By Pastor Stephen Hess –
Every few years it seems like there is a courtroom trial that captures the nation’s attention. Courtroom trials fascinate us because they often involve fascinating people, shocking stories, and compelling arguments. But the moment most people look forward to in a courtroom trial is the verdict. That moment when a person is declared either “guilty” or “not guilty” is the climactic moment of the trial that finally reveals how the drama will end.
Recently it occurred to me that when a defendant is declared by a judge to be “not guilty” there is something misleading about those words. Of course, when it comes to a particular crime those words may be accurate. For instance, if someone is wrongfully accused of robbing a bank and the evidence proves that they are not guilty then they are rightly acquitted of such a crime. However, in a broader sense, no human being can be rightfully declared to be “not guilty” because we are all guilty of sin in one form or another.
The Bible describes the universal nature of sin in various ways. The prophet Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Isa. 53:6). The Apostle Paul says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Rom. 3:10-11). He adds, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). From a Biblical perspective no one can claim to be without sin or guilt. When we stand before the divine judge, we should all be declared “guilty.”
Jesus was the only man in human history who had no sin or guilt. 1 Peter 2:22 says, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 1 John 3:5 says, “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.” This reality is proclaimed in an unusual way in Luke’s gospel by a Roman centurion who witnessed the death of Jesus. After Jesus died the centurion praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Lk. 23:47).
There is a difference between being declared “not guilty” and being declared “innocent.” As I said above, a person can be declared “not guilty” of a particular crime but still fail to be innocent because they are a sinner. But when the centurion declared Jesus “innocent” he was making a significant statement. He was, in effect, declaring that Jesus was the one who had no sin or guilt and was executed as a completely innocent man.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus was condemned so that we could be acquitted. Because Jesus had no sins of his own, he could die for the sins of others. As the prophet Isaiah says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). Or as the Apostle Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24).
It is only because Jesus was innocent that we can be acquitted of our guilt. The Bible says that when we place our faith in Jesus we are justified or “declared righteous” before God. The reason we can be declared righteous before the judge is because Christ took our guilt and we have been covered with his righteousness. Therefore, this Easter don’t miss the significance of the words of the centurion: “Certainly this man was innocent!” Indeed, Jesus was innocent, and that is good news for us all.