Tag Archives: crucified

JOHN’S GOSPEL…HIM THERE – 26

Christian life, ,

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle…. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” …When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭28‬, ‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How inconceivable that this glorious, supremely perfect, unequalled human life should end like this! What had Jesus done to deserve this ignominious death? Naked, bloodied and battered beyond recognition, helplessly skewered to a Roman torture stake, suffocating under the weight of His own body, insulted and mocked by His tormentors, He died! 

Luke inadvertently expressed in two words the absolutely outrageous nature of this event…

“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified HIM THERE, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was He, Jesus, the Son of God, doing there…on a cross…outside Jerusalem…His own royal city…the King of heaven crowned with thorns?

From a human perspective, this was the worst possible way to end any life, let alone the life of God who came from heaven as a man to serve mankind! Was this the most terrible mistake ever made by the God of the universe? Did He lose control of an impossible situation? Did Jesus push His enemies too far? Did He end up the victim of His own ego?  

The Bible has a very different interpretation to an unintelligible event!

First, this situation…detail by detail, was planned before time…

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and prophesied centuries before it happened. 

“Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“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.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His glorious ministry of revelation, caused the truth to spill out of Peter’s mouth…

Quoting an ancient prophecy, Peter declared…

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬, ‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yes, dead on Passover…but alive three days later!

This Jesus, whom the Roman soldiers hung by nails on a cross and watched HIM THERE, is the same Jesus who sits on the throne of heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, the Father. To Him was given the title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

No, the cross was not the end of a beautiful life but the beginning of a new species…sons and daughters of the living God through His mercy and grace. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All this is possible only because the Jews condemned Him to death, and the soldiers carried out the Roman governor’s order, and Jesus was crucified there…on Golgotha…for our sins…and rose again…for our justification, and they watched HIM THERE!

  1. My song is love unknown– 

my Savior’s love to me; 

love to the loveless shown, 

that they might lovely be. 

Oh, who am I, that for my sake 

my Lord should take frail flesh and die?

  1. He came from His blest throne 

salvation to bestow; 

but men made strange, and none 

the longed for Christ would know. 

But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed, 

who at my need His life did spend!

  1. Sometimes they strew His way, 

and His sweet praises sing; 

resounding all the day 

hosannas to their King. 

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath, 

and for His death they thirst and cry.

  1. Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite? 

He made the lame to run;

He gave the blind their sight. 

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these

themselves displease,

and ‘gainst Him rise.

  1. They rise, and needs will have

my dear Lord made away.

A murderer they save; 

the Prince of Life they slay.

Yet cheerful He to suff’ring goes,

that He His foes from thence might free.

  1. In life, no house, no home

my Lord on earth might have;

in death, no friendly tomb

but what a stranger gave.

What may I say? Heav’n was His home;

but mine the tomb wherein He lay.

  1. Here might I stay and sing–

no story so divine!

Never was love, dear King,

never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.

(Author: Samuel Crossman, source: hymnary.org)

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – FORGIVEN!

Bible Study, ,

FORGIVEN!

“Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.

“When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified Him, along with the criminals, one on His right, the other on His left.

“Jesus prayed, ‘Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.’

“Dividing up His clothes, they drew dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, ‘He saved others. Let’s see Him save Himself. The Messiah of God – ha! The Chosen — ha!'” Luke 23:32-35.

Luke’s story has very little detail. It’s almost as though he deliberately pulled the curtain on Jesus’ suffering. He was sensitive and discreet about his descriptions, writing only about those things which related to the character of Jesus and the fulfillment of prophecy – although he didn’t mention that fact in his story. He was writing about the Son of God, not a sensational tabloid account of a criminal’s last hours. Even Jesus’ criminal companions come in for the same kindly discretion.

Right in the middle of this tragic event there stands a shining light of hope for all of them; soldiers, perpetrators, unfeeling crowd, and even the two guilty men hanging on their crosses beside Him. One sentence echoes down through time, embracing everyone, from the first pair who set the ball rolling to every other person who has lived, and will live, to perpetuate the first pair’s rebellion against their Creator.

“‘Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.'”

Jesus encapsulated in His prayer the reason for this heinous deed, the responsibility for which sits squarely on the shoulders of every person who has lived. “They do not know what they are doing.” He extended forgiveness, then, to all of us now, since we have no idea of the implications of our stubborn rebellion against God.

Do you know how far-reaching one act of selfishness can be in your life? One careless word, one lie, one act of treachery or betrayal, one night of lust, one stolen kiss, one impulsive decision, can ruin a life, a family and even an entire community in a split second. We are left with a lifetime to regret what we did in a moment.

The spilt blood of Jesus speaks up for you even in the situations that leave you helpless and condemned. You did not know what you were doing! That does not excuse your behaviour. Jesus’ sacrifice does not remove the responsibility for our sin. He paid the debt by giving His life for ours, blood for blood, so that the Father’s justice would be fully satisfied.

The implications of Jesus’ gift are huge. Not only has the debt of our sin been paid but also the debt of those who have sinned against us. We no longer have the right to punish those who owe us because it is illegal to punish a person twice for the same sin.

