Learning Jesus | Week 41
It Was the Will of the Lord to Crush Him
Key Word – innocent >> Central Passages – Day 3 & 4
Best engagement = complete all five days at home. Next best = complete Days 3-5 to prep for group.
Day 1 – Jesus stands before Herod.
Background Information – When Pilate says, “I find no guilt in this man,” to the chief priests and the crowds, they respond, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” This response will prompt Pilate to ask if Jesus is from Galilee because Galilee is under Herod Antipas’ jurisdiction. Previous to this, Pilate and Herod Antipas had become enemies after Pilate refused to take down ensigns with Caesar’s image. At this time Pilate was new to his job and ignorant about how these ensigns, which violated Jewish law, might stir rebellion. Herod Antipas, who converted to Judaism for political reasons, fully understood and wrote a letter of complaint to the Roman Senate. Pilate was ordered to comply. Now the table is turned, and Pilate wants to avoid rebellion, so he, out of supposed respect to Herod, will send Jesus to his court hoping to escape jeopardizing his own reputation.
Luke 23:6-12
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
1. Underline all the W’s in verses 6-10 – the where, when, who, what, how – and reflect on them. Why do you think Jesus refused to answer Herod Antipas who questioned Him at length?
Background Information – Remember that Herod Antipas had found it entertaining to listen to John the Baptizer and very reluctantly had him beheaded as payment for Salome’s dance recital. Later when Herod Antipas heard about Jesus performing miracles, he wondered for a time if Jesus was John resurrected. Until now Jesus had deftly avoided meeting Herod Antipas, for His ministry was not to entertain the kingdoms of this world. The meaning of “splendid clothing” in the ESV is most likely regal clothing.
2. After interrogating Jesus, how does Herod treat Him? Why?
3. Why do you think Herod and Pilate who were former enemies now become “friends”? Consider what unifies this friendship.
Day 2 – Sadducees, Pharisees, & people ask Pilate to release Barabbas & destroy Jesus.
Background Information – Last lesson we read the first part of Jesus’ civil trial before Pilate; it concluded with Pilate finding Jesus innocent. Then Pilate sent Jesus to Herod who questioned Him at length while both Sadducees and Pharisees vehemently accused Him. But Jesus remained silent. After mocking Jesus, Herod sent Him back to Pilate the governor.
Pilate’s custom was to release one prisoner during the Passover. The crowd will request Barabbas, which means “son of abba” or “son of the father”; this is not an actual name, and the gospels do not provide Barabbas’ real name. Other ancient documents, that Origen references in his commentary on Matthew, do give his name as being Yeshua. This was a common name of Jesus’ time and is the Hebrew for our English Jesus. So Jesus the Son of God shared the same name as the guilty man who is released. As you read today’s text, keep this in mind and that Jesus has been accused of being an insurrectionist.
Mark 15:6-15
Now at the feast he [Pilate] used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.
Luke 23:13-16
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish [by flogging] and release him.”
Matthew 27:17-21
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”
Luke 23:18-19
But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas!” 19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.)
Background Information – According to church tradition, Pilate’s wife, whose name was either Procla or Claudia Procula, later became a believer.
1. Consider the background information and the text. What is ironic about the Sadducees (chief priests) and Pharisees (elders) and the crowd requesting the release of the insurrectionist Yeshua Bar Abba, or Jesus, son of the father, instead of Jesus our Savior?
2. Why did God allow the injustice of His Son’s crucifixion instead of allowing Yeshua Bar Abba to receive the justice due a rebel and murderer?
3. Enjoy a time of laying down any rebellion and hatred in your heart against God and others. Praise God for the forgiveness we have through Jesus’ complete submission to and love for the Father. You might try praying through 1 John 1:9.
Day 3 – Jesus is flogged.
John 19:1 -- Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
Background Information – According to my sources, Jesus could have been flogged twice, and you will see this in the layout of the texts as we read Days 3 and 4. To be flogged meant to be whipped with multiple lashes. If Jesus had been flogged under Jewish law, the whip would have short lashes, and He would have received no more than 39 lashes and only on His back. The flogging was extremely painful, but the Jews set these limits to protect the accused. This is why when the Jews flogged Paul on five different occasions, he survived each one.
