The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (II)

The Crucifixion, Death and Burial

Last week, we looked at the betrayal, arrest, trial, and torture of Jesus. He was tried by the Sanhedrin, and then Pilate’s court. He was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate to be scourged and crucified by the Romans. Jesus was stripped of His clothing and then led to the place of crucifixion initially carrying His cross before Roman soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry it. It is also reported that a crowd of people followed, mocking Jesus, along with the thieves or robbers. The Bible says they walked him outside of the city to Golgotha on Calvary Hill.

After arriving at Golgotha, Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh or gall to drink when He said He was thirsty. Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels record that He refused this. He was then crucified and hung between two convicted thieves. According to some translations of the original Greek, the thieves may have been bandits or Jewish rebels. According to Mark’s Gospel, He endured the torment of crucifixion from the third hour (between approximately 9 a.m. and noon), until His death at the ninth hour, corresponding to about 3 p.m. The soldiers affixed a sign above His head stating “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” which, according to the Gospel of John, was in three languages (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek), and then divided His garments and cast lots for His seamless robe. According to the Gospel of John, the Roman soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs, as they did to the two crucified thieves (breaking the legs hastened the onset of death), as Jesus was dead already.

According to the Gospel of John, after Jesus’ death, one soldier pierced His side with a spear to be certain that He had died, then blood and water gushed from the wound.

Apart from the Roman soldiers, the Synoptic Gospels also mention several witnesses, including a centurion, and several women who watched from a distance, two of whom were present during the burial. The Bible describes seven statements that Jesus made while He was on the cross, as well as several supernatural events that accompanied the crucifixion. Immediately He died, there was darkness from the 6th to the 9th hour, and the temple veil was torn from top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and (in Matthew) it is recorded that there was resurrection of saints. Following Jesus’ death, His body was removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and buried in a rock-hewn tomb, with Nicodemus assisting.

These evets are referred to as the Passion, Jesus’ suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion are the central aspects of Christian theology concerning the doctrines of salvation and atonement.

Resurrection of Jesus

Matthew 28:1-10 (please read)

Matthew 28:1-2, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. [2] And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.”

Matthew 28:5-6, “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. [6] He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”

Halleluiah!! “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”

Luke 24:1 tells us that the women brought spices to try and preserve Him in the tomb. Well, they found it empty! Glory to God!

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was not an accidental occurrence. It was planned by God. Let us look at some of the predictions in scripture:

Predicted by David

Psalm 16:10, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

Isaiah 53:9-12, “9And 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. [10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Jesus Himself

Matthew 12:38-40, “38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’ [39] But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” See also John 2:18-22.

Matthew 16:21, 22, 23 “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” See also 17:19, 20:18, 19.

He was so certain about it. He said in Matthew 26:32, “32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Doubted By Most

Matthew 27:62-64, “62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, [63] saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ [64] Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

PROOF OF HIS RESURRECTION

The empty tomb. The numerous appearances. The change in the disciples, (They had instantaneously changed from craven runaways to bold Spirit-filled proclaimers of Christ and the resurrection. Such preaching cost them the loss of their possessions, intense persecution, and finally the loss of their lives, but they kept preaching as long as strength permitted. Multitudes who believed what they were preaching suffered the same persecutions. This must have followed a deep conviction) and born out of undeniable experiences. The authenticity of the records, not to mention the testimony of two thousand years of Christian history!

You can reconcile with God today by simply asking God to forgive you all your sins and by inviting Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Saviour.

We shall continue next week. Have a blessed week.

Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l. Website: www.dayspringcmi.org e-mail: [email protected] Help line: 08035150515