Examinado por la cruz — CRUX — Rich Wilkerson Jr

This is Matthew 27, starting in verse 15, and it says, Now, during the Feast of the Governor, Pilate used to release a prisoner that people would choose. He had a famous prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. Jesus Barabbas. So, when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked, Who do you want to release? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus, whom you call Christ? Pilate knew that they had released Jesus out of envy. While Pilate was sitting in the court, his wife sent him the following message, Do not mess with that righteous man, for because of him, today, I have suffered a lot in a dream. How many of you know that you should listen to your wives? Someone said, Amen. But the chief priests and religious leaders persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barabbas and execute Jesus. Which of the two do you want to release? asked the governor. Barabbas, they said. And what am I going to do with Jesus, whom they call Christ? Pilate asked. Everyone answered, Crucify him. But he said, Why? What crime has he committed? But they shouted louder, Crucify him. When Pilate saw that he was getting nothing, but rather he was forming a tumult, he asked for water and washed his hands in front of the people. I am innocent of the death of this man, he said. You there,

let the guilt of his death fall upon us and upon our children, the people answered. Then he released Barabbas, but Jesus had him beaten and delivered him to be crucified. I want to preach today, in part two of our collection, I titled this message, Examined by the Cross. Let's pray. We thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank you that it is powerful, it is alive, it is active. Today we pray that while we study your scriptures, you study our hearts, that you expose our motives, our intentions. We want to see and look more like Jesus. We enter here today in a way, but allow us to go differently to how we came. Today we believe in the power of your word. So speak to us today, and if you agree with your word, all the people of Jesus say, if you love Jesus, clap your hands. We are in part two, and I'm already enjoying my study and I'm already bringing these messages to you because we're talking about the power of the cross. And this word cross, which of course means cross, also means crucial. And I just want to make sure today,

if you're a new believer, or someone who's been a believer for a while, we remember that the cross is crucial for Christianity. Without the cross, do you understand something? It's that we're a message of self-help. Go to Barnes and Noble, go to that part of self-help, and join other books because that would be, that would be a message. We would have good teachings, but we wouldn't have transformation. It is the cross that brings the remission of sins. We understand that we were born guilty and sinners, but praise God for Jesus and his sacrifice, that once and for all, he sacrificed the past, present, and future, all your sins. Today we stand justified before him by the cross. So it's crucial in our Christianity that we study this and consider what Jesus did. We can talk all year about the cross because there are so many things, and shadows, types, the fulfillment of the law through this moment. But maybe you're here today and you say, why do we have so much time today? I want to continue putting weight on this because this is not a message that you're moving away from. It's a message that you're approaching.

You're not graduating from the cross, but you're growing in depth towards the cross. The apostle Paul, who is one of the greatest theologians that ever lived, he wrote a part of the New Testament, most of it, in fact. In 1 Corinthians 2, he said, I decided, rather, being among you, not to know anything except for Jesus Christ and this crucifixion. Think about this. This man, who is so brilliant, this master of the word, comes to this point where he says, I decided to know nothing more than the cross. I don't preach anything more than the cross. When you read 1 Corinthians, what you're going to know about this place of Corinth is that Corinth was a wild place. It was an intellectual place, a city of the moment. There were intelligent people coming, but the church there had very crazy problems. In fact, today we are receiving Communion, but if you read the book of Corinthians, you will realize that they were doing very crazy things in Communion. In fact, they were getting drunk with wine, they were keeping the bread, there were hungry people who did not eat. There is a story there of a stepson sleeping with his father's wife. If you think Miami has problems, check out Corinth. But here in this broken place, what does Paul say? The most effective thing I can do for these intelligent and brilliant people

