The events of the day of Christ’s crucifixion and of the three following days stand singularly apart as the most miraculous days of history, They are the hub, the central point, upon which both the history of man and the plan and purpose of God resolve. Every promise which God had given to man depended for fulfillment upon this period of time. Every animal which was sacrificially slain, from the one that God Himself used to provide a covering for the nakedness of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:21) was a meaningful finger unerringly pointing to this period of time. Ever future event – the resurrection, the rapture, the banishment of Satan and sin, the new heaven and new Earth – all depended upon the success of Jesus in those hours of seeming defeat.
After the Pinnacle of Israel’s history under David and Solomon, and Israel had gone back into salivary, we have the 400 years of silence with no prophet like Elijah to say, “thus sayeth the Lord.” The temple was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanies in 168 B.C by sacrificing an unclean animal, a sow, upon the Altar. The Maccabean brothers led the incised Jews in a costly but successful revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes, and gave rise to the religious sect the Parasees, and also the sect called the Sadducees, who believed only in the Torah and not in a resurrection, in the mortality of the soul, or the existence of Angels. Jesus warned his followers, “beware of the leaven (doctrine) of the Parisees and Sadducess.
(Math 16:6,12) Rome ruled the world and an edict of taxation was issued by Caesar Augustus. Every Jew had to return to his own city. (Luke 2:3) to be taxed. The Emperor used the genealogy records methodically kept by the Jews for tax purposes. The time lapse given by Daniel is drawing to a close. (Dan 7:24-27) Our hopes are fervor pitched in expectation of the Messiah.
Time of Christ birth:
(Math 2:1) (Luke 1:5) During the days of Herod, King of Judea. At the time of Christ’s birth there was a decree from Caesar Augustus that the world should be taxed.
(Luke 2:1)
Time Relation Chart:
1st 12 hours: A little over 3 years ago, a man from the wilderness, John the Baptist, held to be a prophet by the people appeared. (Math 21:26) Announcing the coming of Jesus. Then Jesus Christ appeared, “He was a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. (Acts 2:22)
Jesus Claimed to be:-
1. Greater than Abraham and older too. (John 8:58)
2. Greater than Solomon.
3. He said Moses had written of Him. (John 5:46,47)
4. He declared He was God. And thus the Jews sought to kill Him, because He had not only broken
the Sabbath, but said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:18)(John 10:30-33)
John is murdered by having his head cut off, after Herodias had danced for Herod and asked for his head on a golden plate. (Math 14:1-12). Then came the Passover, Peter and John made the preparations. Judas betrays Jesus (Math 26:47) with about 500 armed men. Jesus identifies Himself and they all fall to the ground backwards. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Then starts a mockery of a trial, going from person to person. There was an attempt to produce false evidence. (Math 26:59-68)
They then whipped Jesus with a scourge. It has 3 prongs of leather and each blow makes 3 stripes. After 13 blows there are 39 lashes and the scourging must stop.
Jesus was condemned by Pilate as a rebel against the Roman government.
(John 19:12-15)(Psa 129:3) His back is like a field plowed for the sowing when the lashes ceased to fall.
6 A.M. to NOON:
Jesus did not cry out and after His hands were released He did not drop His posture, but walked with dignity as Royalty should. He showed no anger. His beard was plucked from His face. The crown of thorns was then placed in position on His head. 2 Spears crossed over the crown and held on either side by soldiers, and at a given signa, the crown is swiftly brought down shoving the crown into His scalp and brow. Jesus must have staggered by He regained His posture. None of His compassion has left his face. No hatred, no suffering, could alter the expression on His face of Love. He did not cry out. The mock robe of royalty was draped over His shoulders and it must have hugged to his bleeding back.. The mock scepter and broken reed were placed in His hands as the crowd tried to out do each other. They struck Him with their fists and open hands and spat on Him. He was marred more than any other man. (Isaiah 52:14) As the cross was draped into a two foot hole, His bones must have jerked out of joint, but no bone was broken. (Psa 22:14)(Isa 52:14) He could have called 12 legions of Angels. (Math 26:53)
NOON TO 3 P.M.:
(John 3:34) Jesus Baptized. After all the prophesies had been fulfilled and nothing was wanting of all that the prophets foretold announcing Jesus the Messiah and as the sacrifice, the Holy Spirit withdrew from Him. Left as a man to die for mans sins. Jesus experienced a horrible and terrible loneliness,
hells greatest pain and thus He cried out, “My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me”. (Math 27:46)(Psa 22:1)
The Rams Horn had not been blown and as He cried out the veil of the temple was torn and the Holy place was exposed for all to see and the sacrifice could not be offered. (Math 27:51) It is finished – the Abrahamic Covenant. Father into your hands I commend my Spirit. (Luke 23:46) and then the darkness lifted and the sun shone out again and His countenance was at peace. He bowed His head majestically and died. It was so impressive that others heard the centurion say “truly this was the son of God”. (Math 27:54) Notice Jesus had the power to lay down His own life. (John 10:17,18)
Then the Earthquake:
Jesus did not die senselessly struggling to cling to life, but royally, nobly and with head erect, cognizant, victorious, the work complete.
They did not break His legs. (John 19:32,33) His side was pierced and water and blood flowed forth. This is “Serum” and forms only after death. (Mark 15:43,45) The Centurion said that Jesus was dead.
NB!! The Embalming salve covering the linen, kept the Shape of Jesus. Thus He rose with resurrection bodily and not like Lazerus who had to be unwound to be free.
(John 11:44) Death is an enemy and the last enemy to be destroyed. (1 Cor 15:26) Death was conquered and one day will be gone forever.
God shall subdue all things unto Himself. (Phil 3:21) Jesus entered death, passed through Him, destroyed Him who had the power over death, that is the devil.
(Heb 2:14)
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AT CALVARY
a. Spirit: (Isa 53:1-12) This is a picture of our substitute suffering in our stead in the Spirit. God laid our Spiritual diseases on Him. Just as sin is a Spiritual fast, so is disease a Spiritual fast. (1 Tim 3:16) Says that Jesus was Justified in the Spirit, Thus He was the first born from the dead. (Rev 1:5) It was the Lords will to crush Him and cause him to suffer, in our stead and then raise Him back up. (John 3:16) and God was compelled by His great love for us to do it.
b. Soul: (Psa 88:3-16) Christ’s soul was full of trouble on the cross, saturated with evils (Math 27:46) and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” (2 Cor 5:21) God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. He came as a man without God. Jesus arrived at Sheol, the Kingdom of Death and said that He was in the lowest pit in the darkest depths. He was distracted and brought low.
c. Body: (Psa 22:1-31) This is a picture of our substitute suffering in our stead in the body. Jesus tells how He is feeling, like a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who saw him mocked him and hurled insults, shaking their heads: saying, “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue Him”. His heart turned to wax and melted away within Him. Jesus died of a broken heart. (Isa 52:14) Jesus was marred more than any other man, and was disfigured beyond that of any man.
JESUS IN HELL: DEFEATING THE DEVIL:
Jesus was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus was born again before He was raised from the dead. He was the 1st born among many brothers (Col 1:18)(Rom 8:29) Jesus destroyed to power of death, but you have a decision to make. God has testified about salvation (Heb 2:4) through the signs following those who operate the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Rev 1:18) Declares that Jesus has hold of the keys of death and Hades. (Heb 2:14) We can share in His freedom because Jesus destroyed the Devil by dying on the cross. Thus the gospel is no longer a mystery. (Eph 3:9,10) but there to show us how to defeat Satan.