The Death of Christ

The death of Christ. As James Montgomery Boyce has said, the cross stands as the focal point of the Christian faith. Without the cross, the Bible is an enigma, and the gospel of salvation is an empty hope. When you think about the cross, do you see it as the center point, the bullseye of our Christian beliefs?

Well, the cross is our hope for salvation. Oswald Chambers helps us by pointing out three categories, three categories of beings that are looking at the cross, and he says all of heaven is interested in the cross of Christ. All hell is terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning. Well, that's a shame, isn't it? If the cross, as James Montgomery Boyce said, is the center, the bullseye of our faith, and if angels are peering in to the mysteries of Christ and the cross, and all the host of Satan trembles at this, while mortal men could care less. May we not be guilty of being ignorant of its meaning. And there's four meanings that I would like for us to consider when we look at the mystery of mysteries, and that is the death of cross.

The death of Christ on the cross can be seen in four different ways. Number one, that Christ's death was natural, that Christ's death was unnatural, and that it was preternatural and supernatural. Let's go through these four to see this great mystery of the death of Christ. What do we mean that the death of Christ is natural?

This means that when Christ was on the cross, he really died. He experienced physical death. He died. Do you remember what was said to the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20, verse 28? Remember Paul's about to leave and he's concerned about the church. He tells them to pay careful attention to yourselves and to the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church. And then he defines the church as which Christ obtained through his own blood. He poured out his life for a body, a collection of people. Christ really died.

Acts 20:28

What about Philippians chapter 2? Philippians chapter 2 verse 8. When it talks about this great incarnation that Christ was being found in the form of human. He was in human form. He took on flesh. He dwelt among us. Christ humbled himself and he became obedient to the point of what? Death. Even death on the cross. As what Paul says, Christ really died. The heart stopped. The blood did not flow and it was a natural death. With all that being said, thus having become the incarnate, the Lord of Glory was capable of suffering death because he took on flesh and so it was that Christ tasted death itself. But not only was it natural, but will you guys look at Luke chapter 1 verse 35? We also see that there is an unnatural aspect to the death of Christ. It was unnatural. This means that Christ's death was unique. It was abnormal. In Luke chapter 1, of course, we have the angel coming to Mary and the angel says to Mary that the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child that will be born will be called Holy. You have a Holy being that will be born to you. He's set apart. He's undefiled. He's pure.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention Philippians 2:8 Luke 1:35 Luke 1 · chapter mention

But you know from the very beginning in Genesis that in the day that you sin, you shall surely die. Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death, but Christ didn't have any sin and so it was unnatural. This is unique to Christ that he would die because he was the Holy One. He was the Holy One of Israel. In fact, if we look at the epistles, if we look at Peter and John and Paul, what do they tell us?

Peter in his first epistle chapter 2 verse 2 said that Christ did not sin.

John in his first epistle chapter 3 verse 5 stated that in Christ there is no sin.

And Paul in his marvelous and monumental passage of 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says that Christ knew no sin. He was sinless. He was spotless and blameless.

