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The Crucifixion and the Resurrection

March 25, 2021 Leave a comment Go to comments
  • The Crucifixion and the Resurrection The Crucifixion and the resurrection are central to the Christian faith. Without the crucifixion and the resurrection, Christianity would not exist. Christianity would have been another fly-by-night religion, and Jesus would have been another long-forgotten zealot. Why are the crucifixion and the resurrection central to the Christian faith? It is because, through them, everything stands.
  • Why is the Crucifixion important?
  • Only in the Christian faith has God condescended to become like His creation, suffered with His creation, and died for His creation. In every other religion, man attempt to reach up and please their god. Only in Christianity does God reach down to man. Not only did He reach down to man, but He also died for man.
  • The crucifixion was the worst form of torture invented by man. It was so bad that the Romans did not even practice it on their own citizens (except in extreme situations). When Romans crucified a criminal, they would bind them to a crossbeam which they would carry to the crucifixion site. Once at the site, the beam would be removed from their shoulders then nailed to the center beam by a long spike.
  • Next, the criminal would be laid on the cross. He may have his hands bound to the crossbeam and his feet bound to the center beam. He would then have long spikes driven through the wrists of his arms/hands into the crossbeam. They would then place one foot on top of another and drive a longer spike through the top of the top foot, through the bottom of the top foot, through the top of the bottom foot, through the bottom of the bottom foot, and into the center beam.
  • The soldiers would then take a rope and tie it around the crossbeams. They would use the rope to raise the cross from the ground (like with some lifting as well) until the cross was upright and fell into the hole that was dug fo it. When the cross hit the bottom of the hole, the body on the cross would convulse with pain as the limbs jarred against the spikes in them.
  • There, the person would hang on the cross, suspended between heaven and earth. The only way they could breathe would be to push up on the nails in their wrists, while simultaneously pushing down on the spikes in their feet. When they could no longer take the pain, they would slowly lower themselves down. Sometimes, they would last for days. This crucifixion was a special situation. The Sabbath was approaching and the dead could not hang on the cross on the Sabbath. So, the soldiers went around breaking the legs of the men upon the cross to prevent them from pushing up; therefore suffocating to death.
  • When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead so they did not break His legs (fulfilling scripture). Yes, they took a spear and pierced His side for good measure. This is what Jesus endured…and much more.
  • What did Jesus endure?
  • After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. There He was interrogated and assaulted (Matthew 26:57, Luke 22:63-65). He was taken to Pilate where the Jews demanded He be crucified. Seeking to rid his hands of Jesus, Pilate handed Him off to Herod. Herod soon grew tired of Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate. Seeking still to free Jesus, Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged (John 19:1). Essentially, Jesus was stripped and beat with a whip, called a cat of nine tails. It is believed it was laced with bone and rock which would rip the flesh off Jesus with every strike. Some theologians believe that His internal organs may have been visible by the time they were finished.
  • There, the soldiers placed a scarlet robe on Him and a twisted crown of thorns was placed on His head. He was then mocked and smacked. They added harm to injury by pulling the robe off Him likely removing more skin and aggravating His wounds where the blood started to clot (Matthew 27:27-31). After this, the crossbeam was placed on his back and He was forced to carry it uphill to Calvary.
  • This does not include any spiritual assault Jesus may have been going through. Is there any wonder He sweated drops of blood the night before?
  • Has it occurred to you that Jesus was nailed to the cross made of iron that He placed in the mountains to be mined? Or have you thought about the fact that He planted the trees that would provide the wood that would compose His cross?
  • Why is the Resurrection important?
  • If Jesus had died, He would have just been another dead martyr. But He did not stay dead. He rose again. Or more correctly, God the
  • Father raised Him from the dead. This is important because it should three things:
  • It showed that Jesus was Who He said He was. If He was not, God would have left Him in the grave because He would have been a liar or a lunatic. Neither of those has been raised from the dead by God. No. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed He was the One who would take away the sin of the world. God raised Him from the dead to show that He was telling the truth.
  • Second, it showed that God accepted His sacrifice. Jesus lived a sinless life for two reasons: 1) to be the perfect sacrifice, He had to be without blemish, and 2) the perfect life He lived would be imputed (credited) to us when we put our trust in Him.
  • Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 15: 12- Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
  • Third, it showed what will happen to us should Jesus tarry. Just as Jesus has risen from the grace, so will we if death calls before the Lord returns.
  • Again, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13
  • But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
  • This is why the crucifixion and the resurrection are central tenets (truths) of the faith. Without them, Christianity falls apart and it becomes like every other works-based religion.
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