Sermon Tone Analysis

A long road home

Jesus has been on a journey from his early ministry setting His face on Jerusalem (Lk9:41).

It must have, in the flesh, been a very emotional time for Jesus, but yet, He knew why He came and went to fulfill His calling.

We have already seen quiet a journey to the cross.

From Agonizing prayer in the garden (Mk14:32-42)

To the Betrayal by Jesus; His arrest and abandonment (Mk14:43-50)

The beating and mocking (Mk14:65)

The denial by Peter (Mk14:66-72)

The Roman trial (Mk15:1-20)

Jesus abandoned, alone, afflicted leads us to where we are starting today.

No greater love could He display then be willing to go to the cross for our sin.

In our passage today we are going to focus on a couple of points.

Leading to the crucifixion (Mk15:22-25)

The crucifixion (Mk15:24-32)

The road to the Crucifixion

From the mock trial before the Jews, the shameful trial before Pilate, now comes the journey to cross itself.

Mk1521

Where Simon was compelled to carry the cross (Mk15:21; Jn19:17; Rom16:13)

Where Simon was compelled to carry the cross (Mk15:21; Jn19:17; Rom16:13)

Let’s take our time on this, first who is this Simon?

Why do you think they named his sons?

Could this be the Rufus Paul mentions in Romans, men into service.

Roman soldiers had the privilege of “pressing” someone into service, but this started off with Jesus bearing His own cross.

A couple more questions about Simon.

Why do you think they named his sons?

Could this be the Rufus Paul mentions in Romans, men into service.

A quick story to tie in Simon and his bigger purpose.

In one of his folksy letters to his mother, Harry Truman wrote, ‘I went to the White House today to see the President and discovered i was the President.”

Simon had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and ended up meeting the Passover Lamb.

Simon’s life forever changed and you can be pretty confident he shared his faith with his Son’s Alexander and Rufus as they witnessed him picking up bearing the cross for Christ.

Where he took the long way to Golgotha (Mk15:22; Isa52:14; Lk22:33; Jn19:20)

Where he took the long way to Golgotha (Mk15:22; Jn19:20)

The guilty party that was to be crucified would be lead out of the City being led through all the streets in great procession.

For crucifixion was a shameful thing and was reserved for the worst of the worst and by leading through the streets it was to be a deterrent.

Jesus had been beaten beyond recognition (Isa52:14)

Because of the beating, no wonder Jesus would be tired too and why they had to employ Simon.

This was a long road to go outside the city to the place of the skull, the place of death.

Speaking of the guilty party, Jesus was convicted but was not guilty, we were guilty but not convicted because Jesus love from the cross.

Simon, which is not Simon Peter who promised to never leave Jesus and even to die with him (Lk22:33); it was Simon the Cyrene that came to the aid of the Master.

Jn

Where Jesus offered pain killer (Mk15:23)

wine mixed with myrrh was in the day a narcotic, it was designed to deaden the pain, and crucifixion was very painful, we will talk about that more in a few minutes.

Jesus refused the cup of sympathy so as to drink the cup of iniquity.

The cup of sin, the cup of God’s wrath are different ways it is said within the scripture.

You may be familiar with some of these scriptures

Cup of suffering (Mt20:23; Mt26:42; Mk10:39 and Mk14:36 and sharing in Php3:10)

I think maybe we should look at the cup of suffering for we are invited to share in that cup too (Php3:10)

Here this cup, is the cup of suffering and they, the apostles did drink of that cup of suffering

Jesus in the flesh desired if it were possible not to drink of the cup of suffering.

Then you have Paul invite us to share in it

Oh wait, here is a better verse

None of the gospel accounts give a description of the crucifixion, it is not needed, for the crucifixion is not to arose pity for Jesus but to bring assured faith to his disciples, even us as disciples 2000 years later.

Now that does lead us to our next section about the crucifixion.

Act6:9

The Crucifixion

According to Cicro, crucifixion was “the cruelest and most hideous punishment possible.”

Whereas we have limited bible words on the subject there is much we can still learn.

The crucified Christ (Mk15:24-25; Mt27:35; Lk23:33; Jn19:18; Isa53:1-12)

oh wait that did not tell us much more did it?

still not much more to go on regarding the crucifixion itself

Crucifixion of Jesus Picture

There is much written about crucifixion, just not much about Jesus crucifixion except for 7 sayings and we will to those next week.

So I want to give a doctors description of what transpires after Simon carries the cross of Christ for him.

When they got to the place of the skull Simon would have been ordered to place the cross beam on the ground, this forcing Jesus to the ground too.

Jesus shoulders would be in pain from the beam.

The soldier then would feel on the wrist for the place to drive the nail through.

Go too far one way and the skin and everything would tear.

He would use a heavy hammer to drive the nail (stake) through the writest into the wood.

He would repeat this with the other wrist also.

WHen doing the second arm he would pull, but not too much before nailing it in so as to leave some room (flexation) to move.

The solider then would get assistance in lifting the cross beam up to put in on the top of the vertical beam (or tree).

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot and both feet would be extended with toes down, a nail is driven through the each of each, leaving the knees bent so they could be flexed.

The victim is then crucified.

Slowly the victim will sag down with more weight on the nails and the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.

Pushing Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, there is searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurs.

As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless throbbing pain.

With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward.

Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled.

Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside.

Spasmodically He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen.

Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber.

Then another agony begins.

A deep crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over - - the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level — the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues — the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air.

The body of Jesus is now in extremis, and He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues.

His mission of atonement has been completed.

Finally He can allow His body to die.

C. Truman Davis “Crucifixion of Jesus from a medical point of view, 1965) found in the expositor’s bible dictionary, Volume 8.

Even the doctor’s description cannot describe the depth of God’s love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus.

God placed the iniquity on the Son and the Son carried it to the cross for you and I.

There is so much more that can be said, and we will say more, but now, let’s see how the description of the sacrifice of the Christ is in the scripture of the suffering servant.

Please turn to Isa53.

I am not putting these on the screen I want you to listen to the prophesy follow in your bible if you chose.

Isa53:11-

Man was looking for an earthly king, a victorious king, a mighty king, not a suffering servant.

They were expecting a great blood line and a know family not the son of a peasant girl, a teenager, as the world would look at her as a harlot due to not being married.

He was despised and forsaken (3)

Bore our griefs, and sorrows (4)