THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST
God did not just stick the crucifixion of His Son Jesus Christ in the Bible for no reason at all. Jesus’ crucifixion is a historical fact and one that each person should study to see why it is in the Bible. It was an actual event in history. It was because of man’s sin that Jesus came into this world as a human (while being 100% God as well) to be able to bring a way of salvation to people who had fallen by sin starting in the Garden of Eden. In 1 Cor 15:3 Paul taught that Christ died for our sins. (past people, now people, and any future people until His coming)
What happened right before the crucifixion is told also to us for a reason. It was Passover, and Jesus wanted to spend His last meal with His disciples. Even then, Jesus gave them a lesson. He went and washed their feet as a humble servant. It was a lesson of humility (John 13:1-20).
As they began to eat their meal together for the Passover Jesus announced his betrayal of Judas Iscariot, but Jesus didn’t tell them who was going to betray Him. However, the disciples didn’t understand that it would be Judas that would betray Him that very night. They thought he was going on an errand for the Lord (John 13:21-29).
That night Jesus announced and gave them something special in which to remember Him. It is called the Last Supper (Luke 22:17-20). Right up to the end, Jesus was involved in the training of the twelve. We, as God’s children still take communion in remembrance of Him, and until His return people will continue to keep communion.
After supper, along with 11 of Jesus disciples, (minus Judas). Jesus left the upper room and walked with his disciples as a group for the last time. To them it was a usual event to go to the garden, but to Jesus it would be His last walk with His disciples on this earth for within hours Jesus would be crucified. They headed out to the Mount of Olives. (They knew also that Judas knew where they would be going that night (as usual), but they did not know yet that it was Judas who would betray their Lord. For three years the disciples went where Jesus went, saw the very miracles He had done, saw how people treated Him and others, but this was the last time before His crucifixion they would all be together.
In the meantime, Judas had gone to arrange for the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Judas was going to bring them to the garden and to Jesus and the sign was to betray Jesus with a kiss. It was bad enough that Judas chose to betray Jesus but to betray Him with a kiss!
Jesus was going to go to pray in the garden for He knew that was His last night to walk free upon this earth. No one knows exactly what Jesus prayed that night each time He went to pray. Most likely Jesus prayed for many different things. However, we are only told of what God wants us to know. He did pray about what was going to happen to Him shortly. He knew the pain He would endure. He didn’t pray that God would zap the people that would come to kill Him even though He knew what it would His torture would entail. He did ask that if it were possible to stop it…but He also knew that the reason He came to earth to us was to die in our place so our sins could be taken away. No one wants to die a horrible death. Jesus never sinned upon this earth, so He was the only one qualified to die in our place. Instead, Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done. It is said also that as Jesus prayed His sweat was drops of blood. Can you even picture the anxiety that Jesus was facing? He prayed for the ability and strength to stand and do the will of God in his life. He prayed for his disciples and those who would one day become his disciples. Finally, he prayed for himself. He realized the wrath of the cup of judgment He was to drink in death. “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39, 42, 44). When He finished, He woke his disciples to witness his arrest. (He had went and prayed 3x, but you can read that for yourself)
Judas then shows up with those that would arrest our Lord, and it was not just a few people who came with him. As the soldiers and religious leaders accompanied Judas Iscariot to the garden, Jesus was waiting. Jesus knew they were coming, and he wakes up his disciples. As Judas arrives to where Jesus was, Jesus calls Judas his “friend” (Matt. 26:50). None of us likes being betrayed by anyone, but when a friend or family member betrays us, it cuts deep into our heart. Can you imagine because Jesus was a man here how He felt even though He knew who would betray Him.
Jesus offered no resistance to the guards who came for Him. However, they arrested Jesus with force. Jesus’ last miracle upon this earth was to heal a servant’s ear which had been cut off by one of his own disciples (John 18:1-12). Jesus knew that the disciple who did this had business for the kingdom to go and do, and had this disciple been arrested he would not have been able to do that. So…Jesus willingly submitted to those he knew had come to kill him. He was about his Father’s business. He was always about His Father’s business, and while we are on this earth we need to be about our Father’s business as well.