is to preach on the cross. This is interesting because if you study Paul, there is a time when he goes to Marseilles in Athens and one of the most powerful messages he gives in Acts 17, he is a politician, he is intelligent, he is eloquent in that message, but in the sermon he does not mention the name of Jesus. In fact, he uses this term, this unknown God. Today they read it, today they study it, and it is an incredible sermon. But at that moment, few people were saved, and they call him like he's mumbling. And that experience that he started there, and then he talks about this, he says, I do not speak of eloquence or human wisdom. This is a man who spoke five languages. He was well studied. He studied under these schoolboys of the day called Gamaliel. The only box Gamaliel had on Paul was that he could not give him enough books for him to read. Remember when he was in prison and he was talking to his apprentice Timoteo. What does he say to Timoteo? He says, bring me books, brother. Because this guy was well studied. But see this, because now he is here at a time where he is entering a city that is growing and flourishing, and he says, I did not come with wisdom or knowledge or eloquence, but I came to preach a message. Because the message I bring is for the broken people, is Jesus Christ crucified, because that is all I need to know. Because what I want you to hear in my church, in our church today, is that the most eloquent thing you can do is to preach the cross. Why would we take four weeks and anchor ourselves to the cross of Jesus?

Because according to Paul, it is the most eloquent thing we can preach, that you would know what God did for you. I've been pastoring, I can't believe it, for 18 years, since I was in the church, since I was young. And I've seen people on the faith journey, and this is not documented, this is my experience. I've seen this journey of people to find Jesus, and I put it in five categories. The people that know Jesus, the first category is that they find him. That's why we call our Girl Track, our first step is to find him. It all starts with a meeting. It's like, oh, yes, it's true. He is real. And he saved me. Thank you. We made it. There's this emotion, this joy when you wake up to the gospel and you find Jesus. There's nothing like this when tears fall. It doesn't matter what service you go to, it doesn't matter if it's a video location, or in the morning or in the night, if your friends are there, your hands are up, your tears are falling. There's nothing like a new Christian. Sometimes they're a little bit shallow in what they believe and know, but let me tell you, give me some new believers and we can turn a city around for Jesus. Because new Christians really believe the Bible. Like, they just believe it. Like, whatever's in there, they believe it. Yes, yes, yes, that can happen, right? They're down for whatever it is.

They'll serve early, they'll stay until late, they're excited to be there. But look at what happens. A lot of times we go to meetings, and then we go to this word, education. And you know, when you're caught in this season, the original text actually means this. Actually in the Greek, let me tell you what this means. And there's something beautiful about growing in our faith and being educated in our faith, but it's scary when knowledge becomes the goal instead of being the guide. And I've just watched people on this trip who start with a meeting, and then they go to this educational phase. And if you're not careful, when knowledge becomes your goal, it can lead to pride. That's why the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians, to the same church, he says, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Because you get to this pride, because what happens later is that what happens later is that and you realize on their journey of education you become arrogant. Have you met arrogant Christians? Of course, but not here, not in this service. But a lot of times you go to this, long enough in this season of education, then you go to this season of exposition,

where you think, God, why did you let this happen to me? I've done all the things right, but then came the trial and the suffering, and there are people, there are things that are challenging me, and obstacles and opposition appear, and it is in this area of exposition where you are going to deconstruct or you will reconstruct. You are going to deconstruct your faith and you are going to say, that is not what I thought it was, those people saw me, those people lied, those people are hypocrites, that person betrayed me, and then this happened in my life, I'm out of here and I run. Or you come to this moment where you say, in this exposition for the grace of God, you recognize and you say, oh, I can't believe it, he never let me go in the trial, they failed me, but he never did it, they betrayed me, but he continues walking with me. Come on, I'm talking about the journey of faith. And I see people on this journey, where they are reconstructed through the power of grace, and then they come to this place of embrace, where they embrace the cross, it is not only tears of celebration, but they embrace the cross with reverence. Oh, all this is about Jesus, all this has always been about him, I have gone to Marseille,

