Crucifixion and the Day after

1. Crucifixionand the day after – 15th
April 2017
From noonuntil three inthe afternoondarknesscame over all the land. 46
Aboutthree in the afternoon
Jesus cried out ina loud voice, “Eli,Eli, lema sabachthani?” (whichmeans “MyGod,myGod,why have
you forsakenme?”).(Matthew27: 45-46)
The crucifixionof JesusChristandHisresurrectionare the twomostimportanteventsinhumanhistory.
Why isthisso? Because of Jesus'death,the humanrace hasthe opportunityforeternal salvation.All
fourof the NewTestamentGospelstalkof the crucifixionof Christ andthese accountsavail us graphic
accounts of the ancientRomanpractice beingmetedonJesusChrist ourLord.
We can learnfromwhere Johnreportsthe trial that JesuswassubjectedtobyPilate priortoJesus’
Crucifixion:“ThenPilatetook Jesus andhad himflogged. 2
The soldierstwisted together a crownof
thorns andput it on hishead. They clothed himin a purple robe 3
andwent up to him againandagain,
saying,“Hail,kingofthe Jews!” And they slappedhimin the face.4
Once more Pilatecame outand
saidto the Jews gathered there, “Look,I am bringinghimoutto you to let you know that I findno
basisfor a charge againsthim.” 5
WhenJesuscame out wearing the crown of thornsand the purple
robe, Pilatesaid to them, “Here is the man!” “As soonas the chiefpriests andtheir officialssawhim,
they shouted,“Crucify!Crucify!”ButPilateanswered,“Youtake himand crucifyhim. As for me, I find
no basisfor a charge againsthim.” The Jewishleaders insisted,“Wehave a law,and accordingto that
law he must die,because he claimedto be the Son ofGod.”(John19: 1 – 7). AlthoughPilate couldfind
no basisor charge againstJesus,thisdidnotstop the Jewishleaderswhofueledthe onlookersto
demandforJesus’ Crucifixion.We canlearnmore of thisoccurrence: “But they shouted,“Take him
away!Take himaway! Crucifyhim!”“Shall Icrucifyyour king?” Pilateasked. “Wehave no kingbut
Caesar,” the chief priests’answered.16
FinallyPilatehandedhimover to them to be crucified.” (John
19:15-16).
We can alsolearnwhere Matthewrecords: “Thenthe governor’ssoldierstook Jesusinto the
Praetoriumand gathered the whole companyofsoldiersaround him. 28
They strippedhim andput a
scarlet robe on him, 29
andthen twisted together a crown of thorns andset it onhis head. They put a
staffin hisright hand.Then they knelt infront of himand mocked him.“Hail,kingof the Jews!” they
said.30
They spit onhim, andtook the staffandstruck him on the head againandagain. 31
After they
had mockedhim, they took offthe robe andput his ownclothes on him.Then they ledhim awayto
crucifyhim.”(Matthew27: 27-31).
Crucifixion isahistorical methodof capital punishment inwhichthe personisnailedtoa large wooden
beamand lefttohang until eventual deathfromexhaustionand asphyxiation…lungcollapse. Itis
principallyknownfrom antiquity due toJesushavingbeensubjectedtothispainful andcruel formof
executionthatwasaffectedbythe Romans. Crucifixionwasoftenperformedinordertoterrorize and
dissuade itswitnessesfromperpetratingparticularlyheinouscrimes.Victimswere leftondisplayafter
deathas warningstootherswho mightattempt actionagainstthe Romans.Crucifixionwasusually
intendedtoprovide adeaththatwas particularlyslow,painful (hence the term excruciating,literally
"out of crucifying"),gruesome,humiliating,andpublic,usingwhatevermeansweremostexpedientfor
that goal. AuthorArthurW. Pittdescribesitthisway, "Withbleedingback,carrying His cross underthe
heat of the now almost midday sun, He [Jesus]journeyedupthe ruggedheightsof Golgotha.Reaching
the appointedplace of execution,Hishands and feetwere nailedto the tree. For three hours He hung
there with the pitilessrays ofthe sun beatingdown [on] His thorn-crownedhead. Thiswas followed

