CHAPTER 9 THE CROSS: THE END OR A BEGINNING

CENTRAL EVENTS IN THE GOSPELS THE ARREST, TRIAL, AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS ARE THE MOST EXTENSIVELY REPORTED EVENTS IN THE GOSPEL.

JESUS’ FINAL DAYS THE LAST SUPPER A NEW COVENANT IS MADE – JESUS HOSTED A MEAL FOR HIS DISCIPLES AND HAD HIS APPROACHING DEATH IN MIND DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME – JESUS MADE A REAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MEAL ITSELF AND HIS DEATH CHRISTIAN CHURCHES BELIEVE THE RISEN JESUS IS MADE PRESENT IN THE CONSECRATED BREAD AND WINE OF THE EUCHARIST

THY WILL BE DONE: THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE JESUS COULD READ THE SIGN OF THE TIMES: JESUS WAS AWARE OF THE BUILDING HOSTILITY OF ALL PEOPLE WHO OPPOSED HIM JESUS FREELY CHOSEN TO GO TO JERUSALEM JESUS BELIEVED HE HAD THE FATE OF A PROPHET – JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, THE CITY THAT KILLS THE PROPHETS AND STONES THOSE WHO ARE SENT TO IT (MATTHEW 23:37) JESUS’ FAITHFUL LOVE OF GOD JESUS ACCEPTED HIS POSSIBILITY OF A VIOLENT DEATH – HE COULD HAVE RUN AWAY

PREPARING BEFORE THE GREAT SANHEDRIN THE GREAT SANHEDRIN, THE JEWISH LEADERS HAD TO MET TO DETERMINE WHAT CHARGE TO LEVEL AGAINST JESUS IN THE TRIAL TO BE HELD BEFORE THE ROMANS. JEWISH LEADERS CLEARLY WANTED JESUS DEAD BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT THE DEATH PENALTY WHILE UNDER ROMAN CONTROL. DURING JESUS’ EXAMINATION BY THE SANDHEDRIN, CAIAPHAS, THE HIGH PRIEST, ASKED JESUS IF HE WAS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF THE BLESSED ONE? JESUS NOT ONLY ACCEPTS THE TITLE OF MESSIAH (CHRIST) BUT EVEN EXPANDS TO SAY HE IS UNIQUELY IN TOUCH WITH DIVINITY WITH GOD

APPEARING BEFORE THE GREAT SANHEDRIN CONTINUED JESUS RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY DRAWS THE CHARGE OF BLASPHEMY (SHOWING LACK OF REVERENCE TOWARD GOD OR CLAIMING FOR ONESELF A DIGNITY DUE TO GOD ALONE). SO SAYING HE WAS THE MESSIAH WASN’T AS BAD AS SAYING HE WAS DIVINE.

APPEARING BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE TO CARRY OUT THE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST JESUS, THE JEWISH LEADERSHIP NEEDED THE HELP OF THE ROMANS. THE ROMAN PROCURATOR, PONTIUS PILATE, COULD NOT ACCEPT THE CHARGE OF BLASPHEMY AS A SUFFICIENT REASON FOR EXECUTION. BLASPHEMY WAS A RELIGIOUS OFFENSE NOT A POLITICAL ONE. PILATE WANTED A WAY OUT BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO BE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING THE MESSIAH PILATE LEARNS JESUS IS FROM GALILEE SO HE THEN PASSES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO HEROD ANTIPAS, THE JEWISH LEADER APPOINTED BY ROME WHO HAVE AUTHORITY OVER GALILEE. HEROD ANTIPAS DOES NOT WANT TO CONDEMN JESUS EITHER

APPEARING BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE CONTINUED PILATE WAS LEFT WITH ONE MORE OPTION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRACTICE OF THE ROMANS AT THE TIME, PILATE COULD RELEASE A JEWISH PRISONER DURING MAJOR RELIGIOUS FEASTS (PASSOVER) SO HE OFFERED JESUS OR BARABBAS (A PRISONER ACCUSED OF MURDER). THE JEWISH LEADERS WANTED JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED. PILATE THEN KNOWS THE SITUATION IS HOPELESS AND UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE SAYS, “I AM INNOCENT OF THIS MAN’S BLOOD; SEE TO IT YOURSELVES” MATTHEW 27:24 THE OFFICIAL ROMAN CHARGE AGAINST JESUS WAS THAT HE INCITED A REVOLT AMONG THE JEWS.

