Bible Study - CHRIST (5) - Death like No Other - Matthew 27:28-31, 45-50, 54 - March 29, 2015

Bible Study – CHRIST (5) – Death like No Other – March 29, 2015

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled “Like No Other: The Life of CHRIST.”

Our focus scripture is Matthew 27:28-31, 45-50, 54.

JESUS’ death is the heart of the gospel. A person does not have to understand it, he or she must accept that CHRIST gave HIS life for him or her. If JESUS remained in the tomb then there would be no more reason to believe that HE was the Son of GOD than any other person who lived upon earth. But the Good News is that GOD raised JESUS from the dead as proof that HE is and always will be the Only True Son of GOD, The Promised Messiah.

Why did JESUS give HIS life? As you may recall, after Eve and Adam disobeyed GOD by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, death came to mankind. Humans received exactly what they desired, which was to choose between good and evil and the dynamics of earth changed. Because of the foreknowledge of GOD, HE had a plan to give mankind a second chance. Originally, GOD placed the first Adam in charge of the Garden of Eden and he sinned. There had to be a second Adam who would remain sinless in order to redeem mankind from the original sin and its consequence of death, which is eternal separation from GOD. The second Adam was CHRIST, GOD’S Only Son, who was born 100% human and 100% Divine. GOD had the plan already in HIS mind as we read in Genesis 3:15:

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your • seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

GOD’S only Son, JESUS, will defeat Satan for all who will place their faith in JESUS.

There are two supporting verses Hebrews 2:13-18:

13 Again, I will trust in Him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me. 14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death —that is, the Devil— 15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. 17 Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make • propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.

And 1 John 3:8-9:

8 The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children —and the Devil’s children—are made evident.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 15:41-57:

41 There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for one star differs from another star in splendor. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man.

Victorious Resurrection

50 Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. 51 Listen! I am telling you a • mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. 54 When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

JESUS CONQUERED SIN AND IN DOING SO HE CONQUERED ETERNAL DEATH. BECAUSE HE LIVES SO DO ALL WHO PLACE THEIR FAITH IN HIM!!!

HE GAVE HIS LIFE JUST FOR YOU! DO YOU ACCEPT HIM OR REJECT HIM? THE CHOICE IS YOURS TO MAKE.

HIS death was a brutal agonizing physical death. JESUS not only suffered the physical brutality but mental anguish of humiliation and to me the greatest of all was HIS battle between being 100% human and 100% Divine. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Matthew 27:28-31:

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into • headquarters and gathered the whole • company around Him. 28 They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet military robe. 29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. 31 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Our selected scripture focuses on the middle part of JESUS’ last night and the day of HIS crucifixion. JESUS had been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. HE had been subjected to an illegal Jewish trial. HE had gone before Pilate and had been found innocent yet pressure from the Jewish religious leaders and for political correctness, resulted in JESUS being condemned to be crucified.

JESUS was beaten. Often when a person was beaten/flogged it was so severe, the person would die.

JESUS was taken to the praetorium or the official residence of the Roman ruler, which could serve as the barracks for the soldiers. Since it was Passover, the Romans likely had extra soldiers in Jerusalem to keep the peace, if needed.

As we read, the whole company of soldiers gathered around JESUS. They were going to make an example of JESUS likely to please their commanders, to please the Jewish religious leaders and to show they were loyal soldiers.

So they, the soldiers, stripped JESUS of HIS garments and to mock HIM they dressed HIM with a scarlet military robe, fabricated and placed on HIS head a crown of thorns and placed a reed in HIS right hand. Then they knelt down before HIM “mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. 31 When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Now, consider that JESUS was 100% human and 100% Divine. HIS human nature knew that HE had the power of GOD that HE could call upon at any instant in HIS life’s journey. When HE began HIS earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit led HIM to the desert to be tempted by Satan for 40days. When a person knows who he or she is and he or she has the power to prove it, I think this is one occasion when JESUS was likely tempted to reveal to them Who HE was. But if HE had it would have cut HIS ultimate purpose short and HE would have failed GOD’S purpose for HIM to pay the debt for sin in full.

We must keep in mind that JESUS was tempted in all ways as humans are tempted, yet without sin. HE had to be sinless and the perfect lamb without a blemish. HE was faithful because of HIS love for mankind and to break the barrier of sin that separated mankind from GOD. Now, we fast forward to the day of the crucifixion.

