The Book's Purpose

The Book's Message

The death of Jesus on the cross is the most significant event in history. In today's society, we often note examples of courts convicting innocent people. But never has there been a victim of injustice like Jesus. His death came at the hands of men who publicly declared His innocence. No one has ever suffered the extremes of human agony endured by the sinless Son of God. The cross represents the greatest human travesty of injustice ever committed. On the other hand, the cross also represents the greatest act of divine love and justice ever demonstrated. Through the cross, God paved the way to forgive sin. Yes, Jesus was brutally murdered. But His death was part of God's incredible plan of redemption.

THE PASSOVER PLOT

Who Killed Jesus?

Through the years the world has blamed the Jewish people for killing Jesus. Along with the blame have come hatred, bigotry and the Holocaust. Indeed, both the Old and New Testaments hold Israel accountable. Isaiah 53:3 prophetically describes how the Messiah would be despised by His own people. The New Testament clearly reveals that the plot to kill Jesus originated in the hearts of the religious leaders. And recall that the Jews, acting as a mob, demanded that He be put to death.

But blame for Jesus death doesn't just rest upon the people of Israel. Gentiles are just as guilty. After all, did not Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas, two Roman officials, have a hand in this murder? Was He not put to death using a Roman means of execution? Did not Roman soldiers make sport of Him and abuse Him?

Jews and Gentiles alike bear responsibility. And there is yet another responsible party, God Himself. The Bible teaches that the crucifixion was God's masterful plan of redemption." Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief" (Isa. 53:10). But because God ordained the death of His Son, those responsible for putting Him to death are not exonerated. The cross reveals how base mankind is.

The Plot is Hatched

The secret plan to kill Jesus begins in Matthew 26. His hour had come. From this point on, a chain of events that would lead Him to the cross was placed into motion. The events were unstoppable, not because of human plotting, but because of the sovereign plan of God. Because the city would be packed with two to three million people, the religious leaders wanted to wait until after Passover to prosecute Christ; they feared that their plan would backfire if the public turned against them.

The ringleader for the plot was Caiaphas, a corrupt high priest who controlled the temple during the days of Jesus' ministry. Caiaphas was a political opportunist, a Sadducee, the overseer of the temple money-changers. Jesus had twice overturned their tables. No wonder Caiaphas hated Him so much.

After Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, the Bible states that Judas Iscariot criticized such a waste of money~funds that could have been used to feed the poor. Perhaps he became disillusioned with the direction of Jesus' mission. Out of greed and desire for power, he met with the religious leaders to work out a deal to betray Him into their hands. They agreed on a price of 30 shekels. All Judas needed to do now was look for the right time.

The Last Passover

On the Monday of Jesus' final week, He and the disciples selected the lamb they would sacrifice for Passover. On Thursday evening they ate the Passover meal. (The Jews had two methods of reckoning their calendars. This is why the Jewish leaders celebrated the meal on the following day.)

"The events of that evening would usher in the culmination of everything all previous Passovers had prefigured."

This last Passover meal was rich in significance because the true Lamb of God was about to be sacrificed.

After observing the ceremonial details of the Seder meal, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate in servanthood by washing His disciples' feet. Then He announced that one of the group would betray Him. There was nothing about Judas' demeanor to tip them off that he was the one.

In an exchange that probably only Judas heard, Jesus told him to go ahead and do what he had to do. At that point he became a tool of Satan, totally consumed by the powers of the evil one. He left the upper room.

Then Jesus instituted what we know today as the Lord's Supper. He took the bread and the cup and explained that soon He would die as the sacrifice for their sins. Jesus wanted the disciples to remember His words when they saw Him on the cross. He wanted them to understand that He was fulfilling His role as the Lamb of God who would remove their sins.

THE JOURNEY TO GETHSEMANE

Disciples: Failing the Test

From the Upper Room Jesus and the 11 journeyed to Gethsemane, about a 30-minute walk. Gethsemane, one of His favorite places to pray, was a garden filled with olive trees. Either along the way or just as they reached the garden, Jesus informed them that each would fall away that very night. He added that this would happen in fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy: "I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" (Zechariah 13:7).