BEING SCOURGED AND CRUCIFIED BEFORE JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, HE WAS FIRST RIDICULES BY ROMAN SOLDIERS HE WAS GIVEN A SCARLET CLOAK, A CROWN FORMED FROM A THORNY PLANT WHICH WAS PRESSED INTO HIS HEAD, AND HE WAS CROWNED ‘KING OF THE JEWS’! THEN HE WAS WHIPPED WITH A LEATHER STRAP THAT HAD EITHER BONE OR METAL CHIPS ATTACHED TO IT – CALLED SCOURGED. THIS WOULD RIP THE FLESH FROM THE BODY. HE WAS THEN GIVEN A HEAVY WOODEN CROSSBEAM TO CARRY TO GOLGOTHA.

CRUCIFIXION HE WOULD HAVE REACHED GOLGOTHA AND THEN WOULD BE PLACED ON HIS BACK WITH HIS ARMS STRETCHED ACROSS THE CROSSBEAM THAT HE HAD BEEN CARRYING. HIS WRISTS WOULD HAVE BEEN NAILED TO THE CROSSBEAM AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO AN UPRIGHT BEAM THAT STOOD PERMANENTLY ON THE GROUND. HIS BODY WOULD HAVE BEEN TIED WITH ROPES AROUND HIS ARMS, LEGS AND STOMACH SO HIS BODY WOULD NOT TEAR FREE OF THE NAILS THAT HELD HIM. THE CROSS WOULD ALSO HAVE A SEAT BUILD INTO THE UPRIGHT BEAM SO THE BODY COULD REST AND ENSURE LONGER LIFE AND GREATER SUFFERING.

FINAL MOMENTS JESUS WOULD HAVE HAD A SMALL SIGN ON THE BEAM ABOVE HIS HEAD NOT BEARING HIS OFFICIAL CHARGE BUT THE MOCKING TITLE “KING OF THE JEWS.” CRUCIFIXION WAS THE METHOD OF EXECUTION RESERVED FOR NON-ROMAN CITIZENS AND SLAVES. JESUS DIED, ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS, AFTER 6 HOURS. IN JOHN’S GOSPEL, IT IS MENTIONED THAT A SOLDIER THEN PIERCED JESUS’ SIDE WITH A SPEAR TO GUARANTEE HIS DEATH BEFORE THE SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

UNDERSTANDING THE CROSS JESUS’ SACRIFICE: FREEING US FROM SIN – THE PROPHET ISAIAH DESCRIBES THE “SUFFERING SERVANT,” AN UNNAMED SERVANT OF THE LORD WHO SUFFERS GREATLY – NOT AS PUNISHMENT FOR HIS OWN SINS BUT TO SAVE THE PEOPLE FROM THEIRS. JESUS, THE PASCHAL LAMB – JOHN’S GOSPEL REFERS TO JESUS AS THE NEW PASCHAL LAMB, “THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TALKS AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD” JOHN 1:29 JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS – WHEN HE GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR OUR SAKE, HE FREED US FROM SIN. CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT GOD BECAME ONE OF US IN JESUS, GIVING TOTALLY OF SELF TO US. THE RESURRECTION, IS A SIGN OF HOW GOD OVERCOMES ALL SIN, NO MATTER HOW GREAT – WHAT SIN COULD BE GREATER THAN THE REJECTION OF GOD THROUGH THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS?

THE RESURRECTION – THE PIVOTAL POINT JESUS IS NO LONGER THE CARPENTER’S SON JESUS IS NO LONGER A PROPHET (SOME BELIEVED THIS) JESUS IS NO LONGER A MAN WHO PERFORMED MIRACLES JESUS RESURRECTED AND REVEALED HIMSELF TO INDIVIDUALS SHOWING HIS HOLES IN HIS BODY. JESUS IS DIVINE!