Lesson for March 15, 2023

The Doctrine of Christology

Lesson 6

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

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

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 23:3
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. 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 do not know what they are doing.”

1. This is a clear indication that Jesus was still in fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. (Luke 23:34)
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: “Truly I say to you, today you will 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” and “Jesus remember me when you come into Your kingdom” (recognized the deity of Christ) and Jesus responded by telling this man that “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

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

1. Jesus did not call Mary “mother,” but “woman” emphasizing her humanity. Mary is not deity (a blasphemous idea). (John 19:26-27)
2. Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law, which said to honor your father and your mother.

Fourth Phrase: “Eli,eli, lema sabackthani, that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

1. This cry indicated that Jesus was being judged for the sins of the world and fellowship with God had been temporarily broken during this time (three hours). (Matthew 27:45-46)
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 am thirsty.”

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. (John 19:28)
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. (John 19:30)
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 Your hands I entrust My spirit.”

1. By calling God “Father” Jesus was indicating that He was once again in fellowship with God. (Luke 23:46)
2. Jesus then died physically as part of the salvation package.

Since God is absolute 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)

Since the sentence that God pronounced on sin was 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 the 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. (II Corinthians 5:21)

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). (Hebrews 6:4-6) It was eternal in that the results continue 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. (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. (Hebrews 12:2) This plan of salvation called for the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ, which would satisfy God’s righteous judgment of sin. (II Corinthians 5:21)

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. (Matthew 27:51)