32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
– Mark 14:32-36

“Gethsemane” – in Hebrew, it means “oil press.” One must have been nearby where oil was squeezed from olives. Yet on this night, it was Jesus who was being pressed. Verse 33 cites that He was “deeply distressed and troubled.” In the Technicolor of the Greek language where words describe emotions, Jesus is literally “struck with terror.” As a result, verse 35 says He fell to the ground and prayed. Again, the Greek more vividly describes Jesus falling to the ground repeatedly in prayer. And it is His prayer that grips the heart of every parent. In verse 36, He prays, “Abba, Father.” “Abba” is a term of endearment. Jesus is praying, “Daddy please! Don’t make me do this. Yet if you say I have to, I will.”

Jesus always knew things others did not. He called Zacchaeus by name without an introduction. He told a woman at a well her life story at their first meeting. He told Peter he would deny Him hours before the act. Because Jesus knew all things, He also knew what was about to happen to Him. That is why He agonized in prayer.

In his book, Behold the Man!, Chuck Swindoll identifies what Jesus endured from His cries in Gethsemane to His crucifixion at Golgotha. He suggests the following timeline of the last fourteen hours of Jesus’ life.¹

The Last Fourteen Hours of Jesus’ Life

1:00 a.m. Prays in Gethsemane (Matthew, Mark, Luke)
1:30 a.m. Betrayed by Judas (Mark 14:43-46; John 18:12)
2:00 a.m. Questioned by Annas (John 18:13-23)
3:00 a.m. Unofficially tried by Caiaphas (Matthew 26:57-68; John 18:24)
6:00 a.m. Formal trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71)
6:30 a.m. First interrogation by Pilate (Matthew 27; Luke 23; John 18)
7:00 a.m. Seen and mocked by Herod (Luke 23:8-12)
7:30 a.m. Final judgment by Pilate (All Gospels)
8:00 a.m. Scourged in the Praetorium (All Gospels)
9:00 a.m. Nailed to the Cross (All Gospels)
12:00 p.m. Darkness falls (Matthew, Mark, Luke)
3:00 p.m. Jesus dies (All Gospels)

Jesus knew this was about to happen to Him, so He agonized in prayer. Today, all know that it did happen to Him, and many ask the question, “Who is to blame?

Who Is To Blame?

When an injustice has been committed, many want to know who is to blame. They want to make it right by holding accountable those who committed the wrong. Sadly, in the case of reactionary justice, two wrongs are committed and two wrongs never make a right. Therefore if you want to know who is to blame for the death of Jesus, carefully examine the facts.

Those Who Performed It?
The first suspects to consider are the Roman soldiers. Both the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus mention the crucifixion of Jesus. John 19:16-18 says it was performed by Roman soldiers,

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others-one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

If you are looking for a smoking gun, you will find it in the “cat-o’-nine tails” used to scourge Him, the crown of thorns used to mock Him, and the cross and nails used to crucify Him. You will find all of these in the hands of the Roman soldiers.

Yet to their defense, they could say, “We were only carrying out orders.” In their minds, the smoking gun belongs to the one who gave the orders.

The One Who Permitted It?
The second suspect is Pontius Pilate. John 19:16 indicates that he gave the orders for Jesus to be crucified. Furthermore, a closer look at the proceedings could cause one to say that he ordered a murder.

Since 1973, 113 people in 25 states have been released from death row because of evidence proving their innocence. They were on death row as innocent men who had been misjudged as guilty. Yet when they were found not guilty, they were set free. This was not true in Jesus’ case. In Luke’s account of the proceedings, listen to Pilate’s judgment of Jesus.

Luke 23:4 – “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
Luke 23:14 – “I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.”
Luke 23:15 – “Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he as done nothing to deserve death.”
Luke 23:22 – “I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.”

However, in verse 24, Pilate will do something contrary to all jurisprudence. He executes a man found innocent. Thus, Pilate is responsible for the death of Jesus.

Those Who Persuaded It?
A closer look at Luke 23:23-25 reveals another set of suspects. It implies that Pilate permits the death of Jesus to appease a crowd. The Bible says,

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder(Barabbas), the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

This was a mob incited by the Sanhedrin. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin began plotting Jesus’ death (John 11:45-53). The soldiers, Pilate and the Sanhedrin all had their hand on the smoking gun. But could there be more?

Those Responsible For It?
A disturbing report surfaced recently. A national poll of 1,200 American adults was conducted December 1-4, 2003, by The Marttila Communications Group of Boston. They discovered that 25 percent of those surveyed believed the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus.² According to this study, one out of four Americans blames the Jews for the death of Jesus.

Over the years, this is what I have learned about those who play the blame game. They always look for who is accountable to avoid asking, “How am I responsible?” Though the soldiers performed it, Pilate permitted it, and the Sanhedrin persuaded it, the Bible says we are all responsible for the death of Jesus.

The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”and in Isaiah 53:6,“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Before you look for others to blame, you need to look at your own hands. Your hands held the whip. Your hands gripped the hammer.Your hands pressed His thorny crown. It was your hands that crucified Jesus because it was your sins that caused His crucifixion.

The One Who Premeditated It?
Before we see all our hands on the smoking gun, there is truly only one set of hands responsible for Jesus’ death. God is the one solely responsible. He premeditated it and allowed it.

Both Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:20 say that God chose to crucify Jesus before He even created the world. Knowing we would sin, God knew He would need a savior. And Jesus knew He would be crucified. In Matthew 26:2, Jesus told His disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away-and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Not only did God premeditate Jesus’ death, but Jesus allowed it. Jesus said in John 10:18, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Furthermore, Jesus knew He had the authority stop it at any time. During the skirmish in Gethsemane when Peter draws his sword cutting off a soldier’s ear, Jesus says in Matthew 26:52-54,

52 “Put your sword back in its place,”Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

If you need someone to blame for the crucifixion of Jesus, blame God. He premeditated it and allowed it. But when you understand why God crucified Jesus, you will not want to blame Him, but thank Him.

