Turn with me to two passages of Scripture today, the Gospel of John chapter 19 and verses 16 through 18, and then Philippians 2 verses 1 through 8. John 19 and beginning in verse 16. My topic today is entitled Death by Crucifixion. Death by Crucifixion. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away, and he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. where they crucified him and two other with him on either side one and Jesus in the midst. Then Paul explains the theology of the cross after John gives us the history in Philippians 2 verses 1 through 8. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, of any fellowship of the Spirit, of any bowels and mercy, fulfill you my joy. that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. And let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Today I wish to cover the subject of death by crucifixion. Many years ago, the thought came to me, or the question came to me, is why would God choose crucifixion as the means of his son's death? Could there not have been a more humane way of redeeming sinners? And I hope today our subject will help us better to understand the answers to these questions. So to begin with, let's consider the history or the use of crucifixion. Crucifixion is death by execution. It dates back to the 6th century B.C., where it apparently was invented by the Persians. The earliest reference to this practice of crucifixion involved 3,000 Babylonians by the Persian king Darius or Darius. Alexander the Great crucified 2,000 citizens of Tyre in revenge for their treatment of him. Alexander Janius, the first century BC Hasmonean king of Judea, crucified 800 rebels. And the Romans used crucifixion extensively as a means of torture for those who were a danger to Roman authority. It was considered so barbaric that Roman citizens were exempt from this form of death. After the capture of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the Romans crucified so many Jews that it is said that they ran out of lumber. And this method of execution continued in use until the days of Constantine, who, after his conversion to Christianity, considered it an insult to Christianity. Now let's consider the mode of use, what's involved in crucifixion. The mode of crucifixion was that of impaling or attaching a person to wooden stakes in the form of a cross. Now, this could be in a single pole. It could also be in an X cross. It could also be in a T cross, in which the horizontal beam was attached to the vertical beam at its top. And the fourth form of the cross was made by attaching the cross beam at a level below the top of the vertical beam. This is probably the type used in the death of Jesus, for this would allow for a caption to be attached to the cross beam describing the person's name and the crime for which they were being executed. In crucifixion, the upright or vertical beam would already be in place, and the condemned criminal was made to carry the horizontal or the cross beam to the place of execution. The victim was then made to lie on his back on the ground where his arms were stretched out and either tied or nailed to the horizontal beam by nails about six to eight inches long. The cross member was then lifted up along with the victim and attached to the vertical beam. to which was also sometimes attached a piece of wood that served as a kind of seat that partially supported the body's weight. This was designed to allow the victim to push and pull upward to allow him to breathe, or else he would die of suffocation. This seat was designed to increase his agony. not relieve it, in that it would allow him to live longer otherwise. Victims of crucifixion did not die normally for two or three days, but this was determined by the presence or the absence of the seat or the footrest. because a person suspended by his hands without the foot rest lost blood pressure quickly and the heart rate was increased. Orthostatic collapse through insufficient blood clotting to the brain and to the heart would follow shortly. If the victim could ease his body by supporting himself with the seat or the footstool, the blood could be returned to some degree of circulation to the upper part of the body. When it was desired to bring the torture to an end, the victim's legs were broken below the knees with a club. It was then no longer possible for the victim to ease his weight, and the loss of blood circulation occurred, and death would soon follow thereafter. The body was usually left on the cross to rot, but in some instances it was given to the family or friends for burial. If the victim was attached to the cross by ropes instead of nails, he would be left on the cross to die of starvation. Let's consider the intense suffering of the physical agonies of crucifixion. The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially that in hot climates. Severe inflammation, coupled with the bleeding from the jagged wounds, produced traumatic fever, which was aggravated by the exposure to the heat of the sun, along with the strained position of the body and insufferable thirst. The wounds swelled around the rough nails, and the torn and lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood, and a terrible throbbing headache ensued. The mind became confused and filled with anxiety. