Category: The Cross of Christ

The Events of Passion Week

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These are notes from my reading John R. W. Stott’s classic book, The Cross of Christ.

So far, we have looked at some initial facts about the cross:

  1. It’s central importance (to Christ, the apostles and the universal church).
  2. Its deliberate character (the wickedness of man and the purposes of God).

An Initial Construction:

  1. Christ died for us: being necessary and voluntary, for our sake, not his own.
  2. Christ died for us that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18): reconciliation, redemption, forgiveness, deliverance.
  3. Christ died for our sins: the death of Jesus and our sins are related to each other.
  4. Christ died our death: not only the consequences but the penalty of death. Since the wages of sin in death (Romans 3:23). The Bible views death not as a natural event but a penal event. Jesus came voluntarily to this world to go to the cross.

The last three scenes (the last 24 hours) of the Passion Week: Upper Room, Garden and Golgotha. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was not looking back at a mission he had completed, he was looking forward to a mission he was about to fulfill.

Last Supper and Upper Room:
There was no servant in attendance and the disciples were unwilling to humble themselves enough to undertake the menial task of washing feet. Jesus then has the Last Supper with the twelve. He was teaching a couple lessons:

  1. The centrality of his death: the bread and the cup represented his body and blood. It was by his death that he wished to be remembered.
  2. The purpose of his death: the cup referred not only to his blood but to a new covenant associated with his shed blood, securing our promised forgiveness.
  3. The need to appropriate his death personally: it was not enough for the bread to be broken and the cup to be poured out, but they had to eat and drink it. So, it was not enough for him to die, they had to appropriate (or take possession of) the benefits of his death personally.

Which sacrifice did Christ mean?

  1. The Mt. Sinai sacrifice at the Covenant Renewal of Exodus 24?
  2. The Passover in Exodus 12? According to the synoptic gospels, the Last Supper was celebrating the Passover meal which followed the Passover sacrifice.
  3. Jesus spoke of him being the sacrifice, the lamb being slain in the place of the person, blood was sprinkled on the door posts, and the sacrifice was eaten in a fellowship meal.

The Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane:
Prayer was for himself (that he would glorify the Father), then for them (kept in the truth, holiness, mission and unity), and also for subsequent generations to believe them and their message.

  1. Luke mentions a “baptism” to undergo and he felt stressed, even tormented (Matthew 26:36-46), Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-64).
  2. John records that his heart was troubled, or even agitated, even though he does not mention the praying scene about the cup being removed (only the High Priestly prayer in John 17, then right into the betrayal and arrest). Why? Jesus knows the cup will not be taken from him.
  3. Jesus emerges with resolute confidence in the mission.
  4. The agony of the garden opens a window to the greater agony of the cross.

The Cry of Declaration on the Cross:
Isaiah 53:5-6 is the great passage on the suffering of Christ. Further passages on the sacrifice:

  1. The Lamb taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
  2. The Son came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
  3. The sacrifice to take away sins of many people (Hebrews 9:28).
  4. He bore our sins on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).
  5. He died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
  6. God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  7. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).

Sayings from the Cross: My God, My God. Why have you forsaken me?

  1. Some suggest a cry of anger, unbelief or despair, only imagining he was forsaken: Seems this explanation make Jesus guilty of unbelief, or accusing him of being a failure.
  2. Others suggest a cry of loneliness: this assumes the feeling of loneliness rather than being alone, like the dark night of the soul.
  3. Perhaps a cry of victory: Psalm 22 turns toward a victory and triumph, so why quote the beginning of the Psalm when he referred to the end?
  4. The reality cry of dereliction: while he was forsaken of men, he was not alone, the Father is with me (John 16:32).
  5. John Calvin said, “if Christ has died only a bodily death, it would have been ineffectual… Unless his soul shared in the punishment, he would have been the redeemer of bodies alone.”
  6. Where is the Trinity in the midst of this declaration?

Conclusion: the cross enforces three truths.

  1. Our sin must be extremely horrible: we cannot face the cross with integrity and not feel ashamed of ourselves.
  2. God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension: why not let us reap what we have sown?
  3. Christ’s salvation must be a free gift: he purchased our salvation at the high price of his blood.

Why Did Jesus Die?

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These are notes from my reading John R. W. Stott’s classic book, The Cross of Christ.

Jesus was killed, he did not just die. He challenged the authority of Caesar, and the status quo of the religious leaders. He was a revolutionary thinker and preacher. He was a blasphemer. He was an activist. He was perceived as a threat to law and order.

The evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) make it clear that Jesus was innocent of any charges. His execution was a gross miscarriage of justice.

