Chapter Nine continued Good Friday

Sections of Chapter Nine III Good Friday I Introduction: II Holy Thursday IV Understanding the Cross “The Road to the Cross”

Good Friday C Scourging and Crucifixion A Appearing before the Sanhedrin B Appearing before Pontius Pilate

The charge of blasphemy: a) “Blasphemy” means “showing a lack of reverence for God,” or, in Jesus’ case, “claiming for oneself a dignity due to God alone.” Good Friday A. Appearing before the Sanhedrin

The charge of blasphemy: c) What totally appalled the Sanhedrin was Jesus’ claim to be somehow divine. This was blasphemy! b) The “messiah” thing was not the issue.

Good Friday A. Appearing before the Sanhedrin (d) under Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death..

Good Friday A. Appearing before the Sanhedrin (e) The Jewish leaders had no authority under Roman rule to carry out the death penalty.

Good Friday C Scourging and Crucifixion A Appearing before the Sanhedrin B Appearing before Pontius Pilate

The Jews needed Pilate to carry out the death penalty.

B Appearing before Pontius Pilate But blasphemy is a religious offense, not a political crime that would threaten Rome. So, Pilate saw no reason to execute Jesus.

B Appearing before Pontius Pilate Pilate sees that if he doesn’t give in to the demands of the Jewish leaders, then a riot will break out. Therefore he “washes his hands” of the matter and says “I am innocent of the blood of this just man.”

B Appearing before Pontius Pilate 203 Pilate gave in to the extreme pressure from an angry mob, and condemned to death a man he knew was innocent. 4. BOTTOM LINE:

5. The official Roman charge against Jesus was that he had incited a revolt among the Jews. B Appearing before Pontius Pilate 203

Good Friday C Scourging and Crucifixion A Appearing before the Sanhedrin B Appearing before Pontius Pilate D Burial in the Tomb

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Before leading him to crucifixion, the soldiers mock Jesus : a) they robe him in a red cloak b) they crown him with thorns

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Before leading Jesus to crucifixion, the soldiers mock Jesus : c) they give him a reed for a royal scepter, d) they genuflect and hail him as “king.”

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is scourged. a) the prisoner is whipped (scourged) with leather straps imbedded with nails and bits of bone. b) often a person would die from this punishment. (1. The soldiers mock Jesus)

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. a) Crucifixion is limited to those who are not Roman citizens and for slaves. b) Jesus is given a heavy wooden crossbeam to carry. (The upright piece was left permanently in place).

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. c) He is led to Golgotha (‘Calvary,’ called “skull place” because of its shape). d) His wrists are nailed to the crossbar which is then hoisted onto the upright.

205 f) He is tied to the cross (arms, legs, waist) to keep his body from tearing free of the nails. e) His feet are nailed to the upright beam.

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. g) Death comes from suffocation, when he can no longer lift himself up to breathe.

205 h.) In order to insult the Jewish leaders who had forced him to crucify Jesus, Pilate orders a sign to be placed over Jesus’ head

205 h.) Pilate orders this mocking sign in Hebrew, Greek and Latin:

205 I esus N azarenus R ex I udaeorum “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” In Latin:

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. i) The Jews don’t want the bodies on the cross during the Sabbath. So they ask that death be hastened by breaking the legs of the condemned.

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. j) Jesus is already dead, so his legs don’t get broken. k) But a soldier pierces his side - blood and water flow out.

C. Scourging and Crucifixion Jesus is crucified. l) There are various accounts of Jesus’ last words on the cross. We will concentrate on two sentences.

206 l) Jesus’ last words i) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” - this sounds like a cry of despair. But in fact it’s the beginning of Psalm 22.

206 i) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” -- Jews memorized psalms in their entirety. So it may be that in reciting the opening lines of Ps. 22 Jesus was calling to mind the whole psalm.

206 l) Jesus’ last words i) “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” --- But Ps 22 ends on a note of triumphant trust in God Still, this doesn’t mean that Jesus didn’t experience moments of distress and terror on Calvary.

208 l) Jesus’ last words ii) “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” - from Psalm 31:6 a verse that little children prayed at bedtime. Reflects his confident trust in his Father.

Good Friday C Scourging and Crucifixion A Appearing before the Sanhedrin B Appearing before Pontius Pilate D Burial in the Tomb

D. Burial in the Tomb 1. Jesus’ corpse is placed in a newly carved tomb 2. A wheel- shaped stone is rolled in place to seal the entrance

D. Burial in the Tomb 3. Soldiers were set to guard it.

III Good Friday I Introduction: II Holy Thursday V Meaning of the Cross IV Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday A. Christians believe that Christ really did die. The frequent NT references to Jesus’ being “raised from the dead” presuppose that he dwelt for a time in the ‘realm of the dead.’

Holy Saturday B. The ancient “Apostles’ Creed” states: “He descended into hell.” 1. “Hell” translates the word for “the abode of the dead.” 2. The “gates of heaven” had been closed since the sin of Adam and Eve.

B. “He descended into hell.” 3. So tradition has it that Jesus, after his death, went down to the place of the dead and “opened gates of heaven” to deliver all the just who had been waiting for him.

So What?

III Good Friday I Introduction: II Holy Thursday V Meaning of the Cross IV Holy Saturday

1. It’s impossible to fully understand the meaning of the cross for Christians: Its full significance is too great for words. 208 V Meaning of the Cross A. Introduction

2. Any single explanation or metaphor would limit our understanding of the meaning of the cross, So we will look at a few of the varied images the Church has used in talking about Jesus’ death. 208 A. Introduction

B. Jesus’ Sacrifice: Freeing us from Sin 208 A. Introduction

B. Jesus’ Sacrifice, freeing us from sin 1. Jesus the ‘Suffering Servant’ 208 a. The “Suffering Servant” is a mysterious figure in five poems or “songs” written by Isaiah hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus.

A. Jesus’ Sacrifice, freeing us from sin 1. Jesus the Suffering Servant 208 b. This unnamed servant of the Lord, innocent himself, suffers greatly to save the people. E.g. Isaiah Chs 42, 49, 53

A. Jesus’ Sacrifice, freeing us from sin (1. Jesus the Suffering Servant) 210 a. John the evangelist links the death of Jesus with the killing of the Paschal lambs in the temple. 2. Jesus the Paschal Lamb

B. Jesus’ Sacrifice, freeing us from sin (1. Jesus the Suffering Servant) 210 b. John the evangelist has John the Baptist refer to Jesus as “The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” 2. Jesus the Paschal Lamb

B. Jesus’ Sacrifice: Freeing us from Sin C. A Sign of God’s Love 208 The meaning of the cross A. Introduction

1. All these metaphors have the same understanding of the meaning of the cross: C. A Sign of God’s Love 211 When Jesus gave up his life for our sake, he freed us from sin.

C. A Sign of God’s Love Through his death, Jesus bridged the separation between God and humanity that is created by sin.

3. Just as Jesus poured out his life for us on the cross, all Christians are called to give themselves to others with unlimited, unconditional love.

End of Chapter