saying that if Jesus were not worthy of death, they would not have gone through all this. But Pilate is not convinced and so tells them to judge him themselves. They, then, answer Pilate that they cannot legally put anyone to death and so the decision must be made by him.

This leads Pilate to speak to Jesus to find out what's really going on in this. He asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus wants to know if Pilate's asking on his own accord or if he was asking because of others' statements. If Pilate's asking on his own, then perhaps Jesus could lead him into clearer understanding. But if he is asking based on the accusations against Jesus, then there would be much needed clarification. Pilate makes clear with his answer that he is not asking because of the Jews as he says, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priest have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus then, makes clear that though he is a king, his kingship is not a present physical threat to Rome. Thus, Pilate returns to the crowd with a plot to release Jesus.

The thought is actually quite wise, it would seem. If the Jews are so concerned about uproar against Rome, then Pilate tells them that he will release to them either Jesus (one who has voiced no threat to Rome) or Barabbas (one who had been imprisoned because of a murderous rebellion against Rome). And, despite all their claims of loyalty to Rome, they cried out for him to release Barabbas.

Pilate, however, still wanting to release him, had him flogged. Thus, after having him beaten, a crown of thorns placed on his head, and a purple robe draped around him, Pilate brought out the beaten Jesus to them and declared, "Behold the man!" That is, he probably was saying, "Here's the one you think is such a great threat to Rome. Behold him now beaten and bleeding and mocked here." So Pilate again declares, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him."

Here, the evil of the Jewish leaders is clear. Though they had masked their evil intent as protecting the emperor against this threatening king, they now change their charges in pointing out that their law demands that one who claims to be God's Son must die. They cry out, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God" (19:7).

It's not quite clear why this puts fear in Pilate. Perhaps he knows that if the claim is true then he is in trouble. But whatever the case may be, this statement drives him to go and question Jesus once more. Yet this time Jesus is saying nothing. And when Pilate tries to remind him that he has the authority to release him, Jesus responds, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin" (19:11). From that point, Pilate sought to release him.

Here, however, the Jews trapped him. They pointed out that a claim to kingship is a threat to Caesar, and if Pilate does nothing about it, then he can hardly be said to be loyal to Caesar. Then the Jews who had come in theory because they claimed no other king but Yahweh now cried out, "We have no king but Caesar" (19:15).

Here Pilate had his decision. The decision was, did he value what he knew to be true and right if it meant he could spare his own life or did he value his life more than truth, justice, and the life of an innocent man. His decision became clear as he declared for the officials to crucify Jesus.

Jesus' trial had been illegal. His disciples had deserted him. His boldest disciple had already denied him. And now his judge proved to be a coward. Thus, Jesus was led away to be crucified. In one last jab at those who had trapped him in this decision, Pilate placed the sign above Jesus' head, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

Jesus carried his cross to the hill where he was nailed to it, after having been stripped of his clothes, and he hanged there until he suffocated. During those hours his clothes were taken as men gambled for them, he cried out in agony and thirst, and he made sure his mother would be cared for in the following days. Yet, eventually he cried out, "It is finished" (19:30) and died.

As the guards came by later to break the legs of the men, so that death would come more quickly, Jesus was already dead. Thus, his legs were never broken. Instead, a spear was jabbed through his side and out came blood and water. Medical experts tell us that this scenario happens only when someone is clearly dead. Then, two men took him off of the cross, bound him in linen cloths, and laid him in a tomb. The day was done. He had died and now lay dead in the tomb. The one who had only some time earlier said, "I am the ... life" had died. Indeed, you cannot read this story without seeing the tragedy of the injustice and the evil nature of man.

And yet what did John want us to see? Did he want us simply to mourn or see this as the defeat of our Lord? No. I believe John wanted us to see that this was part of God's ordained plan, that Jesus' life was in no way taken from him, and that this was an act of victory.

The death of the Messiah was God's ordained plan

You cannot read these chapters and miss that the death of Christ was God's ordained plan. The events here are no accident or a mistake in God's mission. Throughout these chapters it is clear that all things were moving just had God had ordained.

Jesus' being betrayed by Judas and denied by Peter had already been predicted by Jesus himself. Then, John makes the reader see that each step was to fulfill God's plan.

As Judas betrays Jesus and the soldiers come to take him, Jesus instructs them to take him and leave the disciples alone. They obey him. Thus, John writes, "This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: 'Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one'" (18:9). Again, as the Jews made clear to Pilate that they could not kill Jesus but that the Romans would have to (which meant Jesus would be crucified - i.e. the Roman form of capitol punishment), John writes, "This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show what kind of death he was going to die" (18:32). Going further, when Jesus was hanging on the cross and the soldiers were casting lots for his clothes, John writes, "This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, 'They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots'" (19:24). Finally, as the soldiers found Jesus dead and so did not break his legs but instead jabbed a spear in his side, John writes, "For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: 'Not one of his bones will be broken.' And again another Scripture says, 'They will look on him whom they have pierced'" (19:36-37).

Clearly, this was no accident or flaw in God's plan. This was exactly what God had ordained and revealed would happen. It was his plan.

So then, was the picture one of Jesus fulfilling Scripture somehow accidentally, not wanting to die but not being able to stop the tide of events? No.

Jesus alone had the authority to lay down his life (no man could take it from him), and he chose to die in order to accomplish the Father's purpose.

Numerous details make it clear through this story that Jesus was not some victim. No one could take his life from him. He was clearly choosing to die. He was obeying the Father.

First of all, after Jesus left the room with his disciples, knowing Judas was going to betray him, he went to a place where Judas could count on finding him. We read in John 18:2, "Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples." But lest you think Jesus didn't anticipate Judas's move, 18:4 says, Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him." He knew what would happen and was clearly choosing to let it happen.

In fact, his decision to die was so resolute that when Peter tried to fight on his behalf, Jesus responded, "Put you sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" (18:11). Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament will enable one to see that the cup is symbolic of God's wrath. Thus, Jesus knew that he was about to receive the Father's wrath, the penalty for sin that should have been ours, but he embraced it in obedience. Then, when he is about to die, he knows that everything has happened so that he only awaits death. Thus, we read in John 19:28-30, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (emphasis added).

But did all of this happen because Jesus did not understand that he was indeed a king? No. He knew he was the king. In fact, we read in 18:36-27, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." He knew he was a King, but he knew that death was his avenue to establish his kingdom to the glory of the Father.

So, the Messiah's death was God's ordained plan and Jesus intentionally chose to lay down his life. But is this then a tragic story still yet? Even though it was God's plan and he chose to lay down his life, did he really accomplish anything? Yes, he did.

Jesus' death was the defeat of death, sin, and condemnation so that those who believe in him might live with him eternally

The cross was not a scene in which the hero goes down before his people. The cross is an act of war by the Messiah. For as we were held captive by sin, Satan, and guilt, our Lord destroys those enemies through the cross. Jesus died on the cross, but it was a fatal blow to the enemy. He died so that death might be destroyed through him. He died so that sin and death might not reign. He died so that he might be exalted as the Christ who reigns over all. And indeed he is.

Charles Wesley sums up Christ's victorious death, writing in his hymn, 'Tis Finished! The Messiah Dies,

The reign of sin and death is o'er,
And all may live from sin set free;
Satan has lost his mortal pow'r;
'Tis swallowed up in victory.

Therefore, as we read these chapters and see the tragedy of evil and sin, let us also see the victory that is ours through Christ Jesus. Let us behold the death of death in the death of our Lord.

Let us then proclaim the Lord's death and his victory over death as we come to the table. Amen.

THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH - AN ACT OF WAR