Jesus Permitted Sinful Men to Do Their Worst

What Did Jesus Do?

“If this man were not doing evil,
we would not have delivered him over to you.”
John 18.30

It is well said of Christ that,

“…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.” (Isaiah 53.7)

For, even as Israel had for a thousand years and more shed the blood of innocent and unresisting sheep as an atonement for its sins, so the innocent and unresisting Lamb of God permitted sinful men to do their worst to him. How ironic that those who had seized Jesus were worried about being defiled by setting foot in the Roman governor’s headquarters, but had no fear of their hands being stained with the blood of the Lamb!

Pilate, for his part, appeared rather dismissive of the Jews when he inquired as to why he was being disturbed so early in the morning by the crowd outside—what accusation was so important as to trouble Pilate so early in the day? (John 18.29) Interestingly, a vague charge of “doing evil” was not worthy of the governor’s time, apparently merely doing evil within the confines of the Israelite community was not punishable under Roman law, and so Pilate preferred to let the Jews themselves deal with what seemed nothing more than a matter of their own peculiar religion (John 18.31a).

But there was a catch, for the Romans did not allow an occupied people to exercise the power of life and death—those accused of capital crimes had to be judged and punished according to Imperial statutes and practice (John 18.31b). The high priests and Pharisees may well have believed they were thus using the system to keep their hands clean, so to speak, in the matter of putting the troublesome rabbi from Galilee to death. In fact, what Jesus appeared to be permitting evil men to do to him was in reality his submission to the will of the Father, and fulfillment of Christ’s own prophecy concerning the manner in which he would die (John 18.32).

The Lord, you see, had not come to die for some of the world’s transgressions, but for them all. Jesus would not go to the cross to atone for anything less than Man’s worst, and what could possibly be worse than condemning an innocent, the Son of God himself, to death? Amazingly, this is the very crux of the Gospel, that Christ shed his blood to cover the very worst of sins. No one, no matter how heinous their crimes, no matter how vile their actions, no matter how evil their life, need despair of salvation, for Jesus permitted sinful men to do their worst in order that his death would pay the debt for all who bring their sins to the cross. I only wonder why there is not unrestrained celebration and exultation each Lord’s day when congregations hear the Words of Assurance,

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,
that we might be dead to sin, and alive to righteousness.

I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven!

By the Son’s obedience, the Father did his best when Jesus permitted evil men to do their worst. Thanks be to God!

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4