but now I am back to Corinto, and you know what? I resolve not to know anything else, your wisdom and your eloquence, to know nothing more than Jesus Christ and him crucified. And what happens in that phase, is that we enter a phase of expression, and the expression is a sign of maturity, the expression is, I have received for free, now I want to give for free, in my heart where I have embraced the cross of Jesus Christ, and while I have embraced it, I will carry my cross, and now what I believe about maturity in the Lord, is that maturity is not about knowing something, maturity is not just education, maturity is loving other people, and serving other people, growing and giving and helping. Look, if you are not helping, if you are not helping, you are not helping. And that is why in the church, we have things like the Growth Shack, four steps where you discover how God made you, designed you, but at some point, it all results in giving our lives, that the great sign of maturity, is that I am serving, and giving,

and loving, and helping, and getting up again, because it is through the power of the cross. Wherever I go today, what I want you to see, is that the cross is crucial, it is pivotal for our faith, it is not a message for new believers, it is a message for mature believers, it is a message for all of us. And today, I believe that sometimes we can see it, and think to ourselves, I know this message, but I believe we should open our hearts, and go a little deeper. The story that we are reading this morning from our text, is maybe a story that you have heard before, maybe you have not heard a whole sermon before, you have not heard a lot of sermons, in the history of Barrabas, but I want to put that scene for a moment, because today, in this moment, in the text, if it was happening today, if there were national news, if there were cameras,

we would not have taken it to a court, I want to take you as if we were in a court, it is not a parable, it is something historical that happened, it is the judgment of Jesus Christ, he has been charged with a crime that he did not commit, but while you read the story of Jesus and Barrabas, it is not the story of just them, it is the story of us, and I see myself there. Let me ask you a question, have you ever been accused of something that you did not do? Has anyone ever accused you, or made you guilty, but you are innocent? Is there a moment in your life where you went through something, where you were innocent, but others suggested that you were guilty, maybe when you were little, with your brothers and sisters, maybe they lied about you, you got into trouble, maybe something at work, that someone did something, but it was your responsibility, or maybe a wife, that you have a snoring problem, but you have never heard yourself snore, I have never heard myself snore,

how can I be sure that I have ever done it? I remember when I was growing up, We had an exchange student, her name was Sandra, she was in the house, but she was learning English, God bless her, and one day my mom was far away, in the mall or whatever, my dad was outside, and Sandra was taking care of me, she was a little older than me, and she goes outside and gives me an order, and the order was, Rich, play around the house, around the house. I said, easy, I'm going to play around the house, there's a perimeter around the house. Then she calls me, she calls me to the house, and she says, how dare you disobey Sandra? I said, how? Sandra told you to come to the house hours ago. She said, no, she didn't tell me. She said, play around the house. My parents, they didn't believe in times out. They believed in not spilling the rocks. I got spanked. I got spanked in front of my friends. It's like, they're doing this to me in front of my friends. This is not fair. I'm totally innocent, and we've all been there, I'm being charged with something that I haven't done, because I'm paying the price for the crime. Can we flip it for a moment? Have you ever been guilty of something and they didn't catch you? Have you ever passed by one of those speed jumps? And the cop pulls over the guy behind you, and you're like, thank you, Jesus. And all of a sudden, the cop stops the guy behind you, and you're like, thank you, Jesus. The favor is not fair. Look at the sinners in this place. I see them. Have you ever cheated on a test and they didn't catch you? Have you ever spoken ill of someone, but you didn't have to pay for the ramification? Have you ever thrown someone's name into the mud, but you never had to take responsibility for it? Where do I go? We all want justice for others. But when it comes to our personal lives, we pray and say, thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Lord. What is so fascinating about this story of Jesus and Barrabas is that you have the innocent and you have the guilty. You have this moment of justice and grace in development. And it's not about their story, it's about our story. Barrabas. Who is this? Barrabas. In the Bible, believe it or not, he appears in all four Gospels. It's interesting that we don't hear messages or sermons from Barrabas or a moment or a message. But Barrabas, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, there are details given about him. And each Gospel tells you, ultimately, he's a rebel. He's a man who's leading an insurrection. We find out that he's violent, that he's a liar. He's guilty of a crime. Now, Matthew's Gospel, like another Gospel, gives him another name. They call him Jesus Barrabas. Which I just think is fascinating to me. We have Jesus Barrabas and we have Jesus, the Messiah. One is a rebel and the other is a redeemer. One is trying to lead a revolution and a reform through violence. The other is trying to lead a revival through sacrifice. And here's the scene. It's Easter. And during Easter, it was the custom of the Roman Empire that they would allow a prisoner to leave. This wasn't because they were generous and for the truth. It was something political to maintain peace and empathy. So Pilate comes and they charge Jesus, who has done nothing wrong.

