THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST–Part 2
JOHN 19:16-18
Introduction:
In the first of the two messages on the Death of Jesus Christ we saw that the death of Christ was NATURAL. It was a real death. Jesus “was made flesh” and therefore became capable of suffering death.
His death was also UN-NATURAL, that is, it was abnormal in that He is the Son of God. He had “no sin” and therefore was not under the condemnation of God. Therefore His death was un-natural.
Thirdly, His death was PRETER-NATURAL, that is, it was determined before hand. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the “Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world.”
Now let us consider that THE DEATH OF CHRIST WAS SUPER-NATURAL.
I. IT WAS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER DEATH.
A. His birth was different from all other births, Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
B. His life was different from all other lives, 1 John 3:5, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”1 Peter 1:22, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
C. His death was different from all other deaths, Luke 23:46, “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.” John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
II. THE PROOF.
A. Our Lord “laid down his life,” – He was not powerless.
1. Consider His arrest, John 18:4-6, Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
2. The effect was startling, –“they went backward, and fell to the ground.”
3. “These officers were awestruck. They were in the presence of incarnate deity, and were overpowered by a brief consciousness of Divine majesty.”
B. Jesus cried with “a loud voice,” Matthew 27:46, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
1. Observe the words “with a loud voice.” Note Matthew 27:50, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”
2. He was not exhausted by what He passed through as many commentators say. God has laid help on Him, Psalms 89:19, “Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.”
C. Jesus had complete SELF-POSSESSION, John 19:28, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”
1. Here is evidence that He was in full possession of His mental faculties.
a. His mind was UNCLOUDED.
b. His terrible sufferings had NOT DISTURBED HIS MIND.
c. After six hours on the cross He viewed the ENTIRE SCOPE of the prophetic Word and CHECKED OFF each prophecy.
2. The one prophecy left was that He would drink vinegar mixed with gall, Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
C. He bowed His head, John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
1. “Previous to this our Lord’s head had been held erect. It was NO IMPOTENT SUFFERER that hung there in a swoon.” Arthur Pink.
2. He had bowed His head consciously, calmly, and reverently.
3. That, among other things, caused the centurion to cry, “Truly this was the Son of God.” Matthew 27:54.
D. The last act of Jesus, Luke 23:46, “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
1. No one ever did this or died thus, John 10:17-18, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
2. No one could take from Him His life. He “gave up” His spirit.
E. The action of the soldiers in regard to the legs of the men on the crosses, John 19:31-33.
1. The two thieves were still alive and their legs were broken, vs. 31-32.
2. However, Jesus was already dead, v. 33, “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:” Psalm 34:20, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.”
a. It is a well-known fact that death by crucifixion though exceedingly painful was usually a slow death.
1) No vital organs are affected.
2) Death may linger on for two or three days before being completely overcome by exhaustion.
b. It was not natural, therefore, that Christ should be dead after only six hours on the cross.
F. The final demonstration of the Supernatural character of the death of Christ, Matthew 27:51-52: “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,”
1. First, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain – from top to bottom to show that the Hand from Heaven had torn it, thus signifying that the way into the Holy place now was open and access to God Himself had been opened.
2. Next, the earth quaked – the entire earth as I understand it, quaked, i.e., the foundations were shaken and the earth rocked on its axis. “And the rocks rent” – the very strength of nature gave way before the greater power of that death.
3. “Finally, ‘the graves were opened,’ showing that the power of Satan, which is death, was there shivered and shattered – all the outward attestations of the value of that atoning death.” —Arthur Pink.
CONCLUSION:
Everything that happened on the cross furnishes proof that the life of Jesus was not “taken from him,” but that He laid it down of Himself.
This, together with the tearing of the veil, the quaking of the earth, the rending of the rocks, and the opening of the graves, all bore unmistakable witness to the supernatural character of His death.
The Death of Christ, then, was UNIQUE, MIRACULOUS and SUPERNATURAL.