Click The Cross To Return To Love Notes From Heaven
A Study Of
The Crucifixion
The Garden
Matthew writes:
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.( Ch 26:) Can you imagine the agony.. the heartache he was feeling? Mark writes: And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. and he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. The scriptures say that he went and prayed three times...each time he found his disciples asleep when he returned. Luke wrote: And there appeared an angel unto him from Heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:43-44. The definition of agony is this: Anguish; depicts great severe conflict and pain. An angel had come down to strengthen him because he was so low and no doubt weak. To have sweat great drops of blood then. Can you feel how emotionally and physically drained he was already before being arrested? Sweating drops of blood is extremely rare, but it is biologically and medically possible, for a person can become so upset that actual drops of blood will form at the surface of the skin as the different capillaries and vessels break. Jesus had a body of flesh. Crucifixion was the most terrible death a person could die in those days. He knew the extreme pain that he would have to endure. Indeed it was a bitter cup he had to face. He wanted to do his father's will but asked "if it is possible ..let this cup pass from me but not my will but thine be done". What would you be tempted to do if you knew you were about to be beaten, scourged, nailed to a cross.. have a crown of thorns put down upon your head.. your side pierced? No doubt Satan was there as he agonized tempting him with such thoughts but Jesus prayed earnestly and still cried out "not my will but thine". He knew what all was about to happen, yet he was still willing to go.. to endure.. and that he did. while doing a little searching on the subject of sweating blood I found a site where a Dr. Had documented cases of this happening to patients who was in a state of acute anxiety or fear. So imagine the agony he was in.. imagine the sorrow, the heartache.. feel the selfless Love he had for us willing to go on to the cross . He was to be our sacrifice for sin. He would be led as a lamb to the slaughter.. he knew all of this.. his heart was breaking but still he was willing. He willingly gave his life for us. Then think after all this anguish what happens next.. one of his own betrays him.. the rest all forsake him.. we will continue on this subject tomorrow.
The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
And while he yet spake, lo, Judas ,one of the twelve, came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. * Notice here that it says there was with Judas a great multitude with swords and staves. This was an angry crowd that had been stirred up by the chief priests. They had come to take Jesus and arrest him as a criminal. They came with swords and staves...staves are long poles. This was not a nice crowd who was merely coming to escort Jesus they were coming to take him. Betrayed by a friend Matthew 26:48-50 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying,Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And Forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, friend, wherefore art thou come? then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. * It is in the following verse after this that Peter drew his sword. In Luke chapter 22 Jesus asked Judas: Judas ,betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss? This was supposed to be the way they greeted one another showing love toward one another .In one scripture it says to "greet your brother with a holy kiss". Judas used the very symbol of love and friendship as a sign of betrayal. John 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. We then read how Jesus tells peter to put away his sword and in Luke 22:50 that Jesus still showed his love, mercy and compassion and reaches down and touches Malchus's ear and heals him. Then they all flee. All of his followers leave him. Luke 22:63-66 63 ¶ And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? 65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
The willing Sacrifice.
....Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29 *** ..He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,so he openeth not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7 *** ...Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. *** He could have called the Angels. How hard it must have been for them to watch him suffer, being beaten, mocked and crucified. But, no, He didn't call them he went on from the garden that night being led as a captive, arrested as a common criminal would have been.. yet he was only guilty of one thing.. Great Love. He had said that greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. He called us all friends.. yet we like the disciples have all been guilty of forsaking him. We have all been as Peter and denied him yet he still loves us.. He knew Peter would deny him, he knew the disciples would all forsake him he knew you and I would fail him but on he went about to face this cruel trial now after his night of anguish in the garden.. he was led away. In one scripture it says they bound him. To get a clearer picture of what happens next one must read all four accounts in the four gospels that speaks of his trial and arrest. John writes this: Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first;for he was father in law to Caiphas, which was the high priest that same year. John 18:12-13 then the questioning begins: Jesus answered him: I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why asketh thou me? ask them which heard me. What I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? This was found in John 18:20-23 Then for what happens next we go back to Luke: And the men that held Jesus mocked him and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him saying, prophesy, who is it that smote thee? Luke 22:63-64 then Annas sends him to Caiphas John 18:24 and Matthew 26:57 Most of you know the story here where they questioned him and tried to find false witnesses against him. Matthew 26:59-65. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold,now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffetted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands. Saying prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? Matthew 26:65-68 The definition of Buffett. It says they buffetted him. Websters definition: 1)a blow, as with the hand or fist.2)a violent shock or concussion. 3) to strikeas with the hand or fist 4)to strike against or push repeatedly. ex: the wind buffetted the house.5) to contend against or battle 6)To force one's way by a struggle. Get the picture?
