And Sitting Down They Watched Him There

Temple Baptist Church - 3-15-2015

Matthew 27:1-37

 

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  So much can be preached from these verses concerning the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross but I want to key in on one verse, verse 36.  “And sitting down they watched Him there! (They observed but “Who Did They See?”  Who you see depends on who or what you are looking!)

 

1.  Who was this Man who died at Golgotha?  It is a question for the ages and can only be answered by the individual.  Was he just a man?  Was he just a prophet?  Was he the greatest imposter the world has ever known?  Or was He who He said He was: Almighty Jehovah God of the Old Testament in the flesh dying for the sins of the world!

 

2.  How you answer that question will determine your eternal destiny.  The chief priests and elders took counsel against Him.  Judas Iscariot sold Him.  Pontius Pilate washed his hands of Him.  The crowd reviled Him.  The soldiers abused Him.  One thief besought Him and was saved.  One thief railed on Him and was lost.

 

B.  There were so many kinds of people either involved in the judgment and crucifixion of Christ or bystanders who silently watched.  The word “watched” means much more than just seeing something.  It means to keep an eye on something or to observe something over a period of time.  Historical Belief vs. Biblical Belief.  Which one a person has makes all the difference between heaven and hell.

 

1.  Historical Belief is the acknowledgment that there was a Jesus Christ born 2000 years ago who was crucified on a cross.  All of Israel was familiar with Jesus Christ because of the miracles He did and the words that He spoke.  When it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, all must make a choice concerning who He is and these were no different.  Some believed and some did not!  Most who observed did so just to see what would transpire.  They simply sat down and watched Him there.  The end result of Historical Belief is an eternity in hell!

 

2.  Biblical Belief is the acknowledgment that God send His only begotten Son into the world to die for all mankind.  But, it is more than just that!  It is also the acceptance of that sacrifice as full and final payment of personal sin with heaven the end result.

 

C.  Who was He?  He was just exactly who the Bible said He was.  I will not take the time to deal with the Person of Christ because it is so involved that it would be a course in Systematic Theology but I do want to look at several things this morning.

 

1.  He was Jesus Christ!  Matthew 27:17  Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?  JESUS – SAVIOUR  CHRIST, n.  THE ANOINTED; a name given to the Savior of the World

 

a.  The Lamb Promised - Genesis 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

 

b.  The Lamb Purposed - John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 

 

Revelation 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

 

c.  The Lamb Provided - Isaiah 52:13-53:12

 

(1).  The Submissive Lamb - Isaiah 53:4-7  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

 

Philippians 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

(2)  The Silent Lamb - Mark 15:3-5  And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.  And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.  But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled. 

 

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

 

(3)  The Sacrificial Lamb - John 10:15-18  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

 

Matthew 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

 

(4)  The Satisfying Lamb - Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

 

1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

 

2.  He was the Son Of God - Matthew 27:54  Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

 

a.  The Beloved Son - Matthew 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

 

Mark 9:7  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 

 

b.  The Only Begotten Son - John 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

 

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

 

1 John 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

 

3.  He was the King Of The Jews - Matthew 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

 

a.  He Is King Over All The Earth - Psalms 47:2  For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 

 

b.  He Is The King Of All Glory - Psalms 24:7-10  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.            Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. 

 

c.  He Is The King Of The Jews - Matthew 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

 

d.  He Is The King Of All Kings - 1 Timothy 6:15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 

 

e.  He Is The King Of All Saints - Revelation 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 

 

4.  He is the Lord Of Salvation - Luke 23:42-43  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  (43)  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

 

a.  Believe Upon The Lord - “said unto Jesus, Lord”  Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

b.  Trust The Lord - “said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me” (I tried to win a man to Christ that I had gone to school with many years ago and He could never get away from his religion far enough to see that salvation was through the finished work of Christ and not the church or human merit.  I will never forget his parting words:  my “quest” goes on!  I told him that salvation was not a “quest.”  Salvation is a “REST!”  It is done; it is finished; I am saved!