During the trial of Jesus, our Savior was brought before Pilate and three times Pilate declared in Luke 23 verse 4 verse 14 and verse 22, "I find no guilt in him." No guilt! Therefore, we can say that for the Holy One of God to die, it was unnatural because he didn't work for death. He had no sin. So his death was unique compared to us. Not only was it natural, unnatural, but it was also miraculous. It was preternatural. This means that the death of Christ was marked out and determined for him beforehand. No doubt you guys remember Revelation chapter 13 verse 8? In the Apocalypse we're told that there are those people whose names that were written in the book of life before earth ever began and Christ was that Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. Wow! So it was a miraculous death. It's also miraculous because if you remember in Romans 3.25 where Paul writes and he says, "You know what? God had a propitiation. God had an appeasement for his wrath, for his justice, for his righteousness. For those that would believe in his promise, they might be delivered." Now that's great if you're thinking from our perspective on this side of the cross, but what about those that hadn't seen the Messiah come? Well in Romans 3.25 it says, "This was to show God's righteousness because of his divine forbearance he had passed over their former sins." The cross of Christ was so unique, so miraculous that what it would do allowed God's justice and wrath to be appeased until it was given for those that were to come. Yes, had not Christ been in the reckoning of God, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, every sinning person in the Old Testament times would have gone down to the pit the moment they committed their very first sin. This death was not just natural, it was unique, it was miraculous, and it was also supernatural. I want to spend some time here talking about how supernatural it was. What do we mean that the death of Christ was supernatural? Well it was different from every other death. Christ's death is like no one else's death. Now think about it just for a moment. The second person of the Trinity came to us by taking on flesh. He didn't have a human father. He was not conceived in the way that every other man or woman was born. And then when we look at his life, what kind of life did he have? Ours is unfortunately marked with regret, sin, mistakes, falling short of the glory of God, but not when we look at Christ. Turn to John chapter 10 just for a moment. Seeks Christ's death is supernatural because his birth was different from all other births. His life was different from all other lives and his death in fact is different from all other deaths. In John chapter 10 as you are turning there, remember we're dealing with the Good Shepherd and in verse 17 Jesus says this, "For this reason the Father loves me." Why does he love me? The Father loves the Son, he says, "because I lay down my life that I may take it up again." That's phenomenal. Jesus says that he willingly voluntarily has power to lay down his life. Not only does he lay down his life but he can take it up again and he says, "No one takes it from me. There's not a single person that is in charge of my breath, the flowing of the blood in my vessels." He says, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my father." Can you say anything like that? It's because you're not supernatural. Christ's death was in fact supernatural. His life, his death, all of this is to show that the Lord Jesus Christ in all things is preeminent. He is the one that is above and beyond anyone else and we can see this in this great mystery of all mysteries, the death of the cross. Yes, it is a natural death. It is a unique death.

Luke 23:4 Revelation 13:8 John 10 · chapter mention John 10 · chapter mention

It is a miraculous death and it is a supernatural death. Now that we've covered those four bases, I would like to spend time by mounting evidence, seven marvelous evidences that prove that Christ's death was in fact supernatural, that he is the one that says, "I lay my life down. No one takes it from me. I lay it down." Let's write down these seven. Number one, showing that this death is in fact supernatural. In John chapter 18, we're already in John, right? John chapter 18. In verses 1 through 11, it is talking about his arrest. A band of officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees are brought to him by Judas. They're seeking him out in the Garden of Gethsemane. And in verse 4, it says, "Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, 'Whom do you seek?' They answered him, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus said to them, 'I am he.' No, he said, 'I am. I am he.' Judas who betrayed him was standing with them, and when Jesus said to them, 'I am he,' they drew back. They fell back to the ground. So he asked them again, 'Whom do you seek?' And they said, 'Jesus of Nazareth.' And of course he said all of this because he was protecting his own. And then they led him away." All of this is to show that when we're looking at the Savior, he is in the driver's seat. He is in control. Jesus delivers himself up to their hands. He is led. He is not driven. He is led as a lamb to the slaughter. Do you see that he's in control in that situation? Matthew 27, will you turn there?

John 18 · chapter mention John 18 · chapter mention

Matthew 27. This is one of the seven sayings of our Savior from the cross.

Matthew 27 verse 46, "In about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabothani.' That is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' And then down in verse 50 we find another phrase that is repeated. Jesus cried out again and with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." Here we see that the Savior was not exhausted by what he was passing through. Jesus' strength had not failed him. He was still the master of himself because he did it with vigor, with a loud voice. That is to say that our Lord laid down his life. Evidence 3 for our proof found in John chapter 19 verse 28. After this, Jesus knowing that all was finished said, "To fulfill Scripture I thirst." This utterance furnishes a wonderful evidence of our Lord's complete self-possession. He is in control. He was to fulfill and possess all of his mental faculties. His mind wasn't diminished at all. He knew what he was doing. His mind was unclouded and Christ's terrible sufferings had neither deranged nor disturbed his thinking. He was going to fulfill all what Scripture had said. And of course this is fulfilling Psalm 69 verse 21. That's a third evidence. But all of this is done to see that the Lord is laying down his life. Fourth, a fourth evidence found in John chapter 19 verse 32. And when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished." And don't miss this line right here. "And he bowed his head and gave up the Spirit." See previous to all of this, our Lord's head was held up high it was erect he had full strength. It was no impotence of the sufferer that hung there in some comatose state. He wasn't swooned. No, this shows his superb composure. It is evidence that he is in control. Could you imagine what it would be like to be at the cross witnessing all of this? Was it not his majestic bearing on that cross among other things that caused even the centurion to cry out witnessing this? Truly this was the Son of God. See in all of this we see that our Lord was laying down his life. It wasn't being taken from him. He is supernaturally in control of every situation. A fifth evidence for our proof.

