Read: Luke 23:13-25

There are two people standing before Pilate: Barabbas and the Lord Jesus Christ. Barabbas, as you know, was a criminal. He was a guilty man. He was a murderer and deserved to be punished.

But Jesus Christ was also standing before Pilate, and he was innocent. Three times Pilate said that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He declared Jesus innocent. Jesus had done nothing at all that made him deserve to be punished or put to death.

It had become a custom that every Passover one prisoner was allowed to go free. Pilate was hoping that if he asked the Jewish people who to set free, they would say Jesus and not Barabbas. Afterall Barabbas was a very wicked man, and Jesus Christ had done nothing wrong. But instead of calling out Barabbas, the people called out that Jesus should be crucified. “Crucify him, crucify him,” they shouted. It wasn’t the Romans who called this out, but the covenant people, Christ’s covenant brothers and sisters.

No one stood up for Jesus. Peter had denied him, all the disciples had fled, and the covenant people were calling out for him to be crucified. The Son of God was made to be lower than the worst criminal.

Even though Jesus Christ was innocent, not guilty at all, he was still covered with sin. Not his own sins, but our sins. All of our sins were laid on him. The sinful words we speak, our pride, our greed, our selfishness, our disrespect to our parents, our arguing…all of these sins are what made innocent Jesus covered in sins. He allowed himself to be humiliated, to be made lower than the worst criminal, to have all of our sins laid on him for our sakes. He allowed himself to be punished as though he was full of sin because of his love for us.

Always remember this love of your Saviour. He became the Passover lamb for you. He allowed himself to be made guilty for you. Even more, he went to the cross for you!

Reflection with your child:

Why did Christ allow himself to be punished even though he had done nothing wrong?

Source: Sermon by Rev R. Vermeulen