THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS ​​CHRIST

THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS ​​CHRIST:

Luke 23:33

When they came to the place called Skull, they crucified him there, along with the two criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

Matthew 27:31-33

After mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

JOHN 19:16-21

16 Then he handed him over to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away. 17 Jesus, carrying his cross, came to the place called the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There he was crucified, and two others with him, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate made a inscription and placed it on the cross: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus had been crucified was near the city. It was in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘King of the Jews,’ but write that he said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

INTRODUCTION:

Previously, the Prophet concluded his teaching on our sub-sub-theme: "What role did Pilate play in the trial of Jesus?" According to the biblical account in the Gospels, Pilate washed his hands of Jesus' crucifixion, refusing to let the weight of this condemnation weigh on his conscience and blaming the Jewish people for Jesus' condemnation.

Continuing our main theme, "Discovering the Historical and Prophetic Portrait of the Life of Jesus Christ," the Prophet now addresses a new topic, one of the crucial themes of the Christian faith: "THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS."

If you missed the previous service, please review the previous teachings, already available digitally on this website.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAID ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

The biblical verses describing Jesus' crucifixion are found primarily in the Gospels, including Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:22-41, Luke 23:33-49, and John 19:17-37. These passages recount the events from his arrival at Golgotha ​​until his death, including his crucifixion, the mockery, the darkness that covered the land, his last words, and the tearing of the Temple veil.

WHAT IS CRUCIFIXION?

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment practiced by the ancient Romans. It involved tying or nailing the condemned person to a large wooden cross, beam, or post, and then leaving them to hang until they died. It was one of the most brutal and atrocious methods of execution, designed to inflict maximum suffering and public humiliation on the criminals of the time.

This form of capital punishment, called crucifixion, was a spectacular form of torture and the punishment reserved for those convicted of high treason, whether princes or slaves.

In Jesus' time, crucifixion was a highly humiliating public execution. The Gospels confirm that Jesus was publicly crucified, a humiliating and painful punishment. "SYMBOL OF SACRIFICE"

PUNISHMENT PROVIDED FOR BY ROMAN LAW, BUT ACCEPTED BY THE JEWS

Traditionally, the death penalty by crucifixion was not provided for by Jewish law; this type of punishment was not provided for by their laws or their Sanhedrin, but it was a penalty imposed by the Romans to punish the empire's criminals. However, Jewish law provided for stoning in cases of death sentence.

Acts 7:58

They dragged him outside the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

In Jesus' time, when Palestine was under Roman rule, this punishment of the cross was a Roman imposition, and the Jews were obliged to accept it.

Crucifixion was therefore a punishment accepted both religiously and politically by the Roman and Jewish authorities, who shared the management of the affairs of the province of Judea. Both parties had agreed to punish the empire's criminals in this way when the matter was transferred to the Roman court; thus, Jesus was also crucified.

HISTORY OF THE CRUCIFIXION

ORIGINS OF THE CRUCIFIXION:

Archaeological evidence suggests that crucifixion existed in various forms long before the Roman Empire. The Assyrians, Persians, and Carthaginians are among the ancient civilizations known to have practiced this method of execution to punish their criminals.

Genesis 22:6

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, carrying the fire and the knife in his hand. And they both went on together.

OTHER CIVILIZATIONS:

Crucifixion was also practiced in other parts of the world, notably in Japan (where it was known as haritsuke) until World War II, and in various Middle Eastern cultures, particularly those that influenced Islamic societies.

CRUCIFIXION AMONG THE ROMANS:

The Romans adopted crucifixion around the 3rd century BC

and used it extensively for approximately 500 years, primarily as a punishment for slaves, non-citizens, pirates, and those accused of serious crimes such as treason or rebellion.

It served as a tool of intimidation and social control, illustrating the consequences of defiance of Roman authority. Notable examples of Roman crucifixion include the followers of Spartacus and Jesus Christ.

WHAT WAS THE SENTENCING PROCEDURE?

