JESUS’ DEATH
1. As another year comes to a close, we again find a lot of attention focused on the Lord.
2. Consideration of the Lord is certainly right. Four New Testament books say quite a bit about Him.
3. Today we want to look at thee of the gospels and see how Jesus’ earthly life ended.
a) Our beginning place is Mt. 27 and Jn. 19:1-3; Jn. 19 will be what is actually read.
b) Matthew tells us (Mt. 27:27-28) that soldiers took Jesus.
c) There was a bunch of Roman soldiers, and these men stripped the Lord of His clothing.
d) If a person is ordered to undress in a public place, most would embarrassed.
e) Being forcibly stripped in public is an act of shame. This is what happened to the Lord.
2) After having His clothing removed John says this – Jn. 19:1 – READ.
3) It was not enough to be undressed by others. There was also a beating.
4) If these acts were not cruel enough, those in charge went a step further.
5) Verse 2 of Jn. 19 – READ. Here is an overwhelming picture of humiliation.
6) People had heard claims about Jesus being a king.
7) Perhaps it was due to these claims a “crown” was made.
8) In our culture we sometimes joke about crowns.
9) Children can get a crown from the local hamburger shop and play king/queen.
a) Jesus also got a crown, but it was made of thorns.
b) Instead of indicating royalty, it was a way of mocking Him.
c) Then someone (same verse) provided a purple robe.
d) Many have noted how Jesus would have been bleeding from having been beaten.
e) It would not have taken long for blood to begin sticking to the robe.
10) As the blood seeped or gushed into the robe, the soldiers did some other things.
11) A reed (Mt. 27:29) was place in the Lord’s “right hand.” Other details are given by Matthew.
12) People “bowed down” and “mocked” Jesus by saying “Hail, king of the Jews.”
13) In just a few verses we find example upon example of shame and pain.
14) If the persecution had stopped here, it would have been very bad.
15) It went further —now drawing from Matthew’s account – Mt. 27:30 – READ.
16) Some in this assembly have been spit upon. Jesus had that experience.
a) He was then hit on the head.
b) Unless the crown had fallen off or been removed, this act would have pounded in the thorns.
c) At this point Jesus’ body was a mess.
d) His back was bloodied; presumably His head had been punctured and was bleeding.
e) He had been humiliated almost beyond our imagination.
f) So much had been done that Pilate brought Him out and said this – Jn. 19:5 – READ.
17) Sensible people would have turned away in disgust. They would have said “enough. Stop.”
18) Jesus was in the midst of a mob and this crowd wanted the cruelty to continue.
19) Verse 6 of Jn. 19 – READ.
20) From Matthew and Mark we find the grisly details of what happened next.
21) The robe that had been put on the Lord was removed.
22) We know that it doesn’t take long for blood to attach itself to clothing.
23) All of us have sometimes taken off a Band-Aid and said “ouch” because a wound was torn.
24) Jesus was a condemned man so gentleness was not the right protocol.
25) It is not difficult to imagine that the robe was ripped off the Lord’s back.
26) Wounds that had stopped bleeding would have again been opened.
27) What the Lord had been wearing was returned to Him (Mt. 27:31).
28) Jesus then began what we might call a “death march.”
29) He was headed off to the cross to die – Jn. 19:17 – READ.
a) John (Jn. 19:18) and the other accounts simply say Jesus was “crucified.”
b) From Jn. 20:25 we learn that nails (spikes) were driven in to the Lord’s hands.
c) There is also an intriguing statement in Lk. 24:39.
d) After the resurrection Jesus said “look at my feet.”
30) Jesus must have given this instruction because His feet had also been nailed to the cross.
31) There are some aspects of the crucifixion that the gospels do not record.
a) For instance, was Jesus taken to an area where other people were already on crosses?
b) What was the crucifixion site like when Jesus approached it?
c) A hole had to be dug for the crosses; was the opening already dug?
d) Was there a Roman soldier laying out the spikes and getting everything ready as the Lord approached?
e) Were Jesus’ hands and feet bound before the process of nailing Him to the cross started?
32) Perhaps the executioners inflicted pain up and above nailing the arms and feet to the cross.