This makes the sin of unforgiveness unforgiveable. It would be morally wrong for God to clear our debt if we refuse to clear the debt of someone who owes us. That makes unforgiveness an “unpardonable” sin which can take even a believer into eternal separation from God.

Jesus lived out His own teaching in the midst of His cruellest suffering. He was innocent, yet He forgave those who were responsible for putting Him there. He was there because He chose to be there, willingly submitting to His Father’s will. There was no other way to reconcile God’s wayward sons and daughters to Himself.

Jesus does not expect us to do what He did not do first. He taught us and showed how to live by His own impeccable choice to obey the Father to His last breath. He led the way and calls us to follow. In that there is life!

 

A Unwilling Partner

Bible Study, , , ,

AN UNWILLING PARTNER

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the placed called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’). Then they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. And they crucified Him. Dividing up His clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified Him. (Mark 15: 21-25)

Mark tells his story in short bursts of information – no embellishments; no details; just the bare facts.

After His sleepless night without food to build His strength, walking long distances and having to stand for hours, then being flogged until He was close to death from severe shock, blood loss and pain, Jesus was exhausted. He could no longer walk, let alone carry the heavy crossbeam of His cross. The soldiers knew that He would never reach Golgotha if they forced Him to go on.

None of them would carry it for Him. Strong as they were, not one of them would shoulder His burden, so they pressed a stranger into service to carry it for Him. Did any words pass between Simon and Jesus? Did Jesus express gratitude to Simon for doing this small deed of kindness for Him although Simon was coerced into it? He did not dare protest lest he get more than carrying Jesus’ cross for a mile or two to the place of execution. How did he feel about this unexpected imposition? Was he angry, resentful, or rebellious against the Romans?

Mark slipped in a comment which fills this little detail with significance. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Who were Alexander and Rufus? Why did Mark connect Simon with his sons rather than with his father? Other Bible characters were linked to their fathers by way of identification, for example, Simon son of Jonas (Peter), Bartimeaus (son of Timeaus) etc. Bible scholars generally agree that these two men were known to the Roman readers (and may have been prominent Christians in the local church), while their father was not. Mark’s letter was written for Romans, hence the many explanations of Jewish customs as well.

The mention of the name Golgotha, where crucifixions took place, also needs a comment. The translation of the name, again for the benefit of the readers, implies some sort of natural formation which resembled a skull. Tradition has it that the place where Jesus was executed was on a hill. However, biblical details imply something different. Jesus was crucified next to a thoroughfare outside the city and next to a rock formation that looked like a skull. The Roman authorities chose this spot so that the executions would be spectacles to passers-by to serve as a warning to stay within the boundaries of their authority or face the same fate.

He was offered a cocktail of sour wine and myrrh before they drove in the nails and lifted the cross into the hole into which the upright was dropped but He would not drink it.

“Why did Jesus refuse the wine and myrrh mixture? He did not want to die from poisoning or have his senses numbed while on the cross. He knew that He had to shed his blood in order for Him to become the supreme sacrifice for the sins of all man, and He refused to take the easy way out of it.”

http://www.biblestudy.org/question/why-did-jesus-refuse-to-drink-wine-with-gall-while-on-cross.html 

Many false teachers have rejected the truth that Jesus’ death was real – either that He did not die on the cross or that He was not dead when He was taken down and buried. However, we have the “sure word of prophecy” that Jesus fulfilled what was written about Him centuries before. In Mark’s terse, undetailed account of Jesus’ crucifixion, without making reference to the Old Testament, he confirmed the fulfilment of prophecy.

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar to drink. (Psa. 69: 21)

They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing (Psa. 22: 18)

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed. (Is. 53: 5)

This is a factual, eyewitness account of what happened to Jesus, not some fanciful, incomprehensible, philosophical religious waffle. Jesus suffered and died a terrible death so that those who believe in Him might have everlasting life.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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The Rule Of Faith

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THE RULE OF FAITH

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule – to the Israel of God. From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear in my body the marks of Jesus.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.” Galatians 6:14-18.

In spite of the efforts of his opponents to discredit him and to rob him of his apostolic authority, the real Paul comes out in the final words of this letter. It’s not about circumcision – it’s about the cross. To his last breath Paul would fight to defend the efficacy of the death of Jesus. While the Judaizers might boast in their conquests over the souls of men, Paul will only boast in the power of Jesus’ death to save from sin through the grace of God and to recreate men and women in His image through faith in Him.

The cross of Jesus is, in the end, the great divide between sinner and saint, between those who insist on seeking God their own way and those who humbly submit to the way He chose to bring us back to Himself.

To the Jew it was distasteful to think that a man who claimed to be God would choose to die, and to die in such an ignominious way at the hands of the Romans, to reconcile men and women to Himself. They preferred to dodge the writings of their own prophets rather than to believe that Jesus was their Messiah.

