THE WRATH OF MAN SHALL PRAISE GOD (JOHN 19:1-42)

Shepherd's Guidance 5/2020

8 April 2020

The Wrath Of Man Shall Praise God

(John 19:1-42)

     Those people who do not know the living and true God are ignorant of one fact in life that is the Lord overruled the happenings in the world. The Jewish rulers thought they were in control of the Jews. The Roman Governor thought he was in control of Palestine. Each lived according to their own direction of life. Actually the Jews were not happy with the governance of the Gentile, but for the sake of killing Christ, they were willing to profess loyalty to the Gentile Government.

     The Jewish rulers arrested Christ, brought Him to see the High Priest and sent Him to see Pilate the Roman Governor. The Jews wanted Pilate to condemn and crucify him. Pilate did not find Jesus guilty of any crime. He wanted to release Him. But the Jews preferred that the Governor release a guilty man rather than Jesus. In order to pacify them, Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. Scourging was a very cruel punishment, short of killing. Only the enemies of the Romans were given such punishment. The Roman soldiers also followed suit and mocked Jesus. They gave Him a crown of thorns on His head. This added to the suffering and bleeding of Jesus. This was not enough, they also put on Him a purple robe, mocked Him and smote Him.

     All these were done to please the irrational Jews. Pilate cared very much to save himself. The Jews were so blood-thirsty, they could not wait to see the crucifixion of Jesus. They accused Jesus as a blasphemer who proclaimed Himself as Son of God. They kept on applying pressures on Pilate to use his authority to kill Jesus. The unbelieving Jews wanted to borrow the Roman authority to murder. The Jewish rulers had no such authority. They claimed that Jesus was a rival of the Roman emperor. Because of this, Pilate gave in to their unrighteous demand due to the fear of losing his office.

     They led Jesus who was half dead to a place outside the city of Jerusalem, Golgotha. It means the place of a skull. Over there, they put Jesus on a cross. It was near the city where everyone could see Jesus and the writing of Pilate, JESUS OF NAZARETH, and THE KING OF THE JEWS. It was written in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, Greek the language of the intellectual and Latin the official language of the Roman Empire. Those who passed by would not miss the sight. The Jews and Gentiles were involved in rejecting and killing Jesus Christ. lt was wrong to blame the Jews only. Jews and Gentiles were guilty. Both were sinners.

     Jesus Christ had accomplished His work of salvation at the cross and said it is finished. Then He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. A soldier came to pierce His side at the cross and found blood and water came out. That was the concrete proof of His death. Therefore the soldier need not break the legs of Jesus. A promise of the scripture also was fulfilled, a bone of Him shall not be broken. This signifies that Jesus was the Lamb of God.  

     He gave His life at the cross so that sinners who turn to Him in repentance and faith will receive eternal life. Jesus Christ died for our sin. He was sent by God the Father to become a man. He is fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect life on earth. He yielded His life to obey God’s will to the point of death. Jews and Gentiles joined hands in putting Him to the most shameful death in history. Little did they realised that God’s plan of salvation was accomplished through their wrath. God overruled the wickedness of man for His glorious purpose. Praise the Lord.

Rev. Lee Kim Shong