“Series – A Date with Destiny”
Pt. 1 - The Cross
John 19:17-18 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
First:
I. The pace of his crucifixion v. 17a “…and he bearing his cross went forth…”
A. The Fame
Where it not for “his cross” the cross would be just another image and would have almost no significance in our culture. How many of you have a picture, a piece of jewelry, or an image of a cross somewhere in your home? Because of his cross there are over one billion Catholics who see his cross as a sacred icon to be displayed in their homes. There are a million crosses on a million steeples. There are crosses displayed on highways and hills in almost every town, city and state in this country. There is a large cross in from of a church on Hwy 78 going towards the children’s home in Eldridge, Alabama that you can see for miles. What is the fame of the cross? What makes the cross special and so recognizable? It is because it is “his cross.” The cross would be just another tool in the arsenal of man’s cruelty if it weren’t for Jesus.
B. The Shame
What do I mean when I speak of the shame of the cross? As far as the Romans and Jews were concerned there no death more shameful or disgraceful than the cross.
Hebrews 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Hebrews 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
C. The Blame
Who is to blame for the cross? Some would say the Romans or the Jews and others would say that ultimately we all are for our sin hung the Savior on the cross but in the grand scheme of things it is God the Father who loved the world so much that He gave his one and only Son and all those who believe in Him are given the promise of eternal life.
ILL – There is power in the cross. It’s undeniable. Even unbelievers seem to squirm when considering its potential. David Brooks, of the Weekly Standard, reports "of the conniption being thrown by the American Atheist, the group founded by the late Madalyn Murray O’Hair (may God have mercy upon her soul). It seems that when the World Trade Center collapsed, the force of the fall, or some supernatural force, fused two steel beams into a 20-foot-high cross, which has been kept on the edge of the site. The atheists want the cross removed, of course, but in their passion to do that, they are actually revealing their faith in the power of the cross. If it didn’t have power, why get so upset?" There is power in the cross. It’s undeniable.
Second: What of this place that the Lord “went forth” to?
II. The place of his crucifixion v. 17b “…into a place call the place of the skull…”
A. The formation
What does the Bible tell us about the location? The Gospel writers call the place where Jesus was crucified Golgotha—an Aramaic word meaning "the skull." Calvary is the Latin form of the word. Scripture does not reveal the precise location of Golgotha. It simply states that Jesus’ crucifixion took place outside the city of Jerusalem, though near it (John 19:20; Hebrews 13:12). Jewish law did not permit executions and burials inside the city. Further, Jesus was undoubtedly crucified near a well-traveled road, since passersby mocked him (Matthew 27:39; Mark 15:21, 29-30). The Romans selected conspicuous places by major highways for their public executions. The crucifixion probably took place on a hill, because it was at an elevation high enough to be plainly visible at a distance (verse 40). As for the tomb or sepulcher, we’re told only that it was in a garden near the place of crucifixion (John 19:41).
B. The function
From early Christian times, virtually all commentators held that Golgotha was named “the place of the skull” simply because it was a place of execution, where the skulls and bones of criminals lay scattered. The Romans had borrowed this method of execution from earlier civilizations, the Persians and even Alexander the Great was said to have crucified 2,000 survivors of his conquest of the city of Tyre.
C. The form
The New Testament uses the word tree five times to refer to Christ’s crucifixion on a cross. The references are found in Acts 5:30, 10:39, 13:29, Galatians 3:13 and 1 Peter 2:24. Most of the time, the noun stauros (stake) and the verb stauroo (crucify) are used in connection with Jesus Christ’s death. These two words appear 74 times in the New Testament.
One of the five appearances of tree occurs in the book of Galatians. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us," wrote Paul, "for it is written: `Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree"’ (Galatians 3:13). In this case, Paul was quoting a phrase found in Deuteronomy 21:23.
Paul was referring to the Torah’s prescribed form of execution by stoning for certain offenses, such as blasphemy and idolatry. After being stoned to death, the person’s body was hung on a tree to show the individual was under God’s curse. To the Jews, hanging on a tree had become a metaphor for an apostate, a blasphemer or a person deemed under God’s curse. That’s exactly how the Jews viewed Jesus (John 5:18; 10:33; Matthew 26:63-65).
Their attitude would explain why Peter and Paul, on occasion, used the Greek word for "tree" (xylon) to describe Jesus’ execution, even though he was crucified on a cross. Three times in the book of Acts the word tree is used to refer to Jesus’ crucifixion. In these cases, it appears in a Jewish context as well.