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths. Tetanus would then set in, causing the muscles to cramp, and the resulting convulsions would tear at the wounds and add to the burden of pain, until at last the bodily forces were exhausted and the victim sank into unconsciousness and death. I appreciate Kenny's selection of the songs today describing the crucifixion of Jesus. of our Lord and Savior. This is what He went through for you and me. Now, what was the purpose of crucifixion? Crucifixion, as administered by the Romans, was not only to inflict torture and pain for the victim, but it was designed to expose one to shame and humiliation. It was intended to mock at the victim's total helplessness in having all of his powers taken away from him. The place chosen for execution would either be on a hill or an elevated area or else by a roadside. The Romans always crucified their victims in public places, along highways, so that everyone could see the horrible results of rebellion against Rome's authority. Cicero, a Roman historian, tells us that the act was so repugnant that a Roman citizen was exempt from that act and that it was reserved for slaves and insurrectionists. He went on to say, Let the very name of the cross be far away, not only from the body of a Roman citizen, but even from his thoughts, his eyes, and his ears." The victim's offense was usually written on a tablet which was attached to the cross at the time of the execution, and upon his death A Roman soldier then would drive a spear into the side of the victim, and blood and water would flow out of the victim, indicating that he was dead. The spear was not to kill the victim, it was to verify that the victim had already died, as the pool of water and blood would form in that particular area of the body. Not only was death by crucifixion an emblem of shame and degradation in the eyes of the Romans, it was something that was detested by the Jews. Way back in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 21 and verses 22 and 23 we read, If a man hath committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree, His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt anyway bury him that day. For he that is hanged is accursed of God, that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." And then over in Galatians 3.13, the Apostle Paul states, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. being made a curse for us, as it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Thus the cross became a stumbling block to the Jews. For how could one accursed by God be the Messiah of Israel? It remains such to this very day among the Jewish people. It is the cross which prevents them from acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah. For they would recognize we have our Bible that says that anyone who is hung on a tree is only there by the curse of God. God could never curse his Messiah. Hence he was an imposter. The cross was the stumbling block to the Jewish community. But the cross then became the universal recognized symbol of Christianity as being the very heart of the gospel. For Paul says in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 14, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Now let's consider Christ's personal crucifixion. Somewhat laborious material follows. Try to keep your mind focused. If it does vary a little bit, we'll certainly understand that. There are numerous predictions in the gospel of the crucifixion of Jesus. The Gospel records three predictions of Christ of his own crucifixion, Mark 8.31, 9.31, 10.33, and 34, and parallel passages. In addition, the Apostle John records three sayings about the Son of Man being lifted up, John 3.14, 8.28, 12.32, and 33. And the parallel synoptic Gospels also produce these predictions. Several themes are interwoven in these passages. First of all, Christ's passion, the term used for his suffering on the cross, was part of God's redemptive purpose. In Mark 80, verse 31, we are told that he must suffer. He must be lifted up. This was not some accident, not an ambulance sent to a scene of an accident. This was what God had preordained before the world ever began. It was the prediction of Jesus, His Son, suffering in this manner. Both Jew and Roman, the Romans, were both guilty of delivering and of killing Jesus. both parties in their legal authorities. Also, these predictions followed that his death would be followed by vindication in his resurrection, and that his death, in a paradoxical way, was later seen as his glory, as seen in the symbolism in which John attached to the words being lifted up. The cross was Christ's own glory. other sayings that hint at Jesus' fate in the Gospels, his comment about the murder of the prophets that had preceded him, and his parables about the death of the prophets and the death of the Son at the great feast, the parable of the wicked husbandman, and his teachings about his coming, similar suffering with his own disciples in which they would suffer. Let's consider the historical event as recorded in the Gospels about Jesus. The crucifixion of Christ combined both Roman and Jewish elements. Although the Gospel writers stressed Jewish guilt for their own polemical purposes, the Gospel writers were careful to distinguish between the leaders and the common people. That's what I've just said. In other words, the Gospel writers placed the guilt upon the Jewish leaders, not directly upon the common people of Israel. It was the leaders of Israel who initiated Christ's arrest, Mark 14, 43, and his trial by