Tag Archives: Crucifixion

Three Years That Changed the World – Death on a Cross

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 21

Death on a Cross

(Jesus in John 19)

When I embarked on this study – “Three Years That Changed The World”, primarily focusing on the Gospel of John – I knew that this chapter (John 19) would be the most difficult of them all as it describes the detail of the death of Jesus on the cross. It also brings to mind as to who is truly responsible for the death of Jesus on the cross. Was it the Jewish religious leaders, was it Pilate, or was it the Roman government as a whole?

While it’s true that all 3 groups listed above played a significant role in the actual crucifixion itself, the real reason all of this took place was God’s predetermined plan to create a way for Jesus to take on the sins of all those who would believe in him and create a path of redemption through his shed blood on the cross they crucified him on. Jesus was not a victim, and his death was not because of any scheme of man, it was because the Father willed it so. How do we know this:

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:22-24)

As we see from John’s description of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, it saddens my heart to read the vehement and cruel animosity the religious leaders had toward Jesus. Even Pilate attempts to lessen the punishment by declaring Jesus to be innocent but he is unsuccessful in stopping their cries to crucify him.

So the question of the day is – “Why the Cross”? Because we are all sinners and our sin separates us from a Holy and Righteous God; “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The only one who could bridge that gap between fallen man and God is Jesus Christ; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8),  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18). It is your choice to believe!

Death on a Cross – Jesus in John 19Download

Three Years That Changed the World – Betrayal in the Garden

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 20

Betrayal in the Garden

(Jesus in John 18)

Jesus finished his teaching time with his disciples (John 13-17):

  1. He taught them to serve (John 13)
  2. He comforted and encouraged them (John 14)
  3. He taught them to lean into him, abide in him, obey him and to love him (John 15)
  4. He prepared them for what was about to take place with not just himself (death on a cross) but also the persecution they would face (John 16)
  5. He taught them how to pray (John 17)

After Jesus finished praying, he and the disciples left Jerusalem, then cross the Kidron Valley, and head to the western slope of the Mount of Olives where they will visit the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus frequented this area to teach his disciples and to pour out his heart to the Father. It will be Judas who betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and his personal knowledge of its significance will aid Judas as he guides the religious leaders in arresting Jesus there. It is sad to think that Judas (a trusted friend) will betray Jesus in this sacred place, but Judas, who is motivated by greed, seems to care more for himself than anything else.

There is an interesting parallel to another garden mentioned in the Bible – the Garden of Eden, where a different type of betrayal occurred.

The Garden of Eden

  1. A beautiful place where God walked and communed directly with Adam and Eve
  2. A perfect place of intimacy between God and his creation
  3. A place where Satan tempted Eve to betray God (commit sin) and led Adam to do the same

The Garden of Gethsemane

  1. A sacred place where Jesus communed with his Father
  2. A quiet place where Jesus often taught his disciples and shared his deepest thoughts
  3. A place where Satan led Judas to betray Jesus

The remainder of John 18 tells the story of the arrest of Jesus, his 3 religious trials and his 3 civil trials, along with Peter’s denial of Jesus, not just once but 3 times.

It is worthwhile to stop and remind ourselves that, despite the hatred, jealousy and evil desires that the Jewish religious leaders had toward Jesus, they were only capable of pulling off this sham trial and ultimately the most vile and criminal death sentence ever brought against an innocent man, because God allowed it. This plot to kill Jesus had been in the works for some time (John 5:18) but now in God’s timing he permitted Judas to betray him and hand him over to the religious leaders so they could carry out their plans to silence Jesus. Sadly, Pilate is unable to stop the vehement and vicious hatred the religious leaders had for Jesus, and as we will see in the next chapter, they will cry out – “crucify him”!

Betrayal in the GardenDownload

Three Years That Changed the World – Words of Peace and Joy in the Midst of Persecution (Jesus in John 16)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 18

Words of Peace and Joy in the Midst of Persecution

(Jesus in John 16)

Jesus is preparing his closest disciples for the persecution (trouble) they are about to face. In just a few short hours Jesus will be handed over to the Jewish religious leaders by Judas Iscariot, and they will begin a “mock” trial with the purpose of proving Jesus was a blasphemer and this will ultimately end in the crucifixion of Christ. Although they will have no grounds for killing Jesus, they will proceed to do so anyway bringing on the most vile and painful death known to man by crucifying Jesus on a cross. Jesus knew this would happen and although he knew Peter would deny him and the others would briefly scatter, he shared these words so they would still trust him in the midst of that persecution.

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me” (John 16:1-3)

Although these words were specifically spoken to the disciples, the reality is that all Christ Followers (Christians) will face persecution and tribulation until they are taken to be with Him in death or “rapture” or until Jesus returns and establishes his final kingdom on earth.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9-14)

Jesus needed to proceed as God ordained it because it was necessary and beneficial to not just the 11 disciples he spoke to, but to all those who choose to believe in him. Had Jesus not voluntarily gone to the cross there would be no gospel (good news). Sin separates us from a Holy God and needs to be atoned for and that is exactly what is accomplished through Christ’s death on the cross. Christ “redeems” those who believe making them at-one (At-one-ment) with God. Jesus knew all this and although he prepared the disciples for what was about to take place, he knew they would briefly fall away which is why he made this declaration; “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. Next (John 17) Jesus will pray to his Father, knowing that only He could protect the disciples during the dark hours they were soon to face. Stay tuned – we will pick up there in our next lesson.

Peace and Joy in the Midst of PersecutionDownload

Three Years That Changed the World – The Claims of Christ: Deceiver or Deliverer

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Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 9

The Claims of Christ – Deceiver or Deliverer

(John 7)

The events recorded by John in chapter 6 would have taken place shortly before the Passover which would have been in our month of April. Since the Feast of Tabernacles was about to begin (John 7:1-2) and that festival was celebrated in our month of October we can conclude that about 6 months had passed since the events of John 6 took place.

It was during that 6-month period that Jesus ministered in the region of Galilee and the detail of what took place during that time is recorded in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In addition to the healings, miracles and teaching of Jesus during this 6-month period, it becomes evident that Jesus was avoiding an open confrontation with the religious leaders. It wasn’t because he was afraid to face them (as we will see) but it was because it wasn’t his time for once that open confrontation begins, it will start the final clock that leads to his crucifixion and the timing of that was in God’s hands and not man’s.

Somewhere in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus shows up at the temple courts and begins to teach. Many of the listeners were amazed at his teachings and it confounded them for, in their minds, Jesus was the son of a carpenter with no formal religious training. How could someone like that teach the way Jesus did? What many of them weren’t willing to accept was Jesus’ claim to be from the Father. The key takeaway from this chapter is when Jesus claims; “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own”. Jesus is claiming to be the promised Messiah and rather than seek to kill him they should instead follow him and then they would know his words are true! This chapter of John shows the unwillingness of the religious leaders to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God who came to seek and to save those who were lost. It really shows how, even with God standing right there in their midst they chose their ways over God’s Way and in the end, they seek to do all they can to silence Jesus by having him crucified on a cross. The very ones who should have known who Jesus was and should have embraced him as their Savior and Lord instead choose to openly reject him. Although they rejected Jesus – God’s plan was for Jesus to go to the cross, be crucified and rise from the dead to give life to all who believe. I hope after reading this lesson that you will find Jesus not to be a deceiver but instead accept him as you Deliverer and follow him with you heart and soul.

The Claims of Christ – Deciever or Deliverer – John 7Download