But everything they're accusing him of, Barrabas is actually guilty. I want you to catch this. Everything they're accusing Jesus of and they're charging him for is something that Barrabas has actually done. It's not something abstract, it's something very personal. And Pilate says, the Bible says, he knows that Jesus is innocent. And he doesn't want to deal with this now. He's trying to find peace. And the Bible says, his wife sends him a message and says, I had a dream about this guy. This guy is not normal. This guy is someone here and nothing to do with this. So don't believe him. Listen to your wives, friends. I learned in my life that sometimes when I have a hard time listening to the Holy Spirit, thank God that Don Cherry's spirit comes in like a voice, because she brings discernment. And Pilate was given this opportunity, but instead of this, he puts himself under pressure and thinks he can get away from this scene. And instead of Barabbas being burdened, he lets Barabbas go by the multitude of people. And it's a short message, but I want us to think about this, because we're going to examine this moment. We're going to examine the cross, and we're going to examine ourselves and the text. So I'm going to take three basic observations today while we read the story of Barabbas. The first is, you can't wash your hands of Jesus.

You can't wash your hands of Jesus. I don't know what it is, but there's this whole side of Pilate that thinks he can be neutral, that thinks he can be silent, or that he can get away from this moment and not be an accomplice. He doesn't want to have anything to do with Jesus and this moment. And it's amazing because, how many of you know that in 2020, when we all became professional hand washers, when people put up videos, oh, that's how you wash your hands. It's like, happy birthday to you. Oh, that's how long you're supposed to take to wash your hands. And we started to discover all the benefits. Some of them took it too far. My wife, I know this is off-putting, but I remember when we were going to do the market, and it took us hours to do the market, because you had to take the market and leave it at the door. Then you had to disinfect the bags and burn them. I think Don Cherry really wanted to burn them. We didn't do it, but you were scared of the germs. But the resources tell us that washing our hands has so many benefits for us. There are things like in our stomachs that happen. There are respiratory problems that happen because you don't wash your hands. So washing your hands helps you in all these areas of your body. But I want you to understand this because many of us lose sight of this. Washing your hands, that's fine.

That's good hygiene. But there are some things that you can't wash your hands. There are some things that you can't deal with. I think so many of us, I don't know if I want to deal with Jesus. I don't know if I can. Look, you know, the other day I was talking to a guy, and he's in a cafe, and he says, I love the Lord, and I believe in God, and I know that God is real. But we talk about Jesus, and he's like, no. What happens if I don't believe in Jesus? Why does that matter so much? But here's the deal with Jesus. The deal with Jesus is that you have to deal with Jesus. The deal with Jesus is that you have to deal with Jesus. You can't be neutral. You can't be silent. You either crown him, or you crucify him. You either bow down, or you walk away from him. You don't have any other way to deal with him. Pilate says, I'm going to wash my hands of this. I'm going to kind of obey my wife. I know that this man is not guilty of these crimes, but I don't want to get in the middle of this. I don't want the headache that I get. I don't want the controversy of this. I don't want the challenge of this. Let me wash my hands of Jesus. But I want to remind some people in this Easter season, to remind them as we go to this great day of the global church where we celebrate not only his death and his burial,