Let’s read Matthew 27:45-50:

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!” 50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the • saints who had fallen • asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

We know from Mark’s gospel, the crucifixion began about 9 AM on Friday or the day Christians refer to as Good Friday as we read in Mark 15:25:

25 Now it was nine in the morning (or the third hour according to Roman time which began at 6 AM.) when they crucified Him.

Darkness fell over that area from 12 noon to 3 PM. There was an earthquake and the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was split from top to bottom. Why did it split from top to bottom? It was because GOD split it. After the death of CHRIST, GOD was no longer separated from those who seek HIM.

Again, we see the agony that CHRIST suffered. HE was 100% human and 100% Divine. HE had the power to call legions of angels to come to HIS rescue as we read when JESUS was arrested in Matthew 26:52-53:

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

JESUS had the authority to terminate HIS mission, if HE chose.

JESUS knew the presence of GOD, HIS Father, was with HIM during this special time in history. HE had always known the presence of GOD in HIS every step. Now, as JESUS had told HIS disciples, the ultimate moment had arrived. HE knew HE would give HIS life for the salvation of all who will place their faith in HIM. Did HE know the intimate details or did GOD allow HIM to experience that instant of complete trust as the ultimate test that many of HIS followers experience in their journey in life?

JESUS cried out in a loud voice “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Those around the cross thought HE was crying out for Elijah because Jewish tradition was that Elijah would come to the rescue of righteous during their distress. So they took a sponge filled with vinegar put it on a reed and raised it to JESUS lips for HIM to drink. JESUS refused it. Those around HIM wanted to see if Elijah would come and rescue HIM.

To me these moments were the most trying of all for JESUS. About 3 PM in the afternoon, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” JESUS had never known a moment when GOD was not there with HIM but now it seemed that GOD had abandoned HIM. Some say that since GOD cannot look upon sin, HE had to turn HIS eyes away from JESUS because JESUS took sin upon HIM.

I think this was the ultimate test for JESUS. Remember HE was 100% human and 100% Divine. I think this was Satan’s moment of turning up the heat on JESUS and working through HIS 100% human side to create the maximum doubt of HIS Father’s care for HIM. When you consider that HE had the freedom and power to take matters into HIS own hands and take care of Himself because HE had legions of angels at HIS beck and call. After all when Your Father has abandoned You, what can you do? Do You continue to trust Your Father with Your physical life? All who know or will know JESUS as Savior rejoice that HE remained faithful and trusted the Father to the end.

Was there a war between HIS humaness and HIS divineness?  I think so. I feel reasonably sure Satan was attacking HIM severely. Satan could have been telling HIM, “This is the moment when You need to take action because Your Father has let You down. HE has abandoned You. HE wants to reveal to all that You are GOD and You need to show these heathens that You are the promised Messiah so take matters into Your own hands.”

JESUS had to make the decision whether or not to place HIS complete trust in GOD, HIS Father with HIS physical life as we read in Luke 23:44-46:

44 It was now about the sixth hour (12 noon), and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (3 PM), 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in JESUS. JESUS had to trust HIS Father completely with HIS physical life.

We read at the instant JESUS died tombs were opened and that many who had died were raised from the dead. It was an astounding moment in history and still is as we look back to that event which means salvation from sin and eternal death. If that was the end then there could still be a problem for those who place their faith in CHRIST as their Savior. But this was only the beginning. GOD is the GOD of completion as we will study in our lesson next week.

Let’s read Matthew 27:54:

54 When the • centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”

The lives of those who witnessed these events were changed. They saw JESUS as GOD’S Son! They witnessed that moment of decision all of us will have to make. Is JESUS just a man who lived a good life trying to help others or was HE THE SON OF GOD?

GOD made each human a free agent, every human has the freedom to choose. Each of us has to make the most important decision of our life and that is whether or not to accept or reject JESUS CHRIST as our Savior and make HIM the LORD of our lives.

If you have not made that decision in your life, now is your opportunity to ask HIM to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life.

If you have already chosen HIM as your Savior are you living for HIM? If not, now is your opportunity to rededicate your life to obediently serve HIM as led by the indwelling Holy Spirit! We will study the assurance of salvation in our next week’s lesson, “The Resurrection!” Blessings!!!