Most true believers have pondered the thought of what they would do if faced with death or denying Christ. Our memories are fresh with modern-day martyrs such as Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott from Columbine High in Colorado. Most will never face such a trial, but we would like to think that our faith would be strong enough to make us willing to die for our Lord.

The truth of the matter is that all of us have denied Christ in much less dramatic situations. We are weak, cowardly, and silent when we should be strong, brave, and vocal. Later on, God would use the 11 disciples in miraculous ways, but on this particular night their faith faltered, just as Jesus had predicted.

Through this experience the disciples learned two powerful lessons for life.

1. The insufficiency of their own resources. That night a battle was waged for their souls. Jesus did not exhort them to demonstrate faith and courage as much as He did to show trust and humility. They would soon learn that they were totally impotent in their own strength and that pride would be their downfall.

2. The perfect sufficiency of Christ. These events further underscore Jesus' absolute sovereignty. He knew that the disciples would scatter and that the soldiers would arrest Him. He prayed that the disciples' faith would not fail. God would answer that prayer later in His own perfect timing.

After the resurrection, Jesus met the disciples in Galilee just as He promised. It was there that He forgave Peter for His unfaithfulness. In the encounter, Jesus asked him three times, "Peter, do you love me?" He responded timidly that he had affection for Jesus. By this time, Peter's confidence was shattered. Finally, he began to realize that he must look to Jesus, not himself, for his strength. The other disciples learned the same lesson; the Holy Spirit would enrich their lives and use them in remarkable ways.

Jesus: Agonizing in Prayer

Once again the biblical record stresses Jesus' sovereign omniscience in that He was fully aware of all that would happen in the garden. We see a vivid picture of His true humanity, as He struggled with the horrible pain He was about to endure. Knowing that He knew human pain and sorrow firsthand, we are comforted when we undergo seasons of difficulties.

Why did Jesus experience such agony? Was it His dread of the impending pain or humiliation? No. Was He having second thoughts about dying? No. This was the hour for which He had come. What He dreaded most was the outpouring of God's wrath while dying on the cross. He knew that the cup would not pass from Him. So why did He pray that it would? His prayer is an expression of human passion. But more importantly, it is a prayer of total submission to the will of His Father.

THE KISS OF BETRAYAL

On the surface it may have appeared that Jesus' plans for building a kingdom had gone haywire. The disciples probably thought so. Judas appeared in the garden with a large force of manpower behind him. He betrayed Jesus in the most despicable way, with a hypocritical kiss. But in spite of all the terrible circumstances, Jesus remained calm and in complete control.

Non-biblical accounts describe Judas as diabolical and one who openly engaged in extremely evil actions. The biblical record, however, depicts him as a typical disciple. The other eleven were totally shocked to learn that he was the betrayer.

The fact that one of Jesus' closest followers betrayed Him is shameful enough. But to bring a large mob armed with weapons makes his evil even more heinous. The mob included members of the temple guard and Roman soldiers. To convince the Roman soldiers to participate, the Sanhedrin must have concocted a story that Jesus was a dangerous insurrectionist. The Bible doesn't tell us how many were in the mob, but estimates of several hundred would not be out of line.

The Greek word for the kiss of betrayal is kataphileo, meaning "to kiss earnestly and repeatedly." The same word is used to describe the lavish display of love from the woman who poured the expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. What a despicable act this was! Judas knew no shame because Satan completely controlled his life.

"With bold-faced treachery, he handed Jesus over to His executioners, still pretending affection yet nurturing the most diabolical hatred in his heart."

Later, Judas would regret his actions, but he never showed evidence of a repentant heart.

Peter attempted to take matters into his own hands by drawing his sword and cutting off the ear of Malchus, probably a high-ranking servant working for the high priest. Jesus rebuked Peter and reminded him that God does not use violence to advance His kingdom. He could have called upon thousands of angels to rescue Him if He so desired. He reminded Peter of His higher purpose, to accomplish the work of atonement.