That was the beginning of a horrific night for our Lord. When they tried Jesus at night it against their own laws. They held bogus trials to demean the Son of God. He appeared before the high priest, who had judged him guilty before he was arrested. (Even though Jesus knew this would happen and how these men judged Him guilty before a trial. Then Jesus was tried before the Sanhedrin who were the ruling body for the Jews. They were the very ones that had orchestrated and arranged Jesus arrest, and they did it then because Judas had come forward and betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was then sent to Pilate, the Roman military leader, who questioned Jesus and who then sent him to Herod. After questioning Jesus, Herod returned Jesus to the original Roman judge, Pilate. Being found innocent in a Roman court of law, the mobs vote of the people suggested the method of punishment. The people (not knowing what they were really doing and to who shouted out for Jesus to be crucified) Then before the crucifixion, Jesus was beaten, spit upon, by the soldiers. Jesus was scourged until unrecognizable. Crucifixion was not a minor thing. It was an excruciating way to die, and the Romans had learned it well. Crucifixion began with a beating. Not just a beating as people think of a beating today. A man would be lashed with a whip that had bits of metal, bone, or stone at the end of each thong. The whip, as it cut the back of the convicted man, would wrap around him. When it was raised to be lowered again, it would tear the flesh. Often a condemned man would faint from the pain, and some would never even make it to the cross for many died in the process. Crucifixion was a horrific way to die. Many have heard the term “bearing one’s cross”. Can you even imagine that if you had made it through the beating that it was you that was to carry your own cross so they could nail you to it? They also would take a written claim about why or what you had done and would tie it around your neck as they led you out to be crucified. After they placed you on the cross that would then be nailed above the person being crucified so all could see it as they walked by. What crime had they said about Jesus? Jesus’ crime was published in three languages and read, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19).
Next came the actual crucifixion. This is the part that also caused great agony, and this part was what lead to death. The Romans had it to an art of crucifying people. A man was crucified in such a way that he could not easily breathe. His arms and feet were fastened to the cross in such a way that he had to push his body up to breathe. In the state of being scourged, carrying one’s cross, and being nailed to a cross…every breath the person would try to take they would have to grasp for air. Every time Jesus would breathe, he had to raise his body to gasp for air. Now think about this, each time Jesus reached for air, Jesus would scrape the open wounds on his back up and down the rough wood of the cross. Jesus was beaten so badly that pain alone would be horrific in and of itself. The Romans’ torture was like no other at the time. They knew how to torture people and it seemed they took great pleasure in their torture. They could execute a man and leave them on the cross to suffer for even many days until they died.
The soldiers would then take and break the legs of the person crucified to hasten their death. However, when the soldiers came by to break Jesus’ legs to speed up his death, they found a lifeless body. They then thrust a spear into his side which produced blood and water. They then knew Jesus was dead. A message was sent saying Jesus had died, and a friend of Jesus was permitted permission to bury the body in his own tomb. Jesus was anointed with spices and placed in the borrowed tomb. (This was happening during the Sabbath and the Passover)
Without a resurrection though on that third day…everything Jesus said would have been a lie. A key to understanding the death of Christ is to acknowledge the resurrection of Christ. The focus of Christianity is not a crucifix but rather an empty cross and an empty tomb. Christ died but lives today.
If you, or a loved one, would be crucified what would you expect their behavior to be on that cross? What if they were 100% innocent? I would venture to say that many would yell and scream, curse, and say horrible things. However, this was not how our Lord behaved. Seven times he spoke from the cross. The things Jesus said from the cross reflect His divine-human nature, that he was the God-man. These words reflect the purpose for which he came-the salvation of God. These seven sayings give insight into how Jesus faced the crucifixion. His first words were a prayer of forgiveness: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus was praying for those that caused his suffering. Here, Christ reveals the divine attribute of love for everyone, including those who evidenced the most hate toward him. Would you or I ask God, the Father, to forgive those that were killing us or a loved one? When Jesus said that…He was asking for our forgiveness as well.
It was on the cross (For Jesus was crucified between two criminals) that one of the thieves being crucified with Jesus realized he was condemned also. Before this, that criminal had also mocked our Lord. Yet now this criminal (not named here) asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus responded, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” God is bound by His own nature to punish every sin, but also is bound by His nature to forgive all who repent and call for forgiveness even the condemned. (Luke 23:43) This gives us hope as well. God doesn’t want anyone to miss heaven and if people would just go to Him they could have this hope as well. It didn’t stop the criminal’s punishment, but it did give the criminal access to get into heaven. That is quite amazing. Our sins, on this earth, don’t always stop our consequences for our actions either.