the Jewish Sanhedrin in Mark 14, 53-64. The Roman official seemed to vacillate and in the end surrendered weakly to the crowds by washing his hands of any guilt. Matthew 27, 24. Rome was clearly implicated in the crucifixion. Can't get away from his responsibility. Since the Jewish Sanhedrin did not have the power to inflict capital punishment because they were under Roman rule, Pilate's decision was necessary before crucifixion could occur. Further, the Romans actually carried out the crucifixion in its execution, not the Jewish people. At Jesus' crucifixion, the Roman custom was observed in the scourging His mock enthronement, his stripping, the bearing of his own cross beam, his being nailed to the cross, the breaking of the two thieves' legs, the elevated site fits the custom of displaying certain criminals publicly, and so does the height of Jesus' cross, probably about seven to nine feet, as indicated by the hyssop reed that was lifted up to him. The presence of a tablet bearing the inscription, The King of the Jews, on the cross suggests that the cross beam was fixed somewhere below the top of the vertical state. Jewish elements are seen in the wine mixed with myrrh, Mark 15, 23, the vinegar and the hyssop reed, Mark 15, 36, and the removal of the body before sunset and the beginning of the Sabbath in John 19, verse 31. Now, I found something as I was putting this together several years ago. that there is an emphasis in each of the four Gospels that gives the crucifixion a little different flavor from each writer's perspective. Just like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all describe the life of Jesus, they do so from different standpoints. Thus it is also true of the way that the writers describe the crucifixion. They place a particular emphasis. The elements found in the individual passion narratives are selected by each writer to present a particular view of the crucifixion scene. It has been realized for some time that the gospel writers were not only historians but also theologians, selecting scenes and portraying them to show the significance of the events for the Christian faith. and their selection is clearly evident in the crucifixion narratives. Now follow me. Both Mark and Matthew point out and focus the horror of the Messiah being put to death by human beings. The first half of Mark's scene contrasts the taunts of the crowd with the true significance of Jesus' death. The two-fold, save yourself, Mark 15, 29-31 repeats Jesus' words about rebuilding the temple in three days, prophetically pointing to His resurrection. The second half of Mark's description stresses the horror of the scene, progressing from a darkness in Mark 15.33 to the cry of abandonment in verse 34 and further taunts in verses 35 and 36. Meanwhile, the Gospel of Matthew extends Mark's imagery in certain important directions adding that Jesus refused to accept the stupefying drink, which was a drugged wine, to alleviate pain. It is said that when he tasted it, he rejected it, Matthew 27.34. And it is added, he yielded up his spirit to the death scene in Matthew 27.50. So Matthew then thus emphasizes that Jesus voluntarily faced his death, note, fully conscious and in complete control of himself. Contrary to many of the other victims, their minds would become incoherent. Not Jesus. He did not take any painkillers. Matthew's irony and allusion also bring out the disparity between Jesus' suffering and his vindication. Elements of vindication include the ripping of the temple veil, Matthew 27, 51, the centurion's testimony in 27, 54. Truly this was the Son of God. Jesus' death is immediately followed by an earthquake that opened tombs and revived many bodies of the saints who had died. For Matthew and these events and others inaugurated the last days, the new age of salvation, when the power of death is broken and life is made available for all who will receive it. Meanwhile, the account in Luke's gospel is quite remarkable. It has two thrusts describing the crucifixion. First, Jesus is portrayed as the perfect example of the righteous martyr who forgives his enemies and by his attitude converts some of his opponents. The taunts of the rulers and the soldiers are reversed when the crowd returns home, quote, beating their breasts. 2747 of Luke. Secondly, in Luke, the entire setting has an atmosphere of reverence and worship, not that as described by Matthew and Mark. Omitted are the wine and the myrrh, the cry of abandonment, and the Elijah taunts. Other episodes are noted indeed, particularly the prayers of Jesus. In Luke alone are related, first, Jesus' prayer that God forgive his executioners, placing it in contrast to the soldiers' mockery. Secondly, in promise and answer to the prayer of the believing criminal, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Today you'll be with me in paradise. And the commitment of Jesus' spirit to the Father. Luke's awesome stillness compared to Matthew and Mark make the crucifixion, now get this, a kind of worshipful commemoration. Take note of this the next time you read through the Gospels and you'll see the variations on the viewpoints of the various writers. In the Gospel of John, then, one finds a theological focus. It goes further than Luke in removing the shocking details such as the darkness and the taunts. Calm prevails throughout from John's portrayal. Stress is laid upon Jesus' sovereign control of his situation as the