JESUS SUFFERED SO WE COULD LIVE IN VICTORY!
Jesus Suffered So We Could Live In Victory!
April 10, 2020
Even though we have recently observed Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, this time still continues to be a joyful period because we’re fresh from celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some churches extend the Resurrection observance for 50 days afterward, culminating on The Day of Pentecost celebration, when the Holy Spirit was received in the upper room. (Acts 2) So it is always beneficial to observe and remember the price Jesus paid to free us from the bondage of sin.
Let us turn our attention to examine the events of Jesus Christ between Good Friday and the Crucifixion and learn how His obedience to death made a way for us to have eternal life freeing us from the bondage of sin.
THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST
Good Friday marks the beginning of the Passion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Passion of Christ includes the time period from the night prior to the crucifixion of Jesus until His death upon the cross.
The word Passion comes from the Latin root word, pati, or passio, meaning suffering or enduring.
The true meaning of passion is "to suffer", suffering or enduring, that which must be endured; or the definition most utilized in today’s society, a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something. Again, this is the time that we commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and Good Friday is the beginning of these events.
THE PASSION SUMMARY- GREAT SUFFERING
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us a lot about the passion of Jesus.
THESE WRITERS TELL US THAT JESUS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THAT HE WAS TO SUFFER FOR MAN.
Luke 9:22 says, "'For I, the Son of Man, must suffer many terrible things,' he said. 'I will be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. I will be killed, but three days later I will be raised from the dead'" (NLT).
This time period is traditionally marked by His time in the Garden of Gethsemane and includes His prayers, betrayal by Judas Iscariot, abandonment and denial by His disciples, arrest, trials, beatings, and period of time on the cross.
Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:
John 18 mentions Jesus praying in the garden; Matthew and Luke detail the events of these prayers.
Jesus prayed three times while His disciples were to keep watch, but instead fell asleep (Luke 22:39-46). Jesus' prayers were so intense that His sweat "became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44). Some interpret this as literal blood (such as occurs with the condition of Hematidrosis, and speaks to the intensity of His prayers.
His Betrayal:
Judas Iscariot arrived at the garden with a crowd of those who sought to arrest Jesus. Though Judas had been one of His closest followers, he handed Jesus over to His betrayers with a kiss, a customary Jewish greeting (Luke 22:48).
Abandoned/Denied by Disciples:
The Gospels record that all of Jesus' followers fled when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50). John and Peter followed at a distance to the high priest's home where Jesus was put on trial. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times while in the high priest's courtyard, which fulfilled Jesus' earlier prediction (Luke 22:54-62).
His Arrest:
Matthew 26:50 records, "Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him." His arrest took place at the hands of the Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus and His claims to be the Messiah.
His Trials:
The Gospels record seven different trials that took place at the hands of both the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman authorities that occupied Israel at the time. Though Jesus had done nothing deserving of death, He was condemned to crucifixion. Pilate washed his hands to demonstrate his innocence of Jesus' blood, though he consented to the wishes of the Jewish leaders and crowd.
His Beatings/Sufferings:
Luke summarized the treatment of Jesus during this night by stating, "Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, 'Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?' And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him" (Luke 22:63-65). In addition, Jesus was flogged using a whip with braided pieces of either bone or perhaps lead balls, leaving many bleeding wounds that remained open when He was nailed to the cross to die.
So we see the overall picture of what happened the night before he was crucified. Our Lord and Savior most assuredly suffered horrendous physical abuse. But he also suffered emotionally and spiritually. His suffering affected every part of his being, spiritually , emotionally and physically.
His spirit, soul and body were assaulted continuously.
- CHRIST SUFFERED SPIRITUALLY
He was spat upon, cursed at, whipped, beaten, humiliated, scourged, and finally crucified. But we often have a tendency to dwell on the painful physical suffering but Jesus also experienced enormous spiritual suffering during those last days.
At Gethsemane, He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38) and while praying that night, St. Luke described Him as, “Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
This is not a metaphor; it is to be taken literally. Hematidrosis (hee-mi-ta-dro-sis) is a rare, but very real, medical condition where one’s sweat will contain blood. Sweat glands are surrounded by small blood vessels, and under extreme stress, sorrow, and anguish, these blood vessels can dilate to the point of rupture; thereby, blood will be infused with one’s sweat.