but his resurrection. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, or Lord of nothing. And you have to decide who Jesus is for you. Because what I know is that washing your hands can prevent physical things, but washing your hands of Jesus doesn't guarantee, washing your hands of Jesus doesn't guarantee a spiritual disease. And today I want to try not to sound eloquent or political. If you're here or online, it's not just about knowing God. Everything we know about God becomes true through Jesus. We don't know anything about God if we don't have Jesus. How do you know that God is love? You have to see Jesus, the one who sacrificed his life for you. How do you know that God is forgiving? You have to see Jesus on the cross. Because he sees you and says, Father, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. How do you know that God can restore and heal? You have to see Jesus. He is the hands and the feet. He is God made flesh. I know who God is because I can see Jesus. Vamos! I have to deal with Jesus, I have to deal with Him, and even today, the Holy Spirit is dealing with some of you, and while He's dealing with your heart, you have to deal with who Jesus is. Because Pilate thought, let me wash my hands of this thing, and let me be neutral, let me be silent about this, no, we can't be silent about Jesus, or we crown Him king, or we crucify Him, and it's not just...

The second thing that I see is this, is that the crowd is loud, but they don't always have the reason, the crowd is loud, but they don't always have the reason. If you're like me, you don't want to admit that you're influenced by the crowd, you say, oh, no, no, I've never done it, you don't know me, you're a coward, not me, no, we've all been influenced by the crowd, we've been influenced by the noise. This week, on Friday, I celebrated my 41st birthday. There's nothing really that significant about 41, but I have 41, but it's funny because on your birthday, people start posting videos of old stuff. A friend of ours, we were in the ministry together, and we've been, before we started the church at Butchurch, we have a ministry called Rendezvous, a ministry for young people, and we were leading this, my friend was leading this group of younger people, and he posted this video, and I want you to see this video, we have the clip to show it, okay. So, we're going to pause it, because it's a little cringy, the ego is dying, the ego is dying. So, we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it. We're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and we're going to pause it, and He is going to glorify you in one moment and crucify you in the next. Many of us are afraid of criticism. I would be afraid of praise because it is the other side of the coin. Only one can be glorified. There is only one who deserves glory and that is Jesus. I heard a funny declaration recently. I think it is a little funny. People are like snowflakes. Each one of us is unique.

But many of us are fake. It is true. The crowd always changes and the crowd is noisy. But if you are not careful, you think that what the crowd says is true. But it is not true. They were persuaded by the elders. They shouted, crucify him, crucify him. But before that they said, save us, save us. We need a savior, we need a redeemer. We know that we need someone to come to do things that we cannot do for ourselves. But now that they are persuaded, the noise of the crowd has taken their desires. Psychologists call this effect, they call it the Abelian effect. It is a study done by a family that went to Abilene on vacation. But no one in that car wanted to go. But everyone in the car thought that the others wanted to go. So suddenly everyone denied their own preference for something called a group thought. That everyone denied their true desire or purpose. And that happens to us. Whether it is social media or the news or work or our friends outside the church. We can be influenced by this soft power. Which are these ideas, things that indoctrinate us. And there are people who are in this season. And I tell you, because you are in this season where the crowd is noisy. It does not mean that they are right. I want to remind some people of what you believe. Because you are called out of the crowd. Once you were in the dark. But now you have been called to their wonderful light. You do not conform, but you transform. The crowd is noisy, but they are never right.

You are not called to be popular. I am not called to be popular. We are called to walk in truth. And truth does not require a vote of the majority. Let's vote on what is true. It is a matter of everyone running. What is true is that He is my Savior. And even if the world falls, I want to be on the cross. Do not let the noise of the crowd silence the voice of God. God is talking to you today. God is ministering to you today. God is approaching you. He loves you. He is for you. You cannot wash your hands of Jesus. The crowd is noisy, but they are never right. But last, here comes the gospel. The innocent died so that the guilty may be free. Barabbas is guilty. Pilate washes his hands and the crowd shouts, crucify him. Those statements are strong. May the blood of him be upon us and our children. Pilate says, I am innocent of this blood. I am going to wash my hands of this. And the scripture says that he released Barabbas and Jesus. He sent him to be crucified. Next week I will talk about the pain he went through while we prepare for Palm Sunday. I think we absorb and consider the pain he went through, the cross he carried, the weight of all this.

