The Plea Bargain
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”John 9:41 NLT
When a man is arrested and brought into court for a crime he is accused of committing, there is a pretrial hearing called an arraignment, as I’m sure you know. Prior to this hearing, the accused (defendant) meets with his attorney and they discuss all the various options available based on the evidence the prosecution has.
Regardless of the defendant’s guilt or innocence, however, the prosecuting attorneys (prosecution) may propose a “deal” to the defendant. This plea bargain is an arrangement between the prosecutor and the defendant whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence or an agreement to drop other, more serious, charges.
The purpose of the plea bargain is to allow the prosecution to successfully “win” the case without the need for taking the time and money necessary for holding a full-blown trial, especially when the evidence against the accused is overwhelming.
At the arraignment, a judge reads aloud the charges against the defendant, now in accordance with whatever plea bargain may have been made. Once the judge affirms the defendant’s understanding of his rights and the charges against him, the defendant is then given an opportunity to enter his plea to those formal charges. If the defendant pleads “not guilty,” the judge will set a date for trial. If the defendant pleads “guilty,” the judge may either issue sentencing immediately (for a misdemeanor) or set a later date to do so. None of this is really new information for you, of course, as we’ve all seen plenty of crime programs and movies to understand the basic process.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.Psalm 14:1-3
Okay, so you understand how it all works. But do you see that you stand accused? Most of us naturally compare ourselves to others, ignoring the standard of moral living that exists beyond us, recognizing only that we are “better” than the other guy. Unfortunately, that’s not quite how the law works.
The defendant in our example above will not be “compared” to the next guy that comes into the courtroom. That defendant will be judged and sentenced according to the charges brought against him, having been compared to the law and what the penal code says the penalty is for having committed the crimes for which he was accused and found guilty, by plea or by trial.
Certainly, the judge has some wiggle room in regards to sentencing, but the judgment itself is performed against an established law, a governing ordinance that specifies a given action (or inaction) to be unlawful. A person who only commits one murder in the first degree will receive only one death penalty. A person who murders twenty others will also receive only one death penalty. A judge or jury doesn’t look more favorably on one than the other, neither are they compared one to the other, for both have committed murder and both have fallen short of mankind’s expectations. God’s law, His standard of living, is used to judge how we live accordingly. He does not compare us one to the other, but rather each of us is judged by our own actions according to God’s own unchanging Law. As a result of that judgment, we “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard
And while many are unaware of the consequences for breaking God’s laws, ignorantia juris non excusat, (ignorance of the law is no excuse):
“If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible.”Leviticus 5:17
So everyone who rejects the truth of God will still be found guilty when their time for judgment comes. It doesn’t matter if one believes in God or not, but rather it’s how one lives his life according to the LORD’s commands that is important. And since we saw above that we all have fallen short of God’s glorious standard, what hope can any of us have of being exonerated?
For the wages of sin is death.Romans 6:23a
And if the penalty for each, any, and every sin (or the breaking of God’s commandments or laws) is death, where does that leave us?
Well, that’s the Good News that the apostle Paul is telling us. He continues there in verse 23:
But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 6:23b
The Deal
And this is the Plea Bargain. Long before we appear before God’s judgment throne, the Holy Spirit approaches us (in our hearts and minds) and offers us this deal. He lays it out plainly for us.
He tells us, “You are clearly guilty. You have broken God’s commands. Period. The death penalty awaits you in the hereafter. It doesn’t matter if you choose to deny what comes next, it will still come. Like gravity, you don’t have to believe in it, but though you may do nothing but stand, it will still eventually bring you to your knees.
“But I’ve come to offer you a choice: Proclaim your innocence, as all fools do, and I guarantee a swift and final conviction, where you will spend eternity on death row, awaiting an appeal that will never come.
“Or, if you are willing, declare your guilt! Confess to the Judge that you have been rebellious to His commands and have treated His Court with contempt. And I promise, if you throw yourself on the mercy of the Court, I will plead with the Judge on your behalf.”
