Jesus Is Crucified

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Introduction

All that we have been studying over the past three and a half years is about to reach its climax. The sin that corrupted the originally perfect creation is about to be paid for, and the resolution to the problems it created is about to become certain. While there is much more to securing our salvation than what Jesus did on the cross, all of those things would fall into place over just a few short days at this crucial moment in history.

Last week, we saw how Jesus was arrested and betrayed by two of his closest friends. We worked through a big-picture view of the trials of Jesus. Today, we will look more closely at the conviction and crucifixion of Jesus. While our lesson today deals with a dark day in history, it is also a day on which the seed of the hope of eternal life was planted.

This lesson is a bit longer than usual. If time is short, use last week’s activity to review/summarize the trial before Caiaphas and/or with Pilate to ensure you have time to focus on the crucifixion and the spiritual cost of the cross, as well as its implications for us.

Jesus Before Caiaphas

Now that we have the general timeline of the trials in our minds, let’s read Matthew 26:57–68 together more closely and look for the reason the Jewish leaders condemned Jesus. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• Who delivered Jesus to Caiaphas? The soldiers who had arrested him.
• Who else was gathered there? The scribes and the elders were also gathered there. Based on a comparison of the four Gospels, this was likely only a portion of the council, but the whole council had assembled by dawn.
• Who else had followed Jesus to the trial? Peter, along with another disciple, likely John (John 18:15).
• What were the Jewish leaders seeking? They were seeking witnesses to testify falsely against Jesus so they might put him to death. They had been plotting this in earnest ever since Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:53).
• How many witnesses came forward? Many.
• How many witnesses failed? All of the witnesses were inconsistent with one another except two, and even these didn’t align perfectly (Mark 14:58–59).
• Why was it necessary to seek so many witnesses? Mark 14:55–59 describes the testimony more fully. The testimonies against Jesus did not agree. In Deuteronomy 17:6, God demands that two or three witnesses must give the same testimony in order for a death sentence to be carried out.
• What commandment of God were the witnesses violating? They were violating the commandment from Exodus 20:16 to not bear false witness against Jesus.
• What accusation finally had two witnesses in agreement? He was accused of saying he could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.
• How did Jesus respond to the accusations from the witnesses? He kept silent.
• Was this accusation enough to put him to death? Since Caiaphas moved on to another accusation and strategy, it seems that this charge would not be seen as worthy of death. They needed a stronger charge, so they kept fishing.
• How did Caiaphas try to pressure Jesus to answer? He put him under oath before God and asked him a question.
• What did Caiaphas ask Jesus to affirm or deny? Whether or not he was the Christ, the Son of God.
• How did Jesus respond? He agreed that he was the Christ.
• What did Jesus add to his acknowledgment? He said that he would be seated at God’s right hand (“the right hand of Power”) and come on the clouds of heaven the next time they saw him.
• What was Jesus alluding to in verse 64? Remind students to look at the cross-references in their Bibles if they are unfamiliar with this connection. Jesus was clearly referring to Daniel 7:13–14 and identifying himself as the Messiah/Son of Man. Have someone read that passage.
• How did Caiaphas respond to this claim from Jesus? He tore his clothes in response to what he perceived as blasphemy.
• What crime did Caiaphas accuse Jesus of? Blasphemy.
• What punishment did the Jews prescribe? “He deserves death.” This is consistent with the punishment prescribed in Leviticus 24:16.
• How did they treat Jesus as a result of their judgment? They spat in his face, beat him, and mocked him by asking him to prophesy who had hit him.
• What three names identify Jesus in this passage? The Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Christ.

Discover the Truth

In an ironic twist, the very men who had been entrusted with the oracles of God and were the teachers and elders of Israel sought to bring charges of blasphemy against the Messiah they had been waiting for. They were more afraid of losing their political power than they were of facing the judgment of God. They treated Jesus in inhumane ways and brought in witnesses who were willing to lie.

And all of this was conducted at night, which was against the law. They did finally have a hearing after dawn before the whole Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66–71), but the verdict had already been established. This was probably nothing more than a formal step for these men to appease their consciences and to make it look above board in the eyes of the people.

• Though it is not one that we have on our poster, what attribute of God was Jesus demonstrating as he faced these false charges and the abuse from his fellow Jews while remaining silent? Patient: Jesus knew that all of this had to take place, so he exercised patience in enduring the falsehoods and the abuse.

  To the same point, we can also think of Jesus as being faithful to what the Father had called him to do. He had prayed in the garden for the cup of suffering to be removed, if possible, but he was willing to be faithful to his Father in carrying out the plan decreed before the foundation of the world.