The disciples were hopeless. They could do nothing to stop the mob. Overwhelmed by fear, they fled, just as Jesus had predicted. In their defense, had they remained with Him, undoubtedly they would have been arrested and even killed.

THE CORRUPTION OF JUSTICE

The religious leaders placed a guilty verdict on Jesus before they even arrested Him. Once they arrested Him, they had to fabricate some means to prove His guilt. From the garden they brought Him directly to Annas, the former high priest, who then sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest in office. Caiaphas hastily called a meeting of the Sanhedrin to conduct a nighttime trial.

The Sanhedrin

The laws of Moses served as the foundation for Israel's judicial system. (In fact, they serve as the basis for modern justice.) They were designed to promote fairness and encourage mercy. The Sanhedrin, established sometime after the Babylonian Captivity, served as the highest court in Israel. It consisted of 71 members, patterned after the council Moses convened to govern the Hebrews in the wilderness.

Through the years the Sanhedrin had become a system of corruption. Many who served on the council received their appointment through bribes and political favors. Rome actually controlled the Sanhedrin and could select and depose the high priest as they wished.

Peter and John followed the mob from a distance, but stayed close enough to observe the proceedings. Most likely, no one in Jerusalem wielded more power than Annas, who served as high priest for 20 years and controlled the office since then. Five of his sons succeeded him, and holding the office at the time of the arrest was his son-in-law Caiphas.

Corruption in the System

Annas and his family manipulated the priesthood into a lucrative business. They established a system of brokers who changed money and sold sacrificial animals to worshipers coming to the temple. For a profit they exchanged Roman currency for the Jewish coins which were required for tithes. They set up their own line of certified, unblemished animals required for the sacrifices. Knowing how Jesus felt about their crookedness, it is no wonder they wanted to kill Him.

The reason Jesus was brought to Annas first was to fabricate a specific charge. The most likely charge to be filed was blasphemy, punishable by death in Jewish law. However, only the Romans had authority to implement executions. So the religious leaders had to convince Rome that Jesus was also guilty of insurrection.

Evidence of a Corrupt Trial

Jesus' trial is filled with examples of corruption and injustice. Several exampled include:

• Two credible witnesses with exact testimonies were required for conviction. The witnesses in Jesus' trial never agreed on the details.
• The accused was allowed a public trial. Jesus was never afforded such a privilege.
• If a member of the council brought charges against an individual, no one on the council could try the case. In Jesus' case, the council brought charges and tried the case.
• It was illegal to try cases at night. Jesus' trial was convened at night.
• The council was not to solicit evidence from anyone. The members were to serve as impartial judges. In Jesus' case, they served as prosecuting attorneys.

PETER’S DENIAL

While Jesus was undergoing the illegal trial, Peter was outside experiencing the most severe period of testing in his life. God allows seasons of testing in order to accomplish greater ends. Peter probably wondered if God could ever use him again. This story is certainly about the disciple's failure. More importantly, it is a story of grace. Jesus not only forgave him; He also restored him to useful ministry.

The biblical story reveals some factors which played a role in Peter's failure (and ours as well).

He Boasted Too Loudly In a fashion typical of his impetuous personality, Peter boasted that he would never abandon his Lord, even if he had to die with Him. He deceived himself into believing that he was strong enough to handle the pressure. Instead of boasting, he should have been on his knees begging Jesus for strength to overcome the temptation.

He Prayed Too Little Probably from sheer exhaustion, both emotionally and physically, the disciples could not stay awake and pray for Jesus at a time when He needed His friends the most. Could it be that most of the problems we face today are due to prayerlessness?

He Slept Too Much Peter was sound asleep when the soldiers arrived to arrest Jesus. He was probably in a sleepy stupor when he reached for his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus. What a contrast it is to see Jesus in agony, wrestling in prayer.

