Friday, February 29, 2008
Matthew 26:63-66 The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied . . . Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? . . . What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered.
HE IS WORTHY OF DEATH
There is a well known French novel by Victor Hugo called "Les Miserables" (The Miserable Ones). In the story, the reader follows the life of Jean Valjean who was imprisoned for five years because he stole a loaf of bread for his starving sister. That five years turned into fourteen more as he was punished for trying to escape, until finally that one simple loaf of bread had cost him 19 years of his life. One might ask, "Was he worthy of such punishment -- for only a few pieces of bread?"
What about Jesus? Was He worthy of death on a cross? What had He done? The high priest and the Sanhedrin accused Him of blasphemy because He had claimed to be the Son of God. If the charge had been true, the sentence of death might have been considered just. But Jesus had not blasphemed the name of God; He had proclaimed it. He truly was the Only Begotten Son of the Father.
We do not find Him worthy of death as He stands in the palace of the high priest. Out on the cross, however, it is a different story. The prophet Isaiah said, "He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows . . . he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities." There on Calvary He carried in Himself all of our sin; all of our guilt.
In those hours of darkness on Good Friday, the Father found His own dear Son guilty as charged. So Jesus Christ was worthy of death after all. You and I walked away justified. Thanks be to God!