There is also a human responsibility to all of this (John 19:26, 27) As Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus saw his mother standing by the apostle John. I can’t even know the grief His mother felt that day watching her son die on a cross who had never done anything wrong, and whose punishment must have ripped her own heart into. Jesus always knew what was going to happen to Him but hanging on that cross that day He wanted to help His mother. Turning to them (John and Jesus’ mother) “He saith unto his mother, woman behold thy son.” The care of parents was the responsibility of the firstborn. Since Jesus had lived a sinless life, in death he would not forget to honor his mother (Exod. 20:12). He asked and gave the responsibility for her care to John, His disciple. John willingly looked after Jesus’ mother from that day on.
All the sins of everyone from Adam and Eve to the very last person who will be born upon this earth…. their sins were all placed upon Jesus. Because of this God could not look upon His Son. God cannot look upon sin. Jesus knew this that for a while He would be separated from His Father until He accomplished all He came to earth to do. All this is in fulfillment to prophesy. Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1). Jesus didn’t know separation from the Father until that very moment, and although He knew it wouldn’t last…it hurt our Lord to know, even for a moment, that He would be separated from His Father. Death is not the end and it sure was not the end for our Lord. You cease to exist here, but you do not cease fully for there is more after death. It was while Jesus was dead as we know death…dead! That Jesus dealt with the sins of the world. Though Jesus was perfect, having never sinned, he experienced the consequence of sin-separation from God, which is the character of hell or punishment. Jesus did this for us.
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” Even his thirst was a fulfillment of Scripture (Ps. 22:15). Jesus absolutely experienced intense pain. Jesus went through each and every feeling one would go through upon that cross that day. He suffered beyond our imagination can handle. Jesus suffered more intense pain because he was not a hardened sinner but was a perfect human. Jesus didn’t deserve to die but what He did on that cross that day is the very reason we have a chance to make it into heaven and I thank Him for what He did for me.
Jesus cries out “It is finished!” What is finished? “It is finished” means Christ had accomplished salvation for the human race. Second, the statement means he had bruised the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). It was at that moment that Jews no longer had to bring an animal sacrifice to appease for their sins for Jesus is the sacrifice to end all animal sacrifices. The animal sacrifices were symbolic in what they had represented. Jesus paid our debt in full…for all mankind. However, Jesus can and does offer each of us salvation but we are the ones who either accept it or reject it.
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost” Jesus had achieved what he came to do. Because of the death of Christ, we can approach God with certainty and trust that He is approachable. As Jesus committed his death to God, so we are now to commit our lives to Him. That is such great news. Jesus was the only one who did for us what no other could ever do…He atoned for our sins. God will save for eternity those who have trusted Christ “and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14).
The crucifixion of Jesus is good for us but was bad because we were the ones who caused Him to go to the cross. Thank God His great love overcomes all the bad for every person who repents of his sins and turns to Jesus. Not one of us deserves salvation and spending even one moment in heaven with the Lord, yet, He wants to share heaven with anyone who will come to Him, confess their sins/repent of them/change their direction, and who makes Him their Lord and Savior. Jesus took each and every sin we have ever committed, and it was nailed to the cross with Him. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions: he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”
What a Savior we have! How can we do less than to give Him our best and trust Him as our Lord and Savior?
I don’t know how many people will get this: If a first century Roman (or anyone who knew of the crucifixions) were to walk into a church anywhere in the world today and see a crucifix on the wall…what would they think? To them this was an instrument of capital punishment and meant someone was horribly tortured. What would they even think about people wearing a cross with a crucified Jesus around their neck, or one on their wall at home? Should we rethink this? We somehow think it is a good thing, but people who saw this in their time span on earth would not think so highly of it.
Jesus endured enormous physical suffering for us, and won our salvation at great price. Are we grateful?
Note this also: Part of Jesus’ sufferings that night was to watch as His closest friends abandoned Him. All of us, even in the worst time of our life, end up carrying on with our life. Jesus didn’t get to do that on this earth. However, He went to heaven and is very much alive and getting things ready for us/His bride. He spent 3 years preparing His disciples and showing them the way to go, but in His most difficult time on earth they abandoned Him. Some out of fear. Yet, these were his closest friends. Although He knew they would do this, He also knew they would return and what they would do to further the church…His church.
Do you realize that the Jews didn’t have the legal authority to condemn someone to death, they needed Pilate to do so. Ultimately, Pilate acquiesced to the wishes of the mob and condemned Jesus to death, and ordered scourging first (Mark 15:15).