Matthew 27:46 John 19:28 Psalms 69:21 John 19:32

Luke 23 verse 49 and also the verse that we had just looked at John 19 verse 30.

Luke 23:49 John 19:30

In Luke's account we see then Jesus calling out with a loud voice said, "Father into your hands I commit my spirit." And having said he breathed his last. Who's in the driver's seat? Or as we saw in John chapter 19 verse 30 when Jesus had received yes that sour wine he said it is finished. He bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Now sometimes you need a contrast. You need to look at one example and then another example. Let's look at another human that died, that was martyred, that was killed for the faith. Do you remember Stephen? Yes in Acts chapter 7 verse 59 we read and as they were stoning Stephen he called out, "Lord Jesus received my spirit." That's passive. Do you see the difference? Jesus is saying I'm giving up my spirits. I'm committing myself to the Father. But in contrast Stephen is not in control and he's asking that he would be taken to glory.

John 19:30 Acts 7:59

Stephen's spirit was being taken from him but not so with the Savior. No one could take Christ's life from him. It was his and all of this is to show that our Lord was laying down his life. Evidence 6.

In John chapter 19 verses 31 through 33 we read, "Since it was the day of preparation and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath for the Sabbath was a high day. The Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead they did not break his legs." No vital member of the body of Christ was directly affected with his scourging or with the crucifixion. Oftentimes we would find that sufferers that were on the cross would linger for two maybe even three days before being completely overcome by exhaustion. It was not natural therefore that we would see that Christ should be dead just after six hours of being on the cross. He was all ready.

John 19:31–33

Jesus was already dead when the soldiers came though the two thieves yet lived. We have yes more evidence for the proof that he had voluntarily laid down his life for himself that it was not taken from him.

Is this overwhelming? Is this not wonderful?

Let's turn to Matthew 27 and see yet some more evidence. A seventh that has three facets to it.

Matthew 27 verse 51 and 52.

Matthew 27:51

This passage may cause more questions than answers but let's just look for the answers that will help us in this particular situation seeing that Christ's death is in fact supernatural.

"And behold the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and the earth shook and the rocks were split the tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised." Three things that we see here. First the temple veil it was torn from the top to the bottom the divine hand was involved in it then there was a great earthquake the rocks were broken open and then there was the graves.

There were some that were raised the graves were opened all three of these are outward are outward attestations they're evidences of the great value of the atoning death of Christ it was supernatural.

When we think about the cross we shouldn't just think that Christ naturally died it was unique to him he had no sin.

Furthermore it was predetermined before the foundation of the world that he would be the lamb slain for his people and it was supernatural and we have just provided seven evidences to prove that. Do you remember Chambers he said all of heaven is interested in the cross of Christ all hell terribly afraid of it. Unfortunately meanwhile men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning. May that not be true of us.

May we with voice say the cross the cross stands as our focal point because we believe in this God who came and dwelt among us who bore the sin and the wrath that we deserve so that we might be for all of eternity in his presence. This is our great hope is trusting in the Christ who died on behalf of his people.

I'm looking forward to us studying the cross and seeing more about this. Yes Christ's death was in fact unique miraculous and supernatural.

O Lord we ask that you would receive glory in our hearts and our minds and our actions and our affections for you as we contemplate what you have done on behalf for your people. You are the preeminent one.

You are the one to whom all praise honor and glory is due.

May we worship you because you have provided such a great salvation for your people. May those that are here that are in Christ be encouraged and for those that are outside of Christ may they be convicted. May they not ignore the meaning of the cross. We thank you for Jesus Christ and it is in his name we do pray. Amen.