Scripture References
Matthew 27:11-66, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 23:1-49, John 18:28-19:42
Main Idea
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate demonstration of His love for us.
Read: John 19:16-30
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
16 So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”So this is what the soldiers did.
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,”
27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Summary
Jesus’ death on the cross is a gruesome scene. Only criminals and the worst kinds of people were crucified. Jesus was even crucified between two criminals. But He was innocent. He had done nothing wrong. He had never sinned, not even once! And yet, they still crucified the Lord of Glory. The cross is both the greatest demonstration of God’s judgment as well as the greatest demonstration of His love. He hates sin so much, and sin has to be punished, so God poured out all of His wrath on Jesus at the cross. But the sins Jesus was punished for were ours. He took our sins upon Himself, He became sin who knew no sin, and drank the cup of the Father’s wrath dry so that we would never have to experience God’s wrath. But we also see love at the cross. The Father loved us so much that He gave up His only Son for us. The Son loved us so much that He willingly gave up His life and took our place on the cross. The Holy Spirit loves us so much that He applies the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection to everyone who repents and believes. The cross is a picture of judgment and love. Take time today to reflect on both.
Questions
- How can we understand the deep love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us?
- What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”?
- Why was Jesus’ death necessary for our salvation?
Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to embrace the pain and suffering of Jesus’ death on the cross. Help us to turn from our sins and be moved to faith by seeing Jesus’ great love for us. Give us the grace we need to rely on His sacrifice only. In Jesus’ name, amen.