Sermon

February 13, 2002
Ash Wednesday
Psalm 110:1-3
Pastor Robert Raasch

Yes, It Was as They Said

1. This Man Was God
2. This "Criminal" was King

If I were to ask you to give me an adjective to describe Jesus' life here on earth, what would it be? Maybe you would say that Jesus' life was perfect or sacrificial or compassionate. Those are all words that could be used to describe the life that Jesus lived here on earth. And yet, this morning/evening, I'd like to suggest one more word. I'd like to say that Jesus' life was also "ironic."

Do you know what "ironic" means? Something is ironic when what actually happens is not at all what was expected to happen. If you think about it, there are a lot of things in Jesus' life which we might consider to be ironic. Who would expect the Son of God would be born in a barn? Who would expect the Son of God to ask John to baptize him, when it seemed like it should have been the other way around.

Well, in our worship on this Ash Wednesday, we have an opportunity to examine another one of the ironies in Jesus' life. It has to do with a pair of charges that were leveled against Jesus during his trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin and Roman Governor. On one occasion Jesus as accused of claiming to be God and on the other Jesus was accused of claiming to be a King. What is truly ironic is that in each case, those claims were absolutely true. Or as Jesus said to his accusers:

Yes, It Was as They Said

Today we look to the words of Psalm 110 to substantiate that what Jesus' enemies never expected was in fact, the truth:

1. This Man Was God
2. This "Criminal" was King

Now, I think you realize that when the Jewish religious leaders first had Jesus arrested and hauled before the Jewish Supreme Court on that first Maundy Thursday evening, they did not intend to simply ask him a few simple questions. They were determined to convict him of a capital crime. They wanted Jesus dead. That's why they first brought in a number of false witnesses to tell lies about Jesus. But of course, none of their stories matched. So, finally it was Caiaphas, the High Priest who comes right out and says to Jesus, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Now let's not misunderstand those words. Caiaphas doesn't really want to know whether Jesus is the Son of God. He's not saying, "Please, Jesus, tell us whether you are the promised Messiah, so that we can put our faith in you." No, Caiaphas and the rest of the Jewish leaders were convinced that Jesus was not the Son of God. They simply wanted Jesus to say that he was the Son of God-so that they could nail him for blasphemy, that is, the sin of claiming to be God when you're not. Under Old Testament law, the punishment for blasphemy was death by stoning. That's what the High Priest intended for Jesus when he demanded, "Tell us if you are the Christ the Son of God."

How ironic that the very confession that the Jewish High Court was preparing to punish Jesus for was in fact a perfect description of who Jesus actually was, namely, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus was the only person in the world who could hear somebody say, "Tell us whether you are the Son of God," and respond (without being guilty of blasphemy), "Yes, it is as you say."

Of course, this trial was not the first time that Jesus had openly confessed that he was not only human, but was also divine. Jesus had said to the Jews of his day, "Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58). In other words, Jesus was saying, "I am God." And don't think the Jews did not understand what Jesus meant by those words, because immediately they picked up stones to stone him. On another occasion, Jesus used the words of Psalm 110 to prove his divinity. Matthew records the exchange with these words, "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. "'If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" (Mat 22:41-45 NIV)

The point that Jesus was making is this: "King David recognized that the Messiah would not only be one of his own flesh and blood, one of his human descendents, he would also be his Lord, that is, his God. If David recognized and believed that the Messiah would be God, why won't you Jews believe it?"

But of course, the Jews are not the only ones who refuse to believe that Jesus is God. Of the four major religions in the world, three of them (Judaism, Buddhism and Islam) all reject the divinity of Jesus. All those religions say that Jesus was a prophet, a great leader, a fine example for us to follow, but God incarnate? No way! If fact, you don't have to look outside the realm of those who call themselves Christians to find people who reject Jesus' divinity. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, even some members of liberal Lutheran churches would deny the meaning of those familiar words from the Nicene Creed: "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father from eternity, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God." What the Jewish Sanhedrin had such a hard time accepting 2000 years ago, a lot of people still have a hard time accepting today.

