Welcome to the God’s Passion for Us post. These are the sermon notes from Pastor Merrill Caviness sermon given at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Washougal, Washington on Sabbath, 20 April 2019.
Did you know that Jesus Christ was an innocent man? Jesus loves mankind so much that he took the role of being the sacrificial lamb and took the sins of the world on His Shoulders. Jesus lived a perfect life by following His Father’s Eternal Ten Commandment Law perfectly. He is the only human that has or will accomplish living a life without sin.
Jesus knew in the Garden of Gethsemane that He would have to go to the Cross to die for our sins. Every Christian’s fate depended on Jesus taking our sin burden on His Shoulders. In the Celebration of Holy Communion, once a quarter, Seventh-day Adventists take the bread and organic grape juice as the sacraments. Jesus said: “Do this in remembrance of Me” in 1 Corinthians 11:24.
Growing up, Pastor Merrill would tease his sister that was 6 years younger. His sister was always getting into trouble. She would get blamed for things that happened. Merrill would proclaim his innocence. He never wanted to accept guilt that was due him. Our world also does not want to accept guilt. The Blame Game is played by almost everyone.
In Matthew 27 and in Luke 23:14, Pilate, the Roman Governor sees no fault in Jesus.
Luke 23:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
Pilate said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him.”
In Luke 23:16, Pilate should have let Jesus go. We find in Matthew 27 that Pilate is warned through his wife to not have anything to do with Jesus. Pilate’s wife had seen the whole trial. She has woken up frightened in a dream.
Matthew 27:19 New King James Version (NKJV)
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”
It was a custom at Passover time for the Roman Governor to release a criminal. Pilate thought he would be able to get rid of dealing with Jesus and made the choice so easy for the Religious Leaders. Pilate said do you want me to release the hardened criminal Barabbas or Jesus? It should have been an easy choice. Pilate was in a bad place. The Religious Leaders had backed him into a difficult situation.
Pilate had Jesus beaten in front of the Religious Leaders.
John 19:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
Pilate exclaims that he found no guilt in Jesus in John 19:4. Jesus stood there bloody and His skin was torn from the torture. Barabbas was a hardened criminal. Jesus Christ was innocent, the spotless son of God, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
There has been a Great Controversy in the world ever since the fall of Lucifer in heaven. You can read this excellent book on the website below:
The Great Controversy
Every day, who will we chose? Jesus or Satan? In John 19:6, the Chief Priests cried out to crucify Jesus. We live in a self-seeking dog eat dog world. The Chief Priests were more concerned with their livelihood than justice.
Pilate asked Jesus where He was from in John 19:9. Jesus just stood there and never answered Pilate. At that point Pilate told the Religious Leaders that he was innocent of Jesus’s blood. Pastor Merrill states in his sermon God’s Passion for Us that his own sins killed Jesus.
Adam and Eve did not die immediately after they committed the very first sin on this earth. Jesus stepped forward. The Bible tells us:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The only reason we are alive today is Jesus Christ. The only totally innocent human being ever is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ became the guilty so we could live. HE LOVES YOU !
Pilate tried to accept the world and Jesus but it did not work.
Will you take responsibility and chose Jesus Christ over choosing the world?
We Need a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father God.
John 14:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Hope you have enjoyed reading my God’s Passion for Us post. You can read more posts like this in my category below: