He wasn't a victim

 I am writing this on Friday April 18, 2025 Good Friday. These past few weeks, I have been restudying the events of that first Easter weekend, from Thursday night through the resurrection and what John and Paul say that this means to all of us. One thing that stood out to me this time around is something that I have noticed before but it didn't stand out as it did this time. The thing that stood out to me is that Jesus suffered many things, but he was never a victim. 

Going back over my 67+ years of reading, hearing, and studying the events of that weekend, I have realized that many times (although I have no doubt that it was unintentional) Jesus has been portrayed as a victim on Thursday night and Friday. What I hope to show is that the Bible shows that Jesus was never a victim, he was not only in control, he kept the show going when I looked like it might not happen. Let's begin.

Let's start with Thursday night. The Last Supper has taken place, Jesus is in the garden where he has just finished praying 3 times to God the Father about the cup that he is about to partake. The guard shows up with Judas and John tells us this exchange.

John 18:3-6

3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)

6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Jesus meets the guard and ask them who do you want and hearing their answer Jesus says, "I am" he. It is one of the times that Jesus declares himself as I am, which is the name God gave Moses telling him who God was. 

Do you see the response? Just that verbal declaration forces the soldiers backwards and they go down.  With that one statement Jesus shows his power and sees to it that none of the people with Jesus are taken into custody.  After this one of Jesus' disciples draws a sword cuts the ear off one of them and now see Jesus' reaction from Luke 22:50-51

And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

Jesus rebuked his disciples and healed the man's ear. Again Jesus was in control.

Now we come to the mock trial. Even then look at what Mark says happened. Mark 14:55-59

55 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.

jesus was on trial right where the chief priests wanted him but yet, they couldn't find anything to charge him with. so they asked Jesus directly and if Jesus remained silent like he had been doing this whole time, they had nothing, but instead Jesus spoke up and said this  Mark 14:61b-65

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

So instead of Jesus staying silent, Jesus answers with a phrase declaring himself to be the Son of Man. A title from Daniel 7 that declared him as being God. And with that the trial had done its job and the physical abuse kicked into high gear.

Then the Chief Priests take him to the Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate and notice the frank exchange that Jesus has with Pilate. Jesus talks frankly and not as someone who is on trial.  John 18:33-37

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Then we come to his death. Here we see that before the Romans started breaking the legs of the men being crucified, Jesus declared that it was finished. in Greek the word is Tetelesti. It means paid in full. our sinful debts had been paid and now Jesus died on his own terms and not as others thought.  John 19:30.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I hope that you see that through all of this Jesus was in control. That doesn't diminish the pain and suffering that he went through, but I think it gives the story more gravitas. 

Now after reading these things think of what Paul declared in Philippians 3:10

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

and agian in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 

I could go on but and I hope that whoever reading this will do just that. just remember that it was no accident that Jesus took our punishment upon him so that we could be with him and to know him.

"It was almost like a song_"..... except in this case it was a Psalm.

Have you heard anyone say a line from a song and immediately your mind keeps the song going. Maybe when reading this title, you thought of Ronnie Milsap's song titled "It was almost like a song, but much too sad to write". I believe that most if not all of us have done that and that is not new to our generation. They did that back in Bible times.   

During that day that we often refer to as Good Friday, Jesus did just that while hanging on the cross. The book of Psalms is really a book of songs and every boy would have learned that back in his youth from school and every family would have taught them to all their kids at home.

So when Jesus said "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and so the people there would have automatically remembered the lyrics from Psalm 22. The text even reveals that this happened through the way that the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked him by saying - "He trusts in God, let God deliver him now, For he said, "I am the Son of God" (Matthew 27:43) and compare that to Psalm 22:8 - "He trusts in the Lord, let him rescue him, for he delights in him.

Psalm 22 was written by the Israelite king David. The verses of that song describes the pain of the crucifixion that Jesus endured. The images that they portray are very powerful. They are so powerful that the 70's rock band, The Guess Who added a few of those verses to the end of their song "Hang on to your life" Here is a YouTube link to their song. They quote verses 13-15. Those are not the only intense verses from this song.

As I close this post, I will leave you with the song as translated by the ESV Bible. They go like this:

Psalm 22

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

3 Yet you are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In you our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 To you they cried and were rescued;

in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

8 He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

10 On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me;

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17 I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will perform before those who fear him.

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before you.

28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.