And yet, it's not just other people who are sometimes guilty of denying Jesus' divinity. Aren't there times when you and I find ourselves guilty of the very same sin? Oh, I may say that Jesus is God, but do I act like he's God? Do I live like Jesus is my God and Lord? Or do I sometimes act like I am the most important person in my life? You know, I'll pay lip service to Jesus, I'll devote an hour or two to him each week, but the rest of the week, I want to call the shots. I want to be in control. I'm going to be looking out for #1. If you think about it, there have been plenty of times when you and I have been guilty of denying that Jesus is God, at least in our hearts and lives.

Well, thank God that how we treat Christ cannot change who he truly is. Whether anyone believes it or not, the fact is, Jesus is true God. And praise for God that! For you realize that your salvation and mine is dependent upon Jesus being true God. Have you ever thought about what kind of shape you would be in if Jesus was only a human being? Let's say that Jesus was a man who was somehow born without sin, and lived his whole life without sinning, and then died on a cross. Do you know how much good that would do you and me today? None! Nada! Zip! If Jesus were a perfect human being and not God, he would have been able to save himself-and no one else! All the rest of us would be left to suffer the hell our sins deserve.

Do you see why it is so vital that Jesus was God, "just as he said"? Because Jesus was and still is God, you can be sure that his life was holy enough to cover your sins and his death was precious enough to make you right in God's eyes. Thank God that what Jesus' enemies accused him of being, was in fact, the truth. Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

Of course, I think you realize that that's not the only "crime" that Jesus' enemies ironically tried to stick on Jesus. After the Jewish leaders convinced themselves that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, they realized that the sin of blasphemy would carry no weight in the Roman court of law. If they were going to get Jesus convicted of a capital crime, they would have to change the charges they had made against him. So when the Jews haul Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, they make this accusation: "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a King."

Now there's a charge that would catch the attention of any of Caesar's representatives. Pilate is forced to ask Jesus directly, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus response, for the second time that night was, "Yes, it is as you say." How ironic. The very thing that Jesus' enemies were sure that he was not, was in fact exactly what he was. Or to put in another way: It was as they said. II. This "Criminal" was a king.

Now, I think you can see why the people looking at Jesus on that fateful night might have questioned whether Jesus was a king or not. I mean, he sure didn't look like a king, did he? Where was his army? Who were his subjects? How could he possibly be a king? But you see, Jesus wasn't a king because he looked like one. He was a king because his Father in heaven had made him a king. Isn't that what Psalm 110 says? Speaking by inspiration of God, King David writes, "The Lord says to my Lord (that is, God the Father says to God the Son), 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

In other words, God is saying, "Jesus, I'm putting you into a position of authority. I'm crowning you as king. You will be victorious over your enemies. You will step on them like a triumphant general resting his boot on the neck of his vanquished foe. How does God put it? "I will make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Do you realize what King David is referring to there? David is looking ahead to the Messiah's ultimate victory over sin, death and hell itself. A thousand years after David penned these words, the writer to the Hebrews spoke of their fulfillment in chapter 2, "Jesus shared in (our) humanity, so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil." Think about it. If a king is someone who leads his people into battle and in some cases, even fights the battle for them-and in ancient times, that is what a king was expected to do-then who has ever carried out the role of king better than Jesus, the Son of God? Whether or not Jesus looked like a king as he stood before the court of Pontius Pilate, the fact is, by his death and resurrection, Jesus shattered the power of all our spiritual enemies and reveal himself as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What a tragedy that in spite of Jesus' triumphant victory over sin and the grave, there are still so many people who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as God and King. Or should I say, refuse to acknowledge that fact during this life. For you see, a time is coming when all mankind will have to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. St. Paul speaks of that day when "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:10-11). On the Last Day, everyone will confess Jesus' name. Some will confess his name in horror, because they will suddenly realize that the Jesus they scorned is now returning as their Judge. Others, purely by the grace of God will be led by the Holy Spirit to see Jesus as their King, before it's too late. By God's grace, you and I are members of that spiritual kingdom!

As you and I once again walk the path to Calvary along with our Savior this Lenten season, may God give each one of us the faith to see Jesus for who he really is, and by our words and actions, confess that he is truly our God and our King. To him be the glory. Amen.

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