The Father's Verdict: Glory Revealed at the Cross

Matthew 27 sets Jesus before the world as a condemned criminal, and the shock of the cross is that the Son of God is killed by the state as though he were nothing more than a failed troublemaker. Matthew does not linger over the grueling details of crucifixion, because Matthew is pointing to where the glory of the cross is really found. The soldiers render their verdict first. They strip Jesus, dress him in a scarlet robe, press thorns into his head, put a reed in his hand, and say, “Hail, king of the Jews,” as though royal glory could never belong to a beaten Nazarene.

Mockery becomes fallen humanity’s way of putting God’s glory “back in its place.” Goliath laughed at David, Sarah laughed at the promise, and the soldiers laugh at Christ. Pride says it knows where glory belongs, and pride cannot imagine glory hidden in weakness, humility, and suffering. Yet Matthew shows the irony all through the scene. Humans think they are doing one thing, but heaven knows it is doing something else. The soldiers think they are disproving Jesus’ claims, but Psalm 22 and Psalm 69 testify that their very actions prove who he is.

Psalm 22 stands behind the whole scene. Jesus finds no compassion, not even from Simon of Cyrene, who carries the cross only because Rome compels him. The soldiers divide his garments and cast lots, just as the psalm said. The sign above his head says, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews,” and even though Rome means it as mockery, God’s word bears witness that it is true.

The crowds, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, and even the robbers all render the same verdict. If Jesus is the Son of God, he should come down from the cross. Their assumption is simple, the Son of God should conquer by escape, not by remaining there. But Christianity without the cross becomes a genie religion, always demanding rescue on its own terms. Christianity with the cross learns to say in suffering, “Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.”

God renders the final verdict. Darkness covers the land at noon, Jesus cries out the opening line of Psalm 22, the temple curtain tears from top to bottom, the earth shakes, the rocks split, and the tombs open. The Father speaks through all of it, not with ordinary words, but with signs from heaven and earth. The hardened Roman centurion finally says what Matthew has been showing all along: “Truly, this was the Son of God.” The cross looked like defeat to the world, but heaven declared it victory.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Mockery misreads hidden glory Mockery often comes from pride that thinks it already knows what glory should look like. The soldiers thought Jesus needed to be put in his place, but their laughter only exposed how blind fallen eyes can be before God’s work. God had placed glory in the lowly Christ, and the world called it a joke because it could not imagine majesty clothed in suffering. [31:49]
• 2. The cross proves Jesus’ identity The cross looked like the denial of everything Jesus claimed, but Matthew shows it as the clearest confirmation. Psalm 22 and Psalm 69 stand as witnesses while the soldiers, crowds, and priests unknowingly fulfill the very Scriptures that testify to him. What humanity used to tear Jesus down became heaven’s evidence that he truly is the Son of God. [40:20]
• 3. Suffering tests the desired Christ The crowds wanted a Christ who would come down from the cross, and that same demand still hides in wounded hearts. Hardship can tempt a soul to say, “If you are the Son of God, fix this,” as though divine love must always mean immediate rescue. The cross reveals a deeper glory, a Redeemer who does not merely remove suffering, but redeems through it. [47:12]
• 4. God’s verdict outranks every other Everyone at Golgotha interpreted the cross, but only the Father’s verdict stood true. Culture, circumstances, disappointment, and human sight all try to say who Jesus is, but God has already spoken. Discipleship begins when human eyes stop defining glory and receive God’s definition instead. [58:12]
• 5. Heaven sees victory in weakness The soldiers saw a humiliated criminal, but the Father saw his beloved Son accomplishing redemption. Darkness, the torn curtain, the earthquake, and the opened tombs all testified that Jesus’ death was not the end, but the beginning of something new. The cross of Calvary was not defeat, but the place where God’s saving power was displayed.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:16] - Matthew 27 and the Shock of the Cross
• [23:39] - The World Renders Its Verdict
• [24:19] - Soldiers Mock the King
• [29:58] - Mockery and Fallen Pride
• [33:21] - Humans Mock, Heaven Vindicates
• [35:12] - Golgotha and No Compassion
• [37:10] - Matthew Points Beyond the Pain
• [40:20] - Scripture Witnesses to Jesus
• [43:28] - Crowds Demand He Come Down
• [46:57] - Christianity With the Cross
• [49:41] - Darkness Over the Land
• [51:31] - Jesus Cries Out Psalm 22
• [54:54] - The Father Gives His Verdict
• [58:12] - Whose Verdict Matters Most?

Bible Reading

Matthew 27:27-54
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” [21:21]

Psalm 22:1-31
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 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; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 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! 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. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 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. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. [25:35]

Psalm 69:20-21
Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. [36:44]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 27:27-37, what specific things do the soldiers do to mock Jesus as a king? [27:08]
2. What details in Matthew 27 match the language of Psalm 22, especially the mockery, the wagging heads, and the dividing of garments? [45:57]
3. In this passage, who speaks against Jesus, and what kinds of things do they say about him while he is on the cross? [57:04]
4. What signs take place after Jesus dies, and how does the centurion respond to what he sees? [54:34]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Matthew give so much attention to the mockery around the cross instead of dwelling on the physical details of crucifixion? What does that help the reader see more clearly about Jesus? [38:01]
2. The people at the cross assume that if Jesus is truly the Son of God, he should come down. What does that reveal about the kind of Messiah they wanted, and how can that same expectation still shape people today? [48:09]
3. Jesus cries out the opening line of Psalm 22 in the darkness. How does that psalm help explain what is happening at the cross, not only in suffering but also in final vindication? [52:08]
4. Everyone at Golgotha renders a verdict about Jesus, but the Father gives the final verdict through darkness, the torn curtain, the earthquake, and the centurion’s confession. What does this show about the difference between human judgment and God’s judgment? [57:34]

Application questions

1. Mockery often grows out of pride that thinks it already knows what glory should look like. Where is there a temptation to overlook quiet faithfulness because something else seems more impressive? [42:15]
2. Many people would never openly say, “Come down from the cross,” but in suffering the heart can still say, “If you really love me, fix this now.” When has that kind of struggle shown up in life, and what would it look like to bring that honestly before God? [47:40]
3. Christianity without the cross turns into a faith that only wants quick rescue. In a hard situation right now, what might it mean to pray, “Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done,” without pretending the pain is small? [47:24]
4. The cross teaches that God’s glory is often hidden beneath weakness, humility, and sacrifice. Is there a place in life right now where God may be at work in a way that does not look impressive on the surface? [49:11]
5. Culture, circumstances, and disappointment all try to tell people who Jesus is. Which of those voices tends to be the loudest, and how can God’s word be given more weight in that area? [59:10]
6. The centurion finally says, “Truly this was the Son of God.” What would it look like to move from simply knowing the facts of the cross to actually trusting God’s verdict about Jesus? [01:00:18]
7. Discipleship begins when people stop defining glory for themselves and receive God’s definition instead. Where might there be a need to let God reshape what success, strength, or victory looks like? [01:00:36]