The Echoes of Easter Pt 4
"His Crucifixion on Golgotha"
Luke 23:26-49
Luke 23:26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? 32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
Introduction: Let's begin our study with a question. How many of you are willing to walk with Jesus to Golgotha this morning because that's what I propose to do! I want to take you to the Cross; I want us to see Jesus there; see what He suffered and watch Him as He dies for the sins of all mankind. Let's begin:
I. The Description of the Crucifixion
a. The ascent to Golgotha
From the final verdict at Gabbatha (the Fortress of Antonio) we move to Golgotha (Hebrew) which is called Calvary in Latin Calvaria "the place of the skull". To get there Jesus must travel from Gabbatha which was in the Roman Quarter, likely near the area today underneath the Ecco Homo Covenant on the road Via Dolorosa 41. From there to the Lion's Gate (earlier Sheep Gate) it is a bit over 300 meters. Jesus would have carried the cross bar as far as He could, to the Sheep Gate, or a distance of 300 meters. And as they left the city, Simon of Cyrene carried his cross up the steep slope of Golgotha.
And coming out (of Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate), they found a man of Cyrene named Simon. They compelled him to carry his cross. Matthew 27:32
Since the base of Golgotha is directly at the Sheep Gate, Simon would not have carried the cross for more than 50 meters. That's a total of 350 meters. Answers.com
Doing the math it easy to determine that Jesus walked over a quarter of a mile to the Cross!
The Via Dolorosa, literally "the sorrowful way," is the traditional route in Jerusalem which our Lord traveled on the day of His crucifixion from the judgment seat of Pilate, also called the Praetorium (Gabbatha) (Matthew 27:2-26), to the place of His crucifixion on Mount Calvary (Golgotha). Gotquestions.org
And when Pilate was through prepping the Lord of Glory for crucifixion he presented him to the crowd. He uttered infamous words, John 19:5, "Behold the Man!" Or in Latin, "ECCE HOMO!" Remember the convent, the guesthouse in the Old City... the "retreat amid the teeming streets..." How many who visit, do as the name suggests? "Ecce Homo" - "Behold the Man!" Have you thought it through and considered Jesus? With a crucifixion the funeral procession preceded the death. Matthew 27:32 tells us, "Now as they came out..." Jesus carried His cross through Jerusalem's northern gate to a rocky cliff just beyond the walls. Of course, this too was prophetic. The OT sacrifices were always disposed of outside the camp of Israel. Thus, Hebrews 13:11 makes a point of saying Jesus also spilt His blood and "suffered outside the gate." Realize how all this happened... The victim was usually accompanied by four soldiers - a "quaternion." The death march was led by a man with a plague, on which was written the person's crimes. Two soldiers marched before the victim - two soldiers followed him. And the Romans always took the longest route. The scourged victim was paraded through the streets as an example to the locals of Rome's power and authority. When Jesus left Pilate's judgment hall He carried the "patibulum," or crossbeam, strapped to His shoulders. A normal beam tipped the scales around 75 pounds. Jesus hasn't slept in over 24 hours. In the garden He perspired profusely. He's dehydrated. He's suffered massive blood loss. Jesus is near total exhaustion. No wonder He buckles under to the weight of the beam. He can't carry the log of wood another step. And "As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross." Here's the Lamb of God turning the bend. Heaven is on the edge of its seat. Angels shutter in horror. Demons squeal with glee.... Simon is a North African from what is now Libya. He was probably a Jew in town for Passover. Mark's Gospel says Simon was just "passing by." He's on his way to elsewhere when suddenly his journey and his life are permanently interrupted. He feels the press of a Roman spear. He's pushed out into the street and the patibulum is hoisted onto his shoulders. This short journey changes his life forever. SandyAdams.org
b. The agony on Golgotha
1. The duration - 9 a.m. - "The Third Hour"
Jesus Is Crucified on the Cross Luke 23:46 - Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (NIV) 3 p.m. - "The Ninth Hour" So, He was on the cross for a total of 6 hours.
