Austin Bible Church
The Old Testament rituals graphically depicted the saving work of Christ to come and all pictured His spiritual death as the source of our salvation. Therefore, the physical death of the sacrificial animal represented the spiritual death of Jesus Christ.
The analogy between something physical and something spiritual will not be confused if we understand the nature of the Lord’s physical death and see that although it has great significance, it was not the means of salvation.
Before the Lord Jesus Christ ever got to the Cross, we know from the trials, that He was beaten so badly that His face was completely unrecognizable. He looked so horrible that those watching had to turn away from the revolting sight.
Through all the physical torture of multiple beatings until His face was unrecognizable, scourging so long that it had to be stopped or He would have died, the pounding of the crown of long thorns into His head, carrying His cross, being nailed to it, having His shoulders separated as he hung on the Cross - not once did He cry out. Excruciating physical pain did not cause Him to cry out even once.
As Jesus hung upon the Cross, after it had been dark for about three hours, He suddenly cried out, or as the Hebrew indicates that He screamed. These words were literally shrieked by Jesus Christ in the midst of that darkness while hanging on the Cross. The impact of that screaming had eternal repercussions, for when He cried out, He was providing eternal life for all.
It was not physical pain or torture that caused Him to scream, but your sins and my sins being laid upon Him. Every sin that you and I have ever committed was borne by the humanity of Jesus Christ when He died spiritually on the Cross.
He died for the worst person who ever lived. He died for every murderer and criminal and tyrant who ever lived. It makes no difference whether one is a believer or unbeliever, whether good or bad. Jesus Christ paid in full for every sin every person has ever committed or ever will commit. 1 John 2:2.
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 NASB)
When Jesus Christ screamed out the words, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” - “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He suffered spiritual death - in His humanity. He was separated spiritually from God the Father while the body of His humanity was being judged for our sins. His scream was addressing only God the Father. When these exact words were spoken, it fulfilled yet another Old Testament prophecy found in Psalms 22:1.
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" (Matthew 27:46 NASB)
…. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. (Psalms 22:1 NASB)
This substitutionary spiritual death for our sins was also prophesied in Isaiah 53:11.
As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11 NASB)
Jesus Christ remained physically alive until after His salvation work was finished. Once His mission for the First Advent was accomplished, He voluntarily dismissed His human spirit resulting in His physical death.
He died in a magnificent and honorable way. In spite of all that He had endured, there was no last moment regrets or panic for our Lord. His physical death was worthy of His true royalty and worthy of the resounding strategic victory that He had just won. With a powerful voice, He stated in His dying words the spiritual legacy that He was leaving to believers on earth. He died physically by His own volition. No one took His life.
Jesus Christ had earlier spoken of His own death to come in His response to the Pharisees in John 10:18.
"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (John 10:18 NASB)
When His atoning work on earth was finished, the Father’s plan called for Him to depart by dismissing His own human spirit. His birth was unique. His life was unique. His substitutionary spiritual death for our sins was unique.
Even His physical death was unique in that He was the only person ever authorized by God the Father to dismiss His own life when His assignment was completed on earth. By an act of His own volition, His soul and human spirit left His body, and only then was He physically dead.
The Importance of Christ’s Physical Death
The physical death of Jesus Christ on the Cross was required to fulfill the plan of God the Father for mankind. Christ had to first die spiritually followed by His physical death. This pattern was established by the first man - Adam.
Adam did not die physically until nearly 1,000 years after eating the forbidden fruit, but he died spiritually with the first taste. In contrast, Christ suffered spiritual death not as fallen man, but as perfect man. He remained perfect after paying in full the penalty for our sins and being restored to fellowship with the Father.