Why Did God Do It?

I cannot imagine God’s agony in allowing His Son to be crucified. I read that in the National Gallery of Art in London there is an uncomfortable painting of the crucifixion of Christ. It is uncomfortable because it forces you to study it. At first glance, the colors are so dark and shadowy you cannot see much. After a while, however, your eyes adjust and you see the image of Jesus suffering on the cross. If you stay and study the painting more, your eyes adjust further and you see the presence of God. There is a look of unimaginable grief on His face as His hands hold up His son on the cross.

Some look briefly at the crucifixion of Jesus and are unmoved. Others look longer and recognize Jesus’ suffering and become uncomfortable. But those who dare to look deeper into the picture of Jesus’ crucifixion will learn why God agonized through the premeditated death of His Son. They will be numbered among the fortunate few who will forever be unable to see Jesus’ death and their life as before. They will understand why God did it.

To Reclaim What Was Lost
Of the many reasons why God crucified Jesus, one was to reclaim what was lost. Genesis 3:8-9 explains what was lost;

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Adam and Even had been created by God and placed in the Garden of Eden. They were the perfect man and woman in the perfect place. Everything was so perfect that God could walk and talk with them at any time. Yet when Adam and Eve sinned against God, everything changed. They hid themselves from God out of shame, and God asked, “Where are you?” because they were lost.

Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden. They lost their condition with God – perfection. They lost their location with God – Eden. And they lost their relation with God – walking together. Because it was lost for us by one man, Adam, God sought to reclaim it by one man, Jesus. Romans 5:18-19 explains,

18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Adam made everything wrong. Jesus makes everything right. By his sin, Adam has caused all of us to all walk away from God. But Jesus, by His sacrifice, gives everyone the opportunity to walk with God once again. Though Adam has caused all of us to fall, Jesus gives us all the opportunity to be forgiven. For the chance to walk again with us, God crucified Jesus.

To Lose What Had Been Captured
God not only crucified Jesus to reclaim what had been lost, but to also loose what had been captured. It is similar to the tragic story of Shoichi Yokoi. When the tide of World War II changed, this Japanese soldier fled to a cave on the island of Guam. There he lived for twenty-eight years, coming out only at night to fill his stomach with a diet of frogs, rats, shrimp, nuts and mangoes. Even when he deduced that the war was over, he maintained his state of self exile for fear of being executed if he was ever discovered. Only after two hunters found him and escorted him out did he experience the true freedom that had been available to him for over twenty years.³

There are many who are still living the tragic story of Shoichi Yokoi. It is a spiritual tragedy. You live in the cave of your own sinful nature existing on a diet of guilt, obsession, bitterness, jealousy, sexual immorality, pride and hopelessness. Your stomach is filled with the frogs and rats of life when you know there must be something better. God crucified Jesus to give you an opportunity at a better life. This is briefly explained in Romans 6:19;

19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

God crucified Jesus to set you free from your sinful way of life. When you are a slave to sin you may live in a castle, but it feels like a cave. You may be served the finest meals, but the aftertaste is of rats and frogs. However, when you are a slave to righteousness you may live in a cave, but it feels like a castle. Your meals may be meager but they taste like a feast. God crucified Jesus to set you free from your cave of sin so you could walk free and fulfilled with Him.

To Remind You of His Love
Of the many reasons why God crucified Jesus, one of the most compelling is found in Romans 5:6-8. It reads,

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Verse 6 describes the state of humanity prior to Jesus’ crucifixion. We were “ungodly” and “still powerless” to do anything about it. We were lost to God, existing in our cave of sin unable to change our way of life. Yet verses 6-8 not only tell what Jesus did, they explain why He did it.

The last of verse 6 says, “Christ died for the ungodly.” God required a perfect sacrifice to pay the debt for our sins. We were ungodly and therefore powerless to meet God’s demands, so Jesus, who was perfect, did it for us. Yet God makes it clear in verses 7-8 that the emphasis should not be on the fact that only Jesus COULD die for us. The emphasis should be on the truth that only Jesus WOULD die for us. Verse seven mentions the rare times when one might die for a righteous or good man. Even Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” However, Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Greater love may cause you to die for your friends, but the greatest love will cause you to die for your foes. That is why God crucified Jesus, to demonstrate the greatest love for us.

It’s Your Move

The word “demonstrates” in verse 8 is an interesting word. It means to “exhibit” or “billboard.” It was written in the present tense to convey God’s intent. God’s desire was for the cross of Christ to act as a billboard along the highway of life. It was to be a forever reminder of God’s love for you and a forever request for you to return your love to Him.

Though I have not seen it, I am told that there is a large billboard that catches your attention as you travel along highway I-10 in Louisiana. It stands high above a city just as you start to cross the Mississippi River bridge. On the billboard is a picture of Jesus on the cross with His head bowed. The caption underneath says in bold letters, "It's Your Move!"⁴

It is your move. What will you do with what Jesus has done for you? As someone who is lost, will you continue to follow Adam’s steps and walk away from God, or will you accept Jesus’ sacrifice and begin walking with God? If you have already made that move and are no longer lost, let me ask you a different question. As a believer, are you still living in the cave of your own sin, or are you claiming God’s forgiveness of your sins and His freedom from your sins? Because God crucified Christ you are no longer completely powerless. You have a choice. You can choose to either continue to walk away from Him or turn from your sins and walk with Him. You can either exist in a cave of your own sins, or choose to live free from your sins because of Him. God has done everything He can to give you this choice. Now, it’s your move.

©2007 Dr. Mark Becton