Mount Calvary: What is Finished?

Warren Brosi

July 9, 2023

Dominant Thought: On Mount Calvary, Jesus finished off the power of sin and death on Mount Calvary.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to understand one new fact about the crucifixion of Jesus.

I want my listeners to feel the love Jesus for all mankind as He willingly gave His life on the cross.

I want my listeners to live in the victory over sin and death won by Jesus.

Today, we come to Mount Calvary. The word Calvary comes from the Latin translation of “skull” or the Hebrew “Golgotha.” It is the place where Jesus was nailed on the cross. Today, if you visit Jerusalem, you’ll find two possible locations for where people think Jesus was crucified: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre or The Garden Tomb. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the more traditional option (show pic), but in recent years others have made a case for the skull formation in the hillside (show pic) above a garden tomb where a winepress and a vineyard may have been in the first century. If you visit the garden tomb (show pic with buses), you’ll see a city bus parking lot and and hear the Muslim calls for prayer at the nearby mosque.

Today, we climb Mount Calvary. The place of the skull is located outside of the old city of Jerusalem that was located on a mountain. In the Old Testament, you’d call Jerusalem, “Mount Zion.” In fact, the first name of Berlin Christian Church that I’ve read was “Mt. Zion Christian Church.” We were renamed Berlin Christian in 1859, when we relocated to Berlin.

Today, we come to read about the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a scene we show approach with reverence, awe, and wonder. In the words of William Wordsworth, “thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”

When we contemplate the cruel punishment of crucifixion, the Roman statesman, Cicero (106 B.C. - 43 B.C.) wrote about crucifixion, “The cruellest, most hideous of punishments…Never may it come near the bodies of Roman citizens, never near their thoughts or eyes or ears!” (quoted by James S. Stewart, The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, p. 165).

When we visited the place where Jesus received the cross. Though there is some debate if this location is from the time of Hadrian (AD 76-138). At the Lithostrotos or the Stone Pavement/Gabbatha, (one understanding of this word is hill), we noticed the natural grooves in the stone floor that is still evident today. I wonder if that was for the blood to run down from the victims that were flogged.

Let’s read John 19.13 through to the end of the chapter and pause to reflect on the people who were there that day.

Pilate, a Roman governor of Judea (AD 26-36/37) who was was quick to spill blood (Luke 13.1). Under the cover of darkness, he set up images of Caesar in Jerusalem (Josephus, Jewish War 2.9.2-4). Yet, in conversing with Jesus Pilate felt compelled to release Jesus. Earlier, Pilate says, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 19.6). Then, in John 19.12, “Pilate tried to set Jesus free.”

“But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19.15).

The Jewish leaders were the ones who brought Jesus to Pilate. They were unwilling to enter the Palace so they could remain clean to eat the Passover lamb, while they were willing to hold illegal trials at night with false witnesses to send the Lamb of God to the cross. They told Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law he [Jesus] must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19.7). They pressured Pilate by saying if they let Jesus go, then Pilate was no friend of Caesar (John 19.12). Pilate asks them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests reply, “We have no king, but Caesar” (John 19.15).

The soldiers. Pilate hands Jesus over to the chief priests and the soldiers took charge of Jesus (John 19.16). Jesus carried His own cross. Some of the early church fathers see a connection to Isaac carrying the wood up Mount Moriah, but this time there would be no ram in the thicket (Genesis 22.6).

As we walked the Via Dolorosa, the way of suffering, as we retraced the steps of Jesus carrying the cross on our way to the Church of the Holy Selpulchre, I notice something else. We were heading up hill. I was getting a little winded just climbing the terrain carrying only my water bottle. Jesus carried the crossbeam after receiving a flogging that killed most people up hill!

Then, we read in John 19.18, “There they crucified him.” There on Calvary, Skull hill, they—the Roman soldiers, an unholy group of men, crucified—an shameful, painful death reserved for rebels, thieves, bandits, and slaves, Him—the perfect Son of God.

Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. That was the sign Pilate placed on the cross of Jesus. He had it written in 3 languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests protested, but Pilate’s backbone grew stronger with his words, “What I have written, I have written” (John 19.22).

