Royals: The King That We Need
Every Easter is an opportunity for us to look at the evidence for the resurrection and why we need Jesus.
Focus: Jesus was charged and crucified but ended up exonerated and crowned - we need him to be our king.
Charged
Crucified
Crowned
Why we believe -
700+ years before Jesus Christ showed up on the scene, Isaiah the Israeli prophet made his fourth prediction about the suffering servant of Yahweh who would eventually be crowned king.
Years before crucifixion became a torturous instrument of the Roman Empire, you could hear the gospel being preached through Isaiah’s song.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 ESV
“Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.” “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
In this prophetic declaration, we see the gospel, the good news of God’s salvation clearly laid out and pointing to the biographies of Jesus of Nazareth.
*There are at least twenty distinct details in this one passage that point to the sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
His appearance was so marred (Jesus was beaten and scourged before being crucified)
Mark 15:12-20 ESV
“And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.”
He would sprinkle many nations with blood
Kings would shut their mouths because of him
He was despised and rejected by men
He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief
We considered him stricken, smitten by God
He was Pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities
The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all - (Jesus would be our Passover lamb and called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world - John 1:29).
By oppression and judgement he was taken away
He was assigned a grave with the wicked (2 criminals on cross)
And a rich man In his death (Joseph of Arimathea)
Matthew 27:57-60 ESV
“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.”
He had done no violence
No deceit was in his mouth
***Cut off from the land of the living - he died
Opened not his mouth (Jesus didn’t defend himself at trial)
It was the will of the Lord to crush him
His soul makes an offering for guilt
***He shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (After dying, he will live!!! Resurrection!!!)
By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities (Christians are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus)
Corinthians 5:21
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
Charged
Though charged, Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing.
We need Jesus because when charged, we are all found guilty of sin.
Mark 14:53-65 ESV
“And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.”
We need Jesus because though he committed no wrong, he would substitute his innocence for our guilt at the cross so that we might have the hope of a better tomorrow.
“Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and for ever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ’. That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! you just begin to say: ‘I rest my faith on Him alone Who died for my transgressions to atone.”
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures
What caused the high priest at the time to decry Jesus as a blasphemer?
It was that the high priest understood that Jesus was declaring himself to be the divine king whose dominion would be everlasting and whose kingdom would never end.
Jesus was making reference to the prophetic vision of the Prophet Daniel who held fast to God after being exiled to Babylon following the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC by ruthless King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 7:13-14 ESV
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”
So even in the midst of suffering, God was providing hope to us for the king that we needed.
Crucified
Though crucified, death could not hold Jesus because he never sinned.
We need Jesus because we have earned death through our sin.
Romans 6:23 ESV
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus is the only hope for a judicial forgiveness given by atonement and grace.
Mark 15:2, 22-27, 29-32 ESV
“And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”
And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.”
Notice that the only charge that they could bring against Jesus was his identity - the fact that he was king of the Jews and coming to rule our lives as well.
In our rebellious natures, the first reaction is to buck against God’s rule in our lives and even revile Jesus - until we realize our need.
We need Jesus because he is the only one who can pay the price for the debt that we have accrued - death and hell are the destiny of our own making without him.
“So, because in no other person but Jesus of Nazareth did God first become human (in his birth), then bear our sins (in his death), then conquer death (in his resurrection) and then enter his people (by his Spirit), he is uniquely able to save sinners. Nobody else has his qualifications.”
Crowned
Though condemned to death, Jesus would rise in his innocence and power to reign as the forever king.
We need Jesus because he is our only hope for life after death - eternal life.
Hebrews 2:6-15 ESV
“It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Jesus died to give us hope in the present amongst all of the war, poverty, ethnic tensions, fear of lack, fear of the future, genocide, mysogeny, human trafficking, rape, murder, political strife and all else that has been produced by mankind’s falleness and sin.
Jesus came to be the only unadulterated king who would truly be a savior.
“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”
Jesus was resurrected from the dead to be that Savior.
Matthew 28:1-10 ESV
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.””
This is why the apostle Paul would make clear that the focus of our faith must forever be Christ’s reconciling work.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ESV
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
In the same way that Isaiah gave a forward looking evidence for Jesus, the suffering servant who would come to save, so the apostle Paul gave his contemporaries reasons to believe and have an eternal hope in God.
Paul points to the evidence of:
Prophecy - “in accordance with the Scriptures”
Appearances - Peter, the twelve, the more than 500 at one time, to James, all the apostles
His own conversion
Reconciliation with God is and will forever be the issue.
*Our world needs hope, but it is only as we turn to Jesus who paid the price for our crimes, that our hearts can be changed and the world redeemed by the one who made it and loves it.
Jesus died to redeem the past.
He was resurrected to usher us into a new future with him as our perfect king.
“Easter always brings hope to all of us. For the Christian, the Cross tells us that God understands our suffering, for He took upon Himself at the Cross all of our sins and all of our failures and all of our sufferings. Our Lord, on that cross, asked the question, “Why?” “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” And he received his answer, he knew. To redeem the world, to save you and me from our sins, to give us assurance that if we died we’re going to heaven. He was saying from the cross, I love you and I know the heartaches and the sorrows and the pain that you feel. Easter points us beyond the tragedy of the Cross to the hope of the empty tomb. It tells us that there is hope for eternal life for Christ has conquered death. It also tells us that God has triumphed over evil and death and hell. This is our hope and it can be your hope as well.”
-Billy Graham
As we turn from our sin and put our trust in Jesus’ redeeming work at the cross, we have this hope both now and forevermore.