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Lesson 28 – The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Lesson 28 – The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Lesson for June 30, 2021

The Life of Christ

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

(Matthew 27:33-56; Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:33-43; John 19:17-24)

After the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him,” Pilate released Jesus to the people to be taken to a hill called Golgotha (place of the skull) and crucified by the Romans. All this was done in fulfillment of prophecy. Psalms 22, written more than 1000 years before Christ, and Isaiah 53 written about 700 years before Christ, give details of the Crucifixion that could have been revealed to the writers only by God the Holy Spirit. Crucifixion was not even a known method of punishment at the time that David wrote Psalms or Isaiah wrote his book, and yet Jesus Christ fulfilled these prophecies regarding His crucifixion and the events leading up to it:

  1. Rejected – Isaiah 53:3 w/ Matthew 27:21-23
  2. Smitten – Isaiah 50:6 w/ Matthew 26:67
  3. Spat on – Isaiah 50:6 w/ Matthew 27:30
  4. Back whipped – Isaiah 53:5 w/ Matthew 27:26
  5. Silent before accusers – Isaiah 53:7 w/ Matthew 27:12-14
  6. Killed – Isaiah 53:8 w/ Matthew 27:35
  7. Died for sins of the world – Isaiah 53:8 w/ I John 2:2
  8. Buried in rich man’s grave – Isaiah 53:9 w/ Matthew 27:57
  9. Grouped with criminals – Isaiah 53:12 w/ Luke 23:32
  10. Hands and feet pierced – Psalm 22:16 w/ John 19:34
  11. He thirsted – Psalm 22:15 w/ John 19:28
  12. Parted His garments – Psalm 22:18 w/ John 19:23-24
  13. Not a bone broken – Numbers 9:12 w/ John 19:31-36
  14. 20) Betrayed by a friend – Psalm 55:12-14 w/ John 13:18

Jesus was on the Cross for six hours during which time the sins of the human race (past, present and future) were imputed to Him and judged by God the Father. Jesus uttered seven phrases while on the Cross and they give us great insight as to what was taking place during those six hours. 

First Phrase: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

  1. This is a clear indication that Jesus was still in fellowship the Father and the Holy Spirit.
  2. Jesus began and ended His earthly ministry with prayer.
  3. The people who were carrying out this deed were blind to the truth of Who Jesus really was.

Second Phrase: “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.”

  1. Both thieves turned against Jesus at first, but one changed his mind (repented) and believed in Christ. We know this from two phrases the thief used – “this man has done nothing wrong” (recognized the sinless humanity of Christ) and “Lord” (recognized the deity of Christ).
  2. Upon recognition of Christ as Messiah, the thief believed and Jesus promised him eternal life.

Third Phrase: “Woman behold thy son!” “Behold thy mother!”

  1. Jesus did not call Mary “mother,” but “woman” emphasizing her humanity. Mary is not deity (a blasphemous idea).
  2. Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law, which said to honor your father and your mother.

Fourth Phrase: “Eloi,eloi, lama sabachthani, which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hath Thou forsaken Me?”

  1. This cry indicated that Jesus was being judged for the sins of the world and fellowship with God had been broken during this time (three hours).
  2. God can have nothing to do with sin and had to “turn His back” as the sins of all mankind were imputed to Jesus Christ and judged.

Fifth Phrase: “I thirst.”

  1. This simple phrase reminds us that Jesus Christ was a human being like you and me. It was the humanity of Christ that was impeccable and qualified to become our substitute.
  2. He was given sour wine mixed with a bitter plant (gall) by way of a sponge attached to a hyssop branch for His thirst but refused to drink it. (Sour wine and gall were given to alleviate pain)

Sixth Phrase: “It is finished.”

  1. This is an indication that the spiritual death of Christ was complete and the payment for sin had been accomplished.
  2. The righteousness of God had been satisfied.
  3. He voluntarily dismissed His spirit, which was an indication that no one took His life from Him, but that He freely gave it.

Seventh Phrase: “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.”

  1. By calling God “Father” Jesus was indicating that He was once again in fellowship with God.
  2. Jesus then died physically as part of the salvation package.

Since God is absolutely righteous, He must judge sin wherever He finds it. The Bible is very clear that all human beings are born with a sin nature and are spiritually separated from God. We know from Scripture that no one possesses the righteousness necessary to spend eternity with a perfectly righteous God. In other words, God’s righteousness cannot have fellowship with man’s “righteousness.” God is offended (not shocked) by the lack of righteousness and subsequent sinful condition of man. It is this offense and, therefore, God’s “wrath” that must be appeased. God’s “wrath” is an anthropropathism (language of accommodation ascribing to God human emotions that He does not possess) to explain His policy towards man’s sin. God is never angry, as we think of anger. (John 3:36; Romans 3:10-12, 23; 6:23; Isaiah 59:2, 64:6)

God’s integrity (holiness) must be satisfied. God’s integrity is made up of His righteousness and His justice. God’s righteousness is the standard or principle of His integrity and must judge sin. The judgment that God pronounced upon sin was spiritual death. Mankind, therefore, comes under the impending judgment of God. (Romans 3:9, 23) Justice is the function or action of God’s integrity. Therefore, what the righteousness of God condemns, the justice of God judges. God’s righteousness and justice must be satisfied (propitiated). Mankind is born physically alive but spiritually dead (separation from God) and under the sentence of spiritual death man is helpless to remedy the situation. (Romans 3:25-26)

Since the sentence that God pronounced on sin is spiritual death, only spiritual death would satisfy the just demands of God’s righteousness. Only one Person in history was qualified to meet this just demand. Jesus Christ became complete satisfaction for the sin of the entire world. By His impeccable (sinless) life, Jesus satisfied the perfect righteousness of God that was demanded by the Law of Moses. By His spiritual death, Jesus satisfied the perfect justice of God that His righteousness demanded. (I John 2:1-2, 4:10)

The Greek word “huper”, translated “for” in Romans 5:8 is a preposition meaning “on behalf of” or “in place of,” which speaks to the substitutionary character of Christ’s death on the Cross. Jesus Christ literally became sin “on behalf of us” or “in place of us.” It is the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ that completely satisfied the righteousness of God and provides eternal life for all who believe. 

Christ’s sacrifice was complete and eternal. It was complete in that it never had to be repeated. Christ died once for all mankind. Any time a person attempts to secure eternal life by means of good works, the Bible declares that they are, in effect, attempting to crucify Christ over again (a blasphemous thought). It was eternal in that the results continue throughout the history of man and forever. God’s righteousness had to be satisfied for Him to be just in giving eternal life and the other spiritual assets to those who believe. The Doctrine of Propitiation explains how this was accomplished by Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:28)

Christ was a willing substitute. He was not forced by God the Father to become humanity and die in our place. Jesus willingly and joyfully fulfilled a plan that was designed in eternity past. This plan of salvation called for the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ, which would propitiate (satisfy) God’s righteous judgment of sin (a judgment carried out by God’s justice). (II Corinthians 5:21)

The penalty for sin (spiritual death) having been met by Christ means that God is free to bestow all 40 spiritual assets upon all who believe. These 40 assets are transferred to every believer at the moment of salvation. These assets are not seen nor are they felt. The instant a person believes in Christ as Savior all their sins of the past are forgiven, they are in fellowship with God and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The potential then exists for them to execute the Christian Way of Life. (Romans 3:23-25)

When Christ became our substitute on the Cross and paid the penalty for the sin of the entire human race, the barrier of sin that previously existed between God and man was removed forever. The removal of this “sin barrier” means that the only issue at salvation is whether a person will accept God’s free offer of eternal life through faith in Christ.