The Cost of Forgiveness - Matthew 27:27-44

Not everything we experience in life is pleasant. I know this statement does not come as a shock to anyone, but it’s true. There are many experiences in life that we don’t particularly enjoy, or that are painful. With that said, that doesn’t mean that we always avoid them either. Sometimes we know that that pain and struggle is necessary in order to achieve the outcome we desire. Many in our church have recently had joints replaced. It is an incredibly invasive process with a fair bit of pain and frustration that goes along with it. And yet, these people willingly undergo the surgery. Why? It’s because they know the outcome will be worth it.

We have many of these kinds of experiences:

We choose to have a difficult conversation because it may mend a relationship.

We choose to bring children into the world even though childbearing is a painful process.

We choose to exercise because we know the sweat and effort will help us stay healthy.

We choose to spend years of our lives in school because we know that education will serve us well for the rest of our lives.

This morning we are going to look at the ultimate example of this principle—an example that dwarfs all the examples I just mentioned. Today we look at the crucifixion of Jesus. We see the Creator of the Universe allowing himself to be beaten and ultimately killed by that which He created. It all seems so senseless. It’s a great tragedy. And yet, Jesus endured all of this willingly, because He knew what it would accomplish, and He believed that made it all worth it.

Background

This morning we turn our attention to the climax of the entire story of Jesus—his crucifixion. Last week we saw Jesus being turned over by Pilate to be beaten and whipped before he was led away to be crucified. This scourging alone likely would have left Jesus near death. It was not uncommon for those who had been whipped like Jesus to have their flesh torn so badly that you could see exposed bone and cartilage. He would have been bloodied and barely recognizable after this.

To quite literally add insult to injury, after Jesus was beaten, the Roman soldiers dressed him up as a king and pretended to worship him. They were mocking him because they didn’t believe his claims of being the Messiah.

27Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31, NLT)

Jesus was now standing before them, near death, beaten beyond recognition, and being mocked by men who had never even met him. After they had had their fun, they got him ready to be crucified.

Though all of the gospel writers record that Jesus was crucified, they don’t really elaborate on too many details of the process. The reason for that was that their original audience didn’t need a description crucifixion—they were already quite familiar with it. We, however, are not nearly as familiar with the process.

Crucifixion was the cruelest and most brutal form of execution in the Roman world. Crucifixion was so cruel that you didn’t talk about it in polite conversation. Though it was intended to be a spectacle, the Jews were so disgusted by it that they did not allow it to happen inside the city limits. So there was a place outside of the city where crucifixions would be held. In Jerusalem, it appears it was common for these executions to be held at a place called Golgotha (which means skull). This likely had a double meaning. For one, it seems that this hill looked somewhat like a skull from a distance, but it also likely became known by that name because it was a place of execution. Interestingly, in Latin the name for the place would be Calvarium (also meaning skull), which is where we get the word Calvary.

The condemned man would be led through the city on the longest route possible to ensure that as many people as possible would see them. The intention was to make the condemned prisoner serve as an example and a deterrent for other would-be criminals. They were typically required to carry their own crossbeam. Most scholars don’t think they carried the whole cross (as we sometimes imagine), but only the beam to which their arms would be fastened. This was likely a large, rough-hewn, piece of solid wood. It would have been very heavy and unwieldy, but the soldiers would have forced the condemned to carry it the whole way—and they would draw out this march as long as they could.

In this procession, the condemned was usually accompanied by 4 Roman guards. He would also be given a sign that listed his crime. He would either wear it around his neck or it would be carried by one of the guards until they arrived at the place of crucifixion, where it would be nailed to the cross. The Romans wanted everyone to know why the condemned man deserved his fate.

Knowing this background, we can understand a little bit of the aside that Matthew takes here to tell us about a man named Simon of Cyrene.

32Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Matthew 27:32, NLT)

Jesus, though he was a carpenter and likely had no problem carrying large pieces of wood like the crossbeam he was carrying now, was beaten so badly and was so weak that he could no longer carry his cross. Remember, Jesus had been under immense stress, hadn’t slept, had probably not had anything to eat or drink since the night before, and now had been beaten nearly to death—he was so weak that he simply couldn’t continue. I suspect the soldiers were afraid he might die before he even got to Golgotha, so they pulled someone from the crowd to carry the cross for Jesus.