crucifixion from John's perspective becomes a coronation procession. John alone states that the inscription of the cross was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, and the charge thus becomes a worldwide proclamation of Christ's enthronement. The inscription, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, continues Pilate's dialogue on kingship beyond Jesus' trial. John thus adds to Matthew's emphasis, Jesus has not only become king, he has been sovereign all along. He's in control of the Sonny of the whole situation. From John's perspective, the king is pictured as performing the priestly function of himself becomes the sacrifice. John alone mentions the hyssop, which had been used to sprinkle the blood of the Lamb at the Passover in Exodus 12, 22. Jesus cried, It is finished, John 19, 29 and 30. And further, the piercing of Jesus' side, Matthew 19, 31 through 37, shows the reality of his death. may be seen symbolically when John refers to the rivers of living water flowing from the side of Christ, John 7, 37 and 38, and typifying the outpouring of salvation in the new gospel age. Thus, each gospel pictures the meaning of Jesus' death from a different vantage point. and to combine all of these pictures gives new understanding for us for the significance of the cross. Rather than contradictions seen between the writers, each one presents to us separate parts put together of a compelling wholeness, and thus we have the roundness given to us of the cross of Christ. Now back to our question. crucifixion. Why did God choose this method of execution? Why the cross? Philippians chapter 2 verse 8 of our text reads, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death. And what's their next statement? even the death of the cross, as if there was no other way, no other form of death that could be so repugnant and humiliating as death by crucifixion. So why has God chosen that means? There are many ways in which Jesus could have been executed. He could have been beheaded like John the Baptist. He could have been stoned like Stephen, or hanged. But in the covenant of redemption, before the foundation of the world, Christ was predestined to die, not just by any kind of death, but by death by means of a cross. In the world at that time of Christ's death, we have seen that there was not a more humiliating and painful death than that of the death of the cross. Now follow me. Jesus, who was the highest of all beings, the second person of the triune Godhead, condescended to become the lowest of all human beings. And Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 through 11 pictures the descent of Jesus Christ from the highest position in the universe down to His death on the cross, and then pictures Him ascending back up to the right hand of the Father on high where He is now the enthroned Lord of lords and King of kings. And Philippians chapter 2 and verse 8 deals with the lowest point on that curve, that being the point of the cross. Upon opening the Bible, one is quickly exposed to the warfare between Satan and God, the warfare between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of Satan. Back in Isaiah chapter 14 and 12 through 15, There we see the desire of Lucifer, or Satan, to take over possession of the throne of God and establish his sinful kingdom of pride, selfishness, and dominion over others. He has five I wills, and they are listed in verses 13 and 14, where he says, ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the congregation. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High God." But God says in verse 15, no you won't. Yet you shall be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit." So in this rebellion of Satan, we see the heights of disobedience against God and the greatest punishment inflicted upon a creature of God. Satan says, I will go up, up, up, up, up, God says, no, you will go down to hell. But let's listen to Jesus and his I wills. I will go down to the place of no reputation. I will go down and take the form of a slave. I will go down and become a man and humble myself. I will become obedient to the point of death. I will go down and die, even the death of the cross. Do you see what wickedness says, I'll take God's place? And humility and obedience says, I'll take the place of a nobody. I'll take the lower place. But listen to me. Here's what God said to him, Barry. No, you will not only go down, but you will come up to a place of high exaltation. You will go up where your name will be above every name. You will go up where every knee shall bow of those in heaven, the holy angels, those on earth, mankind, and those under the earth, fallen angels or demons. You will go up to a place where every tongue shall confess that you are the Lord Jesus Christ and you will exalt my glory as the Most High God. The cross is the battleground between the war, between sin and death, and its wages against righteousness and life. In John chapter 1, verses 3 through 8, we're told, He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Now what was the devil's works? Pride and self-centeredness. Christ came to destroy that among the inhabitants of Adam's race. Now how does Christ destroy the works of the devil? By the means of the cross. He conquers Satan by showing, now don't miss this, that God considers humility and obedient servanthood to be great. He conquers Satan by suffering an infinite payment to redeem fallen men