The Roman Soldiers: they were most immediately responsible. It was their job, and they were good at it. While we have a good understanding of what happened, it is interesting that we do not learn of it from the gospels. None of them describe the crucifixion itself. We get that information from other contemporary documents.

  1. Humiliated, and stripped naked.
  2. Laid on the back.
  3. Hands nailed or roped.
  4. The cross was hoisted and dropped into the stand.
  5. There was a foot peg or rudimentary seat.

The writers tell us:

  1. He carried his own cross.
  2. Simon was drafted to carry it Golgotha.
  3. Offered wine mixed with myrrh.
  4. The soldiers mocked him.
  5. The purple robe.
  6. The crown of thorns.
  7. The scepter and reed.
  8. The blindfold.
  9. Slapping, spitting and mocking him.
  10. They simply tell us that they crucified him (Matthew 27:32-35, Mark 15:21-25, Luke 23:26-33, John 19:17-18). They make no reference to the hammering, nails, pain or even blood (well, except in the garden praying, and only in Luke).

Pilate: he was more culpable for the event, he was the Roman procurator who order the crucifixion (John 19:16-18). He was even singled out in the Apostle’s Creed (crucified under Pontius Pilate).
The writers emphasize two points:

  1. Pilate was convinced of Jesus’ innocence.
    1. As the Sanhedrin bring him on Friday morning.
    2. After he was examined by Herod.
    3. Why crucify him, what has he done? There is no ground for death.
  2. Pilate wanted to avoid sentencing Jesus.
    1. Herod’s jurisdiction: since he was a Galilean.
    2. Pilate tried half-measures: punish him and release him.
    3. Tried to do the right thing: the Passover amnesty with Barabbas.
    4. He protested his innocence: washed his hands of the situation.

It is easy to condemn Pilate for his actions and overlook our equally devious behavior. We seek to avoid the pain of total commitment to Christ.

  1. We want to leave the decision to someone else.
  2. Or opt out for half-hearted compromise.
  3. Or honor Jesus for the wrong reasons.
  4. Or make a public affirmation of him yet deny him in our hearts.

Pilate surrendered to their will (Luke 23:23-25), their shouts, their demand, their will. He wanted to release Jesus but gave in to the crowd (Mark 15:15).

The Jewish People: Jesus said the one who handed him over is guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11). The apostles repeatedly preach about how evil men handed him over (Acts 3:12-15)

  1. Jesus was irregular: he had no pedigree.
  2. Jesus taught heretical doctrine.

The hostility of the priest was primarily envy, they were losing the crowds. There was an authority struggle (Mark 11:28).

Judas Iscariot: who betrayed him (1 Corinthians 11:23). He is always at the bottom of the apostolic lists. Why blame Judas, was he just a tool of providence? He just fulfilled Scripture. But he is held accountable for what he did. He plotted for some time previously (Psalm 41:9). Woe to the betrayer (Mark 14:21).

  1. A Jewish zealot? Political liberation to force Jesus’ hand? Sikarios men (assassin).
  2. A greedy man? Was that his motivation? The perfume, what a waste (Matthew 26:6-16).

All of us have also sunk low to perhaps betray country, and others. Everyone has his price. Let’s not make excuses. We would likely be no different had we lived in the first century. We still do it (Hebrew 6:6). We were not just spectators, but participants; plotting, scheming, bargaining, handing him over to be crucified.

The cross was not just done FOR us, but BY us. Who delivered Jesus to be crucified? Not money, Pilate, soldiers, fear, envy, Judas, but the Father out of love. The cross is both due to the wickedness of men, but also due to the plan of God.

The Centrality of the Cross

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These are notes from my reading John R. W. Stott’s classic book, The Cross of Christ.

I shared the description of the painting by Holman Hunt, called “The Shadow of Death.” P. 17

Imagine a stranger to Christianity visiting a local church meeting: (London Cathedral)

  1. Shape of the building
  2. A cross dominates the ceiling dome
  3. Huge golden cross on the table in front
  4. The crypts of famous men below have the symbol
  5. A man beside the guest is wearing a cross of gold
  6. Stained glass windows
  7. The processional
  8. The hymns – when I survey the wondrous cross, lyrics… Is language exaggerated?
  9. Prayer and the sign of the cross

Symbols of Faith, Theology or Philosophy:

  1. Lotus flower
  2. Star of David – hexagram formed by combining equilateral triangles
  3. Crescent moon
  4. Hammer and sickle

Other Christian Symbols that Did Not Catch on:

  1. Peacock – symbol of immortality
  2. Dove Descending
  3. Athlete’s victory wreath
  4. Fish – Ixthus – “Jesus Christ God Son Savior”
  5. The manger
  6. Carpenter’s tool or bench
  7. Xi-Rho
  8. The rolled away stone, an empty tomb
  9. A throne

Tertullian in his The Apostolic Tradition (around AD 215) claims to record only the forms and models of rites already traditional and customs already established.

Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, quote on p. 22.

Constantine, and the symbol – p. 23, with the Battle of Milvian Bridge, saw a sign in the sky and heard the words, in hoc signo vinces (with this sign conquer).

The Horror of the Cross:

  1. How crucifixion was regarded in the ancient world – p. 23. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23)
  2. Invented by the barbarians at the edge of the known world.
    1. Regarding Romans: to bind was a crime, to flog was an abomination, to kill was murder, to crucify was… they did not have a word to describe such a horrible deed.
    2. Regarding Jews: it was a curse (Deuteronomy 21:23)
  3. The first surviving picture of the crucifixion is a caricature, a crude drawing of a man stretched out on the cross, with the head of a donkey. To the left is another man with arms raised in worship, and written under it, “Alexamenos cebete Theon” (Alexander worships God). It is in the Kircherian Museum in Rome.

The Perspective of Jesus:

  1. At the age of 12, being about my Father’s business (Luke 2:41-50). He knew his mission.
  2. Mark indicates Jesus taught clearly
    1. The Messianic secret (Mark 8:29-30)
    2. Then he spoke plainly about this (Mark 8:31-32) Openly, plainly, there was no secret.
  3. Mark indicates they did not understand and were afraid to ask (Mark 9:31), even filled with grief (Mark 9:30-32, Matthew 17:22-23)
  4. Luke adds that everything was written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled (Luke 18:31-34)
    1. Son of Man – two Old Testament Messianic figures: Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and the reigning Son of Man in Daniel 7.
    2. The imperative, must be fulfilled, Scripture is infallible (will come to pass)
  5. Other references to his death prediction: Mark 9:9-13, 10:35-45; and six more during his final week
    1. After centuries of national rejection of God’s message there will be judgment
    2. On Tuesday he would be handed over
    3. The perfume in Bethany
    4. The upper room affirmation this is all in the Scripture to be fulfilled
    5. Communion as symbols of his death
    6. In the Garden, affirming the Scripture will be fulfilled
  6. How did Jesus know he would die?
    1. Hostility of the Jewish leaders
      1. Jewish and Herodian plot (Mark 3:6)
      2. Exposition of Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:16-30)
    2. Fulfillment of Scripture (Mark 14:21, Luke 24:25-27, 44-47)
      1. The falling away – Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27
      2. Then the seven words from the cross (Psalm 22:1, 69:21, 31:5,
      3. The clearest forecast of his sufferings (Isaiah 53)

The Isaiah 53 Emphasis:

  1. Paul, Peter, Matthew, Luke and John quote 8 of the chapter’s 12 verses.
  2. We learn the vocation of the Messiah, that he must suffer, be rejected and die.
  3. While he must die, he was not a helpless victim, he embraced his purpose.
  4. His teaching, example, works, compassion, power, were never central to his mission, p. 32.

The Death of Christ was Attributed to Human Wickedness but also to Divine Purpose:

  1. According to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
  2. Instead of hushing the shameful event, they deliberately drew people’s attention to it. It was the curse which he was bearing for us (Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 2:24).
  3. Their message was “You killed him, God raised him, we are witnesses (Acts 2:23-24, 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, 10:39-40, 13:28-30)
  4. They defined Christianity as the message of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 11:26, Romans 6:3)
  5. Sacrifice and atonement (Romans 3:21-25) justified and reconciled through his death (Romans 5:9-10)

Other Books of the Bible:

  1. John’s emphasis was on the incarnation, to combat a growing heresy.
  2. Hebrews sees Jesus as the great high priest, emphasizing the sacrificial ministry of Jesus.
  3. The Revelation sees Jesus as the Lamb, a title used 28 times.

Observations:

  1. Where faith sees glory in the cross, unbelief see disgrace.
  2. Wisdom verses wisdom.
  3. Islam and the cross:
    1. Inappropriate for God’s prophet to suffer such disgrace, the Koran needs no sin-bearing Savior.
    2. It declares five times that no soul can bear another’s burden.
    3. After denying the need for the cross, it goes on to deny the fact of the cross.
      1. They did not kill him or crucify him, but they thought he did, reference on p. 41.
      2. God cast a spell on the enemies and they did not see it was Judas or Simon of Cyrene on the cross, substituted at the last moment.
  4. Hindus accept his historicity but reject the saving significance of the cross.
  5. Friedrich Nietzche, died in 1900, saw the cross as weakness, influenced by Darwin’s survival of the fittest.
  6. Justin Martyr wrote that wherever he looked, he saw the cross: ships sailing at sea, a plow and yoke, tools that resemble the shape, a spade and its handle…