The Witness: “Seven Testimonies from the Crucifixion” – Matthew 27:27-54

Not everyone who claims to be a “witness” of an event really knows anything about the event. “The great attorney, orator, and statesman Daniel Webster was such an imposing figure in court that he once stared a witness out of the courtroom. Apparently Webster knew the man was there to deliver false testimony, so he fixed his “dark, beetle-browed” eyes on the man and searched him . According to the story, later in the trial “Webster looked around again to see if [the witness] was ready for the inquisition. The witness felt for his hat and edged toward
the door. A third time Webster looked on him, and the witness could sit no longer. He seized his chance and fled from the court and was nowhere to be found.” (Today in the Word, Moody Bible Institute, January 1992, p.31.)

As it was in the court room, so it was at the Cross. People claimed to be “witnesses”. They claimed to know what they were seeing – but very few did!

Key Principle: The one who carefully observes what Jesus said and did, and yields to Him because of what they see and hear – that one unlocks their heart to experience real salvation – intimacy and a daily walk with God.

Soldiers: “The Self Sufficient Ones”

Mt. 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31 After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him…33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

• They were important people handling considerable power that felt no need of God in their lives (27:27a).
• They were totally unfeeling toward Jesus they took no time to consider His life or claims (27:27b-29).
• Because they were feeling powerful together, they saw no power in Jesus they wanted (27:30-31)
• They put Jesus where they wanted Him (27:33)
• They gave Jesus what they wanted Him to have – but not what He wanted (27: 34).
• They took from Jesus what they thought they could get (27:35).
• They were content to stand at a distance and watch Jesus (27:36).
• They didn’t mind placating other people’s weak needs for a leader – but they didn’t feel they needed one! (27:37)

In life there are those who think they are powerful, and don’t need God. They hadn’t yet been broken by life. They weren’t living with the reality that power ends, youth fleets, and self sufficiency is an illusion. Instead, they thought they could “handle God”. They weren’t thinking of the future and didn’t know they would tire of self sufficiency. God was a vehicle, a convenience to get what they wanted in life. He got nothing they weren’t willing to give, and they weren’t interested in hearing what He wanted from them.

Simon the Cyrene: “The Abused Convert”

Mt. 27:32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

Compare this to Mark 15:20
After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him. 21
They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. 22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

• He was not trying to find Jesus, nor follow Jesus – but Jesus was thrust into his path.
• He was abused by virtue of some blatant racism and mistreated out of prejudice.
• He met the Savior through seeing the pain and agony of the Cross through the pain he was experiencing of prejudice.
• He followed Jesus and his children became leaders among the believers. Mark declares that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus- two well known Christians. Perhaps they were:

 See Ro 16:13 13
“Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.”

Ac 19:28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled
with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”.
Funny how the prejudice and racism issue keeps coming up in the same family! The enemy attacks often through issues that have been in your family before.

Some peopleare passing through life abused by others, and bruised. They aren’t looking for Jesus, but suddenly the image of One who suffered more than they could bear overtakes them. They see One who understands their pain and is familiar with hurt. They are compelled to follow Him, and they take others with them because of their testimony. They are abused converts that find a home in the One that knows abuse and rejection.

Two Thieves: “Sarcasm vs. Submission”

Mt. 27:38 At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left…44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

Compare this with the discussion a little closer observed by Luke 23: 39 “One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

• The two men also crucified were called “robbers” (lace-tace: from the word “spoils”) and “criminals” (kak-oor’-gos – “evil actors”) – two men with corrupt character and works to prove it.
• One mocks Jesus and asks to be saved – though he deserves punishment for his crimes. He hurls accusations about the powerless nature of Jesus. When Sgt. Ray Baarz of the Midvale, Utah, police department opened his wallet, he noticed his driver’s license had expired. Embarrassed at having caught himself red-handed, he had no alternative. He calmly and deliberately pulled out his ticket book and wrote himself a citation. Then Baarz took the ticket to the city judge who fined him five dollars. “How could I give a ticket to anyone else for an expired license in the future if I didn’t cite myself?” Baarz asked. (Source Unknown).
• The other acknowledges his crimes and sees the Innocent One suffering without personal cause. He calls to Jesus to be remembered and is saved. He knew himself and he wasn’t ready to lie to himself about who he was. “Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.” (Today In The Word, August, 1989, p. 21)

All who accept Jesus must get past the covering mechanisms of selfish pride – the sarcasm they use to cover their deep hurt over how life has worked out. Some cry out to God and find mercy. Others rail against God and blame Him for the fruit of their own evil deeds. Hell will be filled with those who curse God and hurl accusations that their life was not it should have been. They don’t get it. They truly believe that they have been burdened with more, or had a greater disadvantage than everyone else. In the end, they denied the power of Messiah to cleanse them – and that was all they had to do for an eternal darkness. Both men were guilty, but only one was prepared to acknowledge his guilt – and that made all the difference.