To the Gentiles it was equally foolish to believe in just one of many thousands of “criminals” who had been executed by crucifixion. What could that do to bring peace to their conscience and change their lives? Their own gods could not save them. What could a dead Jew do to make the difference?

To Paul, however, the cross was not an object of shame to dodge but the very cut-off point between his old life of pointless self-effort and a new life of the forgiveness, freedom and righteousness he did not have to earn. He bore in his body the marks of his commitment – the scars of human hatred which were mute testimony to his faith in Jesus so tenacious that nothing or no one could tear him away from loyalty to Him. Were the Judaizers willing to suffer for sake of circumcision?

With all the confidence in the world, he could pray a simple benediction over those who read his letter and believed the truth, be they of the first or twenty-first century and everyone in between: “Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule – to the Israel of God.” The true children of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are not those who rigidly try to keep rules but those who adhere to one simple rule – the rule of faith. When faith rules, the heart is at peace in the full assurance of God’s mercy.

Everything that Paul needed to say had been said. It was now up to his readers to believe the truth or leave “The Way” and do their best to undo their sinful past by doing it their way. How tragic that throughout the ages people still disregard the revealed will of God and try to bypass the cross!

We may wear it as an ornament around our necks; we may decorate our churches inside and outside with every shape and size of cross; we may even mark the place where someone lies buried with a cross. In the end, however, if the invisible cross of Jesus has not been the instrument of death to ourselves and our selfish ways, and the beginning of a new life in Christ, the cross will be as meaningless to us as it was to the Roman soldiers who routinely drove nails through the hands and feet of their helpless victims.

“In the cross of Christ I glory

Towering o’er the wrecks of time;

All the light of sacred story

Gathers round its head sublime…

“Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure

By the cross are sanctified;

Peace is there that knows no measure,

Joys that through all time abide…”

(John Bowring – 1825)

http://cyberhymnal.org/i/n/intcross.htm

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Dead, But Alive

Bible Study, , , , ,

DEAD, BUT ALIVE

“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.” Galatians 2:17, 18.

This is quite complicated reasoning. If the Jews who believed in Jesus, no longer meticulously kept all the minute details of the law in order to satisfy God’s righteous requirements, but trusted in Christ’s righteousness given to them through God’s grace, didn’t that mean that Jesus was deliberately causing them to be disobedient to God? Wasn’t Jesus making them “sinners”?

No, quite the opposite! God gave His Son as an atoning sacrifice for sin so that those who believe in Jesus and what He did to restore us to God, no longer need to work for acceptance with God by trying to obey His laws. Jesus fulfilled the law, and then died as though He were a sinner, in our place. To go back to law keeping as a way of satisfying God’s requirements would make us law-breakers because Jesus Himself did away with law-keeping as a way of being acceptable to God. We would be defying God’s instruction and setting up our own way to gain acceptance with Him.

Let’s use an Old Testament illustration. God gave the Israelites a promise. He said He would give them the land of Canaan as an inheritance. When they reached the border of the land. He instructed Moses to send in twelve spies to check it out (Numbers 13:1-3). Ten of the spies came back with a good report of the products of the land but put fear into the hearts of the people by describing the Canaanites as giants whom they could never overcome. They refused to believe God’s promise and incited the people to rebel against God and Moses.

Instead of trusting God and obeying His command, they complained against Him and against their leaders in spite of encouragement from Joshua and Caleb that God would help them overcome the Canaanites. God was angry with them because of their refusal to believe His promise and to take the land. They would not be allowed to enter the land He had promised to them. They would all die in the desert and their children would take possession of Canaan.

When they heard this, they mourned and decided they would go up and fight the Canaanites in spite of God’s instruction that they were not to go because He was not with them. Once again they disobeyed God, went into Canaan and were soundly defeated in battle. They had disobeyed God’s instruction twice – first to go, but they refused, and then not to go, and they went.

God gave His law to His people but they did not obey it. Then He sent Jesus who fulfilled and did away with the law as a way of salvation. Now Peter and his companions were wanting to go back to keeping the law as a way of pleasing God when God had given them Jesus to replace the law. That would make them law-breakers all over again.

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God for, if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21.

Paul concluded his discussion with a compelling argument. Once he was dead because of the law; now he was dead to the law. All the law did for him was to reveal just how much of a sinner he was. Through faith in Jesus and the righteousness He gave to Paul, he was now joined to Jesus in a faith union which made him perfectly acceptable to God without having to do anything except trust and obey Jesus.

What was the point of Jesus’ coming to earth and dying on the cross if people could be righteous by their own efforts? For Paul, Jesus was all or nothing. Either Peter and those who were influenced by him, trusted Jesus for acceptance with God or they ignored Jesus and tried to do it on their own. They could not have both.

The same truth applies to us today. We are either joined to Jesus by faith and live our lives in union with Him plus nothing, or we abandon Him altogether and work hard to satisfy God’s holy standards by trying to keep rules. There is no middle road. As soon as we add rules to the mix, we cancel out grace, faith and righteousness and go back to slavery to fear because we will never know whether we have done enough or not.

Jesus said, “Follow me.” That’s all!

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.