Jesus Sent to the Cross

John 18:28 - 19:42

We learned from the story of scripture so far that our God is a sending God. A God who willingly meets humans in their most desperate state. A God who seeks out and serves.

Today, we read about Pilate and the Jewish leaders sending Jesus to the cross. And while it is true that these people sent Jesus to die, Jesus makes it clear that a bigger act of “sending” is happening now. God was sending Himself to die on that cross. The Father used the evil of Pilate and the Jewish leaders to send Jesus to the cross for the good of all humanity.

Look at what Jesus says in John 18:36.

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.”

If this was simply a story of a corrupt government condemning an innocent man to die, Jesus and His followers would’ve fought back. But Jesus is not only an innocent man. He is also God in flesh, sent from the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Jesus knows that He is sent to die and embraces His sentness as He is mocked on trial.

Yes, it looks like Pilate is sending Jesus to die, but Jesus knows it is the Father sending Him to that cross. Look again at what Jesus says in verse 11, “Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason, the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”

Jesus is the King, but he gave up His throne to die the brutal and humiliating death we read about today. What other king would embrace that kind of service? What other king would send himself to the front lines of battle knowing he would die?

When Jesus was sent to the cross, it was not glamorous or celebrated. It was humiliating and painful. We will never comprehend what Jesus experienced as He was sent to die. Jesus died the death necessary for us to be reconciled to God - what a gift sent from the Father.

Despite all that Jesus endured, He did not gripe or complain. He embraced His sentness and loved His enemies as He went to the cross. When being sent feels difficult, humiliating, or uncomfortable, let us look to our King, who embraced great pain to be sent to us.