1. IT BEGINS WITH WHIPPING

The condemned person was usually stripped naked and whipped, resulting in significant blood loss and electric shocks.

JOHN 19:1-3

1Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. 2Then the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a purple robe on him. 3They came to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him with their hands.

2. CARRYING THE CROSS TO THE PLACE OF EXECUTION:

The condemned person was then often forced to carry their own cross to the place of execution, sometimes through crowded streets, a further public humiliation.

JOHN 19:17

Jesus, carrying his cross, came to the place of the skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

Matthew 27:32

As they went out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

Luke 14:27

And whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 10:38

Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

3. NAILING TO THE CROSS:

Upon arrival at the place of execution, the condemned person was stripped naked and nailed or tied to the cross. The nails were usually driven through the wrists or between the forearm bones, and the feet were secured to the post.

4. SLOW DEATH:

Death by crucifixion was the most painful, as it could last from a few hours to several days and usually resulted from a combination of factors, including blood loss, dehydration, shock, and potentially asphyxiation (although medical theories on this vary).

CRUCIFIXION VARIATIONS:

The exact methods and details of crucifixion varied considerably: crosses took different shapes (e.g., T-shaped, like the Christian cross), and victims were placed in different positions, sometimes upright or upside down.

RELIGIOUS MEANINGS

FOR CHRISTIANITY:

In all forms of Christianity, whether Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, Protestant, Evangelical, or Orthodox, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a central event, symbolizing the sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and the possibility of eternal life through faith for all who believe in him. In Christianity, we also believe that this act brought salvation to the lost world and atoned for the original sin of humanity created by Adam and Eve.

WHAT DO OTHER RELIGIONS SAY ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS?

Traditional Islam generally rejects the historicity of Jesus' crucifixion. However, other views exist: some believe he survived the crucifixion, while others advocate a substitution theory, meaning that another person was crucified in his place. Crucifixion, although largely abolished as a legal punishment in the 4th century by the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine the Great, retains strong symbolic significance in various religious and cultural contexts.

PROPHETICALLY, WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CRUCIFIXION?

Prophetically, the death of Jesus on the cross is considered by Christians to be an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. For, according to the Scriptures, he died to save man from sin and, through his death, he became the mediator between man and God; no one can come to the Father except through him. He becomes the way, the life, and the truth. Therefore, there is no salvation without Jesus.

He died to reconcile us with our Creator, who is God. It is through his death that we have been saved and through his wounds that we have been healed. Amen.

Leviticus 16:21,22

Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions. He shall put them on the goat's head and drive it out into the wilderness by a man who has the charge.

1 PETER 2:24

He bore our sins in his own body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his stripes you were healed.

JOHN 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Colossians 1:20

Through him he was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through him, through the blood of his cross.

Colossians 2:1

He has wiped out the note of condemnation that was against us and that remained against us, and has destroyed it by nailing it to the cross.

1 Peter 2:24

Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

Ephesians 2:16

and to reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS:

Historians examine the political and religious motivations for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, drawing on the Gospel texts and historical sources of the time. In summary, according to historians, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a complex event, probably the result of political, social and religious tensions and conflicts, the implications of which are at the heart of the Christian faith.

WAS JESUS ​​CRUCIFIED FOR POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS REASONS?

Shortly before Easter, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was arrested and then condemned to death by crucifixion. The inscription above the cross, specifying the reason for his condemnation, suggests that he proclaimed himself "King of the Jews," thereby defying the political authorities of the time. If the inscription on his cross is to be considered the reason for his condemnation, we can therefore conclude that he was crucified for political reasons.

If we accept, as the Gospels report, that Jesus was denounced by the Jewish authorities because of his threats and violence against the Temple, we can conclude that Pilate considerably modified the accusation by inscribing on his cross: "This is the King of the Jews," thus signifying his condemnation for political rather than religious and traditional reasons.