Our Lord’s physical death, therefore, was not a result of His spiritual death, but indicated instead that His work in the First Advent was completed. Furthermore, His physical death was absolutely essential for His resurrection. This is an indispensable part of the Gospel when resurrection is emphasized. 1 Cor. 15:14.
and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14 NASB)
Through physical death, the way was prepared for Him to become the First Fruits of those raised from the dead. 1 Cor. 15:20-23.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NASB)
His physical death was the completion of salvation, related to resurrection and glorification, rather than being the mechanics of atonement for sin. Christ’s physical death made possible His resurrection and eventual Second Advent, which will fulfill the Davidic Covenant. The resurrected Jesus Christ in hypostatic union will reign forever as the Son of David. 2 Sam. 7:16.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:16 NASB)
After Christ announced His legacy of Truth and dismissing His human spirit, He died physically. His soul departed to the third heaven, His human spirit departed for Hades, and His body went into the grave. Luke 23:43; Eph. 4:9; 1 Peter 3:18-19; Luke 23:53.
And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43 NASB)
(Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? (Ephesians 4:9 NASB)
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, (1 Peter 3:18-19 NASB)
And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. (Luke 23:53 NASB)
The Correct Day of The Crucifixion
Jesus Christ was crucified on Wednesday – not on Friday as many today celebrate. This is based on His fulfillment of His promise to the Pharisees found in Matthew 12:38-40.
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:38-40 NASB)
Between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ there was not one Sabbath, but two. The Passover meal, which the Pharisees were so anxious to observe after having crucified Christ was the beginning of the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread. John 18:28.
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. (John 18:28 NASB)
The first day of this feast was set aside as a special Sabbath. Exodus 12:16; Lev. 23:7.
'On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. (Exodus 12:16 NASB)
'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. (Leviticus 23:7 NASB)
Therefore, on the day after crucifixion, Thursday, they had a special Sabbath, followed by the regular weekly Sabbath on Saturday. John 19:31.
Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31 NASB)
This is why the two Marys did not come to the tomb until Sunday morning. No work could be done until the Sabbaths were ended. In the Greek, the word for Sabbath is σάββατον (sabbaton) and is in the plural, not the singular. Matt. 28:1; 1 Cor. 15:3-4.
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. (Matthew 28:1 NASB)
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB)
The Brutality of the Roman Soldiers
The Roman soldiers stripped our Lord who suffered many indignities. Later, He would hang stark naked on the Cross with no loin cloth. Earlier, they clothed him in a scarlet robe, probably an old crimson robe of Pontius Pilate. This is a picture of clothing Him in relative righteousness, thus trying to reduce Him to their level. They didn’t realize it, but He was not a secular or worldly ruler, but the King of kings and Lord of lords. Matt. 27:27-28.
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.” (Matthew 27:27-28, NASB)
They braided thorns and pounded them into His head thus “crowning” Him or coronating Him “king of the curse” or king of sin since thorns were a result of the curse of Genesis 3:17-18. In actuality, Jesus Christ is going to take the curse upon Himself and judge it.
“Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;” (Genesis 3:17-18, NASB)
The Roman soldiers gave Him a reed or a stalk as a mock scepter. They worshipped in mockery saying, “Hail, King of the Jews” in crass blasphemy. They spat on Him in their utter contempt. They kept on slugging and hitting Him around the head.
“And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.” (Matthew 27:29-30, NASB)
They took the scarlet robe off of Him and put His own clothes back on Him and led Him away to be crucified. Matt. 27:31.
“After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:31, NASB)
The Road to Golgotha
On the way to Golgotha (place of a skull), Christ weakened carrying His own cross. Simon the Cyrene, a businessman who was observing, was commanded by the Romans against his will to carry the cross. Simon from Cyrene was a Jew from North Africa and a very prominent businessman. The crucifixion procession arrived at Golgotha. Mark 15:21-22; Matt. 27:33.
“They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross. Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.” (Mark 15:21-22, NASB)
And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, (Matthew 27:33 NASB)
Jesus was offered a bitter drink of wine turned to vinegar and bitter gall, which He refused. This drink was offered to help deaden the pain to come. Gall was used as a pain deadener, so the screams of those being crucified wouldn’t be heard all over Jerusalem. A man in such agony could be heard for two miles as learned by Roman soldiers following the defeat of the Spartacus Revolt in 71 BC. At the end of that revolt, Rome took the 6,000 defeated slaves that remained alive and crucified them simultaneously up and down Appian Way in Rome. For two days their screams could be heard rending the air.