2. The degradation -- He was most likely stripped of his clothing and then the actual crucifixion began. The most common form of cross used in our Lord's day was the Tau cross, shaped like our T. In this cross the patibulum was placed in a notch at the top of the stipes. There is archeological evidence that it was on this type of cross that Jesus was crucified. His hands are secured to the crossbar with nails and then nails would be driven into His feet. Historical Roman accounts and experimental work have established that the nails were driven between the small bones of the wrists (radial and ulna) and not through the palms. Nails driven through the palms will strip out between the fingers when made to support the weight of the human body. The misconception may have come about through a misunderstanding of Jesus' words to Thomas, "Observe my hands." Anatomists, both modern and ancient, have always considered the wrist as part of the hand. Simon is ordered to place the patibulum on the ground and Jesus quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action being careful not to pull the arms to tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum is then lifted in place at the top of the stipes and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" is nailed in place.
The left foot is now pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The Victim is now crucified. As He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists excruciating pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain -- the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.
At this point, as the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by his arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath.
Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences recorded. Inplainsite.org
There are six varieties of wounds that a person can receive in their body.
Abrasive wound - Where the skin is scraped off. This can result from stumbling or by carrying a rough object or by a glancing blow
Confused wound - caused by a heavy blow.
Incised wound - produced by a knife or spear or other sharp instrument.
Lacerated wound - where the flesh is torn open leaving jagged edges.
Penetrating wound - where the flesh is pierced right through.
Punctured wound - made by a pointed or spiked instrument.
Jesus suffered all these wounds. Yes, Jesus suffered real physical pain. But what Jesus suffered physically by itself does not give the power to the cross. We must add with it the spiritual pain and suffering that Jesus endured on the cross. This is what made Jesus' death on the cross different than any other. Bill Lobbs
Let's examine the Lord's final words from the Cross:
II. The Declarations from the Cross
a. These are dying declarations
How many of you have ever set by the bedside of a loved one or friend and listened as they spoke their last words? Listened to them as they breathed their last breath? If you have then you have probably never forgotten what was said in those last moments between this life and the next. Let's listen to the Savior's dying declarations:
The first, looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
The second, to the penitent thief, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
The third, looking down at John -- the beloved Apostle -- he said, "Behold thy mother." Then, looking to His mother Mary, "Woman behold thy son."
The fourth cry is from the beginning of the 22nd Psalm, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain where tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins...A terrible crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
One remembers again the Psalm 22, the 14th verse: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."
It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level; the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissue; the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood of stimuli to the brain.
Jesus gasps His fifth cry, "I thirst."
One remembers another verse from the prophetic Psalm 22: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death."
A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine which is the staple drink of the Roman legionaries, is lifted to His lips. He apparently doesn't take any of the liquid. The body of Jesus is now in extremes, and He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brings out His sixth words, possibly little more than a tortured whisper, "It is finished." His mission of atonement has completed. Finally He can allow his body to die.
With one last surge of strength, he once again presses His torn feet against the nail, straightens His legs, takes a deeper breath, and utters His seventh and last cry, "Father! Into thy hands I commit my spirit." Dr. C. Truman Davis
The gospel writers simply wrote "They crucified Jesus". Who crucified him? I'll tell you who crucified him. I did - and you did, and they did, those groups around the cross. The old Negro spiritual asked the question, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" "They" crucified the Lord? It would be truer to say "We crucified the Lord".
It has been said that "Christ's self-emptying was not a single act or bereavement, but a growing poorer and poorer, until at last nothing was left to Him but a piece of ground where He could weep and a Cross where He could die." (Abraham Kuyper)
This last declaration was His dying declaration for he "gave up the ghost" which means he drew his last labored breath and exhaled for the last time and died.
III. The Death of Christ
a. The reality of His death
The rest you know. In order that the Sabbath not be profaned, the Jews asked that the condemned men be dispatched and removed from the crosses. The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the legs. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; thus the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers came to Jesus they saw that this was unnecessary.
Apparently to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance through the fifth interspace between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. The 34th verse of the 19th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John reports: "And immediately there came out blood and water." That is, there was an escape of water fluid from the sac surrounding the heart, giving postmortem evidence that Our Lord died not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure (a broken heart) due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.
b. The repercussions of His death
How many of you have ever thrown a rock in the water and watched as the rings spread out away from the point of entry? Several things happened at the moment that Jesus died. At the moment of Jesus death we read the following from in:
Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The Curtain in the Temple is torn in half from top to bottom. Mark 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
This veil was somewhere near 60 feet high. An early Jewish tradition says that the veil was about four inches thick, but the Bible does not confirm that measurement. The book of Exodus teaches that this thick veil was fashioned from blue, purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.