who have sinned against their infinite Creator. He must identify himself with the greatest of sinners in Adam's race, and suffer an infinite time in hell for the time that the unbeliever will spend in hell throughout all eternity. And this he did, listen, while he was on the cross. Jesus died the worst death which men are capable of producing, and he went to hell while on the cross, not after he died, contrary to the famous confession, but before he died, during those three hours of darkness, while his soul suffered the punishment of a sinner eternally in hell. He did this for believers. such as you and me. Does that make you love your Savior? Think of all the fallen race of Adam that for centuries have been crying out for a drop of water, separated not only from the physical creation, but separated from God. no comfort. Our Lord suffered that in that compact form imbued to Him while He was there on the cross for three hours. And because He was infinite, He had that capacity to suffer in that nature. Why the death of the cross? It was absolutely necessary to have the worst form in order to satisfy the justice of a righteous and holy God, so that God can make a display to the moral universe of angels fallen and unfallen, of mankind redeemed and unredeemed, that humility and obedience to God is this place of greatness, not that which seeks self-promotion and having dominion over others. This our Lord came to do. The devil introduced death into the race of Adam through sin, and the wages of sin is death. And Jesus paid the sin debt for all of his people, those given to him by the Father, those who come to faith in time and believe the gospel. Thus, from one standpoint, it can be said that Jesus died for the elect only. From another standpoint, it can be said that Jesus died for believers only. Who are you at this morning? Are you a believer or an unbeliever? Answer that question, for it's between you and God. the offer of forgiveness of sin is extended to whosoever is willing to believe this gospel. The promise for those who do so is that they shall be restored to life in Christ, which they had lost in the fall. Eternal life is the knowledge of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ. No one should fear that they have sinned too great a sin for Christ to forgive them. No one should fear that they have sinned too long for Jesus to forgive. Because where sin abounds, what? Grace does much more abound. There is an infinite satisfaction available for all believers who will come to the Father by way of the Is that your hope of how you will enter into the presence of the Father? By way of the old rugged cross, the emblem of what? Suffering and shame. Oh, I love that old cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. For there my Savior died, and there is my very hope. of my acceptance with the Father, is that his life of perfect obedience has now been imputed to me, and my sin debt has been imputed to him, and I stand accepted in the Beloved. I'd love to see you there as well. Look to him, whoever confesses with the mouth and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lord, that God has raised him from the dead, shall be saved." That's the promise of the gospel. Look to the cross. It is there that the battle is won. Satan has been defeated with his kingdom of pride and dominion, and Jesus Christ reigns forever and ever. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Sin and despair, like sea waves cold. threatened the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Dark is the stain that cannot hide. What can we do to wash it away? Look, there's flowing a crimson tide, brighter than snow you may be today. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace. freely bestowed on all who believe, you that are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive? Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than, can you say it with me? All our sin. Look to Christ today. Don't look to me. Don't look to a priest. Don't look to any intercessor. Look to the one intercessor who's at the Father's right hand, who now has all ability to speak and to save that which is lost. And you can place your trust in Him, that He is not only able, He's willing to forgive sinners. Oh, but I think I'm too great a sinner. Don't offend Jesus by that false humility. Jesus is a greater Savior than you are a greater sinner. Okay? Don't lower Jesus by the fact you think your sin is so great. He loves to save big sinners. The Apostle Paul would testify to that. Let's close in prayer today. My Father in Heaven, we are grateful again to have the opportunity of preaching a lovely Lord. Thank you for choosing this horrible method of execution by suffering on a cross. Not only the pain and the agony, but the humiliation before others in appearance of having all of his earthly powers stripped from him. and his appearance as being a helpless victim on the cross. But now we recognize that far from that, he's the mighty conqueror who rose from the grave, ascended to your right hand, and now intercedes on behalf of those who are not ashamed of him and are willing to approach you, the Father, by means of the cross and the meadership of your Son. Thank you for the opportunity again to be able to minister in this pulpit, and I pray, O God, that you might continue to keep your hand upon this congregation, its pastor, and his new companion. For it is in Jesus' name we pray, amen.