Jesus Christ would not drink of the gall so He would have full use of His faculties and especially His volition at the time He was bearing our sins. Matt. 27:34.
they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. (Matthew 27:34 NASB)
The Crucifixion
At 9:00 am, the Roman soldiers stripped Him of His clothes and nailed Him to the cross between two thieves with the resultant excruciating pain. He was wearing nothing, no loin cloth, nothing. This was common in the ancient world. Simon of Cyrene stayed to watch and became a believer. The women, including Mary the mother of Jesus were there. John was the only disciple present.
The Roman soldiers gambled to see who would get our Lord’s clothes for drinking money, as was the Roman custom. This was fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy of David in Psalms 22:18. They put up the inscription above His head. Then they relaxed, to enjoy watching the suffering of those on the crosses. Matt. 27:35-37.
“They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.” (Psalms 22:18, NASB)
“And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”“ (Matthew 27:35-37, NASB)
There were many variants of the types of crosses used by the Romans for execution. The most common were a simple upright stake or pole (crux simplex), a vertical stake with a cross-piece attached either at the top to give the shape of a capital ‘T’ (crux commissa) or just below the top to from a lower-case “t” (crux immissa).
The Mocking of our Lord on the Cross
In Matthew 27:39-40, the Jewish passers-by were “hurling abuse” or βλασφημέω (blasphēmeō) in the Greek and means to speak evil of, to slander, hence to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things, to be railed at, to be reviled, to blaspheme.
“And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."” (Matthew 27:39-40, NASB)
In Matthew 27:39-41, the Scribes and Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders continued with their own verbal abuse and mocking of our Lord. They had three years to believe and did not.
“In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"” (Matthew 27:41-43, NASB)
Our Lord’s First Statement on the Cross
Further evidence of the uniqueness of Christ is seen in His words uttered as He hung on the Cross. These words are compiled from the gospels so the different emphasis from each can be used to better understand what the Word of God has to say about these events.
At the time of His first statement, He was still in fellowship with the Father. The first thing Jesus spoke of on the Cross was a prayer for the salvation of His enemies. These were the Scribes and Pharisees and their henchmen who had beaten Him beyond recognition and scourged Him and were now eagerly watching Him die a slow and horrifically painful death while taunting Him, mocking Him, and ridiculing Him. They were lost. They were ignorant of doctrine, although Jesus Christ had made the issue clear to them often. This is the real picture of hardened negative volition. This is the face of pure hatred. Luke 23:33-34.
When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. (Luke 23:33-34 NASB)
He opened His public ministry with prayer and closed His public ministry with prayer. Luke 3:21.
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, (Luke 3:21 NASB)
He did not judge them. He did not seek revenge on them. He did not try to talk His way off of the Cross to get away from the pain and suffering. Instead, He focused on the plan of God the Father and what needed to be done (substitutionary spiritual death) to fulfill His plan no matter the sacrifice.
When Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them,” He was praying for those who were still unbelievers. His prayer was answered later indirectly when Peter preached regarding Jesus Christ’s prayer for all believers on the Cross. As a result, at least 8,000 people were saved. Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4.
So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41 NASB)
But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. (Acts 4:4 NASB)
Christ’s prayer on the Cross also emphasizes the blindness of the human mind. Those who crucified Him were ignorant of Truth. They did not recognize the God-Man, the Savior of the world. They did not accept that before them in the flesh was the one and only Messiah. They refused to accept that the Messiah that they were supposed to be the experts of had to die spiritually before He would return as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Pharisees were blind to the Gospel even though Jesus Christ had made it clear many times before. John 11:25; John 8:12.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, (John 11:25 NASB)
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12 NASB)
The unbeliever who remains negative to the Gospel has no excuse before God. The Holy Spirit always makes the issue of salvation perfectly clear when they hear the Gospel. It is solely their fully-informed decision. God has promised that He will honor their volition and not interfere with it – ever! 2 Cor. 4:3-4.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NASB)
Jesus Christ took our place and was judged for our sins. Today, His prayer on the Cross is still being answered, as many that come to Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior. Rom. 5:8.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
Our Lord’s Second Statement on the Cross
Both of the thieves on their crosses turned against the Lord Jesus. Both rejected Him and railed at Him and blasphemed against Him. However, one of the thieves became observant and completely changed his attitude (repented) toward the person of Jesus Christ and became a believer. Luke 23:39-43; Matt. 27:44.
