Christ Crucified lesson 3 Calvary

CHRIST CRUCIFIED lesson 3 Calvary

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The greatest truth you could know is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Not that you have knowledge of Jesus and the cross, but you know by intimacy Christ crucified. 

John 1:29 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist, saw Jesus coming down the road and declared the greatest truth for mankind’s freedom.  “Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Let’s be obedient to the command and behold the Lamb as He went to the cross

Mark 15:1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2 Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered and said to him, "It is as you say." 3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. 4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!" 5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

In our last lesson, we left Jesus under arrest in the Garden.  They have had an illegitimate trial by night with a free for all trying to find a basis for a trial.  One would rise up and say one thing and then another and no agreement could be found.  Then the high priest asked Him are you the Christ.  Jesus confessed “I am”.  With this confession, they bring Jesus before Pilate on this morning.  Pilate asked the question the Jews had used as accusation against Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?  Jesus declared it freely “It is as you say.  So glad, Jesus is truly the Son of God and the King of the Jews!  In fact Jesus is the King of the gentiles too, Jesus is the King of the nations, indeed He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords and for this He was sent to the cross.

Mark 15: 6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"

As Jesus was on the way to the cross there were many Old Testament passages being fulfilled.  One shadow and type was on atonement day there would be an innocent slain goat and one guilty scapegoat.  For hundreds of years this was practiced and was pointing to this event where the guilty was set free and the innocence one would be slain.

Mark 15:10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" 13 So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" 14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" 15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.  

Pilate set free the murderer Barabbas.  In studying the crucifixion in all four gospels, you see Pilate believed Jesus was innocence of the charges.  In fact, in Matthew it tells us he washed his hands of putting Jesus to death because he found no fault in Him.  However, the Jewish ruling council had other ideas and stirred the crowd to shout and chant crucify Him, crucify Him.  Pilate fear of man was greater than his respect for Jesus.  He had Jesus beaten and then sentenced to be crucified.    Isaiah 52:14 said that His visage was marred more than any man.  Saint of God behold your Lamb.

Mark 15:16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Now the soldiers took another turn at His torture.  Purple was the color of royalty, and the mocking began. They twisted a crown of thorns and struck him with rods, pushing in the thorns into the Savior head.  Mocking, jeering, spitting, and making sport of the suffering of Jesus.  Then on to the cross; behold the Lamb!

Mark 15:21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. 22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. 25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

They nailed Him to the tree and they gambled for his garments.  Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9am; behold the Lamb.

Mark 15:26 And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And He was numbered with the transgressors." 29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 "save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.

The blasphemy began as the Jews begin to taunt Jesus.  The messages they had heard were taken out of context and used against Him.  If you are the Savior save Yourself, and come down from the cross.  Yes, saint of God, behold your Lamb.

Mark 15:32 "Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. 33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

"Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." The words are ironic because a few days later they were trying to cover up the fact that the Savior had risen.  Within a couple of verses we find Jesus hanging on the cross for 6 miserable hours.  From noon until 3pm darkness had cover the earth.  This indeed was the power of darkness finest hour.  The torture and the mocking and shame was about to come to fulfilled destiny.  The sin itself, the shame, guilt, the condemnation, the punishment, and wrath poured out upon the Savior.  Jesus cries out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

Mark 15:35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!" 36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down." 37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. 38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

Jesus cried out again with a loud voice.  We know from John’s gospel Jesus declared “it is finished.” Jesus breathed his last breath.  The Father had been looking forward to time in human history where the Lamb was slain to repair the breach of sin upon mankind.  Heaven had an immediate response to the death of the Lamb of God.  The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The veil had separated sinful man from a holy God for four thousand years of history.  Jesus' obedience brought man access to a holy God; the Spirit to spirit connection could be repaired for the first time.

The centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God.  The cross turned two hearts to Jesus that day.  One of the thieves hanging on a cross and now this unnamed soldier.  The cross is still the only power to turn men from sin to God and there is no other way.

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Put it in your mouth and declare the word of truth.

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

May this be the saints of God song.  Behold the Lamb it not just a moment in time but a lifestyle which allow the believer to walk in victory every day!

 Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!