Good Friday: Crucifixion (Table to Tomb)

Introduction

On this Good Friday we remember some portions of the Thursday night and early Friday morning leading up to the cross.

We are going to look at some of Jesus’s journey from the Passover table to the borrowed tomb.

[TS] Let’s start by reading about Judas agreeing to betray Jesus in Luke 22:1-6…

Major Ideas

Table (Luke 22:1-23)

Luke 22:1–6 NASB95

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. 3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.

In this passage we the Jewish religious leaders prepare to murder Jesus, and we see Jesus prepare for His sacrifice on the cross.

[The Preparation for Murder]

As Passover approached, Judas sought to betray Jesus, which provided the chief priests and scribes the opportunity to put Him to death.

Their preparation to murder Jesus was satanic (v. 3).

Luke 22:3 NASB95

3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve.

Their preparation was sadistic (vv. 4-5).

Luke 22:4–5 NASB95

4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him money.

The chief priests and officers were glad to have the opportunity to murder Jesus. They delighted in the thought of subjecting Him to cruelty.

Their preparation for murder was sneaky (v. 6).

Luke 22:6 NASB95

6 So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.

Judas would seek to betray Him in some secluded spot—ultimately the garden of Gethsemane—a place apart from the crowd because the chief priests and scribes were afraid of the people because they held Jesus to be a prophet.

[The Preparation for Passover]

But on the first day of Unleavened Bread Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare for the Passover meal. And they found everything just as Jesus said.

The Passover lamb had to be sacrificed and eaten, but notice especially the secrecy with which the upper room was arranged.

Luke 22:9–13 NASB95

9 They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” 10 And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. 11 “And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 12 “And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” 13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

Some think that Jesus used His divine power to miraculously arrange all this and others think that Jesus just set it up in advance.

In any event, it was ordained by God and set up in this clandestine way to temporarily avoid the crowds that favored Jesus and avoid the religious leaders who were preparing to murder Him.

They found everything just as He had told them.

Indeed, everything had always been just as Jesus told them.

At no point was there ever anything that wasn’t just as He had told them.

The man with the water was just as He told them.

The house and owner was just as He told them.

The upper room was just as He told them.

The cross would be just as He told them.

[Preparation for Sacrifice]

Through the Passover meal, Jesus prepared His disciples to understand the sacrifice He was about to make. What did Jesus want them to understand?

He wanted them to understand that this meal would not be their last one together.

Luke 22:14–18 NASB95

14 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

Jesus told them that He was headed to the cross, but they found that hard to believe. Even so, Jesus had never been wrong about anything else, so there’s no doubt that they were confused, alarmed, and even scared during this Passover meal.

If Jesus was crucified, what would that mean? What would they do? Would they ever see Him again?

Jesus comforted His disciples in the Gospel of John by saying…

John 14:1–3 NASB95

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Here in Luke, Jesus comforted His disciples by pointing to the fulfillment of the Passover symbols—bread and wine.

He wanted them to understand and remember the sacrifice He was about to make for them.

Luke 22:19–20 NASB95

19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

The bread which Jesus shared with His disciples represented His body which would be given for them at the cross.

The wine which Jesus shared with His disciples represented His blood which would be poured out for them at the cross.

They were sinners who deserved God’s wrath, but Jesus was the one and only Savior who was taking that wrath upon Himself at the cross.

After the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were to look on this bread and wine and remember with thanksgiving what the Lord had done for them.

He wanted them to understand the will of God.

Luke 22:21–23 NASB95

21 “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. 22 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

It was of course Judas who was going to do this thing. Judas had already agreed to betray Jesus, and He was going to make that sin into perhaps the greatest of all sins when he followed through and led the religious leaders to the Garden of Gethsemane in order to arrest Jesus.

But this was the will of God—“For indeed, the Son of Man (was) going as it (had) been determined...”

Judas would be guilty of betraying Jesus, but God used that great sin to bring salvation to all those who believe.

It was the will of God to sacrifice His Son for our salvation.

It was the will of God to crucify Jesus for our salvation.

[TS] Jesus submitted to the will of God when He was tempted in the garden.

Temptation (Luke 22:39-46)

Luke 22:39–46 NASB95

39 And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. 40 When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Jesus was no stranger to temptation. He was tempted in the wilderness in Luke 4. Israel failed to resist temptation in the wilderness, but Jesus did not. Satan tempted Jesus with bread, idolatry, and unbelief but Jesus never gave in. He never sinned. But Satan never gave up. Luke 4:13 says…

Luke 4:13 NASB95

13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

All the opportune times of temptation that Jesus faced are not recorded for us in the Bible, but the Bible does say that He was tempted in every way as we are and yet every time Jesus walked away without sin.

But as Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion, Satan saw an opportune time to tempt Jesus. What did Satan tempt Jesus with on this occasion? The answer lies in the words of Luke 22:42, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

The cup was the cup of God’s wrath and Jesus was to drink it all.

