Christ was crucified according to the plan of God for criminals like you and me. Let us look at him and say, Truly, this is the Son of God.

##### I. Chief priests/elders bind Jesus lead him away to Pilate

##### II. Judas hangs himself

- "composite quotes"

##### III. Jesus and Pilate

- Christ gives no answer -

- Mt. 12 - the Gentle servant

- Isaiah 53:7-8 - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

##### IV. Pilate and the Crowd, Barrabbas

- Exchanges a criminal for Christ.

- Let Him be crucified!

- His blood be on us and on our children

- Mt. 23- "so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth...all these things will come upon this generation"

##### V. Christ is mocked by the Roman battalion

- Hail, King of the Jews!

##### VI. The Crucifixion

- Roman Crucifixion was one of the worst ways to die.

- Not only was Christ flogged, laying him open and creating great blood loss.

- They would drive nails into his wrists locking into the bone. and his feet. His limbs would be stretched out of joint.

- Hanging on his nailed hands, he would have to pull himself up in order to breathe.

- Slow, painful, humiliating death.

- Like a billboard on the highway at Golgotha.

- The Irony of their mockery

- This is Jesus King of the Jews

- He saved others; he cannot save himself?!

- If he saved himself, he could not save others.

- Christ alludes to powerful psalm - Psalm 22.

- All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

- I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots.

##### VII. Christ yields his spirit, curtains tear and the tombs open.

- Temple curtain separated the common people from the holy of holies - the most intimate and sacred place in the temple, where God's presence would rest over the seat of atonement of the ark. Only the High priest could enter in only once a year.

- Torn -access to the holy presence of God through the atoning blood of Jesus.

- Resurrection of OT saints - Christ power destroyed the power of death. This is a foreshadow of the future resurrection of the saints.

- Centurion - gentile - Truly, this was the Son of God.

- Pilate - perceiving his innocence, washing his hands of it.

- Faithful women who ministered to Christ.

##### VIII. Buried

- Joseph of Arimathea

- Isaiah 53: And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

IX. Tomb guarded by his enemies

- Roman guard or the temple guard. Sealed.

- "You have a guard of soldiers" or "take a guard of soldiers".

* guarded by a roman or temple guard - probably Roman, if escaped, punisheable by Death. 

* Which is a perfect setup for a miracle.

##### Truth: Christ was crucified according to the Will and Plan of God for our salvation.

He truly is the King of the Jews.

Application: The Great exchange - Barrabas for us

- great illustration - Christ took a criminal's death so that I might be set free. This great exchange - what we believe as Christians, we call "substitutionary atonement".

- We can say with the Centurion - Truly, this is the Son of God.

Read from:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)

© 2001 by Crossway,

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All rights reserved.