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“CHRIST’S HARM—OUR GOOD”

Luke 23:1-49

There is a passage from the Old Testament book of Genesis, in which Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his own brothers, now confronts his brothers as the ruling overseer of Egypt. His brothers, in fear that Joseph would now exact vengeance upon them for what they had done to him, beg him for mercy in the name of Joseph’s own father. But Joseph responds to their fear by saying, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives,” (Gen 50:19-20).

The same sentiment could easily be echoed by our Lord Jesus Christ as He hung upon the cross. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

The unbelieving Jews, the scribes and Pharisees, King Herod, Pontius Pilate, the soldiers around the cross—they all intended harm toward Jesus. They viewed Him in the most spiteful way possible. They hated him and passed Him from one set of evil hands into another, as they sought to dispose of Him.

They meant to harm Jesus in the worst ways possible because Jesus represented an intrusion upon their own selfish lives. To the Jews, He was a rabbi who stirred up the crowd with His teaching that the Kingdom of God had arrived in His person. To Herod, Jesus was the carbon copy of John the Baptist who had decried Herod’s adulterous relationship so that the king eventually silenced John by beheading. To Pilate, Jesus was a threat to his political position—if Pilate didn’t give in to the demands of the crowd for crucifixion, a rebellion would break out and disturb the governor’s standing in the sight of Caesar. And to the soldiers, Jesus was just another criminal to be taunted and for whom they had to waste the day away in impatient anticipation of His final demise.

But lest we pass judgment upon Jesus’ own contemporaries, we must remember that it was our own guilt which was also responsible for Him being nailed to the cross. As appalling as it might be to our pride, we must confess that we intended Jesus as much harm as any of His bloodthirsty executioners. For sinners cannot help to be hateful toward God by nature.

The Scriptures tell us, “the sinful mind is hostile to God,” (Rom 8:7). We are not naturally drawn to God. Like our sinful parents, Adam and Eve, our first inclination is to run away from God. For, deep down, we are aware of our wrongdoing. Our guilty conscience condemns us. And, therefore, if God truly is God, then that means that a just and holy God must punish guilty, rebellious sinners such as we are.

And though we may balk at the thought of every intentionally doing Christ any harm, we are not so innocent when it comes to the harm that we are capable of doing to one another. Remember what Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me,’ (Matt. 25:40). Well, those words apply, not only to the good that we do for one another, but to the cruel gestures as well. Therefore, the games of one-upmanship that we play against one another, the prideful way in which we want to get in the last word and prove ourselves right while catching the other person in their error; any words or deeds on our part that are not directed toward one another out of love and charity, ultimately are nothing less than selfish transgressions committed against the Lord Himself.

In the words that immediately precede today’s Epistle reading, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, (Philippians 2:3-7).

But, where we meant so much harm, God remarkably, still meant so much good; for, Jesus did take on that role of a servant in order that the saving of many lives, the forgiveness of sins for the whole world might be secured. For, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2 Cor 5:21). Yes, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all,” (Isa 53:3-6).

Christ crucified for us! He was cursed by God in our place. He suffered hell upon the cross as He was forsaken by the Father, which should have been our punishment. But Christ, out of His great love for those who despised Him so, still wanted us to live forever with Him, nonetheless. No wonder He said the words, “Father, forgiven them, for they do not know what they are doing.” For, He spoke those words, not only about the soldiers around the cross, but of us as well.

Dearly beloved, not a day goes by when we aren’t tempted to forget the presence of Christ—the presence of Christ, not only as it relates to Him speaking to us through His Word, but also His presence in those around us who are to be recipients of the love that we should demonstrate toward Him. Which means, we are still in desperate need of His forgiveness and strength of Spirit every day. Because, there exists a part of us which would still, unwittingly, do harm to Christ—do harm to Him by thinking that we not quite as needful of the full measure of His sacrifice which He poured out for the sins of the world.

“Father, forgive us,” for so often we know not what we do.

And He has… and He will continue to forgive us for the sake of our Savior, Jesus. Christ’s harm, His crucifixion, has resulted in the saving of each of our lives. God has intended it for our good; that we too may be good—yes, even Christ-like, in our love and compassion toward one another. Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.