The Death of Christ

Nelson Thomas Mumbai

Once again it is the time of the year when the world is remembering the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, a true Christ-lover does not wait for a yearly occasion to remember His Lord. But he will always ponder upon the uniqueness of the person and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

For, not only it is the very basis of his salvation and sustenance, it is the commandment of the Lord Jesus as well to remember Him. Just before His crucifixion, instituting a new memorial feast for His followers, the Lord said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19; 1 Cori. 11:24). The New Testament reveals that the early Church faithfully followed this during their weekly corporate worship (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10).

The danger of over-familiarity
Nevertheless, it is possible that despite the regular observance of the Lord’s Supper one may lose sight of the significance of the sufferings and death of the blessed Saviour. For, over-familiarity with anything, without a deep and heartfelt contemplation will lead to contempt. Sadly, the attitude and actions of certain believers who vigorously and devoutly recall the humiliation of Christ during the breaking of bread gatherings would break even the heart of Christ! The display of their fleshly nature in all its ugliness shows that even a scriptural service could become a ritualistic formality that does not affect the internal life of the participant (Isaiah 1:11-15).

However, such a formal celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection without grasping the meaning will be detrimental to our practical Christian life. Any misconception or inaccurate thoughts on the person and work of Christ not only undermines the very foundation of Christian doctrine but also wrecks the individual’s spiritual life. In fact, the quality of our Christian life depends upon our individual comprehension and intimacy with the Lord Jesus (John 6: 53–58; 15:5).

Importance
It is interesting to note that the scripture gives much importance to the sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Someone has rightly said, “Cut the Bible anywhere, it bleeds; it is red with redemption truths”. Even from the book of Genesis onward, we can see the Lord Jesus Christ portrayed through various ways (John 3:14; 5:46).

Uniqueness
The Word of God presents several distinctive features of the crucifixion and death of Christ. Let us consider few which the Lord Himself stated.

1. It was a pre-planned death, Luke 18:31-33
Some consider Christ's death as an accidental unfortunate end. Notice what the Lord Jesus said as the time approached for His arrest and execution,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." (Luke 18:31–33)

His sufferings and death were in accordance with the eternal plan of God (Revelation 13:8). He knew it, and He reminded His followers several times that to fulfill the scripture, He must suffer and die. He forbade them from any intervention that would jeopardize this divine purpose (Matthew 16:22, 23; 26:54, 56; Luke 24: 44, 46).

Yes, the executioners did not realize this divine, scriptural aspect to the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. Apostle Paul writes, “…none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”. (1 Cori. 2:8)

Apostle Peter declared it in his first sermon, that though lawless hands have crucified Him, He was ‘delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God’ (Acts 2:23).

2. It was the most painful and cruel death, Matt. 26:38, 39
Our Lord’s extreme sorrow and anguish in foresight of His sufferings on the cross reveal the dreadfulness of the agony He went through. Notice the following verses:
"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." (Matt. 26:38, 39)
“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

Crucifixion was one of the most cruel and painful methods of punishment. It was reserved for foreign slaves and hardcore criminals only. Because of the intense pain involved, the victims were given wine mingled with gall just before crucifixion to help them bear the pain. It was a kind of sedation. But the Lord Jesus refused to drink it (Matt. 27:33, 34; Mark 15:23).

The sequence of Christ’s arrest and execution reveals the intensity of exhaustion He went through. Soon after His arrest, He was taken to three different courts back and forth. He was bound, struck, stripped, and mocked. They spat upon Him and removed His beard. Pilate ordered to have Him scourged for at least 39 times to satisfy the crowd, which resulted in deep cuts and bruises on His body. Bearing His own cross, He had to walk through the streets of Jerusalem up to the place of crucifixion. The pain He suffered while He was being nailed onto the cross and putting it into the pit is unimaginable.

What a pain, shame, and injustice He experienced from the hands of His own creation. The entire trial and crucifixion of Christ was against the natural justice. He was punished even without being proved of His guilt. The entire proceedings took place within twenty-four hours.

Remember, more than the physical and mental agony our Lord suffered, it was the spiritual pain at the hands of His Father that broke Him more. For it was then, during those dark hours He cried, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" (Matt. 27:46)

3. It was a supernatural death, John 10:17b, 18
Another fact that Christ told us about His death is the supernatural element involved in His death. He said,
“I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
We can observe much difference in the death of Christ from a normal human death.

All these aspects of His death show that Christ’s death was unique and supernatural.