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43 NASB)
The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. (Matthew 27:44 NASB)
The one thief recognized first of all that Jesus Christ was a perfect man. He also recognized His deity because he used the title for deity - Lord. He realized that there was nothing he could do for his salvation but to believe. He also understood that Jesus had a kingdom. He wasn’t sure what it all was, but he wanted to know it. This is one of the more dramatic “death bed” conversions to belief in Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.
The Lord Jesus responded to this statement of faith by promising him a place in Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom - the abode of all Old Testament saints. These two thieves on their crosses are a picture the world today. One believed in Jesus Christ and received eternal life. The other rejected Him and continued to be eternally condemned. The world is divided by its attitude toward Jesus Christ. John 3:36.
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB)
Our Lord’s Third Statement on the Cross
Even while on the Cross, Jesus Christ thought to take care of His mother by His third statement. We can only try to imagine the anguish in a mother’s heart as she watches her son slowly and painfully die. She must have been torn with terrible grief. Remember that Jesus Christ never used the title “mother” for the mother of His humanity. He always addressed her as “woman.” He sought to emphasize that she was the mother of His humanity. She could never be the mother of His deity as God is eternal. John 19:25-27.
Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. (John 19:25-27 NASB)
In Christ’s third statement, He showed what it means to honor your father and mother and again fulfilled the Mosaic Law by His honoring the mother of His humanity. Even in His terrible agony and pain of dying, He provided a perfect example for us of unconditional love under extreme conditions. He took the time to think of the mother of His humanity and to honor her and make provision for her after His death. From that day on, John took care of Mary as though she were his own mother. We see here a beautiful picture, even in the end, of how Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law in every detail. Every negative as well as positive aspect of the Law was met by the Lord Jesus Christ. Exodus 20:12.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12 NASB)
The very character and virtue of Christ in His humanity can be reproduced in us by means the filling of the Holy Spirit. He can accomplish this greater control by our consent. We consent more and more through the renovation of our thinking from learning and applying more of what Jesus Christ thinks – His Word in us.
Our Lord’s Fourth Statement on the Cross
Our Lord’s fourth statement was screamed over and over again in the complete supernatural darkness that surrounded the Cross and the entire earth. This darkness began at exactly 12:00 noon and ended at 3:00 pm. By this fourth statement, the humanity of Jesus Christ made it clear that God the Father, with whom He had eternal and unbroken fellowship, had to break that fellowship for the three hours that our Lord bore the sins of mankind in His body. Matt. 27:45-46; 1 Peter 2:24.
“Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"” (Matthew 27:45-46, NASB)
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 NASB)
This was the unspeakable agony of the Cross, the spiritual death prophesied in Psalms 22:1.
“For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” (Psalms 22:1, NASB)
The fourth cry indicated that He was being judged for our sins. God the Father had to pour out His judgement on the body of the humanity of Jesus Christ as He bore the sins of the world. These words were screamed by the humanity of Christ. It is impossible for deity to suffer spiritual death or separation from God, so the necessity of the virgin birth and the God-man. God must take on the form of a man in order to pay the penalty of sin, which was spiritual death. He had to become a perfect man in order to take our place. 2 Cor. 5:21.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB)
Our Lord’s Fifth Statement on the Cross
This fifth statement by Jesus Christ was a direct fulfillment of Psalms 69:21 and John 19:28.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty." (John 19:28 NASB)
They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalms 69:21 NASB)
It is very clear how much Jesus Christ loved the Scriptures as they then existed and how His life in His humanity centered in them. In every opportunity, He cited them to provide the proper doctrinal messages and to base His teaching on the inerrant Scriptures.
The Word of God commands us to come to know Jesus Christ and His thinking. The great lesson from the fifth statement is the importance of the Word of God. All of the information we need in this life concerning the Son of God is found in the Word of God. 1 Cor. 2:16.
For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16 NASB)
The thirst of Jesus indicates that His humanity was speaking because deity cannot thirst. Up until this time, Jesus Christ had refused the sour wine so he could stay clear in His thinking. He knew what was coming and He had to be clear-headed when the imputation and judgement or our sins came. This is because He had chosen voluntarily to accept our sins and to accept the judgement of God the Father for those sins.