For example, Peter told the Jewish authorities they had killed Christ "by hanging him on a tree" (Acts 5:30). Peter was denouncing them for wrongly having subjected Jesus to a humiliating death. But, said Peter, God had glorified Jesus by raising him from the dead (verse 31). Peter did not mean to say the Jews had actually carried out a crucifixion. When Pilate suggested that the Jewish religious leaders judge Jesus, they said, "We have no right to execute anyone" (John 18:31).
Peter’s remark to the religious authorities was meant to point out something else. By clamoring to the Roman authorities for Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, it’s as though they personally had hung him on a tree as a blasphemer or criminal.
In any case, crucifixion of criminals was not a Jewish practice. Besides, as The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology states, "In Judea at the time of Jesus sentencing to crucifixion and execution was entirely in the hands of the Roman authorities" (Vol. 1, page 392). The Romans did not hang criminals from trees, except perhaps in exceptional cases. When they crucified, the Romans used some form of a cross — a platform that had a crossbar attached to the main vertical stake.
The New Testament word cross is a translation of the Greek word stauros. The word referred to any upright wooden stake firmly fixed in the ground. A stauros could serve a variety of purposes as, for example, a pole in a picket fence.
Unfortunately, the word stauros also represented a pointed stake used for impalement of human beings. This was an ancient form of punishment used to publicly display the bodies of executed criminals. The Assyrians, for example, used impalement to execute deserters, captured enemies and rebels. Sometimes they displayed the corpses or heads impaled on stakes.
However, the Greek words stauros (stake) and stauroo (crucifixion) do not convey the exact technical form of execution. That is, to be executed by crucifixion was not the same as being hung on a simple upright stake. This distinction is important because the official mode of execution in the Roman Empire changed. However, the same Greek words were used to describe it because a stake was still used.
The execution stake, once used to impale a victim, became a vertical pole with a horizontal crossbar placed across it at some point, though it is not certain when, in history, the crossbar came into existence. Simple impalement became crucifixion.
By New Testament times, the Romans were using several different cross forms for crucifixion. One was the so-called St. Anthony’s cross, shaped like a T. Another was called the Latin cross, in which a horizontal crossbar intersected the upright beam somewhere along its upper half. One of these two cross forms most likely was used for the execution of Jesus Christ.
Earliest tradition held that the Latin form was the shape of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The theologian Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202) assumed Jesus was crucified on a stake with a crossbar that traversed the vertical beam below the top (Against Heresies, 2.24.4).
There is another indication that Jesus’ cross was taller than the crossbar. His cross had an inscription nailed to it. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says, "From the mention of an inscription nailed above the head of Jesus it may safely be inferred that this was the form of the cross on which He died." All four Gospel writers mentioned this inscription (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38). John wrote: "Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews" (John 19:19).
Finally: What about His death?
III. The process of his crucifixion v. 18 “…where they crucified him, and two other with him…”
We have few detailed descriptions of crucifixion. Secular writers avoided giving details of something too ghastly to discuss. That means we cannot come to any final conclusion as to the precise form of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. But as stated, either the Latin or the T-shaped cross is the best candidate. What about the crucifixion itself?
A. The procedure
The upright stake for the crucifixion had probably already been securely implanted in the ground. Or it could have been tethered to the crossbar at the place of execution and then lifted into place. The crucifixion usually took place outside the city walls. As the victim lugged the wooden crossbar, a herald walked in front, carrying the written accusation. Or the accusation was placed around the convicted person’s neck, then removed and nailed to the cross for all to see.
At the execution spot, the condemned person was stripped naked and laid on the ground. The crossbeam was placed under his shoulders. The victim’s arms were then outspread, and his arms or hands tied or nailed to the wooden beam. The crossbar with the victim was then lifted and secured to the upright post. The victim’s feet were then tied or nailed to the upright post.
Death was slow and agonizing, sometimes taking days. Eventually, it would come through loss of blood and shock. Exposure, exhaustion, disease and hunger would also contribute to death. Death of the crucified individual could be speeded up. This was accomplished by breaking the victim’s legs below the knees with a club, making it impossible for the person to breathe. Usually the body was left on the cross to rot, or it might provide food for predatory animals and birds. In some instances, as in the case of Jesus, the body was given to friends or relatives for burial.
B. The pain
Crucifixion sometimes began with a scourging or flogging of the victim’s back. The Romans used a whip called a flagrum, which consisted of small pieces of bone and metal attached to a number of leather strands. The number of blows given to Jesus is not recorded; however, the number of blows in Jewish law was 39 (one less than the 40 called for in the Torah, to prevent a counting error). During the scourging, the skin was ripped from the back, exposing a bloody mass of tissue and bone. Extreme blood loss occurred, often causing death, or at least unconsciousness. In addition to the flogging, Jesus faced severe beating and torment by the Roman soldiers, including the plucking of His beard and the piercing of His scalp with a crown of thorns.