There had never been the slightest disturbance in the perfect love between Father and Son but a disturbance is coming.

Jesus will go to the cross and He who knew no sin will become sin and the wrath of the Father will be poured out on Him.

It wasn’t the embarrassment of being mocked that made Jesus pray, “Remove this cup from me.”

It wasn’t the pain of being flogged or even crucified that made Jesus pray, “Remove this cup from me.”

It was the coming disruption of the perfect fellowship with His Father that made Jesus pray, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from Me...”

What a powerful temptation this must have been. But what does Jesus do when faced with this temptation?

The same thing He did when faced with every temptation: He said ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to His Father in Heaven. He said, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

[TS] Jesus rose from prayer and was then arrested. Then began His trial…

Trial (Luke 22:63-23:25)

Luke 22:63–65 NASB95

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him, 64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?” 65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

Blasphemy is mocking, cursing, or vilifying God.

God’s people committed many great blasphemies or acts of contempt against God, but none were greater than those acts of contempt committed against Jesus.

In the mocking of Jesus, they mocked the Son of God.

In the mocking of Jesus, they beat the Word made flesh.

In the mocking of Jesus, they blindfolded and taunted Emmanuel, God with us.

But they had no fear in blaspheming Jesus because they wrongly believed that Jesus was actually blaspheming. That’s what we read in verses 66-71…

Luke 22:66–71 NASB95

66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

The whole of Jesus’ public ministry was a declaration that He was the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God who would save God’s people from their sins. There were specific things that the OT said the Christ would do and Jesus did those things!

But Jesus knew that the Council of elders, the chief priests and scribes, who now accused Him—they would never believe it.

But Jesus did tell them in v. 69…

Luke 22:69 NASB95

69 “But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

They knew that Jesus was quoting from Psalm 110:1. They knew that Psalm 110:1 referred to the Christ as the Son of Man. And they knew that the Son of Man/the Christ would be the Son of God.

So they asked Him, “Is that You? Are You the Son of God?”

And Jesus, “Yes, I am.”

Jesus affirmed that He was indeed the Son of God and the religious leaders took that as blasphemy. That’s why they said in v. 71…

Luke 22:71 NASB95

71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

They had heard the truth but they took it as blasphemy.

They were now ready to put Him to death… or at least ask Pilate to do it for them.

[Accused]

The religious leaders led Jesus to the Roman Governor Pilate, but once Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent Him to Herod, the Jewish puppet-king installed by the Romans.

But when Herod could get nothing out of Jesus, he sent Him back to Pilate who eventually gave the Jewish religious leaders what they wanted in sentencing Jesus to death.

As Jesus went from one wicked ruler to another, the chief priests and scribes followed, accusing Him all along the way.

Luke 23:2 NASB95

2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

Luke 23:5 NASB95

5 But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.”

Luke 23:10 NASB95

10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.

Finally they openly called for His crucifixion.

Luke 23:18 NASB95

18 But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”

Luke 23:21 NASB95

21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

Luke 23:23 NASB95

23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.

They were determined to see Jesus killed, so they accused Him falsely and accused Him relentlessly.

[Blameless]

Wicked Pilate wasn’t opposed to having someone killed, but if He had Jesus killed he might have a riot on his hands because many Jews held Jesus to be a prophet.

Pilate didn’t want a riot, that’s why he examined Jesus three times and each time reached the same conclusion—Jesus was blameless.

Luke 23:4 NASB95

4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”

Luke 23:14 NASB95

14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.

Luke 23:22 NASB95

22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

But the chief priests and scribes didn’t bring Jesus to Pilate so Pilate could determine if Jesus was guilty or not guilty. They had decided that Jesus was guilty and they had decided that He deserved to die.

They just needed Pilate to make it happen.

So when Pilate saw that he might have a riot on his hands if he didn’t have Jesus crucified, he gave the order.

Barabbas—an insurrectionist and murderer—would be set free.

Jesus—blameless even by Pilate’s own admission—would go to the cross.

Barabbas—whose name meant, son of the father—was released.

Jesus—who really was the Son of the Father—was delivered up to be murdered

God was taking the sinfulness of men and using it to sacrifice His blameless Son as atonement for the sins of men.

As Jesus was pelted with mockery, beatings, and other blasphemies, He—who deserved none of it—endured it all to bring us to God.

As He was dragged before wicked men, He never defended Himself because He was giving Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.

[TS] Luke 23:23-24…

Luke 23:23–24 NASB95

23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.

Tomb (Luke 23:26-32)

After His sentencing, Jesus made His way to the place of The Skull having been beaten nearly to death and flogged.

To be flogged was to be lashed repeatedly by a whip or rod. It was less severe than scourging but the flogging of Jesus was no doubt intense because of how they hated Him.

To be scourged was a more severe lashing. The victim was tied to a post. Skin was broken, blood poured out, tissue was torn away. Scourging was terrible.

But this too was part of the atonement Jesus made for our sins. Isaiah 53:5 says…

Isaiah 53:5 NASB95

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Weakened from traumatic abuse and blood loss, Jesus could not carry His own cross all the way.