He Acted Too Quickly When the soldiers arrived, he tried to take matters into his own hands. What was he going to do? Kill the hundreds of soldiers with brute force? He acted in the flesh. He was not spiritually prepared for this moment.

He Followed Too Far He followed Christ from a distance. He wanted to get close enough to see, but not so close that others would suspect he was a part of Jesus' clan. This scene represents an accurate picture of many believers today who are fearful of speaking out in the name of Christ.

In the courtyard Peter voiced his first denial. A young servant girl kept insisting that he was one of Jesus' followers, but in a voice loud enough for others to hear, he persistently denied that he knew Him. On the porch, where he heard the rooster crow for the first time, he drew a crowd of suspicious people who accused him of being connected with Jesus. He angrily denied the charges with boisterous swearing.

The crowd must have left him alone for an hour or so, during which time he probably witnessed the spitting, beating and other abuses Jesus received. One of Malchus' relatives recognized him and, along with others, he began to interrogate him. By this time Peter had lost all restraint and began cursing and swearing that he did not know Jesus. Then the cock crowed the second time.

Jesus, His face already battered, was in position to see Peter. After the rooster crowed, He looked into his. Their eyes met in what was more of a long, tender glare rather than a quick glance. The look pierced the disciple's soul, and he fled the scene and wept bitterly.

Peter remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him, and he went to an unspecified place, where he repented. Tears do not necessarily constitute repentance, but in this case, the change of heart was genuine.

It is interesting to note that Judas felt remorse for his cowardly betrayal of Jesus. But there is no evidence that he had a change of heart. On the other hand, Peter experienced deep shame over what he had done and desperately longed to renew his relationship with God. God forgave him and restored him to usefulness.

FRIDAY MORNING

The Sanhedrin had already issued a guilty verdict against Jesus. Now they needed to find a way to legitimize it and enact the execution.

The Sanhedrin’s Strategy

The Roman government allowed the Sanhedrin to issue judgments in religious cases, but not in matters involving capital punishment. The minds of the religious leaders were made up. Jesus needed to be crucified. They just needed to come up with a plan to make it happen.

First, they needed to make the trial "appear" legal since Rome would frown on a nighttime trial. So they recessed for a few hours, but at the first sight of dawn they reconvened and brought Jesus in again for questioning.

Asked if He was God's son, Jesus replied, "You rightly say that I am." This was all they needed. He admitted to what was deemed blasphemy in their eyes. And they baited Him to say this in broad daylight so that there would be no question about the improprieties of the nighttime trial.

"In the end, it meant they crucified Him for telling the truth."

They quickly turned Him over to Pilate, hoping he would agree to a Roman-sponsored execution.

Jesus Before Pilate

Pontius Pilate served as Roman governor of Judea. Jewish leaders resented the fact that only Rome could approve the death penalty. Rarely would Rome allow execution in cases involving religious affairs.

Pilate usually resided in Caesarea, but he was in Jerusalem for the Passover. His residence in Jerusalem was at the Praetorium, which also served as the judgment hall. It was probably before 5 a.m. when the council brought Jesus before Pilate. They maneuvered him into a political corner when they demanded that he issue a sentence before they began their Passover celebration at sundown.

When the governor asked what the indictment was, the council pretended that his question insulted their integrity. Why would they bring someone to him if he were not guilty? In essence, he gave them permission to do with Jesus as they wished. But this was not acceptable because they wanted him to oversee the execution, thereby giving them the appearance of innocence.

Pilate wouldn't budge until they brought a formal indictment more serious than blasphemy. So the council fabricated a story that Jesus was guilty of sedition, deliberately stirring up anti-Roman sentiment and proclaiming Himself to be king. The governor knew that the accusations were untrue and that Jesus posed no threat. But he was in a difficult predicament. The last thing he wanted to do was offend the Sanhedrin because he had already been in trouble more than once with his superiors for mistreating the Jews.

