Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020

Above the head of Jesus on the cross were these words: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (INRI).” Those words were true. The Christmas story clearly shows that Jesus was in the line of King David, so Jesus had the right to be the King of the Jews. He was the legitimate king even if not officially crowned.

Pilate had the words written, but he did not believe them. He did not think that Jesus was a king of any sort, perhaps a religious nut, but no king. Pilate had those words written in order to spite the Jews, to make them angry, to get back at them for causing him problems. He wanted to make fun of the Jews.

The Jews wanted to kill Jesus on the charge of blasphemy. They did not believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God. They thought that it was wrong that Jesus was making himself equal to God. They did not believe in Jesus, and so they charged him with blasphemy, which is punishable by death.

They had to have the Roman government official execute Jesus, so they brought him to Pilate. But the civil government of Rome cannot judge religious cases, so they had to make up a new charge. Pilate would not understand the Jewish idea of “messiah,” so they used the word “king.” This would mean that Jesus broke the laws of Rome: he would be a traitor to Caesar or an insurrectionist.

Pilate thought that Jesus was innocent, but he wanted to have fun. So the soldiers put a crown of thorns on his head, clothed him in a royal purple robe, and said, “Hail, king of the Jews” 19:2-3. And then Pilate brought Jesus out to the Jews. “Here is the man” 19:5. “Here is your king” 19:14. When the Jews said “We have no king but Caesar” 19:15, they rejected the Kingship of God, thus committing blaspheme themselves.

What should the words on the cross have been? Perhaps, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the World,” perhaps, “Jesus of Nazareth, Savior of the World.” Or maybe best, would be the words of John the Baptist when Jesus came to be baptized, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” 1:29. On the cross, Jesus became the perfect Passover Lamb. That is the meaning of the words of scripture quoted in John 19:36. “Not one of his bones will be broken.” In Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 these words refer to the Passover dinner lamb.

So Jesus fulfilled those words. He delivered us from the sin of the world. That fear and hate and greed, that injustice and cruelty and pain, that mocking and unbelief and persecution – all these were upon Jesus. It was like the Passover lamb in Egypt that saved the people of Israel so that they could flee in safety. Likewise Jesus died in order that we might live and be safe from the eternal slavery of death and hell. When he died Jesus said, “It is finished” 19:30. The work of salvation was finished. The sacrifice was complete. Our sin was forgiven.

He was laid in a tomb. He was raised from the tomb on the third day. And now through the baptismal faith given to us by the Holy Spirit, we can truly know the identity of the person on the cross. With John the Baptist we confess and say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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