Lesson Notes John 19

The Crucifixion and the Seriousness of Sin

February 16, 2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

The Crucifixion and the Seriousness of Sin

Intro.: In the movie The Passion of the Christ audiences got a chance to see the brutality of the crucifixion of Christ. When producer Mel Gibson, was asked why didnt he tone it down he replied, I did. The fact of the matter is that the crucifixion of Christ was more brutal than we can imagine. Why did it have to be that way? Could not God have found a more humane way to sacrifice His Son? Read: John 18:1-10 Jesus is arrested and tried. In John 18:11 Jesus says to Peter, Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me? Jesus comment reflects: o Submission to Gods will for His life no matter what! o Trust in Gods ways of doing things. I believe God is in control of the intensity, severity and duration of my suffering. o Yielded-ness of His personal strength (He did not try to deliver Himself) o Cooperation with Gods plan (aligning His will with the Fathers will) **What was in the cup? Read the doctors account of the crucifixion** When I consider the intensity, magnitude and duration of the crucifixion I always ask, Why did it have to be that way? Why did Jesus have to be beaten with the cat of nine tails? Why did Jesus have to crown with the crown of thorns? Why did he have to be punched, mocked and spat upon? Why did he have to be nailed to a cross? Was there not a more humane, simpler way to sacrifice the Son of God? He could have been hanged He could have been poisoned He could have been beheaded He could have been killed with a spear, sword, or arrow The crucifixion of Christ clearly conveys the seriousness of sin We live in a generation of grace abusers; those who know that God will forgive them for sin, so they do it presumptuously (anyway) Gods holiness demands that He addresses sin
2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

 The crucifixion of Christ should affect my attitude towards sin The crucifixion also illustrates vividly the love that God has for us! For God so loved the world John 3:16 Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? To understand why The Father did it this way you have to know what sin is. See Genesis 3:1-21 See Romans 5:12-21 o Through Adam sin entered the world o Through Jesus death justification of life was made available to all Sin- Sin as Rebellion is one of the central themes throughout the Bible and signifies humanity's estrangement from God. The cause for this estrangement is sin, the root cause of all the problems of humanity. The Bible, however, gives no formal definition for sin. It describes sin as an attitude that personifies sin as rebellion against God. Rebellion was at the root of the problem for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1 ) and has been at the root of humanity's plight ever since. Holy (holiness) - A characteristic unique to God's nature which becomes the goal for human moral character. The idea of holy is important for an understanding of God, of worship, and of the people of God in the Bible. Holy has four distinct meanings. First is to be set apart. This applies to places where God is present, like the Temple and the tabernacle, and to things and persons related to those holy places or to God Himself. Next, it means to be perfect, transcendent, or spiritually pure, evoking adoration and reverence. This applies primarily to God, but secondarily to saints or godly people. Next, it means something or someone who evokes veneration or awe, being frightening beyond belief. This is clearly the application to God and is the primary meaning of holy. It is continued in the last definition, filled with superhuman and potential fatal power. This speaks of God, but also of places or things or persons which have been set apart by God's presence. A saint is a holy person. To be sanctified is to be made holy. John Chapter 19 Vs. 19:1- Pilot had Jesus scourged. A scourging was to be beaten with a whip; ideally the cat-of-nine-tails. It was used by the Romans on murderers and traitors. Vs. 19:2-3- Consider the cruelty of the soldiers.
2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

 The cruelty of these soldiers was most likely tied to their racism towards the Jews, but it was also fueled by the enemy. Vs. 19:4-5- Pilots objective. Some scholars believe that Pilot desire was to set Jesus free. He had him scourged hoping that it would satisfy the Jews. Vs. 19:6-7- Jews clearly understood that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. Their charge against Jesus was that he had committed blasphemy. Vs. 19:8-10- Throughout this ordeal the most fascinating thing about Jesus was His silence. What did the silence of Jesus say? Vs. 19:11One of Jesus most profound statements This is a direct reference to the sovereignty of God.

Vs. 19:12-24The remaining details of the Crucifixion

Therefore the violent suffering of Jesus was in relations to the violence of our sin See Isaiah 53 o Vs. 2-3 describe the demeanor and social experience of Jesus o Vs. 4-6 describe how Jesus beatings were in relations to our sin Consider the comments of author David Liesenfelt: In the sacrifice of Jesus, men were not coming to confess their sins. Rather, sinners were laying their sins upon Jesus by whipping, beating, bruising and piercing His body. Gods truly unsearchable love for us is revealed in that Jesus was willing, and God the Father was willing, to allow our sins to be laid upon Him. The punches, the beating, the thorns in the head, the mocking, the spitting upon, the whipping and scourging, the rejection, the cries for His death and all the horror of His final hours were necessary to lay upon Him all our sins. We see in this the violence of our own sins upon the life of one who was innocent. Jesus as the Lamb of God The sinless Lamb of God see Exodus 12:1-14 o Since the lamb symbolized Christ, God didnt want any of it to be wasted. o The lamb had to be perfect without blemish. They had to examine it for several days. Vs. 5
2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

o To put the blood on your door post was an act of faith. o The fire symbolized the pain of suffering that Christ would endure. o However, the lambs blood only allowed God to pass over their sins not remove them. The Old Testament saints went into Abrahams bosom. See Luke 16:22 The Death of Christ means: 1. That as a royal priest I can enter the holy of Holies Heb 4:16 2. He has Ransomed me 1st Tim 2:6 He delivered us by paying a price. The price was the totality of His incarnation and His death on a cross 3. Atonement Romans 5:11, Roman 3:25 His blood covers our sin. Exodus 12:13 4. Propitiation 1st John 2:2, 4:10 His blood satisfies God righteous demands for judgment on us as sinners. 5. Reconciliation Romans 5;10 We are reconciled to God by Christs death on the cross. a. We have been elevated morally to Gods level, thus we can commune with Him. 6. Redemption Eph 1:7, Colossians 1:14 Christ was our redeemer. Compare to the story of Ruth and the kinsman redeemer Boaz. 7. Substitution 1st Peter 2:24 Christ was our substitute for the punishment of our sins. John 1:29 8. Justification Romans 5:16-18 God has declared us as righteous. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to our account.