But the procedure for Roman flogging was different. According to Eckhard J. Schnable, author of Jesus in Jerusalem: The Last Days, the Romans had two different types of flagellatio: one was a “light, corrective beating” and the other was a heavy scourging. Schnable states that it is possible that Jesus’ flogging as recorded here in John was a light flogging because Pilate was hoping to give the chief priests some satisfaction so that he could release Jesus peacefully. Note that in John the flogging is recorded as happening before the verdict. (Luke only records Pilate saying that Jesus would be flogged, but his timing is the same as John’s, before the verdict.)
Matthew and Mark, however, record Jesus being flogged after the final verdict just before His crucifixion. According to Schnabel, this flogging was definitely the heavy scourging type, which meant that there was no inherent “procedure” that protected the person from what we would call cruel and unusual punishment. The victim would be stripped and his hands tied to a post so that he could not defend himself. At the end of each lash something that cut flesh to reveal muscle and bone, such as jagged metal, bone or glass, was attached. The long lashes wrapped around the back of the body to the front and that included the face. And the number of times a person could be whipped was limitless. According to Fruchtenbaum, a victim of a Roman flogging was often unrecognizable by his family. This accords with what we read in Isaiah of the Suffering Servant:
Isaiah 52:14
Just as many were appalled at you, My people, so His appearance was marred beyond that of a man, and His form beyond the sons of mankind.
Background Information – In Leviticus 22:25, the word “marred” refers to ritual corruption, but Isaiah uses this word to prophesy that the Messiah’s face and body would not resemble that of a man. God knew His Son would be flogged under Roman rule and that afterwards His face and body would look like a pulpy mass.
How is Jesus all the more beautiful to you after reading the historical context of the biblical record of His flogging? Tell Him.
Day 4 – While seated on the bema seat, Pilate washes his hands.
Background Information – The crown of thorns recalls Adam’s curse after the fall. God said the ground was cursed because of Adam’s willful sin against his Creator and that he would eat of it in pain because it would bring forth thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:17).
Pilate attempted to release Jesus after again declaring Him innocent. And again the chief priests and officers command Pilate to crucify Jesus. With sarcasm, Pilate basically says, “You go ahead and crucify Him, then. I cannot because He is actually innocent.” So the chief priests submit a new charge, which was the charge of blasphemy that concluded Jesus’ religious trial. But from Pilate’s perspective it is a new charge, so now he must again question Jesus, the defendant. As you read Pilate’s final interrogation, consider why after hearing Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, Pilate is even more afraid.
Read John 19:2-8.
1. Why might Pilate be more afraid after hearing Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God? Consider this text and John 18:33-38. Also consider the chief priests’ insistence that this claim broke Jewish law.
Read John 19:9-15.
2. Review Jesus’ refusal to answer (v9) and then His answer to Pilate (v10-11).
o What is Jesus saying about God?
o What is He saying about man?
Background Information – When Pilate sought again to release Jesus, the Jews accuse him of opposing Caesar. Now it’s personal for Pilate. And when the chief priests, who are Sadducees, declare “We have no king but Caesar,” they do so for personal reasons. Their status and prosperity is dependent upon Caesar’s good will.
Read Matthew 27:24-25.
Background Information – More literally Pilate states, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood.” This is his fifth declaration of innocence and he makes it from the bema seat, the seat of judgment. The people then declare that Jesus’ blood was upon them and their children. Indeed in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed, these two generations suffered judgment. The gospel writer who includes the people’s declaration is Matthew. Throughout our study we have seen that of the gospel writers he was most concerned to trace the consequences of the Jews rejecting Christ because he wrote his gospel for the Jews.
3. Consider Pilate’s last words on the bema seat of judgment. What does he say and do that is typical of a hypocrite who says, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)?
Deep Think – Who Killed Jesus?
