The crucifixion - perfect in every way

What happens when the Son of God, the King of the Universe is put to death by wicked men?

The crucifixion happened because God permitted it. As Jesus himself said, he could have called up a hundred legions of angels to stop this awful crime at any point.

Once Jesus had been nailed to the cross, the first sign was darkness coming over all the land from the sixth to the ninth hour (12 noon to 3 pm). Luke adds the details that the sun stopped shining. This was no solar eclipse over in a couple of minutes. This was creation bowing its head in homage and grief as the Lord of all light was crucified. How could the sun still shine as the Prince of Peace, the Son of God was murdered. It had to be done in the darkness of night.

Then, Jesus’s heartrending words, ‘My God why have you forsaken me?’ As the sins of the world were laid upon Jesus and the wrath of God fell on his beloved son, the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus was separated from his loving Father. What a sacrifice. 

As the time came for Jesus to die, he cried out in a loud voice.  Jesus did not die the death of the crucified in exhaustion, unable to hold up his body anymore and suffocating to death. He died in triumph with the loud cry on his lips, ‘It is finished’. Jesus gave up his spirit and breathed his last.

The work of salvation was complete. The wrath of God had fallen on Jesus for all the sins of sinful, wicked men and Jesus, the perfect, innocent Son of God could now proclaim his victory over sin, death, the grave, sickness and all the other outworkings of man’s rebellion to their Creator. 

The temple curtain, woven of a heavy material more like a carpet, was supernaturally torn in two from top to bottom – nothing a man could do. Access to the holy place, to the Father had now been granted to all who came in humility trusting in Christ’s work of salvation and not their own efforts. 

Matthew recorded two more events, first a great earthquake which then caused tombs to break open and the bodies of holy people came to life. This speaks I think of salvation now coming to all, even those from the past, who then testify about Jesus in the city. What better testimony could there be to challenge the lies of the Romans that Jesus’s disciples had stolen his body. Instead, people known to have died have arisen as a foretaste of the many who would come to life by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Finally, the ungodly Roman centurion, the one who had carried out the execution, proclaimed, ‘surely this was the Son of God.’ Salvation had come to all – Jews, Gentiles and even Romans. 

These were not random events but carefully orchestrated to reveal to all those willing to see that Jesus’s crucifixion was in the hands of God the Father. The great work of salvation for all who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus was complete, and they would now have access to him and eternal life in heaven.

What a wonderful work salvation is – complete and perfect in every detail. 

It is finished!

It is finished!

With that triumphant cry, Jesus gave up his spirit and died. The centurion supervising the crucifixion was so overwhelmed by the way Jesus died that he exclaimed,’ surely this man was the Son of God.’  This was no ordinary crucifixion.

We are all familiar with the fact that Jesus took our sins upon himself upon the cross but on this Good Friday let us just consider again exactly what that means. Every foul, disgusting, perverted sin that has ever or ever will be committed was placed upon Jesus. Most of us get very agitated if we get blamed for anything we have not done. Imagine having every awful, wicked sin dumped upon a sinless body. Jesus drank this vile concoction of depravity – for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took not only the individual sins but became sin itself for us.

It was more than that though. Sin had to be paid for. The righteous wrath of God had to be appeased or propitiated and Jesus paid for all sin, not just for the sins of man but for the full effect of sin upon all creation. Jesus became our atoning sacrifice. He paid the price for our sin.

As sin and the wrath of God came upon Jesus he was separated from the Father and the awful cry came, ‘My God, my God why have you forsaken me?’  Something must have happened at that moment for Jesus did not die in defeat separated from the Father but in victory with the triumphant cry, ‘It is finished’ meaning sin had been fully taken and fully paid for. The Greek word used was teleos which is an accounting term used for a debt has been fully paid. 

Somehow between Jesus cry of separation from the Father and Jesus’ victory cry as his mortal body died, Jesus the man of faith came to faith and found his Father. Psalm 22 David’s revelationary psalm about the crucifixion says, ‘But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in you, they trusted and You delivered them. They cried to you and were delivered; they trusted in You and were not ashamed. Psalm 22:3 – 5). Was this what Jesus cried as his sin laden body died?

Jesus’ death was extraordinary in every way.  The song says:
When satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within,
Upwards I look and see him there who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted clean.
For God the just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.

Our sin is fully taken and paid for. How can we live in it any longer Paul asks? The answer is we can’t.  ‘It is finished’