This fifth statement focuses our attention on the importance of the humanity of Christ, for deity alone could not suffer the penalty of sin. In order to qualify as a priest, He had to become a man. As a man, He is our Royal High Priest who intercedes for us forever. We as the children of God form a kingdom of royal priests, for every Church Age believer is a priest. 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9 NASB)
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6 NASB)
We as believers in Jesus Christ have the right to go before the throne of God and offer prayer. Heb. 4:16.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NASB)
We have the right to confess our sins directly to God the Father in order to get back into fellowship because we are royal priests forever, in the same order, the order of Melchizedek, who was both a king and a priest. 1 John 1:9.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NASB)
The cry, “I thirst,” is also a reminder that Christ is the only mediator. Whoever is the mediator between God and man must be equal with both parties in the mediation. As the God-Man, He is equal with the Father and with mankind. Therefore, He draws the Father and humanity together. 1 Tim. 2:5.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 2:5 NASB)
His humanity testifies to the fact that God the Father keeps His Word. God the Father promised unconditionally to David that he would have a Son who would reign forever. This demanded that God the Son must take upon Himself true humanity and that true humanity must be in the royal line of David. He was truly man, the Son of David, the fulfillment of that promise, and He will return to keep that promise in full.
His humanity guarantees that we have a Savior, a Royal High Priest, a Mediator and a King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who will return to this earth to reign forever.
Our Lord’s Sixth Statement on the Cross
When the Lord Jesus Christ uttered the words, His salvation work had just been completed. He voluntarily dismissed His human spirit and died physically. Unlimited Atonement had been accomplished. His strategy victory in the Angelic Conflict had been accomplished. John 19:30.
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30 NASB)
Nothing could be taken away from it. Nothing could be added to it. It was purely a matter of grace. Sin is no longer the issue in the human race. Jesus Christ was judged for our sins. He bore every sin that has been or ever will be committed. All grace!
What sustained our Lord on the Cross those three hours when God the Father forsook Him? The enabling power of the Holy Spirit sustained Him while the humanity of our Lord was applying to the maximum extent all of the Bible doctrine in His soul. Heb. 9:14.
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14, NASB)
“Through the eternal Spirit” means that the humanity of Jesus Christ was sustained on the Cross without sinning while bearing our sins: a substitutionary spiritual death. This was the ultimate spiritual test of our Lord – to remain sinless while bearing the judgment of our sins in His body.
At the Last Judgment, the Great White Throne, no one will be judged for their sins. They will be judged according to their works - never according to their sins. Rev. 20:12-15.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15 NASB)
The Scripture is clear to point out that all who stand there do so because they have rejected Christ. The sin problem was solved once and for all. God will never judge mankind’s sins again. The issue remaining is the decision to either accept that grace work or to reject it. If you reject Him, you must stand on your own merit before God.
Unbelievers have two appointments - one to die physically and one to stand before the Great White Throne and be judged for their works or good deeds which they chose in preference to the work of Christ on the Cross.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27 NASB)
At the Great White Throne judgment of God, it will be demonstrated that no amount of human works can measure up to the perfect righteousness of Christ, which a person must have in order to fellowship with God in eternity.
Our Lord’s Seventh and Last Statement on the Cross
Our Lord’s seventh statement on the Cross was His last. Our Lord voluntarily dismissed His human spirit because His atoning work for all mankind had been completed. When the Lord Jesus Christ dismissed His human spirit, He died physically. Luke 23:46.
“And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23:46, NASB)
His physical death on the Cross was voluntary. He was the only human being ever to be allowed to dismiss their own human spirit. For all others, God determines the time and place of our physical death. John 10:17-18.
““For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”“ (John 10:17-18, NASB)
God the Father was satisfied (propitiated) by the substitutionary spiritual death of the humanity of Jesus Christ - the Blood of Christ. Heb. 9:22.
“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22, NASB)
Now, He was going to complete the plan of God for His incarnation by dying physically. He fulfilled the Passover type and He fulfilled His redemptive work. 1 Peter 1:18-19.