Again and again we have seen in our Learning Jesus lessons that God ordained His Son would die by crucifixion. Jesus foretold this manner of His death three times. Jesus prayed that God would remove this “cup” three times and three times He yielded to the will of God. We saw that if Jesus had come at another time, the Sanhedrin would have carried out their own capital punishment, and Jesus would have been stoned instead of crucified. In this lesson we saw that Herod proclaimed Jesus innocent, yet sent Him back to be judged by the Romans; Pilate also proclaimed Jesus innocent, yet he sent Jesus to be crucified because he feared what Jewish leadership and the people would do if he did not yield to their demand.
Though nothing is impossible with God, the Father willed for the Son to satisfy His wrath this way and no other. He willed that both Jew and Gentiles would play a role in the Savior’s crucifixion. We shall see in future lessons more support from the Old Testament that affirms God planned Jesus to die for our sins this particular way, but for now we can be satisfied with this support: “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief. When his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). The will of God to “crush” Jesus refers essentially to His flogging.
God is sovereign. Does this mean that the generation of Jews who rejected Jesus as their Messiah or that Pilate representing the Gentiles is no way responsible for sending an innocent man to die on a cross? No. The Holy Spirit speaking through Peter says, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel.” He concludes, however, that the Lord did whatever His hand and His plan had “predestined to take place” (Acts 4:24-28; see also Acts 4:10-11).
D.A. Carson resolves the tension of God’s sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility in his book How Long O Lord? by defining a principle in play throughout Scripture that he calls “compatibilism” --
1. God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is curtailed, minimized, or mitigated.
2. Human beings are morally responsible creatures – they significantly choose, rebel, obey, believe, defy, make decisions, and so forth, and they are rightly held accountable for such actions, but this characteristic never functions so as to make God absolutely contingent.
As one who understands that your sin put Jesus under the whip and on the cross and that you are saved from God’s wrath upon your own body and soul through the death and resurrection of the innocent Son Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), this principle of compatibilism is important to understand. It will help you to restrain sin and grow more like Jesus. Consider how that is so.
One sin relating to our topic of “Who Killed Jesus?” that is actually more prevalent today than it has been in decades is anti-semitism. Given what Jesus taught us about the tribulation, we should keep ourselves informed about this sin that occurs both in the Church and in the world so that we can restrain sin against Jesus’ brothers. Here are some links to recent articles that speak to the growth of antisemitism in our world – 1.https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/us/adl-antisemitism-survey/index.html 2. https://www.ajc.org/news/AntisemitismReport2024 3.https://time.com/6958957/growing-antisemitism-young-americans/
Day 5 -- It’s Jesus or Nothing
Reflection Questions
Last week we watched a video “It’s Jesus or Nothing” about how one prisoner Randy led his cellmate David Woods to trust Christ for salvation. Initially David was an atheist who neither recognized God’s sovereignty nor his own culpability. But one day while David was in the midst of great suffering, all Randy had been teaching him about Jesus broke through, and David realized his need for a Savior. Every person’s coming to Christ story is unique. For example, before the Holy Spirit opened his eyes, David was already engaging in conversations, reading the Bible and other books and even fasting; whereas some people know very little about Jesus when they are regenerated.
Learning about Jesus through Godward Rhythms
Bible, prayer, conversations, worship, fellowship, fasting, solitude, & more
See the chart and the list of Godward Rhythms above.
1. Think about how God moved you from Come See to Come Follow Me in the area of learning about God. Who told you what? What did you read? Listen to?
2. Think of the people in your circle that you listed in Q3 of the Reflection in Lesson 40. They need content if they are going to learn about Jesus. What ideas do you have for engaging them in the Bible and biblical conversations and resources?
Optional Memory Verses – Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand (Isaiah 53:10).
REFLECTION Questions for Group
If time allows, your group could discuss the Deep Think OR Day 5 OR share ways you can apply this week’s lesson OR just enjoy an extended time in prayer.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passage questions. (This week that is Days 3-4.)
• Open Share Time -- Allow time for each to share “starred” insights or questions from Days 1-5. Allow others to respond to the shared insight.
• Is anyone able to recite all or part of Isaiah 53:10?
• See Reflection for group. This week you have different options.
• Close in prayer.
God’s joy and strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org