But look at this for a moment. Barabbas is guilty. Jesus is innocent. Who do you think releases? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus the Messiah? Give us Barabbas. So Barabbas is released and Jesus takes his punishment. Just so we are all getting it. This is not a story of just Jesus and Barabbas. This is a story of you and me. That I am Barabbas. That I am guilty. That I have fallen. That I am full of sin. That I have lied. I have been judged. I have broken the law of God. I have entered my own desires and wills. I deserve punishment. I deserve to be delivered. I deserve to be whipped. I deserve to be crucified. But just like Barabbas, Jesus changed places with me. And this is an image of grace. This is an image of mercy. He who had no sin became sin. And today I just want to encourage you. God has set you free. Not because of what you have done, but because of what God has set you free. Not because you are not guilty. But you got to get this in. Freedom means nothing until you admit that you were in chains. That's the truth I'm holding on to this week. That's the whole thing I'm trying to bring to you today in our community. Freedom and this idea of the gospel, it doesn't matter how much my voice can project or how eloquently I can tell you my thoughts

and that you can feel chills. None of that has weight. What has weight is that you recognize, I was in chains. I deserved death. But there is one who took my place. There is one who was innocent and died for me. Oh, now I can walk in freedom because before this place was tied. I'm guilty. It's amazing to me because we don't know if Barabbas repented. We only know that he was set free. But just because he did or did not repent doesn't mean that you can't do it today. I like Paul because in this church in Corinthians he says, I resolve not to understand anything else. I didn't come with eloquence or intelligence. I came with a single message, Jesus Christ crucified. But that same Paul, that same church, he then says at the end of his second letter in 13.5, examine yourselves to see if you are in faith. Prove yourselves. What does he say? You have to check yourself. You have to examine your heart. You have to question your motives, your desires. You have to question your life. You have to question your actions. You deserve death, but Jesus says, I took your place. I'm going to set you free. But if you don't admit that you are guilty, if you don't repent,

if you don't change your ways, what is the point? And today I feel, and I've been praying for you this week, that there are people here who are at a crossroads of decisions. And today is the day that you make the decision to receive the freedom that Jesus generously and with much grace provided for you. He who did not know sin became sin. I just want to say it this way. When you are at a crossroads, follow the way to the cross. He paid the price. You can't earn your salvation. You can't work your way to heaven. We said it at the end last week. We know that you are paid completely. I did for you what you can't do for yourself. So find me. Educate yourself about you. You're going to be exposed to this world full of sin, full of corruption. People are going to disappoint you. Circumstances are going to disappoint you. Every area of imperfection that you see now may it roll up in a desire for a better world, one that he restores. But embrace the cross, not only with tears of celebration, but with reverence, but like Jesus, it really is you. It was me.

I deserved that punishment. I should have been beaten. I should have carried that cross, but you did it. And after that, we can take a place of expression and say, Wow, I carry the good news wherever I go. Wherever I go to work on Monday, wherever I go with my family on Tuesday. I have a reason to testify that I was guilty, but the one who was innocent took my place. He was examined and he gave his life for me. Come on, let's celebrate today. Let's pray together. There is someone grateful for the cross. There is someone grateful for what he did for you. He did for you what you could not do for yourself. Come on, get up today. God, we love you. God, we adore you. If you are in an additional seat, in any location, wherever you are, start moving away for a moment, before I make an invitation. I want to give the opportunity to those who are in those encrucijadas, those who are followers of Jesus, I want to give them the opportunity today to reinforce, to re-commit ourselves to what we believe. I don't know where Barabbas went. I can't focus on that, but I'm going to focus on today. Where are you going? Today I boldly declare, I'm not going back. He saved me by grace and he's going to hold me by grace. Today we boast in ourselves, we boast in the cross of Jesus Christ. Maybe I'm not eloquent today, but today I have power. You've got to deal with Jesus. Who is Jesus to you?

To me he's God. To me he's my Lord and my Savior. And today I want to give him every part of who I am.