He was Assigned a Grave with the Wicked

Thanks Morguefile.com

Isaiah, who worked as a prophet from 740 B.C. to at least 681 B.C., wrote prophetically of the Messiah. In Isaiah 53:9, he tells us:

"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth."

This prophecy was fulfilled as the rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, kindly donated his own grave and obtained the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, then placed the Lord in his own grave.

Remember that death is the ultimate consequence of sin. (See the March 19 post, "The Prophecy in the Crown of Thorns.") Only the wicked—meaning those who sin—die. Without sin, there is no consequence of death. Jesus was sinless. He shouldn't have died. He died because he took upon himself the sin of the whole world. (Tweet that!)

The sinless, holy Messiah was laid in a cemetery along with other dead bodies, those of the "wicked" who had died because of their sin. And so Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled. (Tweet that!)

"As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb" (Matthew 27:57-61).

All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us…!”

Thanks Morguefile.com

After Pontius Pilate spoke with Jesus, Pilate tried to get out of making a decision about Jesus by giving the people a chance to release him. But the person the people chose to be released was not Jesus. Instead they chose the criminal Barabbas.

So Pilate washed his hands of all responsibility in the matter – he literally washed his hands to demonstrate this symbolically.

This whole scene had to play out as it did because it was not just the Jewish leaders who conspired to bring about the death of Jesus. And it was not just the Roman leaders or Pilate or the soldiers who did it.

It was the people who crucified Jesus. (Tweet that!)

When Pilate washed his hands of the matter and declared to all the people, "I am innocent of this man's blood… It is your responsibility!" (Matthew 27:24), this is what happened next:

"All the people answered, 'Let his blood be on us and on our children!' " (Matthew 27:25).

Isn't that amazing? Do you think the crowd knew what they were saying? Was this crowd speaking prophecy...that Jesus' blood would be upon them? And upon their children?

For it is the blood of Jesus shed for us that brings us eternal life. His blood atones for our sins. (Tweet that!)

His blood shed instead of ours. His life for your life. His life for my life. (Tweet that!)

It is blood that makes atonement. That is how God set up the whole blood sacrifice system. This is what God said through Moses in Leviticus 17:11*:

"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."

It is the blood that makes atonement for us. Previously it was the blood of sacrificed animals. Until Jesus. Now it is the blood of Jesus that makes atonement for all who will accept it.

If we do not accept this, if his blood is not on us, then we are not saved.

The prophecy the people spoke has been fulfilled:

For all those people throughout the ages who refuse to accept the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, his blood is on their hands, they are guilty, and there is no forgiveness.

For all the people who have accepted the blood of Jesus to make atonement for their sin, they are saved because his blood is on them cleansing them from all sin.

Generations later, we are the children of the people who spoke those words.

Amen. Let his blood be on us! And on our children. (Tweet that!)


*Special note: on these blog posts I often quote the New International Version (1984), which is no longer available online or in stores. That is why the links go to a different version, most likely the English Standard Version, which might be my new favorite version of the Bible. I'm not sure because I haven't decided yet.