The Crucifixion
Scripture Text
Matthew 26:36–46
Matthew 27:26–54
Isaiah 53:1–6
Theme
The LOVE of GOD at Calvary!
Introduction
We celebrate Easter because it is the time of year when God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was crucified, buried, and rose again three days later. Since this is Good Friday, we will be focusing our thoughts on the Crucifixion.
Today we will look at the Crucifixion under the three following headings:
Outline
- The Burden of the Crucifixion (Matthew 26:36–46)
- The Beating in the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:26–54)
The Burden of the Crucifixion
(Matthew 26:36–46)
The Fear of God’s Wrath
The Lord Jesus was preparing to take the sins of the whole world upon himself and to suffer the wrath of God upon sin.
Sin corrupted all of creation, separating us from God and placing us under the judgement and wrath of God, because all have sinned.
Romans 5:12
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
As long as we carry our own sins, we remain under the judgement and wrath of God, and our eternal destiny is to be separated from God in the lake of fire.
God knew that we could not free ourselves from the burden of sin that we bear, but:
“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Romans 8:3
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”
1 Peter 2:24–25
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
The Lord Jesus Christ took our sins on himself when he went to the cross. He knew that it was our sin that separated us from God and that, as the Lord Jesus took our sin upon himself on the cross, he would be separated from God the Father as God’s wrath was poured out on sin in the flesh so that the spirit might have life.
1 Peter 3:18
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
The bodily crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ was necessary in order for the curse of sin to be lifted from creation.
The bodily suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ provided healing for his creation.
Isaiah 53:5
“But 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.”
His wounds, bruises, and stripes were all part of the price the Lord Jesus paid to provide healing from sin and the curse which is upon all creation.
Galatians 3:13
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
Having suffered once, the just for the unjust, the Lord Jesus has provided the way for all creation to be redeemed.
It wasn’t enough for the Lord to simply bleed.
It wasn’t enough for him to suffer bodily.
It wasn’t enough to simply die.
All three were needed.
- He suffered in the flesh to provide healing from sin in the flesh and the results of the curse.
- He bled, because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
- He died, because in dying and rising again he conquered death and now offers eternal life to all who will believe on him.
With all of this in mind, the weight of man’s sin being placed on the perfect and holy Son of God, and the subsequent outpouring of the wrath of God upon his own Son, was a burden greater than we can understand.
The Lord Jesus’ soul was crushed under the weight of our sin as he hung on the cross.
Isaiah 53:10
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…”
Isaiah tells us that it pleased God to crush the Son and to put him to grief in making his soul an offering for sin.
God was not taking pleasure in the suffering of his own Son because of some sadistic joy in another’s suffering.
The pleasure God had in pouring out his wrath on Christ was found in that he was punishing sin in the flesh and this satisfied his justice.
The burden of the cross was not chiefly the weight of the wood, or even the bodily pain.
As the song says:
“The weight of the cross was the weight of my sin, not the weight of the tree that was carried by him.”
This, no doubt, was the chief fear that the cross held for the Lord.
The Fear of the Suffering
When the Lord Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he felt an enormous weight upon himself as he prepared his heart and mind to go through the terrifying ordeal of crucifixion.
The garden of Gethsemane is the place where we see the two natures of the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ most clearly.
The Lord Jesus possesses the full divine nature of the Father, but he also took to himself the nature of a man.
When the Lord Jesus prepared for the crucifixion, his divine nature was in perfect harmony with the Father, but his human nature wanted self-preservation.
The self-preservation instincts in a man are very strong and when faced with a torturous death like crucifixion it is no wonder the Lord told his disciples:
“My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”
Hebrews 2:17–18
Hebrews 4:15
When you think of the cross in terms of our human nature you begin to understand the terrifying reality of the Lord submitting himself to that horrendous torture.
“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” (Matthew 26:39)
“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
Do you see the burden that the approaching crucifixion brought upon the Saviour?
The Lord Jesus submitted his human will to the divine will of the Father, knowing that this would place him on the path to Calvary.
The Lord Jesus could have chosen to shun the cross and leave us in our sin.
The Lord Jesus put our gain before his personal comfort.
He chose to suffer the death of the cross even though he could have commanded the angels to rescue him at any moment.
Romans 5:8
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The Beating in the Crucifixion
(Matthew 27:26–54)
The Scourging and Smiting (Vs 26–32)
The Roman scourging was a torturous affair which could even result in the death of the victim.
Scourging, like crucifixion, was reserved for non-Roman citizens.
The Romans felt crucifixion was suitable only for foreigners, slaves, revolutionaries, and the vilest criminals.
Scourging involved immense pain and humiliation.
The victim would be stripped naked with their hands tied around a pole so that they could not defend themselves.
The beating was carried out using a flagrum, a short-handled whip with leather thongs containing lead weights and sharp bone or metal fragments.
These would bruise, pierce, and tear the victim’s flesh into bloody strips.
When the scourging was over, the Roman soldiers gathered to mock the Lord Jesus.
They placed a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe on his back, pretending to honour him as a king while striking him over the head with a rod.
Isaiah 50:6
“I gave my back to the smiters…”
The Lord Jesus gave his body to be beaten and his flesh torn so that we could have healing from the curse of sin.
The Crucifixion and Mocking (Vs 33–54)
Roman crucifixion was inherited from older empires and perfected by the Romans.
The victim would be forced to carry the crossbeam to the execution site where nails were driven through the wrists and feet.
Death usually came through asphyxiation, as the victim struggled to push up to breathe.
The Mockery of the Crowd
Those who passed by mocked him saying:
“Save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
The religious leaders mocked him as well, tempting him to reveal his power.
Even the thieves mocked him.
The Father Forsaking the Son
As the Lord Jesus took our sin upon himself, the Father turned away.
The Lord Jesus cried:
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
When he cried again with a loud voice, he gave up the ghost.
John 19:30
“It is finished.”
The Greek word tetelestai means paid in full.
The debt of sin had been fully paid.
Romans 10:13
Ephesians 2:8–9
Conclusion
I trust this study has been an eye-opener as we reflect on the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I hope you can see the struggle the Lord Jesus faced in submitting his humanity to the divine will of God, and the fear he felt as he prepared to endure the horrific torture of the cross for us.
If you are here today and you cannot say that you know for sure that you will go to heaven when you die, let today be the day you make certain of your eternal destiny.
Trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour.
Pray and ask God to forgive your sins in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept the gift of salvation before your time on earth runs out and you stand before the judgement seat of Christ with the Lord Jesus as your Judge rather than your Saviour.