Why did they crucify Jesus?
Introduction
A. “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” John 8:46
B. Acts 2:22-24, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”
C. The stories of the Gospels give us a few reasons why they delivered up Jesus to die on the cross.
I. Greed, Thievery: Judas
A. John 12:1-6. One of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus after He had spent the night praying to the Heavenly Father. His faith did not last because of his greed. He began to rob Jesus of the resources received from those who supported the ministry of Christ.
B. Matthew 26:14-16, 27:3-5. Judas protested the supposed misuse of expensive ointment, when Mary anointed Jesus with spikenard in advance of His death of the cross. Judas pretended to love the poor, but on the contrary he was greedy. He sold his soul for 30 pieces of silver. For 30 pieces of silver he betrayed his Lord with a kiss.
C. Greed destroys the soul. Proverbs 1:19.
1. Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, … or anything that is your neighbor's.”
2. Psalm 10:1-4 The Lord hates the greedy.
3. Proverbs 11:24-26; 21:26. Generosity prospers, but greed impoverishes.
-- Proverbs 23:4-8 “Do not toil to acquire wealth…” ... “When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”
-- Proverbs 30:8-9 “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
-- Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
4. Jeremiah 6:13 “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.”
5. Matthew 6:19-33; 16:26; Luke 12:15; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 Timothy 6:9-10
II. Prejudice: Peter
A. Greed closed his eyes and left him confused, lacking in faith (fear, confusion)
B. Matthew 16:21-27; 17:4-7; 18:21; 19:27; 26:30-35, 40, 51-56, 58, 69-75.
C. The twelve also – afraid, Mark 14:50
D. James 1:2-18 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God”
III. Political ambition: Caiaphas
A. Desire for Dominion and Power, John 11:49-53.
B. Athaliah, 2 Chronicles 22:10, killed the princes and their relatives, to seize the power and dominion of the kingdom of Judah.
C. Herod killed the children of Bethlehem because he was afraid of the prophecy about the Messiah.
IV. Envy: The Pharisees, and the scribes
A. Matthew 27:18 Pilate knew that out of envy they had given him up. (Mark 15:10)
B. Psalm 37:1-2 “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
-- Psalm 73:3, 17-20 “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” “17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.”
C. 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” -- James 3:16 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
--Joseph's brothers, Genesis 37:4-11, 19, 20; Acts 7:9
--Acts 13:45; 17:5
V. Political Convenience: Pontius Pilate
A. Fear of Caesar. To avoid the possible riot, (Matthew 27:24) gave Jesus up, though he judged him innocent.
B. John 19:12-16 “From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” … He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.”
C. King Zedekiah rescued Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:11-21), but then surrendered to the princes and put him in the cistern. Jeremiah sank into the silt (38:1-6). Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch from the royal house, rescued him. (38:7-13) Zedekiah was always afraid of the princes, 38:19.
VI. Loved the Praises of Men: Many of the Rulers
A. John 12: 37-43 Because they were afraid of being expelled from the synagogue.
B. Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4 Not to please men, but God.
C. Matthew 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body"
--Daniel 3:15-30: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.
Conclusion: Why did God allow his Son to suffer the reproach of the cross?
A. John 3:16