The Passion

• The Passion – suffering of Jesus
  • We all know the story of the crucifixion – but few truly understand the suffering…
  • There are no words to express – no description that could give justice…
  • To the anguish Jesus bore – as He took on Himself the sin of all mankind…
    
• Preparing for the cross – scourged & beaten… (2 points) vs. 15-21
  • Jesus had been in trial all night – had not slept
  • He had been beaten when tried by the High Priests – blindfolded – prophecy who hit You
  • 1^st – Now Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged…
    • Scourging was a Romans interrogation method – meant to illicit a confession…
    • The prisoner would be tied to a post – with the back bent over and exposed…
    • 39 lashes from a 2’ leather whip – imbedded with metal/bone/glass…
    • It would tear the back open – ripping flesh and muscle – exposing to the bone…
    • Many prisoners would not survive the scrounging to be crucified – trauma / blood loss
    • After each lash you would be asked to confess – if you did – the lashings would lessen
    • If you did not confess – the lashings would grow fiercer – inflicting greater damage…
    • * Isaiah 53:7 – “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”
    • Jesus never said a word!  Meaning He would have been shredded by the scourging…
    • * Isaiah 50:6 – “I give my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame, for they mock me and spit in my face.”
  • 2^nd – After the scourging – Jesus was then taken to the Praetorium…
    • The Roman palace on the north side of the Temple – a veritable fortress
    • There the Roman guards striped Jesus naked – then clothed him as a mock King…
      • They put a purple robe on Him – purple was the color of a ‘royal robe’…
      • They placed a crown of thorns on His head – 1’ razor sharp desert thorns…
      • They struck (Imperfect) Him on the head with a read – driving in the thorns…
      • Then bowed and mocked Him saying – ‘Hail the King of the Jews’
      • * Isaiah 52:14 – “Many were amazed when they saw him—beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person.”
    • When they had finished their cruel game/torment – they led Him to be crucified…
      • A 30-50kg cross beam of wood would have been laid on his lacerated back…
      • Tired – dehydrated – suffering from blood loss – Jesus could not bear the load…
      • Simon of Cyrene (father of Alexander & Rufus) – was compelled to carry it for Jesus
      • Tradition tell us there are 14 ‘stations’ from Jesus’ condemnation – to His death
      • Half of the ‘stations of the cross’ are tradition – only 7 of the 14 occur in the Bible
        