“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, NASB)
His human spirit went to the third heaven, His soul went into Hades to a compartment known as Paradise, and His body went into the grave to wait for that glorious moment some three days later when the body would be rejoined by the soul and the human spirit, and Jesus Christ would rise from the dead - literally and bodily in a resurrection body.
When our Lord died physically, the veil to the Holy of Holies in the temple was torn in two. The bodies of Old Testament saints were resuscitated, came out of their graves, and walked the streets of Jerusalem. Our Lord’s body was taken down from the Cross and wrapped for burial. They placed His body in the tomb.
Jesus, through spiritual death, fulfilled the analogy to the blood sacrifice of the Old Testament. Only then was He ready to dismiss His spirit. All references to the Blood of Christ refer to His substitutionary spiritual death for our sins rather than to His physical death. Out of His birth day came His death day. Out of His death day comes our life day.
The animal on the altar bleeding to death in Old Testament ritual sacrifices was a reverse analogy to Christ’s bearing our sins on the Cross. The animal literally bled to death, but was not literally judged for our sins. Christ was literally judged for our sins, but did not bleed to death. Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7 NASB)
And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22 NASB)
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NASB)
To say that you must do something about your sins such as promising not to do them again or feeling sorry for them detracts from the effectiveness of Jesus Christ’s unlimited atonement on the Cross for all mankind. To be saved, you must express faith-belief in the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for your sins. It is your faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that He was judged for your sins that saves you. Eph. 2:8-9.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB)
God the Father was propitiated or satisfied when Jesus Christ bore our sins. Therefore, the sin problem is settled. The emphasis is now on the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Rom. 5:8.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)
The Aftermath of The Crucifixion
The Lord Jesus Christ did not bleed to death. He was fully in command of Himself on the Cross, and He died physically in fulfillment of His own words. John 10:17-18.
“"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."” (John 10:17-18, NASB)
The red liquid that ran through the veins and arteries of Jesus’ mortal body is related to our salvation in the sense of inauguration, and there is no biblical basis for attributing any unusual properties to Christ’s body fluids. The term “blood of Christ” is far more significant than any magical or mystical power falsely ascribed to His physical blood by those who are ignorant of the Word of God. John 19:30-31.
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” (John 19:30-31, NASB)
Blinded by religion and driven by their hatred for Jesus Christ, the Jews had failed to understand the real significance of the holy days they observed. These same religious leaders had just perpetrated the greatest crime in history, but remained focused on what they felt was most important - rituals without any hope of reality.
It was the Roman custom to leave a body nailed to the cross until the flesh rotted away. But Jewish law demanded that the body of any criminal be put out of sight during a Sabbath or feast day in order not to pollute the land. Deut. 21:22-23.
"If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23 NASB)
Breaking the legs was a Roman technique, which consisted of shattering the leg bones with a heavy mallet in order to speed up the death of those being crucified. John 19:32.
“So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him;” (John 19:32, NASB)
The Roman soldiers went up to the two thieves, one on each side of Jesus, and in order to be able to take them down by nightfall, the soldiers pounded their legs until the bones were crushed. John 19:33-36; Num. 9:12; Exodus 12:46.
but coming to Jesus, when they 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. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN." (John 19:33-36 NASB)
'They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it. (Numbers 9:12 NASB)
"It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it. (Exodus 12:46 NASB))
The fact that the soldiers did not break our Lord’s legs is a fulfillment of specific promises contained in the Old Testament Scriptures. This is simply evidence of the fact that Christ was physically dead. The soldiers on the execution detail that day, undoubtedly experts at recognizing physical death, saw that he was “dead already.”
God keeps His Word to you and me today just as He did throughout all the centuries leading up to the Cross. In spite of the evil of the religious Jews, in spite of Pontius Pilate’s orders, in spite of the Roman army, not one bone was broken. God keeps His Word no matter what is involved! God always honors and respects His Word, and therefore Truth resident in your soul is your source of confidence and security.
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 says the same phrase twice, “this do in remembrance of Me.” We are not to forget the person and work of Christ in dying spiritually for our sins. We are not to forget His rejection of human good and religion. Matt. 23.
“and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25, NASB)