The veil was symbolic of Christ Himself as the only way to the Father (John 14:6). This is indicated by the fact that the high priest had to enter the Holy of Holies through the veil. Now Christ is our superior High Priest, and as believers in His finished work, we partake of His better priesthood. We can now enter the Holy of Holies through Him. Hebrews 10:19-20 says that the faithful enter into the sanctuary by the "blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh." Here we see the image of Jesus' flesh being torn for us just as He was tearing the veil for us. Gotquestions.org
There was an Earthquake. Many of the tombs were thrown open and dead bodies cast out. The text indicates that when Jesus rose from the dead that many of the dead rose also.
The Centurion's declaration - "Surely he was the Son of God! (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:47)
The Soldiers Break the Thieves' Legs (John 19:31-33) The Jews did not want the victims on the Cross on the Sabbath Day which was approaching. Let's read that account in John 19:31-33, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs." The two thieves could no longer push themselves up to breathe so then quickly died of suffocation. Answersfromthebook.com
The Soldier Pierces Jesus Side - John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Prior to death, the sustained rapid heartbeat caused by hypovolemic shock causes fluid to gather in the sack around the heart and around the lungs. This gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called pericardial effusion, and the fluid gathering around the lungs is called pleural effusion. This explains why, after Jesus died and a Roman soldier thrust a spear through Jesus' side, piercing both the lungs and the heart, blood and water came from His side just as John recorded in his Gospel. Gotquestions.org
c. The reverberations of His death
1. The death of Jesus was for his enemies.
God's love is different than natural human love. God loves us when we're utterly unlovable. When Jesus died, he died for the ungodly, for sinners, and for his enemies. Paul gets at how contrary this is to human nature when he writes, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7--8).
I read about a man dreaming about the crucifixion of Jesus. He was telling in detail how that Jesus was beaten, and the people shouting crucify him. He saw the back of the soldier as he was driving the nails in the hands of Jesus. When the soldier turned, it was he.
2. The death of Jesus purchased a people. The death of Christ was effective in its purpose. And its goal was not just to purchase the possibility of salvation, but a people for his own possession. Hear Jesus's words: "All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out... And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day" (John 6:36, 39). If we say that Christ only purchased the opportunity of salvation for all men we gut biblical words such as redemption of their meaning. John Murray writes: "It is to beggar the conception of redemption as an effective securement of release by price and power to construe it as anything less than the effectual accomplishment which secures the salvation of those who are its objects. Christ did not come to put men in a redeemable position but to redeem to himself a people" (Redemption Accomplished and Applied, 63).
3. The death of Jesus is on our behalf. Jesus's death was substitutionary. That is, he died in our place. He died the death that we deserved. He bore the punishment that was justly ours. For everyone who believes in him, Christ took the wrath of God on their behalf. Peter writes, "[Jesus] himself bore our sin in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
It was said that Martin Luther was observing a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus...and he was so deeply moved that he said, "My God, my God...for me, for me"!
4. The death of Jesus defines love. Jesus's death wasn't just an act of love, it defines love. His substitutionary death is the ultimate example of what love means, and Jesus calls those who follow him to walk in the same kind of life-laying-down love. John writes, "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth" (1 John 3:16). John Piper explains: "Jesus's death is both guilt-bearing and guidance-giving. It is a death that forgives sin and a death that models love. It is the purchase of our life from perishing and the pattern of a life of love" (What Jesus Demands from the World, 266).
5. The death of Jesus reconciles us to God.
Justification, propitiation, and redemption -- all benefits of Christ's death -- have one great purpose: reconciliation. Jesus's death enables us to have a joy-filled relationship with God, which is the highest good of the cross. Paul writes, "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him" (Colossians 1:21--22).
Think about how this works in our relationships with other people. When we sin, not only do we hurt the person we sin against, we harm the relationship. It will never be the same until we seek forgiveness. So it is with our relationship with God. We enter this world sinful, and as a result, we're alienated from God. Only forgiveness -- forgiveness which was purchased at the cross -- can heal the relationship so that we are able to enjoy fellowship with God. desiringgod.org