Since Israel was an occupied country, when a Roman soldier told you to do something, you had to do it, no questions asked. If you resisted the command of a Roman soldier he might kill you. So this man named Simon was tasked with carrying the cross for Jesus on the rest of the march up to Golgotha.

We don’t really know much about Simon. Cyrene was in North Africa, what is modern-day Lybia. We don’t know if Simon lived in Cyrene and was visiting Jerusalem for Passover, or whether he was simply from Cyrene and lived in Jerusalem. But needless to say he likely had no intention of being a part of this series of events. He found himself thrust into a position of having the carry the cross of Jesus and then watching him be crucified.

What’s interesting is that Simon’s story is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It seems like an insignificant detail, but some have speculated at the reason why Simon’s story is recorded: because Simon’s experience is a picture of Jesus said the Christian life was like.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, NLT)

Simon surely would not have chosen to spend his day the way he did. He was forced to carry this heavy piece of wood on a long journey, out of the city and up a hill. He was forced to follow behind Jesus, laboring under the weight of this heavy chunk of wood, his clothes stained by Jesus’ blood, while being taunted and ridiculed with the same insults that were being heaped upon Jesus. People didn’t even know him but hated him simply because he was associated with Jesus. This is a picture of what the Christian life is like. It is not an easy walk. Following Jesus will often involve suffering, it will often involve pain, and it may result in us being ridiculed by the world around us. But ultimately it is worth it.

I suspect that Simon one day came to be grateful that he was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. In Mark’s gospel we are told that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. This seems like an odd thing to write…unless Mark expected his readers to know these two men. A reasonable inference is that after his experience of carrying Jesus’ cross and witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion Simon became a Christian, eventually leading to his two sons coming to believe as well. It seems likely that the reason Mark mentioned Alexander and Rufus is because they were respected leaders in the church at that point, and he wanted his readers to know their story.

So this seemingly insignificant detail about Simon of Cyrene can actually teach us a great deal about what it means to pick up your cross and follow Jesus. It means that following Jesus is messy, it is hard, and will sometimes be downright awful. People may mock you and hate you, and you may find yourself exhausted at the process. But if we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will one day find that all the struggle was worth it.

The Crucifixion

When they finally got to Golgotha, the crucifixion began in earnest.

33And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40“Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!” 41The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42“He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way. (Matthew 27:33-44, NLT)

Jesus was crucified between two revolutionaries. The implication was clear—Jesus was just as guilty as these terrorists.

Crucifixion was not only painful (having nails driven through your hands and feet has to be excruciating), but it was a slow and agonizing way to die. In a crucifixion, death came by suffocation. Because you were hung by your arms, the only way to breathe was to push your body up against the wood to get a breath in and then allow yourself to droop back down again. Each breath was excruciatingly painful. Jesus would have had to push against the nails in his feet, drag his back, which was likely raw with exposed muscle and sinew shredded to the bone, against the rough wood, and gasp for air, only to have to do it all over again a few seconds later.

And while Jesus was struggling simply to breathe, there was even more going on. We are told that everyone around him ridiculed him. The guards mocked him, they gambled to see who would get his clothes. The Jewish leaders continued to heap insults upon him. The people in the crowd mocked him and even the criminals crucified on either side of him used their labored breaths to heap insults on him. Jesus surely felt utterly alone.

And yet, when we put all the gospel accounts together, we still see a remarkable attitude in Jesus, even as he was abandoned by everyone around him and was experiencing unimaginable pain.

Matthew tells us he refused wine mixed with gall. Some have speculated that this was intended as a mild sedative, something that would take the edge off the pain. But Jesus refused—he experienced every bit of the pain in full consciousness. As he was being nailed to the cross he asked God to forgive the guards, because they didn’t know what they were doing. As he hung there, Jesus asked John to take care of his mother after he died. His attitude was not one of anger and defiance, but of grace and trust in God.

