Seek TRUTH - Choose LIFE
THE GOSPEL
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
When Israel got conquered by the Roman Empire in 63 BC they introduced to the best and the worst of imperial rule. This empire was also the one to introduce another form of the death penalty, specifically the crucifixion. Historians such as: Josephus, Herodotus, Seneca the Younger, Tertullian and others have documented details of the crucifixion which had be carried out with many variations. A death verdict like this would force the people to submit and was reserved for criminals. The victim would experience physical and psychological torment so gruesome that the anyone would avoid even mentioning the word as mentioned by the scholar Cicero. This form of capital punishment was only abolished in 337 AD by emperor Constantine out of veneration to Jesus Christ.
After Pilate gave Jesus for crucifixion He was mocked and beaten by the soldiers (Matthew 27:27-31) and led to Golgotha (John 19:16-17). On His way there, Simon a Cyrenian who was coming from the country was forced to carry the cross (Mark 15:21) for Jesus because He could bear no longer. The women mourning for Jesus followed the procession - "But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." (Luke 23:28-31). This was a prophecy that was fulfilled in 70 AD when a Jewish revolt resulted Seige of Jesusalem as described by the historian Flavius Josephus. When Jesus was brought to Calvary (Luke 23:33) they crucified Him at noon (Mark 15:25) with two criminals by His right and left side (John 19:18). There the soldiers placed his accusation above Him in Hebrew, Greeek and Latin (Luke 23:38) saying "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." (Matthew 27:37). They offered Jesus a mixture of sour wine with gall (Mark 15:23) but He refused to take it. This mixture would dull the pain and help the victim in his suffering. Jesus refused this drink in order to bear the full punishment with full conscience.
Crucifixion
What was crucifixion like? The torment was so horrible that a new word "excrusiating" was invented to describe the agony on the cross. The victim would be scourged so that they are weakened and broken in their spirit. The severe wounds caused by flogging would place the victim into shock from the pain and loss of blood. Once disrobed and beaten they would be given a plaque on their neck to announce their name and crime. They would be forced to carry a crossbeam of about 100lb (45 kg) through a crowd to the place of their final execution. The condemned would then be disrobed nude and have his hands pierced to the crossbeam and lifted with ropes to be attached to the post. Once attached his feet would be nailed to the post through the ankles to inflict pain and give support to prevent premature asphyxiation. The condemned and exposed criminal would be humiliated publicly by those passing by the roadside. Breathing would be accompanied by pulling on pierced wrists, pushing on pierced ankles and rubbing the scourged back against the post to exhale. From prolonged torment the lungs would eventually fill with fluid and lack of oxygen would weaken the victim. When the victim could no longer push up to breathe they died.
Darkest hour
Time was counted from dawn and therefore the sixth hour was noon when Jesus was crucified. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. (Matthew 27:45) The darkness over the land represented God's wrath that He has poured out on Jesus.
In the darkest hour when God the Father laid upon Jesus the sin of all mankind He separated Him self from Jesus. God is Holy cannot have sin in His presence. God the Father removed His presence from His Son and Jesus exclaimed: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34) After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” (John 19:28-29) One of the soldiers hearing this went and filled a sponge with sour wine to offer the drink. Jesus then said: “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) After He received the sour wine Jesus said: “IT IS FINISHED!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30) So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
The atonement for sin
When Jesus said "IT IS FNISHED" and died, the veil in the temple tore from top to bottom. Why? This veil in the temple divided the holy of hollies from the holy place of the temple. Only a high priest could enter there once a year (Exodus 30:10) for the atonement of the people so that they could be in God's presence. Jesus brought Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the people of all nations and no more yearly sacrifices would be required (Hebrews 7:27). This was a fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned in the book of Daniel 9:24-27. The messiah is to be killed and the daily sacrifices shall cease. Since the temple veil was torn by God himself the sacrifices could no longer be qualified. The sacrifices of animals did not take away any sins (Hebrews 10:4) but rather covered them for a time until the Messiah - Jesus could wash them away (Hebrews 9:25-28). Now we have a new High Priest - Jesus Christ who intercedes on our behalf in God's presence (Hebrews 8:1-6). The fact the veil tore from top to bottom demonstrates that God has removed the veil so we may enter into His presence. Simply by believing in Jesus - His sacrifice and asking His forgiveness we can be cleansed from all sin (1-John 1:7) and have a restored relationship with God - our Father.
Everlasting High Priest
A man can bear punishment or make a payment for another to save against condemnation by men's law. But no man can do the same to save from the condemnation by God's law (Mark 8:37). Every committed sin a transgression of God's law. God's judgement for sin is death. God is a spirit (John 4:24) and is eternal (Isaiah 40:28) - meaning that God cannot die. So how can God save mankind from the condemnation of His law if only God can atone for the sins and God cannot die? God is love (John 15:3) and He demonstrated His love by taking on human flesh (Isaiah 53:3). God revealed Himself (John 1:18) through Jesus so that He could take the sins of all mankind, past a future, take them to the cross and make an atonement to God. God's justice was fully satisfied (Isaiah 53:11) through the suffering and death that only Jesus could carry. Because Jesus was fully God (John 10:30), He could bear the punishment for the sins of all and because He was also the "Son of man" - fully human (Philippians 2:7) - able to suffer the full punishment which is death.
Burial of Jesus
Jesus died at 33 years of age on the cross from the penalty of sin that He took upon Himself for all mankind. Joseph of Arimathe went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus (Matthew 27:57). Pilate was very surprised to learn that Jesus died only after 3 hours on the cross (Mark 15:44) and gave his permission. Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret disciple of Jesus - prepared 100 pound of anointing mixture of myrrh and aloes for the burial of Jesus (John 19:39). Even after Jesus suffered an agonizing execution on the cross and died as a result the pharisees continued in their anger against Him. Once they realized no more daily sacrificed would be offered because of the torn veil in the temple they feared to loos their authority before the people. Thy went to Pilate asking him to seal the tomb for three days so the disciples would not steal Jesus' body and claim His resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66). Pilate gave permission and they got their guards and a Roman seal for the next three days.
Historical evidence
Joseph had Jesus placed in his tomb he prepared for himself because he was a wealthy man. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9).
Objective historians and scholars testify that Jesus lived, died and rose again. The accounts of the gospels and the testimony are indisputable of this fact. The Islamic community is the only one that denies Jesus' death on the cross with no solid foundation for the claim. Since the Quran was written 600 miles away and 600 years later it cannot be accounted as a solid claim. The gospels and letters to the churches were written by eye witnesses in the time and place of the events. The authors of the gospels and disciples of Jesus gave up the comfort of their lives and suffered severe persecution for their testimony of Jesus. No sane person would give up their life and suffer: prejudice, hatred, exile, prison, torture and death for a lie. The testimony of Jesus' life, death and resurrection are a foundation of the hope of all people, past and future.