THE CROSS

We looked at how the crowd responded to Pontius Pilate

We saw Pilate wash his hands of the situation

We heard the people choose Barabbas over Jesus

We are going to look at the Death and Burial of Jesus Christ

“Why was this necessary?”

“Why did Jesus have to suffer”

“What was the point of the crucifixion?”

TURN TO

Matthew 27:26–66 NKJV

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. 35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” 36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. 45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. 49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. 57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. 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.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Matthew 27:

PRAY

Matthew 27:

Matthew 27:26–31 NKJV

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:26–34 NKJV

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

MATTHEW 27:26-

AT THIS POINT JESUS HAS BEEN BEATEN

BARABBAS HAS BEEN RELEASED

JESUS HAS BEEN DELIVERED OVER TO ROMAN SOLDIERS TO PREPARE HIM FOR CRUCIFIXION

The Soldiers of the Governor who were there to oversee the Passover Festivities

Took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered all 600+ Soldiers

It would be here that they would weaken the body of Jesus

They would test, nimble, and breakdown the physical strength of Jesus

Why?

To expedite the process that they were in charge of

They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him

They adorned him with Royal Colors

Then they twisted a crown of thorns together, and put it on his head.

This would be the make shift crown

They also gave him a reed to resemble a scepter

Now that Jesus was dressed for the part

The Soldiers mocked him even moreso saying:

“Hail, King of the Jews!”

They spat on Him

Beat Him with His own scepter

After this gruesome beat down and humiliation

They put his clothes back on and led him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:32

Matthew 27:32–35 NKJV

32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. 35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

AS THEY CAME OUT, THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD OVER PREPARED JESUS FOR HIS DEATH

JESUS HAD NO STRENGTH TO CARRY THE HORIZONTAL BEAM TO GOLGOTHA

SO THEY COMPELLED A MAN TO CARRY IT FOR HIM

This man was Simon of Cyrene

We don’t know much about him

But many scholars believe that Simon was a Jewish Pilgrim on the way to celebrate the Passover

Having traveled from northern Africa, this man must have been a bit tired

As he arrives, he is put to work by the Roman Authorities.

Think about it:

This man who came to celebrate the Passover

Has know been instructed to carry the beam that would crucify the Passover Lamb

AS THEY ARRIVED TO GOLGOTHA AKA “THE PLACE OF THE SKULL”

THE SOLDIERS GAVE HIM SOUR WINE MIGLED WITH GALL TO DRINK TO HELP EASE THE PAIN

Not knowing that it was done to fulfill the prophecy stated in

THEN THEY CRUCIFIED HIM AND DIVIDED HIS GARMENTS, CASTING LOTS, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHAT WAS SPOKEN OF BY THE PROPHET IN

Even in His Death, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy

The Strong drink that they tried to give him . . .

The dividing of His graments . . .

And accepting the Curse and the Shame of the Cross . . .

JESUS’ ENTIRE LIFE WAS SATURATED IN FULFILLING THE FATHER’S WILL

IN LIFE AND DEATH, JESUS WAS FULLY ALIGNED WITH THE WILL OF THE FATHER

IN EVERY DETAIL JESUS SOUGHT TO GLORIFY THE LORD NOT BY ACCEPTING THE GLORY. BUT THROUGH OBEDIENCE.

Matthew 27:36–44 NKJV

36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

Matthew 27:36-

AS THE ROMAN SOLDIERS ERECTED THE CROSS

THEY PUT AN ACCUSATION OVER HIS HEAD

THIS PLACARD WOULD EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR THE CRUCIFIXION

THIS STATEMENT, WRITTEN IN GREEK, ARAMAIC, HEBREW & LATIN

As a kid, or in the Catholic Bible, you would often see pictures of the cross with a sign that included the following initials INRI

“Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum.”

THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS

Imagine being the person who put that sign together

The person in charge of putting together the accusations of all those condemned to Death on the Cross

Robber

Criminal

King of the Jews

What would that do to you? As a creative

How would that effect you?

What questions would you have?

AS THE CROSS WAS ERECTED, THERE WERE TWO OTHERS ALSO BEING LIFTED UP

HOWEVER, THESE TWO HAD NOTHING AND EVERYTHING IN COMMON WITH JESUS

THINK ABOUT IT:

Jesus was numbered among the transgressors while he remained without sin

Jesus who was without Sin, was condemned by the Sins of this world

There on the Cross, Jesus felt the shame of Sin

There on the Cross, Jesus felt the weight of Sin

There on the Cross, Jesus paid the debt of Sin

All while never experiencing the pleasure of Sin

For Jesus, Sin was only painful

For Jesus, Sin was only deadly

For Jesus, Sin had no temporal satisfaction

In the trauma of the Cross, Jesus would forever associate Sin with Pain, but would be forced to balance that Pain with the Joy that was set before Him.

THE CROSS

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