  The fact that this was all part of God’s plan is also evident in the words of Jesus recorded in John 14:29–31 as Jesus led his disciples from the upper room to the garden: “But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” With these words, Jesus intentionally went to where he knew Judas would bring the guards to arrest him. He could do nothing else because that is what his Father intended for him. He was obeying the Father’s commands completely.

Jesus Before Pilate

Let’s read from John 18:28–19:16. Since we are covering a large passage, we are going to focus our questions on understanding why Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus and how such a terrible thing could happen to the Son of God. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What reason did the Jews initially give Pilate to condemn Jesus? They simply called him an evildoer.
• What additional accusations does Luke 23:1–2 tell us the Jews brought to Pilate? They told Pilate that Jesus was misleading the nation, telling people not to pay taxes, and claiming to be a king. Based on Pilate’s words in John 18:33, Pilate must have received these accusations even though John does not record them. Other than being a king, none of these match the accusations in the previous trials before the Jews and are contrary to Jesus’ actions and words.
• How did Jesus respond when Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews? He eventually told Pilate that he is a king.
• How did Jesus describe his kingdom to Pilate? It is not a kingdom of this world or his servants would be fighting in earthly ways.
• What did Jesus identify as his purpose in 18:37? He said that he had come to bear witness of the truth and that those who are of the truth would listen to his voice (follow/obey him).
• How did Pilate regard truth? With his question, he denied that there is truth.
• How did the Jews respond when Pilate wanted to release Jesus? They wanted Barabbas, a robber, to be released rather than Jesus.

  John skips over the trial before Herod, which would have taken place between verses 38 and 39. That trial is recorded in Luke 23:6–12, but though Herod was eager to hear from Jesus, Jesus remained silent. So Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and sent him back to Pilate.

• Picking up the account back in John’s Gospel, what did Pilate repeat after having Jesus flogged? He repeated that he found no guilt in Jesus.
• What was Jesus wearing as he appeared before the crowd of Jews after his scourging? He was wearing a purple robe and a crown of thorns.
• What did these two items represent? Both were used to mock his claim of being a king as a king would wear a crown and a majestic robe (purple is often considered a color of royalty).
• How did the Jews respond when Pilate presented Jesus in his “kingly” garb? They called out for him to be crucified.
• What did Pilate repeat to them? He said for the third time that he found no guilt in Jesus that he should be crucified.
• What reason did the Jews give Pilate for crucifying Jesus in John 19:7? They presented the charge of blasphemy (claiming to be the Son of God) rather than the original charges they mentioned, such as forbidding the Jews from paying taxes.
• How did Pilate respond to this new accusation? He was more afraid and questioned Jesus again.
• When Jesus did not reply to Pilate’s question, how did Pilate try to intimidate him? He told Jesus that he had the power to crucify or release him.
• What does Jesus’ answer reveal about the source of Pilate’s power? Any power that an earthly ruler has comes from God. The source of authority and power is reinforced by Paul in Romans 13:1 and many other places in Scripture.
• How did the Jews respond when Pilate tried again to release Jesus? Again, they called for his crucifixion.
• Whom did the Jews claim as their king rather than Jesus? They claimed Caesar as their king rather than the Messiah.
• What did this indicate about their true attitude toward God? In saying they had no king but Caesar, they were denying that God was their King.
• What does Acts 2:23 remind us about all that happened through these trials? All of this happened according to the plan and foreknowledge of God so that redemption might be secured for sinners.

Discover the Truth

In just a few short hours, Jesus had been arrested, tried six times, beaten and mocked repeatedly, and then scourged at the hands of the Romans.

Despite Pilate’s various efforts to convince the Jews to release Jesus, they continued to cry, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Just like the Jews, Pilate feared losing his power. If he let Jesus go, he feared a riot that would demonstrate his ineffectiveness as a governor and his inevitable replacement. If he crucified Jesus, he would be guilty of the blood of an innocent man. Even though the Jews cried out that they would accept the consequences on themselves and their children (Matthew 27:25), Pilate still announced that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood as he sent Jesus to his death. He caved to their demands in spite of his reservations, ordering the crucifixion of the Son of God who was King of the Jews.

But really, it was the blood of Jesus that was required to cover the sins of people like Pilate and the Jews in the crowd—all sinners in need of redemption. Pilate could wash his hands all he wanted, but he was still a sinner in need of the Savior’s sacrifice.