4. It was a needful death, John 3:14, 15
Why should the Son of God taste death in such an unnatural, painful manner? The Lord Himself answered it repeatedly,
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness; even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3:14)
"The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22)
“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.” (Matt. 16:21)
Notice the repeated expression, ‘Must’. He found it essential, indispensable. Reminding the lifting up of the bronze serpent to save the dying Israelites in the wilderness (Num. 21:4–9), Christ says, “So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3: 14b, 15)

Need of man
Just like the serpent-smitten Jews were sick and dying, mankind as a whole were spiritually sick and on the way to destruction because of sin. Paul writes,
“….through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”. “…. through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation”. (Rom. 5:12, 18a)
Bearing the burden of sin and its consequences, man from ages searched for a Savior who can deliver him from this body of curse and death. The words of Job as well as Paul affirm this age-old human aspiration:
"For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.” (Job 9:32, 33)
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24)
Job’s search for a mediator and Paul’s longing for a deliverer have been the sincere pursuit of every human. The incarnation, sufferings, and death of Christ were needful for man so that they could escape from eternal condemnation.

Need of God
Not only His death was man’s need, it was needful even for God to satisfy the righteous demands of His law. It was His unchangeable law that stated, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4c, 20a) and “without shedding of blood there is no remission”. (Heb. 9:22 cf. Lev. 17:11)
When the blood of the bulls and goats could not take away the sins of man, God the Father sent His Son to be the perfect sacrifice once and for all (Heb. 10:4, 12). The sinless, perfect One bore our sins on His body and went to the cross. As Isaiah puts it,
“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; ….He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isa. 53:4a, 5; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; 1Peter 2: 24; 3:18, etc.)
Paul’s words are fitting here,
“Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom .3:35, 26)
The atoning sacrifice of the sinless Lamb of God on the cross satisfied the demands of God’s own holy law. The Lord Jesus Christ became our substitute and atoned for our sins taking our place. Thus the cross demonstrates the righteousness of God as well as His love and mercy for the fallen man. (Rom. 5:8) On the cross, as the psalmist says, “Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.” (Psa. 85:10)

5. It was a victorious death, Rev 1:18
Just as He predicted, the Lord Jesus Christ came back to life triumphantly on the third day. Death could not hold Him for He was God. His tomb is open and the body is missing. Only the linen cloths that wrapped the body were there. Christ came out of the clothes without disturbing the folds (John 20:5-7). Through many appearances, He proved that He is not a victim but a victor who has defeated death and lives forever (Acts 1:3; 1 Cori. 15:4–8).

His victory over death has many implications:

a. He is the Great God, the Creator, and the Sustainer (Rom. 1:4; Tit. 2:12). All what He claimed to be is absolutely true. So, He is reliable and trustworthy.
b. Atonement for the sins of man is done once and for all (Heb. 10:11, 12; 1 John 2:2). Now God is free to forgive and save anyone who trusts the saving work of Christ. Thus, the guilty, condemned sinner can be released from the bondage of sin and its consequences (Rom. 3:25, 26; 4:25; 1 Cori. 15:17c; 1 Peter 1:18, 19).
c. Satan and the evil forces have been defeated (Colo. 2:15; Heb. 2:14). Hence we don’t need to live under his bondage.
d. Finally, life beyond death has been confirmed. Death is not the end, it’s only a transition (1 Cor. 15:21, 22; 1Thess. 4:14).

Of course, there is much more about the sufferings and death of Christ. Never forget this fact: though Christ died for the sins of every man, it’s effective only to those who humbly acknowledge it by confessing their sins.

What is your response to these truths behind the agony of the Lord?

Do you experience and enjoy the practical implications of the work of Christ on the cross?

Failure to appropriate the efficacy of this vicarious sacrifice of the Son of God is the uttermost fault anybody can commit today (John 3:18, 19).
The most suitable response at this juncture is to fall prostrate at His feet in worship and yield to Him for a victorious life in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

NTK

Grace & Peace e-periodical
Vol. 19 No. 3| March 2024

 In this issue: -

Perspective: The Death of Christ
Outline: -1 Sufferings of Christ according to Peter
Outline:-2   Results of the Resurrection
Anecdote: Substitute Soldier
 Practical: - 1 Appropriating the Death of Christ as a Believer
Practical: -2  Resurrection Ground: A Believer’s Perspective
Meditation: The Resurrection Power of Christ
Exhortation: Resurrection: Practical implications
Reflection: Why No Easter Celebration?
Gospel:How to Escape Death?