Jesus Before Herod

Pilate, seeking to absolve himself from having to render judgment, sent Jesus to Herod (the man who authorized John the Baptist to be beheaded). Herod welcomed the opportunity, but only because it amused him since he had heard that Jesus was a miracle worker. He could garner no response from Jesus, so he decided to make sport of Him through mockery and contempt. Then he sent Christ back to Pilate, concluding that He was no threat.

The Hostile Crowd

Pilate proposed that he have Jesus scourged, then have Him released. The suggestion made the growing multitude even more hostile.

Then Pilate shifted to another plan. Traditionally, each Passover, Pilate would release a prisoner from Roman custody.

“Pilate seems to have decided to use the custom as a last-ditch effort to escape the dilemma the Sanhedrin had created for him~ a conflict between conscience and career; a choice between satisfying the Jews he hated or the Caesar he feared.”

Asked to select between Jesus and Barabbas, the people demanded the release of Barabbas and insisted that Jesus be crucified. Pilate washed his hands as a visible symbol that he found no fault in Jesus and would not be held accountable for His death.

MURDER BY CRUCIFIXION

The flogging Jesus Jesus received was only a small taste of the torture He would soon endure. The soldiers delighted in what they were doing. It seemed the whole world gleefully participated in His murder.

Mockery. His face was already swollen and bleeding from the abuse. His back was filled with open wounds and torn flesh. Putting a dull, purple robe on Him as a gesture of mockery made His wounds even more painful. The crown of sharp thorns certainly caused even more serious wounds. They spat on Him and beat Him with the rod they had placed in His hands. They probably didn't have a clue who this Man was. They were simply caught up in the frenzy of the crowd.

Shame. The soldiers required every victim of crucifixion to carry a placard depicting the crime for which he was punished. Forcing Jesus to walk through the public streets increased the load of shame and humility. They also made Him carry His own 200-pound cross to the place of crucifixion. Due to His extreme pain and exhaustion, He was physically unable to carry it alone, so they secured Simon from Cyrene to assist. The Romans crucified criminals along major thoroughfares as public examples to all passersby.

Pain. Historical evidence indicates that by the time of Jesus, the Romans had already crucified up to 30,000 people in the vicinity of Judea. The biblical text provides a few insights into the method of crucifixion used with Jesus, but much is left to conjecture. From Thomas' remark (John 20:25), we know that the soldiers nailed Him to the cross. Moreover, based on Matthew 27:37 (indictment placed over His head), we deduce that He was placed on the familiar crux imissa, where the vertical bar rises above the horizontal bar.

Suffering and Death. From secular accounts we draw additional reliable facts. The nails were driven into His wrists before the cross was erected because the hands would not be strong enough to hold up the weight of the body. Most likely, a single spike was placed through both feet. Then several soldiers would raise the horizontal bar and drop the vertical post into a deep hole, causing excruciating pain as the jolt twisted major joints out of position.

"The victim of crucifixion would experience waves of nausea, fever, intense thirst, constant cramps, and incessant, throbbing pain from all parts of the body."

Slowly the victim would die from suffocation.

THE SEVEN LAST SAYINGS

Each saying has its own significant meaning, but the overarching lesson is the Jesus' sovereign control, even while enduring intense pain on the cross.

1. Father, forgive them. He pled for mercy on those who killed Him. Even on the cross, compassion filled His life. Was Jesus' prayer answered? Consider the following evidence that it was: the onversion of the thief and centurion, Pentecost, and the conversion of many temple priests (Acts 6:7). God is always eager to forgive repentant sinners.

2. Today you will be with Me in Paradise. Both thieves verbally assaulted Jesus. But one turned silent and then repentant. Proof of repentance is seen in his rebuke of the other thief and his confession of Jesus as Lord ("Lord, remember me.") This story from the cross underscores Christianity's foundational doctrine of justification by faith.

3. Woman, behold your son. This saying demonstrates the tender honor of a son for his mother. It was a statement delegating the care of Mary in her old age to His disciple John. Mary was a sinner needing God's grace just like anyone else. The fact that she was the mother of Jesus is not grounds for bestowing on her titles and honors placing her as a coequal with Jesus in redemption.

