Innocent or Guilty

In one paragraph

On Palm Sunday, Pastor Nathan walked through the trials and crucifixion of Jesus by tracking a single thread: declaration after declaration that Jesus was innocent. He asked the congregation to sit with that fact before turning it around and asking the harder question, which is whether we ourselves can say the same. The sermon opened with a question that had struck Pastor Nathan while reviewing...

Read together

1. Matthew 26:57-68 Jesus led to Caiaphas, false testimony sought, high priest questions him about being the Christ
2. Matthew 26:69-75 Peter's three denials in the courtyard, rooster crows
3. Matthew 27:1-2 chief priests and elders confer to put Jesus to death and hand him to Pilate
4. Matthew 27:3-4 Judas returns the thirty pieces of silver declaring he betrayed innocent blood
5. Matthew 27:15-19 Pilate offers to release Barabbas or Jesus at Passover feast, his wife warns him about the righteous man
6. John 18:28-38 Jesus brought to Praetorium, Pilate questions him about his kingdom and truth, declares no grounds for charges
7. Luke 23:6-12 Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, who mocks him and sends him back without judgment
8. Luke 23:13-25 Pilate declares no basis for charges a third time, crowd demands Barabbas, Pilate hands Jesus over
9. John 19:1-12 flogging, crown of thorns, Pilate again finds no grounds, Jews threaten him with Caesar
10. John 19:4-6 Pilate brings Jesus out wearing crown of thorns, says behold the man, declares no grounds for charges
11. Luke 23:32-43 two criminals led out with Jesus, penitent thief declares Jesus has done nothing wrong and asks to be remembered
12. Luke 23:44-49 darkness, veil torn, Jesus entrusts his spirit to the Father, centurion declares the man was innocent
13. Mark 15:39 centurion calls Jesus the Son of God
14. Psalm 14 quoted via Romans 3 that there is no righteous person, not even one
15. Psalm 53 noted as identical to Psalm 14, quoted via Romans 3
16. Psalm 5 venom of asps under their lips, quoted via Romans 3
17. Psalm 59 feet swift to shed blood, destruction and misery in their path, quoted via Romans 3
18. Romans 3:10-18 extended quotation that no one is righteous and all are accountable to God
19. Romans 3:21-26 righteousness of God revealed through faith in Christ, propitiation in his blood, God the justifier of those who believe
20. 1 John 1:8-10 if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves; if we confess sins he is faithful to forgive and cleanse
21. John 3:16 whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life

Talk about it

1. The pastor walked through eight declarations of Jesus' innocence, from Judas all the way to the Roman centurion. Which one of those struck you most, and why do you think that particular voice carries weight?
2. Pilate said 'I find no grounds at all for charges in his case' and then had Jesus flogged anyway. What does that tell us about what fear and political pressure can do to a person's conscience?
3. The penitent thief said 'we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes, but this man has done nothing wrong.' The pastor said what it took was the thief's recognition of his own guilt alongside his recognition of Jesus' innocence. Why do you think both of those recognitions matter together?
4. The pastor pointed to Romans 3 and 1 John 1 to argue that the honest answer to 'am I innocent or guilty?' is that we are all guilty. Is that a hard thing to sit with honestly, or does it actually bring some kind of relief? Why?
5. The sermon described Barabbas going free while Jesus, the innocent one, was handed over. The pastor called that foreshadowing. In what ways do you see your own story in Barabbas rather than in the disciples or the crowds?