Jesus Is Crucified

As we read the account of the crucifixion from John 19:17–37, remember that there are many more details included in the other Gospel accounts, and we will refer to a few of those cross-references today. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What did Jesus carry? He was carrying his cross. This was likely just the cross beam, called the patibulum, that was carried. We also learn from Matthew 27:31–32 that a man named Simon also helped carry the cross part of the way.
• Where was he led? He was led to “The Place of a Skull,” also called Golgotha. In Luke 23:33, it is also referred to as “The Skull.”

  Note: Interestingly, one of the more common names for this location is Calvary, which is derived from the Latin word calvarium, which was used in Jerome’s Vulgate to translate “The Skull.”

• Where was this place? It was near the city, but outside of the gates and walls of Jerusalem. This fact is also pointed out in Hebrews 13:12 where the connection is made to the sacrifices offered in the Old Testament being burned outside of the camp (Leviticus 4:12).
• How many others were crucified at the same time? There were two others, one on his right and one on his left. We learn from Matthew 27:44 that these two were robbers.
• At what time did this happen? John does not include specific times here, but Mark 15:25 indicates it was at the third hour, or what we would refer to as 9 a.m.
• What was written on the sign on the cross? Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

  Note: The abbreviation INRI often seen on crucifixes is shorthand for the Latin inscription, “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum,” which Pilate had written as the accusation against Jesus. In Greek, it would be INBI, “Iesus ho Nazoraeos ho basileus ton Iudaeon.”

• How many languages was it written in? Three: Aramaic (Hebrew), Greek, and Latin.
• Who had ordered this title? Pilate, the governor.
• What was the purpose of this sign? This was the accusation against Jesus that was displayed so that those who saw him on the cross would know why he was hanging there. Both Matthew 27:37 and Mark 15:26 identify this as a charge against him. It was likely hung around his neck as he walked from the governor’s residence to Golgotha and then nailed to the cross.
• How did the Jewish priests respond to the accusation? They asked Pilate to change the title to say Jesus had claimed to be the King of the Jews.
• How did Pilate respond to them? He denied their request. Some suggest Pilate was doing this to spite the Jews for their coercion to crucify Jesus.
• Verses 18 and 23 refer to the soldiers crucifying Jesus without any description. What did this process involve? As Thomas alluded to in John 20:25, there were nails driven through the hands and feet of the person who was fixed to a cross beam. It was likely that the hands were nailed to the cross beam, the beam was hoisted into place, and then the feet were nailed to the upright section.
• How did the soldiers treat the garments of Jesus? They divided them among themselves and then cast lots for the tunic.
• What is significant about the division of the garments? It was a fulfillment of a prophecy from Psalm 22:18.
• Whom did Jesus see from the cross? His mother, aunt, and two other Marys, along with John, who refers to himself as the disciple Jesus loved.
• What role did Jesus give to John? He gave John the care of his mother, Mary.
• What happened between noon and 3 p.m. (the sixth and ninth hours)? Point students to Mark 15:33, which records that there was darkness over the whole land.
• What did Jesus say when he recognized that he had accomplished his task? “I thirst.”
• What scripture was fulfilled with this phrase? Psalm 22:15 is likely in view here. Remind students to look in the footnotes of their Bibles to identify these references.
• What were Jesus’ final words? “It is finished.”
• John doesn’t provide this detail, so where might you look to find out how long Jesus had been on the cross? Based on Mark’s timeline, it had been six hours—from the third hour (Mark 15:25) to the ninth hour (Mark 15:34).
• How is his death described? John says that Jesus “gave up his spirit.”
• Why did the Jews ask for the legs of those on the crosses to be broken? They did not want the bodies there on the Sabbath. Death on a cross typically came by asphyxiation. The victims would need to raise their bodies up to take a breath. With their legs broken, they could not raise their bodies and would die more quickly.
• Why were Jesus’ legs not broken? The soldiers determined that he was already dead, so there was no need to break his legs. Also, they were not broken to fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 34:20 described in verse 36.
• How did the soldiers ensure that Jesus was dead? One of them stuck a spear into his side.
• How was his death verified? John records that blood and water flowed out of the spear wound. This spear thrust was likely directed at the heart where clear fluid in the chest cavity would have been accumulating and flowed out along with the blood if the heart were pierced.
• How did John seek to verify Jesus’ death? He included a personal testimony that he witnessed these things to affirm that Jesus had truly died on the cross.
• What do verses 36 and 37 reveal about God’s plan for these events? These verses refer to passages that were written hundreds of years before the crucifixion. So, these things were all in God’s plan for the crucifixion long before it happened.

Discover the Truth

Jesus struggled toward Golgotha, the flesh on his back peeled open from the flogging. Once on the hill outside the city, he was stripped naked and laid with his raw back against the crossbeam as nails were driven through his hands. Secured there, the beam was lifted into place and fastened to the upright post to which his feet were then nailed. From that position, every breath was taken in agony as he lifted his body to be able to fill his lungs, his raw flesh scraping the beam with each gasp.