Also, while hanging on the cross during His last minutes, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
At these moments in Christ’s Passion, Jesus felt not only the physical torture and pain, but also the spiritual distress and agony. Jesus identified with us in the physical pain man endures during life, but even more importantly, He identified with us in the despair and mental pain of humanity.
In Luke 23.46 we read, Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. NLT, also exemplifying the spiritual pain and agony he was suffering.
- CHRIST SUFFERED EMOTIONALLY
He was scorned and hated by those He came to save.
The rejection of one’s own people for which He would be sacrificing his life must have been more painful than the horrendous physical suffering He endured. In Luke, it states that both Pilate and Herod the King Herod tried to save Jesus but the people screamed for his death. In Luke 23:15 Pilate states, "Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty." Luke 23:16 says, "So I will have him flogged, but then I will release him." But most horribly the Bible tells us in Luke 23:18, "Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!"
Luke 22:44 talks about the pain Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethsemane. It says in Luke 22:44 that "He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood."
There were certainly more efficient means of execution: stoning (Stephen in Acts 7), decapitation (James in Acts 12), etc.
However, the cross was designed to do more than merely kill a man. Its purpose was to humiliate him as well. It was a public symbol of indecency and social indignity. The cross was intended not only to break a man's body, but also to crush and defame his spirit.
Publicly Naked
Crucifixion was always public. In fact, the most visibly prominent place was selected, usually at a crossroads, in the theatre, or elsewhere on high ground. The reason was to intensify the sense of social and personal humiliation. Victims were usually crucified naked. Jewish sensitivities, however, demanded that the victim wear a loincloth. In the Bible physical nakedness was often a symbol of spiritual shame.
Jesus died not only for the guilt of our sins, but also for the shame of our sins!
- CHRIST SUFFERED PHYSICALLY
The examination and condemnation of Jesus by the Jews. Jesus goes before Caiaphas -Mt.26.57-75.
Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it [d]in three days” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, [g]hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
Jesus is sentenced to be whipped and crucified-John 19.1-3, 14-16
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
The crucifixion of Jesus-Mt.27.32-56
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.
Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
“Whether tied or nailed to the cross, the victim endured countless paroxysms-convulsions, spasms and seizures, as he pulled with his arms and pushed with his legs to keep his chest cavity open for breathing and then collapsed in exhaustion until the demand for oxygen demanded renewed paroxysms.
The scourging, the loss of blood, the shock from the pain, all produced agony that could go on for days, ending at last by suffocation, cardiac arrest, or loss of blood.
BUT WHY?
Why do we remember the suffering of our Lord and Savior?
Why do we remember His Passion?
Why is the work of the cross so important?
- The Love of the Father
We must understand what great love the Father has for us. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- Jesus Took the Shame and Humiliation for Us
Jesus endured the shame and humiliation of the cross so we wouldn’t have to pay for and endure the shame and humiliation of our sins. The enemy would try to accuse and remind you of who you once were but God says when we accept Jesus we are new creatures.
2 Cor. 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
- Jesus Endured the Emotional Pain for Us
We remember the Passion, the suffering of Jesus Christ so we won’t have to endure the emotional pains of fear and torment, stress and distress, desperation and loneliness.
- We Don’t Have To Be Separated From God Our Father
We remember the Passion, the suffering of Jesus Christ so we won’t have to endure and suffer the spiritual emptiness of being separated from our Father God. Jesus did that for us.
- Jesus Took the Beatings for Us
We remember the Passion, the suffering of Jesus Christ so we won’t have to endure the suffering and agony of sickness and disease. Jesus took the stripes for that.
Jesus died for it all. All of the suffering we should have gone through, Jesus took it all for us. Jesus paid it all. All to Him we owe.
The least we can do is give Him the praise that is due Him and tell others how Jesus sacrificed His life for mankind and how they too, can have eternal life.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mk. 16:16-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Mt. 28:16-20