2. by the three hours of darkness,now over. That night and that day were hours into which an eternity
was compressed."
We can learnfurtherwhere Matthew states:“Fromnoonuntil three inthe afternoondarknesscame
over all the land. 46
Aboutthree inthe afternoonJesus cried out ina loudvoice, “Eli,Eli, lema
sabachthani?” (whichmeans “MyGod,myGod,why have you forsakenme?”).47
Whensomeofthose
standingthere heard this,they said,“He’scallingElijah.”48
Immediatelyoneofthem ran and gota
sponge.He filledit withwine vinegar,put it on a staff,and offeredit to Jesusto drink. 49
The rest said,
“Nowleave himalone. Let’s see ifElijahcomes to save him.”50
AndwhenJesushad cried out againina
loudvoice, he gave up hisspirit.51
Atthat moment the curtainof the temple was torn in two from top
to bottom. The earth shook,the rocks split…”(Matthew27:45-51).
We can readthat afterthe deathof Christ Followingthe crucifixionof JesusChrist,Josephof Arimathea
askedPilate forthe bodyof Jesus.JosephwasgivenpermissiontoburyJesus,sohe broughtfine linen,
wrappedthe body,laidJesusinatomb and rolledalarge stone acrossthe entrance. We can learnthis
fromMark 15: 42-47. The Highpriests,andthose presentfromthe Sanhedrinhadlaboredtobelieve
that Jesuswasa deceiverdue totheirangeragainstHim.But fromeverywheretheyheardpeople
inquiringforJesusof Nazarethfromthose whohadnotheard of hisdeath,and hadbrought theirsick
and dyingfriendstothe Passovertobe healedbythe messiah.
The priestsknewintheirheartsthatJesushad beenall-powerfulassome of themhad personally
observedandheardof His miraclesandhealings.Some hadwitnessed Jesus’ miracleatthe grave of
Lazarus and some of themmay have believedandtrembledastheyhad heardof Jesusstatementthat
He wouldhimself rise fromthe dead!We canlearnfrom Matthew20: 17-19,“Now Jesuswas goingup
to Jerusalem.On the way,he took the Twelve aside andsaidto them, 18
“Weare goingupto
Jerusalem,and the Son ofMan will be delivered over to the chiefpriests and the teachers of the law.
They will condemn himto death 19
andwill hand himover to the Gentilesto be mocked and flogged
and crucified.Onthe thirdday he will be raisedto life!” Thisis alsofoundin Mark 8:31 andLuke 9:22).
They wouldhave also rememberedmanythingstheycouldnot possibly shutfromtheirminds.The
image of Christwould have certainly engravedupontheirminds,as Jesus stoodserene and
uncomplainingbefore Hisaccusers,sufferingtheirtaunts,assaults,whippingandabuse withouta
murmur.They will rememberHisprayerforforgivenessoffered onbehalf of those whonailed Himto
the cross, Hisforgiveness forthose whocaused Hissuffering,andhismerciful response tothe prayerof
the dyingthief.Theywouldhave observed the darknesswhichcoveredthe earth,itssuddenlifting,and
histriumphantcry,"It is finished,"whichseemedtoresoundthroughthe universe.Thereafter,His
immediate death,the quakingof the earth,darkness andthe tearingof the veil of the temple.Allthese
remarkable circumstances surelywouldhave pressedupontheirmindswithoverpoweringevidence
that Jesus Christwasthe Son of God!
The revenge whichthe prieststhoughtwouldbe sosweethadalreadybecomebitternesstothem.They
knewthattheywere meetingthe severecensure of the people;theyknew thatthe verypersonswhom
theyhad influencedagainstJesuswere now horrifiedbytheirownshamefulwork.Astheywitnessedall
these proofsof the divine influence of Jesus,theywere more afraidof hisdeadbodyinthe tombthan
theyhad beenof himwhenhe waslivingandamongthem.The possibilityof hiscomingforthfromthe
sepulchercertainlymayhave filledtheirguiltysoulswithindescribableterror andwe can read this from
Mathew 27: 62-66, “The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chiefpriests and the Pharisees
went to Pilate. 63
“Sir,” theysaid,“we remember that while he was still alivethat deceiver said,‘After

3. three daysI will rise again.’ 64
Sogivethe order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day.
Otherwise, hisdisciplesmaycome and steal the bodyand tell the people that he has been raisedfrom
the dead. This lastdeception will be worse than the first.”65
“Takeaguard,” Pilateanswered. “Go,
make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66
Sothey went andmade the tomb secure by puttinga
seal onthe stone andpostingthe guard.”