During the six hours that Jesus hung there, he was mocked by those hung with him and by the Jews who demanded he prove he was the Messiah by freeing himself. But they didn’t get it. Had he come down from the cross, he would have failed in his mission. He knew that this was the redemptive plan that the Father had prepared before the foundation of the world. Included in that plan were the prophetic words that had to be fulfilled to the letter.

• What attribute of God is clearly demonstrated in bringing these events to pass according to his plan? God’s sovereignty is on display as he directed all of these events to happen just as he intended.

  In all of this suffering, Jesus was demonstrating his love for sinners by dying in their place. He had come to seek and save the lost and to die as a ransom for many. Knowing that he had accomplished that goal, he was able to cry out, “Tetelestai!” “It is finished!” He committed his spirit to his Father and gave up his spirit. Jesus chose to die. In his death we find the hope of redemption.

  In proclaiming his work was finished, Jesus was acknowledging that his Father was satisfied. In other ancient documents, the word tetelestai was used to mark bills for taxes that had been paid in full. And that is exactly what happened on the cross—the debt of sin had been paid in full.

Cost of the Cross Activity

We know that there was a lot of physical suffering on the cross, but there was another aspect that we must also consider. We know from Scripture that God’s wrath against sin abides on sinners (e.g., Psalm 7:11; John 3:36). Physical pain and death could not atone for this wrath. There was also a spiritual element to the payment Jesus made on the cross—the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus by the Father. We are going to look at several passages that help us understand this idea. Interestingly, the place this idea is expressed most fully is in Isaiah 53, rather than a New Testament text.

You will find the Cost of the Cross activity in your Student Guide. Work together through the activity, and we will discuss what you have found in a few minutes. Have the students work in small groups to complete the activity.

Connect to the Truth

Now that you’ve worked through the passage, let’s talk about what you’ve found.

The perfect, righteous Son of God willingly poured out his soul on the cross to absorb the wrath of his Father that was poured out on him so that the plan of redemption could be completed.

Justice was satisfied. Wrath was appeased. Mercy was extended. Love was demonstrated. Redemption was accomplished. Salvation was made available to all who would repent and trust in Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

• How is Jesus described? There was nothing beautiful about his appearance that would have attracted people to him.
• How was Jesus treated? He was despised by men and rejected by them. He was stricken, pierced, crushed, oppressed, afflicted, and led to slaughter. He was killed with the wicked (the two thieves) and buried in a rich man’s tomb (Joseph of Arimathea).
• How did Jesus respond to this treatment? He did not open his mouth in his own defense.
• What idea is repeated multiple times in verses 4 through 6? Jesus took our sins/sorrows/grief upon himself. This idea is repeated in parallel form in these three verses.
• Who was responsible for crushing Jesus and putting him to grief? God the Father (the Lord) .
• In verses 10–12, what was made an offering for guilt?
• Jesus’ soul was made an offering for sin; his soul was poured out to death. It was this anguish of his soul that God the Father saw, and by it he was satisfied.
• What word is used in verse 12 to describe what Jesus did for sinners? How does this describe what Jesus did on the cross? Jesus made intercession for transgressors. He was acting as an intermediary between God and man. Rather than sinners receiving the wrath of God, Jesus took that wrath upon himself.
• What idea do you see repeated throughout this passage? The idea of the Messiah bearing the sins of others (borne our griefs; carried our sorrows; laid on him the iniquity; bore the sin of many; etc.) is repeated.
• If you were to summarize Isaiah 53 in a sentence, what might you say? Discuss answers. Suggestion: God the Father was pleased to pour out his wrath against sinners on his perfect Son who satisfied the wrath of God to justify the sins of many.

Paul offered us several clear descriptions of what was accomplished on the cross. First, let’s look at Romans 5:6–11. Have someone read the verses.

• What connection does this passage from Romans have to what we just read in Isaiah 53? The idea of Jesus dying in the place of sinners is in both passages, as well as the idea that it was God’s plan to demonstrate his love toward us.
• When did Christ die for us? While we were still ungodly sinners.
• What did his death save us from? He saved us from the wrath of God the Father, though the Trinity is fully united in all of these acts.
• What words are used to describe what his death accomplished? Justified by his blood; saved from wrath; reconciled to God by the death of his Son.

Now let’s look at 2 Corinthians 5:12–21. Have someone read the verses.