2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

Why Did Jesus Have to Suffer?

Looking at the final hours of Jesus life before His crucifixion and death, we see the utter brutality and violence of man. It raises the question, why did Jesus have to suffer? Why would God allow His Son to be beaten and tortured so viciously before His death? Why not just let Him die peacefully; why not make it quick with a beheading or a stone thrown to the temple? Why not make it easy? It is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we really begin to comprehend the magnitude of both sin in our lives and Gods love for us. Jesus was sent to live as a perfect human being, apart from sin. Yet He was born with sinful flesh, subject to the pulls and temptations common to all of us. Though He was tried and tempted in all points, He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). If Jesus was sent just to prove you could live a sinless life in the flesh, He would have accomplished His goal. He could have just suffered some painless death and been given eternal life. However, it was eternal life that He gave up so that He could give eternal life to people like you and me. God the Father laid our sins upon Jesus through the beating he suffered (Isaiah 53). In Israel, the practice of sacrificing innocent animals for ones sins was part of the law. When a person acknowledged his sin or trespass, he would bring a clean animal such as a lamb, bull or goat to be sacrificed on his behalf (Leviticus 4-5). However, before offering the animal, the person would lay his hands on it and confess his sins, laying his sins upon the animal so that it could serve as a sacrifice to pay for his sins. In the sacrifice of Jesus, men were not coming to confess their sins. Rather, sinners were laying their sins upon Jesus by whipping, beating, bruising and piercing His body. Gods truly unsearchable love for us is revealed in that Jesus was willing, and God the F ather was willing, to allow our sins to be laid upon Him. The Bible prophesied this event throughout the Old Testament. One account in Isaiah records, Surely He has borne our sicknesses and carried our pains; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes [blows that cut into His flesh] we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6). The punches, the beating, the thorns in the head, the mocking, the spitting upon, the whipping and scourging, the rejection, the cries for His death and all the horror of His final hours were
2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

necessary to lay upon Him all our sins. We see in this the violence of our own sins upon the life of one who was innocent. It is easy to see the violence of sins such as murder or rape. But the violence is just as real when it comes to the dishonoring God or our parents, lying, stealing, cheating, committing adultery or any other number of sins we commit in our lives. Sin reeks violence upon the innocent. It always will and always does. The violence may not always be seen in the body, but it decimates the heart, spirit, mind, character and emotions of people just the same. The beating and scourging of Jesus Christ represents the true nature and violence of all our sins. Amazingly, not only do we see the true, violent nature of our sins through the torturing of Jesus, we see the amazing love of God in His willingness to bear our sins. Though He was completely innocent and faithful to God and though He deserved no punishment, Jesus took the violence of our own sins upon Himself. As the Apostle Paul writes, Scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for u s (Romans 5:7-8). Jesus was beaten to take our sins upon Himself. With every stroke of violence that was laid upon Him there is a reminder to us of the violent nature of our sin. And with every stroke of violence there remains a constant reminder of His unfailing love for us. By bearing our sins, He made it possible for us to be free from sin, guilt, shame and fear. By taking upon Himself the violence of our sins, He freed us from the effects of sin which ultimately result in death (Romans 6:23). Sacrifice comes with a price; it is never easy. Bearing our sins came with a terrible price. Yet knowing that information is not enough. God sent His Son to die for us so that we could know real life, abundant life, eternal life. Let us not waste such an effort, such an utter sacrifice made on our behalf and for our own good. Jesus laid down His life and endured the cross for the joy set before Him of having you live a better life. He died so that you could grow and prosper and become the person that God made you to be, free from fear and ungodliness and immersed in righteousness and goodness. Why did Jesus have to suffer? He had to suffer to make you whole. He had to be broken down so you could be built up. He had to be slain so you could have eternal life. He took upon Himself all the devastating effects of sin with all its violence so that you could know the peace of forgiveness and the joy of salvation. His sacrifice for you is proof of how truly valuable you are to Him. It is a testimony to how much your Creator and your God really cares about you. Embrace the gift of eternal life, know the healing and righteousness, the joy and peace found only in Him. He suffered all just for you.
2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

- Written by David Liesenfelt Copyright 2004 http://abundantliving.org/Articles/jesussuffer.htm

2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

 2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.

Author Bio
An energetic, talented, and Spirit-controlled teacher, Darryl J. Dawson, Sr. - a 2011 graduate of Luther Rice Seminary and former youth pastor - keeps it real. Honest, open and transparent, he makes it easy to open up and have a lively discussion by sharing his own struggles, shortcomings, and successes. Biblically-sound and true to God's Word, Darryl always positions us and challenges us to leave class and go apply God's principles to our lives. Darryl and his wife Shari have three sons, and make their home in Stockbridge, Georgia. They are members of First Baptist Atlanta. Darryl is active in youth sports, coaching championship teams in football, baseball, and basketball. You can listen to the audio that accompanies these notes at http://www.fbalifelines.org/lessons.html

2014 Darryl J. Dawson, Sr.