After the flogging, the victim was often forced to carry his own crossbar, or patibulum, to the execution site. The patibulum could easily weigh 100 pounds. In the case of Jesus, the record shows that He may have carried His patibulum the distance of over two football fields. In a weak and tormented state, it’s no wonder the record establishes that Jesus needed a great deal of assistance. Once the victim arrived at the execution site, the patibulum was put on the ground and the victim was forced to lie upon it. Spikes about 7 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter were driven into the wrists. The spikes would hit the area of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain up the arms to the shoulders and neck. Already standing at the crucifixion site would be the 7-foot-tall post, called a stipes. In the center of the stipes was a crude seat to “support” for the victim. The patibulum was then lifted on to the stipes, and the victim’s body was awkwardly turned on the seat so that the feet could be nailed to the stipes. At this point, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints. The position of the nailed body held the victim’s rib cage in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. Having suffered from the scourging, the beatings and the walk with the patibulum, Jesus was described as extremely weak and dehydrated. He was probably losing significant amounts of blood. As time passed, the loss of blood and lack of oxygen would cause severe cramps, spasmodic contractions and probably unconsciousness.
Ultimately, the mechanism of death in crucifixion was suffocation. To breathe, the victim was forced to push up on his feet to allow for inflation of the lungs. As the body weakened and pain in the feet and legs became unbearable, the victim was forced to trade breathing for pain and exhaustion. Eventually, the victim would succumb in this way, becoming utterly exhausted or lapsing into unconsciousness so that he could no longer lift his body off the stipes and inflate his lungs. Due to the shallow breathing, the victim’s lungs would begin to collapse in areas, probably causing hypoxia. Due to the loss of blood from the scourging, the victim probably formed a respiratory acidosis, resulting in an increased strain on the heart, which beats faster to compensate. Fluid would also build up in the lungs. Under the stress of hypoxia and acidosis, the heart would eventually fail. There are several different theories on the actual cause of death for Jesus. One theory is that there was a filling of the pericardium with fluid, which put a fatal strain on the ability of His heart to pump blood. Another theory states that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. Another theory is that Jesus’ death was “multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemic shock, exhaustion asphyxia and perhaps acute heart failure.” Regardless of the actual medical cause of final death, the historical record is very clear -- Jesus suffered numerous hours of horrible and sustained torture on the cross of Calvary. - See more at:http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/crucifixion.htm#sthash.L2dkryV1.dpuf
C. The passing
The crucifixion accounts of Jesus Christ are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Romans in that period. The evidence for Christ’s horrible and painful death is unquestioned by today’s legitimate scholars. The only dispute is the nature and character of the “criminal” Jesus Christ. Look at the record yourself -- Even with all the pain, Jesus thought of others rather than Himself. His first words from the cross were, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He thought of His mother, who stood by the cross weeping, and asked his beloved disciple John to take care of her. On either side of Jesus were two thieves executed at the same time. When one of them accepted Jesus as Lord, Jesus shared with him, "To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Finally, Jesus expressed his complete surrender to the will of God as He said, "It is finished;" (John 19:30). "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46). Investigate the historical record, and then examine your heart. Jesus gave Himself willingly for you and me. Jesus suffered a horrible death for you and me. Jesus loved us so much that He willingly died in utter shame and pain for our sins. In fact, the Bible teaches us that He who was without sin was literally "made sin" for us. God, in human form, allowed himself to be made sin to save us. On the cross, he bore all the world’s sin because of His love. The only way to complete His story of love is to love Him in return. –
See more at: http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/crucifixion.htm#sthash.L2dkryV1.dpuf
PAID IN FULL
Have you ever wished that someone would pay off all your credit card debt? Zero balances—no payments! The Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Norfolk, VA is making that wish come true. One Sunday of every month, Bishop C. Vernie Russell Jr., chooses a family from the church to come forward, and the congregation takes up an offering to pay off their debt. Over the last 14 months, this group has collected $340,000 dollars to rescue 59 of the church’s families from debt.
When we come to the Lord’s Supper, we remember another debt—a greater debt that no human striving, no double shifts, no church collections could ever repay—our debt of sin.
“When you were dead in your sins …God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us … he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
SOURCE: SermonCentral Staff. Citations: “Manna from Heaven” by Andrea Billups and Laurie Meyers. People Magazine, August 5, 2002. Colossians 2: 13-14.