• What is the connection between the message Paul was preaching and what Isaiah wrote about? Paul was proclaiming the truth that God has reconciled people to himself through the death of Jesus.
• According to verse 21, how was this reconciliation accomplished? God the Father made Jesus, who was sinless, to be sin for us. This mirrors the language from Isaiah of being wounded for our transgressions and being bruised for our iniquities.
• What exchange is described in that verse? Our sin was placed on Christ, and his righteousness was placed on those who are in Christ.

  While they have certain nuances to them, we use words like reconciliation, redemption, pardon, forgiveness, atonement, salvation, ransom, propitiation, and others to describe what was accomplished on the cross. The essence is summarized in the “Great Exchange” of 2 Corinthians 5:21 where Paul wrote, “He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The Father saw the labor of the Son and the sacrifice brought satisfaction as the plan was accomplished (Isaiah 53:11).

  We often remember the physical cost of the via dolorosa (the way of suffering) and the suffering we can visualize. But as we see in these passages, Jesus suffered much more than his physical wounds. The cost of the cross was a spiritual price that went much deeper than mocking and physical beating. Jesus made offering for our guilt by pouring out his soul to death, bearing our sins and the wrath of God that those sins demanded. Jesus bore not just the weight of the cross and the lashes of his flogging; he bore the weight of God’s wrath against sin.

Application

As Jesus hung on the cross, he faced an amazing amount of physical torment. Movies have been made that attempt to depict this reality, but these movies cannot capture the real nature of what was happening at the level of the soul. Jesus had not known a moment of displeasure from his Father. During eternity past, the Father and Son had lived in perfect fellowship with the Spirit, and Jesus had never sinned while on the earth to break that fellowship or face any displeasure. But the perfect, sinless Lamb of God faced the wrath of God against sin as it was poured out on him while he hung there.

There is no wonder he cried out in anguish, feeling forsaken by his Father as he faced the wrath earned by mankind’s sin. The cup of wrath was held to the lips of the Son by the Father’s hand, and he drank it to the dregs (Psalm 75:8; Matthew 26:39, 26:42).

When he knew that his work of enduring the Father’s wrath was completed, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” And it was. The debt owed for sin from the fall of Adam to the consummation was paid for on the cross. And unlike the sacrifices that had to be continually offered by the priests to cover sin, the blood of Jesus was a perfect sacrifice that would never need to be repeated (Hebrews 9:11–15).

There are different views within orthodox Christianity on the extent of the application of the atonement. You may wish to teach your church’s view as you wrap up this lesson and work it into the application questions.

For those who believe in this finished work of Jesus on the cross and repent of their sins, eternal life in the presence of God is their future. For all of those who do not acknowledge these truths, the penalty of God’s wrath abides on them (John 3:36), and their future is one of suffering for their sins in hell (Romans 2:5–11).

But we also need to remember that Jesus’ death was not the end—his resurrection is also an important part of our redemption and justification. But we will have to save that for another lesson.

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  How could you incorporate the love demonstrated by Jesus on the cross to encourage believers and call unbelievers to trust in Christ? 1 John 3:16 and 4:10–11 use the death of Jesus to encourage us to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ. For unbelievers, we can use this idea to call them to repent and turn to Christ, knowing that it is the goodness and kindness of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4; Titus 3:4–7).
• It seems almost blasphemous, but Scripture says that it pleased the Father (it was the will of the Father) to crush his Son (Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:22–24). How can we explain this in a way that is consistent with God’s character? We must remember that God demonstrates all of his attributes perfectly and completely. He is not 42 percent love, 18 percent mercy, etc. The Godhead had planned to bring the redemption of sinners as Jesus paid for those sins on the cross. This plan was in place before he created the world, so it was the Father’s good pleasure to bring about his own plan that he would be glorified in all of it. God’s love, mercy, grace, holiness—all of his character—was working together to glorify himself in the death of Jesus and the redemption of sinners.
• While God was ultimately in control over the death of Jesus, in what way are you and I responsible for the death of Jesus? It is our sin that was laid upon him on the cross and our need for forgiveness that made his death necessary. As we think about the work of Jesus on the cross, we cannot forget that it was our sin that he was bearing, and the wrath of God that we deserve was poured out on him.
• Since Jesus died on the cross, and his work is finished, what does this mean about our own efforts to cover our sins? Nothing that we can do can cover the smallest part of our sin. It is only through Christ’s death, and subsequent resurrection, that we have redemption (Ephesians 2:8–10).

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class before you dismiss them.

• Praise God for choosing to redeem a people for his own glory.
• Ask God for a realization of our sinfulness and a heart of repentance in light of the cross.
• Thank God for sending his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.