At the time, proclaiming oneself king of the Jews was a serious political offense under Roman law. It was therefore the most serious accusation brought against Jesus, as indicated by the inscription on his cross. This can be considered authentic evidence of the grounds for his condemnation by the Roman court.

JOHN 19:16-21

16 Then he handed him over to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away. 17 Jesus, carrying his cross, came to the place called the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There he was crucified, and two others with him, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate made a inscription and placed it on the cross: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus had been crucified was near the city. It was in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘King of the Jews,’ but write that he said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

HISTORICALLY, JESUS, A MESSIAH AMONG OTHERS

The Gospel of Mark tells us that "the inscription that condemned him was: King of the Jews" (Mark 15:26). From the authorities' perspective, Jesus was guilty of aspiring to kingship. He was condemned to the cross, like other self-proclaimed messiahs of the same era.

By this time, the Jews had gradually lost their independence. And their last king, Herod, although very skillful, was already under the influence of Roman political power; a "client" king, as they said at the time.

After his death in 4 BC, Emperor Augustus, the all-powerful ruler of the Roman world, began by fragmenting the ancient Jewish kingdom. Then, beginning in 6 AD,

around 200 BC, he divided it into two separate kingdoms. In 4 BC, an administration headed by a Roman governor was established in the province of Judea, which then became a mere province of the Roman Empire.

Jesus spent the first years of his life in this context of the decline of the Jewish kingdom. The people, murmuring against Rome and its local allies, were only waiting for a leader to free them from this yoke.

It was then that many false messiahs emerged, charismatic leaders presenting themselves as messengers of God with the aim of freeing the Jews from Roman domination. Flavius ​​Josephus, the great Jewish historian of this period, gives us the names of these leaders: Athronges, Simon of Perea, and others. But all these leaders and false messiahs, promising the restoration of Israel, were ultimately crushed by Roman politicians and their local auxiliaries.

Jesus, for his part, recognized the authority of Rome and distinguished himself from his predecessors: he presented himself as a new kind of messiah, even if his demands remained strongly tinged with social justice. He distinguished himself from other messiahs who had brought only unrest and war. Moreover, he did not possess an army and did not wish to create one.

Jesus, for his part, seems to have sought the support of the Roman authorities. By declaring that "what is Caesar's must be rendered to Caesar" (Matthew 22:17),

that is, to the Roman emperor, he legitimized the power of Rome. Unlike his predecessor Judas the Galilean, he had violently contested the imperial tax on theological grounds: God, he believed, could not tolerate a Jew paying taxes to a foreign power. Jesus, for his part, encouraged Jews to conform to the Roman administration. In the same spirit, he defended the tax officials, those collaborators of Rome, often considered sinners at the time. Jesus proposed a peaceful approach to tax collection in the province of Judea.

BUT THEN WHY WAS HE CRUCIFIED?

Jesus's words seemed to support Rome. Yet, despite everything, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, finally condemned him, albeit reluctantly, according to the Gospels. He even became his advocate: "I have found nothing in him deserving of death" (Luke 23:22).

According to the Gospels, it was the Jewish priestly aristocracy and its leaders, the high priests, who demanded Jesus' death and crucifixion. While Jesus supported the tax owed to the emperor, he contested the payment of the other tax, also paid by the Jews: the "sacred" money, a sum intended for God, in reality paid to the priests, a source of great wealth for the priestly aristocracy.

This is where Christ's message becomes controversial: while it is normal for a foreign emperor to collect tribute, it is, on the contrary, absurd to believe that God desires to receive silver coins. God has no use for a precious sum of money. The tribute owed to Him cannot be material: the religious tax, the pillar of the clergy's economic power, is flouted by Jesus, who opposes it with a new, purely spiritual tribute. He thus calls into question the very existence of the priests and the Temple in Jerusalem.

We can therefore conclude that Jesus was condemned and crucified by an elite anxious to maintain its domination. Pilate, according to the Gospels, is no less guilty of cowardice: also fearing for his position, he agrees to validate the condemnation, while washing his hands of it.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.