In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)
Today’s passage reveals what the darkness will ultimately do when it does not comprehend the Light. Mysteriously, it also reveals what the Light permits the darkness to do in its unbelief. Jesus, the Light of the world, had been preaching the gospel of the kingdom, offending the Jewish rulers one sermon after another. The tensions between Him and the religious hierarchy had grown progressively for three years. On this most recent trip to the holy city, things snapped. The darkness could no longer endure the light. It purposed to snuff it out.
Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” … And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently… they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” … They were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified … They kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And their voices began to prevail. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” (Luke 23:1-2, 10, 18, 20, 23, and 35)
Darkness was doing its worst yet the Light responded;
Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.
This is the voice of Love Incarnate, patient and longing that even those under the spell of darkness – those who were persecuting Him, would comprehend and be saved. And yet, while the devil is reveling in his conquest, Light is staging His greatest victory.
The Jewish leaders, the scribes and Pharisees were leading the persecution. (It may have been better had these people not been born.) But what about the people who stood by, looking on, over whom their leader’s voices began to prevail ? Is their guilt any less than their leaders? Is magnitude of guilt even an issue? What is the actual crime (in the ultimate sense) for which anyone will be guilty? It is unbelief – the refusal to accept Jesus as the mediator between man and God; It is the refusal to believe that this sacrifice was made in your behalf; It is the refusal to believe that, in your case, a savior is necessary, as sin is not your problem. These are the ones destined for outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The scales of divine justice (now equipped by grace) hinge, not on magnitude of evil, rather on belief or unbelief.
They were hurling abuse at Him saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”
While the earth was in insanity’s grip, having pinned it’s Savior, without mercy to a cross beam, Jesus reverses everything. Instead of heeding the taunts, He sacrificed Himself that He might save others.
In Roma Downey and Mark Burnett’s movie, Son of God, the masses in Jerusalem were portrayed as a clueless herd of sheep who stood by, looking on who then fell prey to the coordinated efforts of the Pharisees to condemn Jesus. Even while those He came to save were abandoning Him, the Light of the world was silent, permitting this ultimate evil to play out that ultimate good might be birthed. God Incarnate, had not come to overthrow Rome and establish a Jewish theocracy. He came to overthrow all usurpers and establish a new race of men.
The kingdom message was that Jesus had come to earth, not only to save the lost and get them to heaven (by way of death or rapture) but to heal and redeem everything that had been defiled and deformed by sin. Jesus was planted in the earth as a dead man. He was buried and raised to life along with everyone else who would believe in Him. He was resurrected as the first born of a new race of men. We who believe are His younger brothers and sisters. God rejoices in the harvest that has come and is to come from His Seed. We are now His family.
The Cross made a way for Jesus Christ to become our life. The Life in that Seed is our very life. Unfortunately, the people still stand by, looking on. A legion of voices, indifferent or hostile to Jesus Christ, still prevail. On one day the darkness may cry out, “Give us Barabbus!” On another it may cry out, “Give us Hillary!” Or, “Give us Donald!” While darkness does its creative best to create false hope, the Light of the world still affirms, it is Christ in us, who is the only source of legitimate hope. Jesus is…
the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)
Dear Lord, may Your Life prevail over this world, our flesh and the devil. Save us from just standing around and looking upon life as it happens to us. Help us to honor and recognize the Life that is in us. May our simple cry become, “Thank You for giving us Jesus. He is everything we need. We are satisfied in Christ.” Amen.