So how does this scourging work: The prisoner was tied to a pillar and flogged with sticks and a special whip. How the whip was made is listed above. With each lash, Jesus’ precious blood would drip and run down. They didn’t just whip Jesus or anyone on just their back but would stop and turn the victim around and continue on the front side as well. The physical effects of the beating went far beyond the extensive pain it inflicted—with His flesh torn into on either side, He would have lost a great amount of blood even before getting to the cross. He would have suffered greatly at their hands.
I don’t know about you but I have cut myself or even a scratch can hurt terribly. Ours are not torture now, are they? We go into the bathroom and clean them and put a bandied or bandage on and go on our way. Oh, there are many, many people who have been injured and suffered greatly in war, accidents, or at the hands of crazy people who just like to harm people, but for the most part, our wounds are just an inconvenience. Our body was not covered in wounds as our Lord’s was. He had open sores, no skin, and the pain (even through the shock of it) had to be enormous.
Do you realize why Jesus came to earth to die for us? Well, for one thing, our sins would convict us and none of us would have an opportunity to go to heaven had He not come for this purpose. Our sins had to be dealt with. All throughout history people want to play the blame game, but the truth is who sent Jesus to that cross that day? We did! We sinned. Everyone who has ever sinned was the reason He got nailed to that cross. It was each of our sins that brought Jesus to earth to die in our place. He wanted to give us a way to have salvation and make it to heaven. We need to stop playing that blame game and take responsibility for our own sins and actions. Don’t ever minimize your sins. Take responsibility for them. Sin is destructive and deserves the consequences of death, yet Jesus came to make a way for us back to Him.
Now to the cross and getting from where He was tried and scourged to the place where He would be crucified. The condemned were to carry their own cross from inside the city walls to outside the city walls to the place they would be nailed to it. This would have been no easy task for anyone for it is said that it could weigh like 100 pounds. Now take into effect that they would carry it on their back and their back had been ripped open by the scourging. Can you even fully imagine this part? I can’t.
Jesus picked up His cross having been scourged and with no sleep, watching His own people condemn Him Jesus begins to carry His cross but falls three times. With his arms bound to the cross beam, he could do nothing to break his fall each time He fell over. He went down hard and on all those open wounds must have been even more excruciating. The soldiers recruited Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus? (cf. Luke 23:26) But have you wondered why they did that? Could it have been that it was just taking too long to get to the place to crucify Jesus and they wanted to get out of there and do whatever they wanted to do when it was done? Makes you think!!
When they get to Calvary, they strip Jesus of whatever garments He had on. Man likes to believe that somehow Jesus had a loin cloth around him, but Romans didn’t want to give anyone crucified any dignity. They wanted even the last moments of their life to be gruesome and humiliating. They were stripped down naked.
Next, they would take the nails. It is said they were 5-7 inches long and they were used to nail the condemned to the cross beam…not in the hands as you see and believe to be true, but in the wrists where it would be even more excruciating. You see in the hands the weight of the condemned it would just tear. No, they wanted as much torture as possible. (The wrists were considered part of the hand) The nerves that run through there would cause horrible pain. The hands would not support the body weight. Now, the crossbeam was raised and attached to the vertical beam. The victim’s feet were then nailed down to the vertical beam. Death is about to come at that point for their body begins to shut down, they have trouble pushing up to get a breath, and they have lost major blood. They get so weak that they can no longer push themselves up to get one more breath. Just the pain of pushing oneself up while their feet were nailed would be horrific as well.
Well, it is not over yet for the executioners had to ensure death. They would start by breaking the legs of the condemned. They did this with a big mallet. They would then thrust a spear into the torso of the condemned. Jesus was already dead so they did not have to break His legs, but they did thrust a spear into Him to make sure He was dead. (John 19:31-37) The cross was unbearable torture for its victims. It is bad enough for the Romans to kill people but to torture them as well sure seemed like it delighted them.
The ugliness of the cross is also a time of great gratitude for all Jesus has done for us. I, for one, thank my Lord for saving me and choosing me to do anything for Him after all the sinning I did. I thank Him for forgiving me, and that He never leaves me or forsakes me. Sometimes I have had to go through things I would not choose for myself, but I knew even in those things in my life, that Jesus was right there with me…encouraging me to hang in there. The cross is more horrible than my mind even imagines, but the love Jesus showed all of us is what should give each of us hope. We deserved that death, yet He took it on Himself. What a Savior!
There is so much more people can write on this subject. All I know is these people who crucified my Lord, and the devil meant it to destroy Jesus but what it did was make Him alive forevermore. Praise God for that. We’re waiting Jesus for your return. I pray that all of us are ready when you return and that we spend eternity thanking you for your love and all you have done for us. Thank you!!!