This attitude seems to have changed not only Simon of Cyrene, but even one of the other condemned criminals. Matthew says that they both heaped insults on Jesus, but Luke’s gospel tells us that one of the criminals ultimately had a change of heart. He recognized that Jesus was innocent and believed that He really was the Son of God. He asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Jesus responded, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Ultimately, though, the greatest pain of Jesus’ crucifixion was yet to come. The real point of the cross was for Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin. While on the cross the wrath of God was poured out in full measure upon Jesus. God the Father punished Jesus with all the punishment we deserved for our own sin. Jesus bore our punishment as he hung on the cross.

We see his agony in his words on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” He knew what was happening, and in fact, this was a quote from scripture. But the greatest pain Jesus experienced came not from the nails and not from the whip. It wasn’t the pain of ridicule and rejection of the people. Jesus’ greatest pain came from being forsaken by God. In some way which we can’t fully understand, God the Father turned his back on God the Son. Jesus received the wrath that we deserved.

His last words from the cross were, “It is finished” and “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Jesus died, knowing that he had accomplished his purpose—purchasing forgiveness for you and for me.

Conclusions

The crucifixion story is one that is familiar to most people, even if they didn’t grow up in the church. The danger of a story that is so familiar is that we forget its significance. The danger is that the story stops affecting us and we can hear it and be unchanged and unmoved. My prayer this morning is that you would not allow yourself to come away from the cross unchanged.

There are several things the crucifixion account can teach us. First, forgiveness comes at a great cost. Many people don’t understand why the cross was necessary. They think it seems like an overly dramatic finale to the life of Jesus. These people don’t understand the magnitude of our sin and the depth of God’s holiness. God cannot simply overlook our sin. Because He is a just judge, He cannot allow evil to go unpunished and unchecked. In order for Him to offer forgiveness to us, the penalty for our sin must be borne by someone else. Jesus made it possible for us to be forgiven because He bore the penalty of our sin on the cross. God punished Him instead of us. And in so doing He offers us the chance to be forgiven.

Jesus tells us that if we will seek Him and follow Him, then we will be forgiven. No matter what you have done, no matter how bad you think you are, if you will trust in what Jesus did for you at the cross and follow Him as your Lord, He promises that He has paid your penalty. Your account reads “paid in full”, because Jesus took God’s wrath in your place. It is finished. There is nothing left to pay. We must not spurn such an amazing gift. It came at great cost, and we would be fools to leave such an offer on the table.

Second, we see Jesus’ love for us. Sometimes people ask why God would allow any of this to happen. They see it as the greatest tragedy that has ever occurred. And it is. But the reason God allowed this to happen can be summed up in one word: love. Jesus loved us enough to bear the penalty of our sin himself. We cannot look at the cross and be unmoved. When you look at the cross, remember the reason Jesus stayed there—it’s because of you. Your sin made it necessary for Jesus to die. Because of the evil things you have done Jesus had to be punished. But you can also see that Jesus did all of that because He loved you so much that He wanted to provide a way for you to be forgiven—even though you didn’t deserve it. As we look at the cross, we should see our sin, but we should also see that our sin is overshadowed by Jesus’ love.

Third, we are reminded of what true love and forgiveness really looks like. Jesus shows us that true love is costly. To overlook a fault of someone else, to extend forgiveness rather than retribution, to care for another when they don’t care for you is tough. It costs us a great deal. Jesus demonstrates true love at the cross. When we see his love for us, it should enable us to love and forgive others in the same way.

Lastly, we see that the Christian life isn’t easy, but it is worth it. As we look at the example of Simon of Cyrene, we remember that it isn’t easy to follow Jesus. It will cost us a great deal. It will be a hard path to follow, it may cause us to be ridiculed and to feel utterly alone at times, but we must remember why we follow Jesus. When you’re tempted to give up in your faith, when you feel like you just can’t keep carrying on, remember where His road leads: to the cross, where forgiveness and love is found. The Christian life isn’t easy, but we should be willing to endure whatever comes because we know the end result is worth it. We must take up our cross and follow Jesus each day.

As you think about Jesus’ crucifixion, you are likely filled with many different emotions: guilt, shame, and sorrow, but also joy, wonder, gratitude, and a greater love than we can even fathom. That’s the power of the cross. Jesus endured the cross for a simple reason: he knew what it would accomplish, and He deemed you worth it.