The soldiers divided the clothes of Jesus by casting lots, a fulfillment of Psalm 22.18 written about 1,000 years before the days of Jesus on the earth.

John narrates this episode with a summary sentence, “So this is what the soldiers did” (John 19.24).

The women and beloved disciple stood near the cross. This group posed no threat to the Roman soldiers. Listen to these words of John, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother...” (John 19.25). Can you image the sight of your son hanging naked or nearly naked for all the world to see. Beaten, bloodied, and dying. Thankfully, Mary has family and friends to comfort her in her darkest hour. Jesus saw His mother and spoke to her and the beloved disciple—many believe is John, the writer of this gospel. Jesus says to them, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother” (John 19.26). Even in death, Jesus cares for his family. That disciple took Mary into his home to care and provide for her.

Jesus knowing everything had now been finished and to fulfill Scripture said, “I’m thirsty” (John 19.28). The one who created oceans, and rivers, and streams…The one who turned water into wine. The one who offered the woman at the well living water now thirsts. Jesus who said, my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink (John 6.56), now thirsts. The one who promised the Holy Spirit to come with the invitation, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7.37). Jesus is now the one who is thirsty. He is offered wine vinegar, not the good wine that he made from the water in John 2. When Jesus received the drink, he said, “‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (John 19.30).

In John 17.4, Jesus prays, “I have brought you glory by finishing the work you gave me to do.”

First, At the cross, Jesus defeated the power of sin. The innocent one stepped on head or the skull of the serpent on skull hill.

Genesis 3:15 NIV

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Jesus fulfilled the plan of God throughout Scripture to once and for all deal with sin.

James S. Stewart wrote, “Not by the Roman nails through His hands, but by the perfect love in His own heart, He was bound to the cross, bound fast to it until the work was done” (The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, p. 169).

Colossians 2:13–15 NIV

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Jesus took care of all the bad things you have done or ever will do at the cross. Jesus finished of sin and the shame that comes with it. Jesus finished off our guilt. He became sin so that we could be made right with God. Jesus finished of sin at the cross. Second, at the cross, Jesus defeated the power of death.

As we read John 19.31-20.1, we read about the confirmation of the death of Jesus, the burial, and then the empty tomb on the first day of the week.

As we look at the cross, in our tradition, we have an empty cross. Jesus did not remain on that cross. Think about the process of taking a body off of the cross. I can imagine what it would take and it doesn’t seem pleasant.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus secretly followed Jesus. Both were disciples of Jesus, but they had to battle through the fear of the Jews and the powerful people of the day. And yet, in a most crucial hour these men come through by offering a place for the body of Jesus to rest and the offering of 75 lbs of spices to anoint the body of Jesus.

Jesus is placed in a garden tomb which gives some credence to the newer location in Jerusalem, the garden tomb as it has a winepress for a vineyard around the time of the first century.

Jesus is placed in a new tomb that had never received a body. Jesus was laid to rest as Sabbath was beginning.

Then, early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw the stone removed. She came running and told Peter and the beloved disciple, “They have taken the Lord and we don’t know where they have put him” (John 20.2). Later, Mary is outside of the tomb crying. Then, she sees Jesus and He calls her by name. She recognizes Him and follows the instructions of Jesus, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20.18).

Romans 8:2 NIV

because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

On Mount Calvary, Jesus finished off the power of sin and death. We no longer need to live enslaved to sin or crushed by the shame of our sin. Jesus took it away at the cross. We do not need to fear death, Jesus died and rose again and gives His followers hope that death will not have the final word.

What is finished? The power of sin and death is finished. We do not need to live in fear. If you trust Jesus as your Savior, then you can live with confidence in the work of your loving Savior. If you have not trusted in Jesus’ saving work on the cross…If you live in fear of death, then I invite you to visit with me or a Christian friend to discuss your next steps with Jesus. The beauty of baptism by immersion is we unite with Jesus in His death and resurrection by going down into the water and coming up out of the water as a new person.