A man named Simon had to be enlisted to help.

[With Help from Simon of Cyrene]

Luke 23:26 NASB95

26 When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

Simon of Cyrene didn’t volunteer. He was enlisted. He was seized by the Romans who made him carry the cross of Jesus.

I wonder how he thought that day was going to go for him. He was coming in from the country. Was he just now arriving in Jerusalem from Cyrene in North Africa? Or was he coming into the city to continue to take part in the Passover celebration?

We don’t know.

But in this moment the Romans placed the weight of the wood on Simon, but Jesus Himself still bore the weight of the cross.

Simon carried the cross behind Jesus.

Simon carried the cross, but he didn’t lead the way; Jesus still led the way!

Jesus was weakened from the beating He suffered, but no one had to carry Him to the cross. No one had to drag Him there.

He was determined to go to the cross.

In obedience to His Father’s will…

…out of love for you and me…

…Jesus would lay down His life.

[Led Away with Criminals]

Luke 23:32 NASB95

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.

The fact that Jesus was led away with criminals as a criminal fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:12…

Isaiah 53:12 NASB95

12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors although He was not a transgressor.

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors to bear the sins of transgressors.

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors to intercede for transgressors.

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors to interpose His precious blood for transgressors like you and me.

This is how God justly justified the unjust in the death of Jesus Christ.

[Crucified]

Luke 23:33 NASB95

33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

As Jesus was being crucified, He cried out in prayer, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing,” (34).

The Romans knew they were killing a man, but they didn’t know they were killing the Son of Man, the Christ, the Messiah.

By giving His life on the cross, Jesus was providing the means of forgiveness for the very ones who were crucifying Him.

They cast lots for His clothing.

Some looked on in horror.

The Jewish leaders sneered, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One,” (35).

The soldier mocked Him with similar words, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself,” (37).

The sign nailed above Him even taunted, “This is the King of the Jews,” (38).

And one of the criminals even railed at Him, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (39)

But if He saved Himself, there would be no saving anyone else.

He had come to give His life as a ransom for many.

Initially both criminals mocked Jesus, but God in His grace caused one of them to see that Jesus really was the Christ. That one with eyes opened by grace then rebuked the other one still blinded by sin and then he asked Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom,” (42).

Jesus replied in v. 43, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

This criminal had no good works.

He had no baptism.

He had no church membership.

But he was saved by God’s grace.

He believed on Jesus as the Christ just before he died next to Jesus on a cross.

And that day he was with Jesus in Heaven.

As long as you live, it’s never too late to call on Jesus for salvation.

[The Sixth Hour]

Luke 23:44–46 NASB95

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

The sixth hour was 12 noon. Darkness fell over the whole land from about noon until about 3 p.m.

The Light of the World was dying and the dark cloud of judgment loomed over head.

The veil of the temple was torn in two.

The way to the Father was being torn on the cross.

Jesus prayed Psalm 31:5, “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit,” (46).

And having said this, He breathed His last.

No one took His life from Him, but He laid it down of His own accord.

A Roman centurion was standing guard over Jesus and saw Jesus die.

He was a man experienced with death, but when He saw the wonders that surrounded the death of Jesus and the way Jesus died, the centurion began to praise God saying, “Certainly this man was innocent,” (47).

Matthew and Mark tell us that He also said, “Truly this was the Son of God,” (Matthew 27:53; Mark 15:39).

Indeed He was and is, and He laid down His life for you and me.

Once Jesus was dead, the crowds began to mourn.

Was it genuine grief or just what they were expected to do in that culture?

I don’t know.

But His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were genuinely grieved.

They stood at a distance and witnessed all the horror of Jesus’s death on the cross.

They could hear His cries.

They could see His anguish.

They could hear His silence when He breathed His last.

They may have been tempted to turn away but they looked on.

Let us take our place alongside them and look on the one who suffered in our place! Let us hear His cries…

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing!”

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!”

[Buried]

Luke 23:50–52 NASB95

50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

The disciples fled when Jesus was arrested and Peter denied Him during His trial because they knew that Jesus was going to die and association with Him could get them killed as well.

But here’s Joseph of Arimathea courageously asking for the body of Jesus so that he can lay Him to rest.

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

This tomb was in Jerusalem and Jesus wasn’t from Jerusalem

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

This tomb was a rich man’s tomb and Jesus wasn’t rich.

It wasn’t Jesus’s tomb.

He was the Resurrection and the Life and He had no need for a tomb.

He didn’t deserve to die, but He chose too to pay the price for our sins.

So He borrowed the tomb.

He was laid to rest just before the day of rest—the Sabbath—began.

[TS] …

Conclusion

Table, Temptation, Trial, Tomb—and that’s where the body of Jesus will remain…

…in the tomb through the rest of Good Friday, through all of Silent Saturday, but Resurrection Sunday approaches and with it glorious Triumph.

[PRAYER]