But many don’t accept this plea bargain. They don’t believe that the charges are real because they don’t believe the Law or the Court really exist. They do believe that by “ignoring” the Law, they can circumvent the Law. Unfortunately for them, as we noted earlier, ignorance of the Law (ignoring the Law) is no excuse. Just like closing your eyes doesn’t make you invisible, closing your eyes to the Truth doesn’t make it false.
And so we each live our lives in the present, giving little thought to eternity, because we really can’t wrap our minds around the concept. We all want to live forever, but we don’t understand why. Surely we don’t want to live forever in this broken world where nothing seems right and there is so much pain, suffering and death.
So why do we try so hard to prolong the agony? Why do so many fear death? Is it because we truly believe there is nothing after life, or is it because we know that there is?
The Arraignment
On the day of the arraignment, I will come before the Judge with the Holy Spirit sitting across from me at the prosecutor’s table. The Judge reads the list of charges against me, and I shake my head as He recounts each and every thing I ever did. He glares at me and demands, “How do you plea?”
I glance across the table to the Prosecutor, and He nods.
I respond, “Guilty as charged, your Honor.”
He then looks at the Prosecutor and asks, “Do you have anything else to add before I pass sentence?”
He then responds, “May I approach the bench?”
As the Judge and the Prosecutor confer, I am filled with shame and remorse, acknowledging in that moment that I do indeed deserve the death penalty. As they finish speaking in private, I hear the Judge ask Him, “Are you sure?”
The Verdict
Then the Judge turns to me and bellows, “The defendant shall rise!” I stand and He says, “I understand that the Prosecution and the defense have reached an agreement, is that true?”
I acknowledge, “Yes, that is correct.”
“You understand that by pleading guilty to these charges, you place yourself under the full weight and penalty of this Court?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Do you have any last words before I pass sentence?”
I stand quiet and still.
“Very well. According to My Law and everything that is good, I hereby sentence you to eternal death; that is, life without the possibility of parole. Never again will you be allowed to walk among the living. You are to be cursed and cut off from all goodness and, indeed, you are never to know rest.”
“O, Dear LORD, have mercy on me!” I wail, as I collapse to my knees and sob.
At that moment, the Courtroom doors burst open and a Man dressed in white appears, who then walks briskly towards the Bench, “Wait!” He howls.
“What is the meaning of this?” demands the Judge.
“Your Honor, I respectfully request that you let this one go,” the Man declares.
“I’m sorry, son, this one has already pleaded guilty to the charges. Sentencing is complete. Unless you have new evidence that could overturn this one’s plea, there is nothing for you to say.”
“My LORD,” the Man in White says slowly, “I would like to serve as a substitute. I would like to accept the penalty on his behalf, and pay the wages for this one’s sins.”
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.Isaiah 53:4-6
The Judge responded, “This will set a major precedent! If I were to allow it, then everyone who comes after him must also be permitted this substitutionary opportunity. Don’t you understand? Are you suggesting the exoneration of anyone willing to plead guilty to their crimes? And are you willing to accept the penalty for every criminal that will come through those doors?”
“I am, My LORD,” Jesus says.
“Even though the penalty is death!?”
“It is the only Way. If I don’t do this, there will be no one to abide with you in Your Kingdom.”
“But they are ALL guilty!”
“Yes, of course they are,” says Jesus.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.1 John 1:8-10 NLT
If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.1 John 2:4-6 NLT
“But Father, at least give them each a chance to enter their plea. If they claim innocence, you must declare them guilty! But if they acknowledge their guilt before you, I implore You to exonerate them because of what I am accomplishing here today.”
The Court falls silent and still, and only my quiet sobbing can be heard. And then . . .
“So it shall be!” booms the Judge, and His gavel crashes on the surface of the bench as the entire ground shakes beneath me.
As the rumbling of the earth subsides, Jesus turns and walks over to me. Then, lifting my chin and cupping my face in His hands, He looks deeply into my soul and says:
“It is finished.”
