BASIC BIBLE STUDIES

# 014

 

The Death Of Christ

(Part 1)

 

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left" (Luke 23:33).

 

The four Gospel writers--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--tell of the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ.  His death was by means of crucifixion--a terrible and torturous form of execution devised by the Romans.  We are sometimes guilty of sensationalizing the crucifixion of Christ--of trying to fill in as many of the gory details as possible, of trying to arouse as much emotion as possible.  (Mel Gibson's 2004 movie, The Passion of the Christ, a movie which I chose not to see, was, I am told, "heavy on the details" of the crucifixion).  The Bible spares us of this.  Scripture reports the death of Christ in a straightforward manner, foregoing the gory details.  Though they were a reality, the details of the crucifixion are not the important factors in Christ's death.   

 

By examining the accounts of the death of Christ as given by the four inspired penmen, we are provided with a composite picture of what occurred.  Jesus is led from Pilate's judgment hall to the hill of Calvary outside the walls of Jerusalem.  First bearing His own cross, Simon of Cyrene is later pressed into service to carry it to the hill of execution.  A multitude follows the entourage to Golgotha (another name for Calvary).  Two thieves also are taken along that day to be crucified.  Some have speculated that they may have been members of Barrabas' band, the murderous insurrectionist who was released by Pilate in the place of Christ (Luke 23:18-19), but the Bible does not sat that they were.  The actual crucifixion process began around 9 A.M., with Jesus being nailed to a cross between the two thieves.  Possibly as an act of compassion, He is offered wine mixed with gall to deaden the pain, but He refuses the bitter elixir.  An inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin is placed on the cross: "This is Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews."  Someone has called this the first gospel tract--the first briefly written statement of who Jesus was and is.

 

The Roman soldiers commissioned to carry out the executions cast lots for Christ's garments.  A word comes from the middle cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Soon a second word comes, one directed to His mother: "Woman, behold your son!"  This is immediately followed by a word to the apostle John: "Behold your mother!", indicating that this apostle would now assume responsibility for the care of Jesus' mother. 

 

Jesus is mocked and reviled by the crowd, with the two thieves casting the same insults at Him.  However, one of them later has a change of heart and asks for mercy.  This thief's thinking apparently was: "If He saved others, maybe He can save me.  If He has a kingdom, perhaps there is room in it for me."  As the  storyteller of country music, Tom T. Hall, wrote in the classic ballad, I Remember the Year that Clayton Delaney Died, "a lot of folks get religion at the end."  To this penitent thief Christ said: "Today you shall be with Me in paradise."

 

At noon the second stage of the crucifixion begins as darkness overwhelms the land for the next three hours.  A fourth word emanates from the cross--a gut-wrenching, agonizing cry: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"  This is followed by: "I thirst."  Then: "It is finished."  And finally: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."  

 

At this moment there is an earthquake.  The veil of the temple--the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place--is mysteriously torn in two.  The tombs of the dead are opened; however, none of the dead come from their tombs until after Christ's resurrection (Matthew 27:51-53).  What wonderful symbolism we see in these two events: (1) Mankind can now have direct access to God in the Most Holy Place through "the new and living way which [Christ] consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh" (Hebrews 10:19-20), (2) The spiritually dead can now be raised to life with Christ (Ephesians 2:1-7).

 

A centurion standing by cries out: "Truly this was the Son of God!"  The multitude, now deeply touched by these unusual occurrences, begins to draw back and move away, beating on their breasts.  It is now dawning on them that they have done something truly awful.  But the instigators of the crucifixion, hurrying to get it over with so that they can get on to their religious rituals, request that the legs of Jesus and the thieves be broken--apparently in an effort to intensify the pain and to hasten their deaths.  The soldiers broke the legs of the thieves, "but when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.  But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:31-37).  In this incident the inspired apostle John says that two Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ were fulfilled: "Not one of His bones shall be broken"  (Psalms 34:20) and "They shall look on Him whom they pierced" (Zechariah 12:10).

 

Finally, the body of Jesus is removed from the cross and hastily yet lovingly buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  A guard is placed at the tomb to prevent the apostles from stealing the body and claiming a resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66).

 

What shall we make of the death of Christ?  Why did it have to occur?  What explanation did the apostles later make of the crucifixion?  What did the early Christians believe with reference to the death of Christ?  In our next Study we shall look at the reasons for the death of Christ and why it was necessary.   

 

If this essay has blessed your life, feel to forward it to others who may benefit from it.

 

Hugh Fulford