Before Pilate
Monday we focused on our Lord's anguish of heart and agony in the garden and already exhausted from this state on Tuesday we read of how he was arrested in the night with his hands bound, betrayed by a friend, led away by an angry mob. On Wednesday we read about how He was first taken to Annas house and questioned and then he was smacked and spit upon before being led to Ciaphus where he was falsly accused and he was buffetted (beaten) and now we speak today of how he was first led to Pilate. When Pilate first questioned him and found he was in Herod's jurisdiction.. he sent him to Herod.. so we will start from this point today in Luke's gospel. I feel it has been important for me to walk with you through the different gospels this week for you to get the full picture of just how Jesus suffered for us and all he endured. I hope it will give you a deeper stronger relationship with him is my prayer and my goal here. Luke 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad; for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to pilate. *** Again we see here the cruel mockings that he endured even before Herod and his men. He was made fun of. Belittled. Humiliated. Yet he suffered it. . I am not going to cover alot of detatil here as he was questioned again before Pilate. You all know the story of how the crowd cried for Barrabbas and to let Jesus be crucified. Matthew writes:27:26 Then released he barrabas unto them: and when he had Scourged Jesus,he delivered him to be crucified. We have spoken some of what a scourging is this week already. In case you didn't read it, it was a cruel tortutous whipping. The romans were not resticted on how many lashed they would give to a prisoner. A lot of times they inflicted just enough lashes to leave the prisoner only alive enough to suffer death on the cross. The blood loss was great here. In those times if a prisoner was not crucified the wounds itself or the great loss of blood would usually cause death within one to three days of the flogging. The stripes were inflicted by two roman soldiers usually one on the right hand side and one on the left ..hitting the victim with all their strength with whips with jagged pieces of glass, bone and metal embedded in the tips. It was pretty gruesome. No wonder Isaiah wrote this: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 But they weren't finished yet.. as awful as he had been treated so far it wasn't over read after this most torturous beating what they did to him next. Matthew writes 27:27-31 Then the soldiers of the governor (Pilate was the governor) took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail! King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Do you feel the great love that he had for you friend? Again he was ridiculed.. have you ever touched a thorn? Can you feel what it must have been like with those thorns pricking and cutting him as they set it down upon his head?.. and you know.. they weren't gentle about it. Then they put the robe on him.. no doubt the pain from his wounds was excruciating as they stripped his clothes off him, then they placed the crown of thorns they mocked him unmercifully. then it says they took the reed which was a stick and hit him in the head with it. Then again they took the robe off him and put his own clothes back on him. How that must have hurt! To weakened from exhaustion, pain and loss of blood he could not even carry his cross even though it is said it was only 1/3 of a mile from Pilates hall to where they crucified him.. so they compelled one named Simon, a Cyreneian to carry his cross. (Matthew 27:32)
The crucifixion
Matthew 27:
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 33 ¶ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. Jesus was now too weakened to carry his cross. This man named Simon came by and they made him carry the cross for Jesus. The Romans would not carry the crosses for their prisoners. The Jews would not defile themselves to carry it for they would not be able to take part in the passover. Simon of Cyrene he was a gentile man but no doubt had come up to take part in the passover, now he would not be allowed to because of bearing the cross of a condemned man. Mark writes that he was the Father of Alexander and Rufus. It is said that the epistle of Mark was first sent to Christians at Rome.. thus one is led to think that Alexander and Rufus must have been well know to the Christians at Rome at that time.. no doubt a part of the church in Rome and men well known in the faith. So I believe that Simon was or became a believer since his children were well known people to the Christians at Rome when Mark later wrote this epistle. Now let us look what happens next. when they got to Golgotha they offered him to drink Vinegar mingled with Gall. Why did they do this? let us refer to Winifred Walker's book "All the plants of the bible " for this answer..... The Gall that was added to the Vinegar and offered to Jesus was the Juice of the Opium Poppy, a flower thriving in Israel. The plant provides a narcotic that induces sleep, a sleep so heavy that the person becomes insensible. When the Roman soldiers at Golgotha took pity on their prisoner on the cross, they added this poppy juice to the potion in the vinegar. Jesus tasted the mixture and refused it, resolving to suffer so that the Father's plan of redemption might be fulfilled. We know from this that there was a drug or pain killer in this drink. It would have no doubt been a great comfort to have taken it yet Jesus chose to suffer fully for our sins. He took no easy way out. The vinegar itself would have boosted his metabolism and he would have bled to death quicker.. ending his suffering sooner yet he refused. 35) And they crucified him ,and parted his garments casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted his garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. All that he had upon this Earth was his garments and the soldiers even took those and gambled for them. Hopefully we all know the rest of this story. Crucifixion was the most suffering way for a person to die. Please read the following email concerning crucifixion from a physicians expert medical views. Below is the link . Click here: Facts about the Crucifixion <http://www.konnections.com/Kcundick/crucifix.html> This is where we will end our thoughts here today. Do you see what a price he paid for you? After reading all week of how he suffered so many things and then this final cruel end.. but the wonderful part is.. it was not the end.. only the beginning. Our Lord did not stay in that borrowed tomb but rose victorious the third day. He became our supreme sacrifice for sin. He is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to eternal life in him. He made a way for man to do that.