The class should now read the account of the Crucifixion as narrated in the four Gospels. Notice certain details in the account given by Matthew which are not found in the other narratives. Meditate upon the significance of these. Examine the words of Mark to see if they contain expressions not found elsewhere. Observe certain expressions in Luke’s account that are characteristic of that Gospel, and find details in the Gospel of John that are omitted in all the others. Put these narratives together until the whole scene stands out vividly before the mind’s eye. Arrange the various utterances of Christ upon the Cross in their order and meditate long and prayerfully upon their meaning. Have Isaiah 53:1-9 read and dwell carefully and reverently upon each phrase. As verse 6 is read let the teacher place a black disc with circular opening, over the star upon the cardboard symbol of “The God-Man.” This opening should reveal the center of the star but must entirely cover the circles indicating “soul and body.” (See Fig. 6.) Explain that sin could not be placed upon His essential Deity, but that His humanity was brought into the world for this very purpose. (See Heb. 2:9.) Call attention to the all in Isaiah 53:6. The sin of the entire race was laid upon Him, and for our transgressions “did the stroke fall on Him” (Rotherham translation). The proof of this is found in that awful cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Only a little while before those same lips had uttered the words, “Father, I know that Thou hast heard Me and that Thou hearest Me always” (John 11:41-42). The latter expression was natural to His sinless humanity, but now He is uttering the cry of a race of sinners separated from a holy God.
Truly “He who knew no sin was made sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). It was at this moment that He was tasting death for every man (see Heb. 2:9); and death, let us remember, is a “falling out of correspondence with environment.” God was still His environment, but an awful something that He had never experienced before was pressing upon His human nature-a something that did not respond to God-a something that was causing untold agony-that something was the great mountain of human sin which was crushing His human soul.
Can we understand this vicarious suffering of the God-Man? No, we can never fathom the mystery of that awful hour when God, in Christ, manifested His Suffering Love and Holiness. However, God has created us with a capacity for vicarious suffering upon a lower plane, that helps us to faintly appreciate this hour of agony. Many a person has suffered for another, and in some persons the vicarious element is so strong that they seem to enter the very atmosphere of another’s personality and actually feel that which another is experiencing. How often has this been true of a godly father or mother who has suffered agony over the wrongdoing of a wayward child? But such suffering even when most keen and sacrificial, fails in enabling us to understand the suffering of the Sinless One who actually felt the sin, not of a single personality, but of all the combined personalities of the human race. Notice that three times in Isaiah 53 we find the word soul used in connection with the suffering of the Redeemer. Read verses 10-12. We have previously found that the soul is the seat of self-consciousness. Very appropriate then, is its use in this passage-for His whole personality felt the awful shock of contact with sin. Psychologically He was experiencing the most terrible “complex.” Sin, laid upon His sinless nature, caused a pouring out of His soul even unto death. He, whose constant expression of Love and Obedience had been “Lo, I come to do Thy Will,” now felt laid upon His human soul that awful enmity to God, which was the sin of the human race. Impress upon the class that the vicarious suffering which brought us Redemption took place in the inner man of the human nature of our Lord.
But not only was the human soul of the God-Man crushed by the sin that He vicariously bore; He was also surrounded by all the hostile forces of Satan. This indeed was the “hour and power of darkness,” of which He had spoken. (See Luke 22:53.) Satan and his host of fallen angels and demons compassed Him about. This was the strategic moment for Satan, and he put forth all the strength of his might against the Being upon the Cross, who hitherto had repulsed and overcome him, but who now hung as a sinner in the agony of separation from the face of God. “God hath forsaken Him, persecute and take Him,” was truly the language of his heart.
This moment was the fulfilment of the prophecy uttered so long before concerning Satan-“Thou shalt crush His heel.” Oh, the darkness of this hour! No wonder that the forces of nature responded to the awful conflict that was taking place in the invisible realm. (See Matt. 27:45.)
Suddenly a loud, triumphant cry comes from the Cross-“It is finished”; and then peacefully the words, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit”-and it is all over.
The pious Jews who had delivered up their Messiah to be crucified were very anxious that He should not remain upon the Cross upon their especially holy Passover Sabbath. They scrupulously avoided profaning the Sabbath, and doubtless they also feared a reaction among the people if they were permitted to gaze upon the dying agonies of One whom many had reverenced, and whose benefactions they had received. Therefore knowing that death by crucifixion is a slow lingering process, the crucified often living many hours upon the Cross, they obtained permission of Pilate to have the legs of the three victims broken to hasten their death. Accordingly the soldiers proceeded to break the legs of “the first and of the other that was crucified with Him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs” (John 19:31-33). Notice that this was a fulfillment of prophecy, and let us also observe that even this detail was foreshadowed in connection with each Passover lamb eaten by an Israelitish family. Great care was shown in serving the lamb, that not a bone should be broken. (See Num. 9:12; Psa. 34:20.) The soldiers were surprised to find Him dead already. This was something very unusual in one who was in the prime of young manhood. They could not account for His death, but that they might faithfully discharge their commands, “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” This is the testimony of an eyewitness, even John the beloved disciple, who seems to lay great stress upon this occurrence, for he adds concerning his testimony as a witness, “This testimony is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.” What is the value of this testimony? How does it establish the truth of the statement already made? A physician would be able to tell us. This death was caused by the actual rupture of the heart as a result of the awful agony that the God-Man experienced in being “made sin” for us.
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