Mocking Shoppers: “Running by God”

Mt. 27:39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

• They were too busy to even listen to the truth when it was right in front of them!
• They were sure that what they hadn’t considered wasn’t true – so they had no need to carefully consider it.
• They hurled accusations at what they did not understand and did not carefully consider.
• They mocked the Word of God without understanding its meaning, intention or implications. “The antagonism between life and conscience may be removed in two ways: By a change of life or by a change of conscience.” (Leo Tolstoy). They chose to keep their lives the same and change their consciences!

All the people of this group thought they were busy doing important things. They thought they knew enough by having picked up “seeds” of Bible truths along the way, but misquoted and misused them at will to do what they wanted. In the end, they urged Jesus to save Himself – the very opposite of what they truly needed. They needed Him to die for them – but they didn’t take the time to understand God’s Word beyond the sound bites – so they didn’t know it.

Temple leaders: “Religious Callousness”

Mt. 27:41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 “HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

• Religious men were dressed and easily identifiable by their garb  -you can always tell them if you look carefully at the crowd.
• They had a system that worked out the eternal issues, but it was not in step with God at all.
• The coldness of their heart showed in the cruelty of their lips.
• They accused Jesus of impotence (while He patiently suffered – “cannot save Himself”).
• They accused Jesus as making false claims (“king”, “trusts in God”, “delights in God”, “Son of God”) but did not show the hearts of those who would desire brokenness and intimacy – for that is not the religious way.

There are always those who have their religious mind made up already. Who Jesus is must fit into their already preconceived notion of righteousness. God must fit their theology – and He must do only that which they allow. There is a thick skin of the heart that religion forms – making it impossible to touch the tender heart of God – or have Him touch us.

Curious onlookers: “The Casual Philanthropists”

45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.”

• Scary things began to happen about them, and they were uncertain what was going on.
• They heard some of the Word of God, but didn’t press to understand enough to really get the context of what God was saying.
• Seeing the suffering, they wanted to help out of philanthropic hearts, but they did not yield themselves – only some of what was “on hand” to give Jesus. Someone has said that the “trouble with following your conscience is that it is like a wheelbarrow, that is going where it is directed by your desires.”
• They waited for some sign that what Jesus said was true, but the greatest sign ever given- the Cross itself, was misunderstood.

The people that watched knew only enough to be dangerous. They wanted to do good. They were nice and caring people that felt guilty about what they saw.

Did you know that ever since 1811 (when someone who had defrauded the government anonymously sent $5 to Washington D.C.) the U.S. Treasury has operated a Conscience Fund? Since that time almost $3.5 million has been received from guilt-ridden citizens. (Swindoll, The Quest For Character, Multnomah, p. 70.)

Caring and guilty feeling is not enough – they were lost people. The great ACT of Jesus was missed by them, and they were caught up in the sound bite of a verse of Scripture with no real desire to understand what it was all about. They gave, and even ran to Him – but they did not listen, observe, yield and surrender. They were lost amid a series of giving and compassionate acts.

Centurion: “The Shocked Witness”

Mt. 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

• Shocking and powerful displays of God were evident in the eye of the Centurion.
• Deeply disturbing reports and observations of how Jesus was more than a mere man did not pass by him. He was paid to be observant, and he could not believe what his eyes were telling him.
• In fear of the power of God, he concluded the obvious – Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be.

Life slipped by. His positions in life placed him higher and higher in responsibility. He had little time to consider the truths of religion – that was for the civilian. He was a soldier. He understood power and authority. He knew when he gave an order that a subordinate would follow it. As he saw Heaven and earth collide that afternoon – he saw the power and authority of Jesus – and discerned his RANK by His impact!

Only by opening our heart to hear and understand the Word of Jesus will we be truly His. He cannot be found in the proud and self sufficient, but he can be grasped by the deeply hurt and abused. He can break the hold of guilt and despair, but only for those who acknowledge that they are held by it.  He cannot be found by “seed picking” sound bites from the Bible to assuage our guilt and shame, nor can He be found in the works based religious life. Intimacy with God is not experienced by sheer philanthropy. The one who carefully observes what Jesus said and did, and yields to Him because of what they see and hear – that one opens their heart to intimacy and a walk with God.