• Crucifixion… (5 points) vs. 22-32
  • 1^st – Jesus was taken to a place called Golgotha (Latin – Calvary)… vs. 22-23
    • A hill on the north side of Jerusalem – outside the city – next to the main highway…
      • Sin causes separation from God – Jesus bore all the sin of all men…
      • So He was taken away from the Temple – away from the presence of God…
      • * Hebrews 13:12-13 – “Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood.  So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore.”
      • When we have unrepentant sin in our heart we are far from God – outside the city…
      • So Jesus suffered and died in our place – He went outside the ‘city’ to get us back…
      • To restore our relationship to God – to bring us back to presence of the Lord…
    • The hill – the high point of Mt. Moriah – looked like a skull…
      • Where 2000 years earlier God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac…
      • Genesis 22:2 – “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love…”
      • The first mention of the word Love in the Bible…
        • Interesting love was not used with Adam and Eve – in the context of marriage…
        • Love was not used with Abel or Seth – when Adam and Eve had children…
        • Instead the word Love is 1^st used to describe the Love of a Father for His only Son
      • The reason – the very definition of Love is God the Father’s Love for Jesus!
        • I John 4:8 – “…for God is Love!”
        • What’s amazing is that same love is the love the Father and the Son have for us!
        • John 15:9 – “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you…”
        • It was that Love for us that drove the Father to sacrifice His Son on the cross…
        • The perfect picture of Love  – the Cross of Jesus Christ
        • John 15:13  “Greater love has no one than this… lay down one’s life for his friends.”
    • They offered Jesus sour wine mixed with myrrh – a narcotic drink meant to kill the pain
      • The only cup He would take was the one the Father had given Him – Mark 14:36
      • Jesus refused to take their drink – determined to bare the full weight of men’s sin
  • 2^nd – The accusation: King of the Jews… vs. 25-26
    • Pilate placed the charge over His head – “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”
    • It was placed in 3 languages – Latin (INRI) / Greek / Hebrew (YHVH)
    • The Jewish priests objected – John 19:21 – Pilate said, ‘What I have written is written.’
    • The reason for the objection – the acronym in Hebrew was God’s name – Yahweh!
  • 3^rd – Fulfilling prophecy… vs. 24, 27-28
    • Everything Jesus did – He did in fulfillment of prophecy – proof He was the Messiah…
      • Soldiers gambled for His clothes – seamless – they didn’t want to rip it – John 19:23
      • Then they crucified Jesus between two robbers…
      • Both of these events were in fulfillment of Prophecy – Psalm 22:18/Isaiah 53:12
      • We all believe in Jesus by faith – but Jesus also proved who He was…
      • In Jesus life – and death – He fulfilled over 456 prophesies from the Old Testament!
      • We can have complete confidence Jesus is our savior – He proved it!
      • In every aspect of Jesus’ life and death he proved he was God
      • He proved He was the promised the Messiah – the Christ – the savior of the world!
  • 4^th – At 9am – they Crucified Christ…
    • Crucifixion was invented by the Persians around 300 B.C. – ‘perfected’ by Romans
      • Crucifixion is arguable the most painful form of death ever invented…
      • Crucifixion was a slow painful death – could take hours – even days – to kill a victim
      • 1^st – Nailed to the cross…
        • Jesus placed on His back – nailed between the bones of forearm – 7-9” spike
          • Securely attaching the Him to the cross – no broken bones – Psalm 22:17
          • Severed His median nerve – complete paralysis of hand – unbearable pain
        • Jesus’ knees were bent to 45° angle – the feet then nailed to the cross – 9” spike
      • 3^rd – Placed upright – Jesus was unable to bear His own weight…
        • At first Jesus would have put His weight on his legs – only last about 5 minutes…
        • All the weight would then fall on His arms – nailed to the cross…
        • His shoulders would go out of socket – followed by elbows – then wrist…
        • The end result is that His arms would have stretched 6-9 inches
      • 4^th – Collapse of the lungs…
        • The weight of his body caused His chest to compress – cannot breath
        • In order to take in air – He had to push up on his feet – or pull up with His arms
        • Over time – tired – oxygen starved – it would be harder and harder to breath
      • 5^th – Lack of oxygen causes the heart to beat very rapidly
        • After several hours of oxygen depravation – rapid heart rate – the heart fails
        • Death comes from slow asphyxiation – and/or rupture of the heart
        • To kill a victim quickly they would break his legs – immediate asphyxiation
    • Luke 23:34 – “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
      • To the very end – Jesus was not bitter with those who were killing Him…
      • He forgave them – the very ones who drove the nails in His hands…
      • It was for their salvation that He was willing to die!
      • Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
      • The example of Jesus Love – is how He commands us to love others…
      • John 15:12 – “This is My commandment, you love one another as I have loved you.”
      • When others are unkind – mistreat – even attack us…
      • Our response should be the same as Jesus – love – even loving those who hate us…
      • The reason – they are blinded by sin – they do not know what they are doing…
      • You would not despise or hate a blind man for running into you – he cannot see…
      • By loving those who mistreat us – we help open their eyes to see Jesus!
  • 5^th – While suffering on the cross – Jesus was ridiculed by all…
    • Those who passed by blasphemed (Imperfect) Him…
    • Jeered – ‘You who destroy the Temple and build it in 3 days’ – ‘Save Yourself…’
    • The Chief Priests ‘mocked’ (like silly children)…
      • ‘Let the Christ, the King of Israel descend from the cross – then we will believe…”
      • Even if He had come down – they would not have believed…
        • They had turned a blind eye to countless signs – 3 years worth of miracles…
        • The problem was not with Jesus – the problem was in their hearts…
        • No matter what Jesus did – they were not going to believe…
        • Often we think that if only we could see Jesus – see a miracle – we would believe
        • But if we do not believe – even if we saw Jesus/miracle – we would not believe
        • Seeing is not believing – believing is how we see!  Faith opens our eyes to see…
        • When we believe – that is when we see Jesus – see God work miracles in our lives
      • Ironically if He had saved Himself – Jesus could not have saved others!
        • Jesus did not stay on the cross – suffer an unimaginable death – cause He had to…
        • He chose to stay on that cross – because without the cross – there is no life!
        • We tend to think we are good people – comparing ourselves to others…
        • We think we look pretty righteous – but to God our goodness is filthy rags!
        • * Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags [menstrual cloth]…”
        • Disturbing – but seen from God’s perspective – vivid description of our problem 
        • We are REALLY bad people – we are all – every one of us – TOTAL sinners…
        • And the penalty for being a sinner – is eternal death – hell – Romans 6:23
        • Yet God loved us so much that He gave His life for us – John 3:16
        • Jesus paid the price for our sin – He took our penalty for us – He took our cross!
        • Because without His sacrifice – we would have no hope of salvation/heaven
    • Even the Robbers reviled (Imperfect) Him…
      • Yet we are told in Luke that one of the robbers had a change of heart…
      • Luke 23:42-42 – “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’”
      • We are those thieves – we are deserve because of our sin – death and hell…
      • But like those thieves – we have a choice – what do we do with Jesus…
      • He gave up everything – condemned to death for us – paying our penalty…
      • He suffered unimaginably – so that we might experience the Joy of heaven…
      • Do we believe – do we receive – Jesus’ gift of forgiveness