33) Imagine stretching out your arms and someone gives you a good jab with a thumbtack.
34) We would respond in a hurry, and we would probably remember that for a long time.
35) Imagine a person taking a railroad tie along with a mallet and driving it into our wrist blow by blow.
36) Maybe 2 or three spikes in the lower part of our arm.
37) Then they turn to the other side of our body and repeat the process.
38) Such a mental picture is about beyond out ability to comprehend.
39) As the spikes are being driven in to our arms, we have pain from our head.
a) Someone had whacked us on the head with a stick, and maybe given us a headache.
b) Our head is bleeding. Perhaps crowns are still stuck in our skull.
c) Our back has been left a bloody mess, and now it is rubbing sharp splinters of wood.
d) Our head, our back, and our arms are being stretched to the limit.
40) Now the person who has control of our body turns to our feet.
41) More jumbo spikes are pounded blow by blow into the lower section of our bodies.
42) Along side of us are two other men going through the same process.
a) We sometimes hear jokes about doctors and waiting rooms.
b) While we wait, someone else is down the hall and hollering in pain.
c) What would the other two men being crucified have been doing?
d) If human nature is any judge, they were screaming their heads off.
e) In addition to the Lord’s own pain, He probably had to listen to others.
43) If the cross had stayed on the ground and Jesus had died there, it would have been so cruel.
44) The cross had to be lifted. Jesus made mention of this very early in His public work.
45) Jn. 3:14 says Moses “lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.”
46) Then He said, “So too must the Son of Man be lifted up.”
a) We sometimes see sick people who are so ill they can’t stand to be moved.
b) Rolling them or lifting them brings agonizing pain.
c) Jesus had to be lifted. Then His cross had to be put in a hole.
d) Have we ever wondered how His cross got into the hole?
e) Even if the workmen were extremely gentle, it would have been unimaginably painful.
f) What if those doing the deed had wanted to inflict just a little more pain?
g) What if that cross were picked up by a couple of men and dropped into the hole?
h) With a body spiked to the wood, parts of Jesus’ body could have come out of joint.
i) Excruciating and piercing pain would have been the result.
47) If this had been the limit, it would have been far more than we could ever endure.
48) We would hope for peace and quiet from all around us plus a quick death.
49) Jesus did not get peace and quiet.
a) Listen to Jn. 19:25-26 – READ.
b) Imagine being in this situation and having your family and friends close by.
c) While you in the worst possible circumstances, you know that people still need your help.
d) Verse 27 – READ.
50) As Jesus went through this ordeal and people He loved were close, He listened to hate speech.
51) This detail is found in Luke’s account – Lk. 23:35-37 – READ.
52) These words must have stung the Lord so deeply.
53) He was challenged to respond but He had to stay silent and remain on the cross.
54) It was not the proper time or place to act so He remained passive.
55) Even one of the other crucified men challenged the Lord – verse 39 of Lk. 23– READ.
56) Maybe one of the most biting remarks is found in Mt. 27:43.
a) People came along said, “you trusted in God.”
b) “You believed God was on your side; now look at you.”
57) A whole sermon could be devoted to this criticism.
58) It certainly has a lot of application to Christians now living.
a) People from the world sometimes look at Christians and say,
b) “You trust in God. You are a religious person. Look at your life.”
c) “What have you gotten by serving God?”
d) “Compared to my life, you are a loser. I am the one who is successful.”
59) 2,000 years later people are using the same criticism found in Mt. 27:43.
60) Today is not the time to explore that worthy point.
61) We want to consider Jesus’ death on the cross.
62) He went through what we have seen not because He was guilty of sin.
63) He died on our behalf – in our stead – so we would not have to pay the price for sin.
64) During this time of year people put lots of attention on Jesus’ birth.
65) Really knowing Christ means putting the emphasis on His death.
66) Jesus may have been born in a manger, but that was comfortable compared to the cross.
67) Jesus died so that we might live eternally with God.
68) His means of escaping sin is very easy.
69) He requires faith, repentance to His word, confessing Him as Lord, and being joined in baptism (Rom.6:4).