4. My God, why have you forsaken Me? Some commentators have difficulty believing that Jesus would feel that God had abandoned Him. But it was at that moment that He bore the sins of the world and died as a substitute for others.

The physical pain He endured on the cross pales in comparison to the wrath of God against Him.

5. I thirst. Here we see the true humanity of Christ. This saying fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 69:21.

6. It is finished. In the Greek language this phrase is one word: Tetelestai. It was a loud cry of victory. His cry represents the greatest victory in world history. The ransom had been paid in full. The only thing left for Him to do was to die so that He could rise again.

7. Into Your hands I commit My spirit. Quietly, He submitted His life to the Father. In one sense, His death represents the culmination of one of the most grisly deeds ever committed. On the other hand, and more importantly, His death represents the will of the Father, who was pleased "to crush Him."

FIVE MIRACULOUS SIGNS

The crowds had no idea that it was the Son of God who had just been murdered. That is, until some supernatural phenomena began to force the world to take notice.

First, the sun darkened. From noon till 3:00, when the sun would be at its brightest, the earth experienced a severe darkening. It was not an eclipse; Passover was always observed during a full moon. The Bible doesn't specify why the sun darkened. It states it only as a fact. However, since darkness symbolizes evil throughout the Scriptures, certainly this particular supernatural event reminds us that the cross represents God's judgment and wrath upon sin. Sadly, even during the darkness, the onlookers continued their mockery.

Second, the veil was torn. The veil, made of heavy curtain, blocked the entrance to the Holy of Holies which housed the Ark of the Covenant and symbolized the presence of God. Only the high priest on the Day of Atonement could enter to make a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. The veil served as a constant reminder that sin separates people from the presence of God.

The tearing of the veil when Jesus died symbolized that entrance into the Holy of Holies was now open and that His sacrifice provided sufficient atonement for sin forever. The curtain was torn from top to bottom, indicating that God is the one who removed the barrier. Interestingly, when this supernatural event occurred, there would have been crowds of people in the temple worshipping and making preparations to slaughter their Passover lambs. While thousands of lambs were being slain, the perfect Lamb of God was dying on the cross.

Third, the earth shook. This earthquake had enough force to split rocks (Matthew 27:51). In the Scriptures earthquakes represent a symbol of God's judgment and wrath. It was at the cross that God poured out His wrath on mankind. The book of Revelation describes an earthquake at the end of time far surpassing in magnitude and destruction any previous one.

Fourth, the dead came back to life. When Jesus died and the earthquake shook the area, graveyard sepulchers split, and many who were buried in the area came back to life. The text (Matthew 27:52-53) does not disclose how many. They waited to appear until after the resurrection. Where they were in the lapsed time is not specified. Most likely, they possessed glorified bodies fit for heaven. Matthew doesn't indicate what happened to them, but in all likelihood they ascended into heaven not long after the resurrection.

Fifth, the centurion was saved. A Roman centurion commanded a division of 100 men. Most were career officers, hardened through years of military conflict. This centurion probably was supervised the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves. He had been there from beginning to end. Upon seeing the supernatural phenomena and witnessing the death of Jesus, he confessed, "Truly this was the Son of God!" All the soldiers had the same reaction. Therefore, it appears that the centurion and his soldiers might have been the very first converts after Jesus died.

Members of the Sanhedrin demanded that Christ's body be taken down before the Passover observance.

How ironic! Those who broke every law in the book to convict Jesus now wanted to abide by the law. After the soldiers made sure He was dead, the body was then given to Joseph of Arimathea for burial.

But death was not the final word, for on the third day He burst forth into life, conquering death.

Preaching in the early church gave as much emphasis to His death as to His resurrection.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

• “We preach Christ crucified.” (I Corinthians 1:23)
• “ I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2)
• “ God forbid that I should boast except in the cross if out Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14)

While celebrating the risen Christ, we must never pass over the importance of His death. "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" has been and always will be the heart and soul of the gospel.