Subject Seventy-eight

“HIMSELF HE CANNOT SAVE”

Scripture: Mark 15:22-39

1. Jesus was crucified on the cross
   1. First describe how men brought the Lord Jesus to Golgotha and crucified Him on the cross.
   2. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, He was treated like a prisoner, because He was crucified with two others who were robbers. He was placed among the transgressors.
   3. According to the mocking cries of men, He should never have been crucified, and being on the cross He should have been able to save Himself.
2. The reasons for the crucifixion of Jesus
   1. Before Jesus was crucified on the cross, He was examined three times by the Jews according to God’s law, and then examined again three times by the Romans according to men’s law; yet they could find no fault at all with Jesus. So the Lord Jesus was not crucified because He had sin.
   2. Although the Lord Jesus was sinless and did not deserve the death penalty, yet for the sake of jealousy, people still used an excuse to sentence Him to death. Such jealousy can be considered the reason for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus on man’s side. Because men were jealous of Him, therefore they crucified Him on the cross.
   3. The reason for the Lord’s crucifixion on man’s side is very light compared to the reason on God’s side. On God’s side, it was because God put all of our sins upon the Lord Jesus and caused Him to bear those sins for us. Thus, the main reason for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was to bear the burden of sins for us.
3. The setting of Jesus’ crucifixion
   1. The setting of Jesus’ crucifixion included both the natural and the supernatural aspects:
      1. The natural aspect was an act of men. Men set up a wooden cross, nailed the hands and feet of Jesus to the cross, and then parted His garments, which meant that they stripped Him naked. They put Him to shame publicly, shook their heads, and mocked Him.
      2. The supernatural aspect was an act of God. God caused the whole earth to be darkened, which was not an act of men, but of God. When the Lord Jesus gave up His breath, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom. This was also an act of God.
   2. The setting of men’s act occupied the first half of the Lord’s crucifixion, which covered the period from nine in the morning until noon.
   3. The setting of God’s act occupied the second half of the Lord’s crucifixion, which covered the period from noon until three in the afternoon, when the whole earth was darkened.
   4. The setting of men’s act depicts the killing of Jesus by human hands; the setting of God’s act depicts the judgment upon Jesus by God. During the second half of the Lord’s crucifixion, the whole earth was darkened. Darkness is the symbol of sin. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. The veil represents the barrier between man and God because of sin. The fact that the earth was darkened and the veil rent was a proof that God was judging the Lord Jesus, because at that time the Lord Jesus became man’s sin-bearer.
4. Jesus could not save Himself
   1. If Jesus had only been killed by men, He could have saved Himself. He was capable of saving Himself. For thirty-three years on earth, many had attempted to kill Him, but He escaped them. It was very easy for Him to save Himself.
   2. He did not save Himself but rather on the cross He was mocked and killed by men. Furthermore, He was forsaken and judged by God because He was bearing man’s sins. If He had saved Himself, our sin problem would never have been resolved.
   3. Because He would not save Himself, we are saved.
   4. By not saving Himself, He became our substitute and became our Savior.
5. The attitude we should have toward Jesus
   1. We should appreciate the fact that He suffered persecution and endured crucifixion for us.
   2. But just to appreciate His sufferings could not save us. That is not enough to cause us to be saved.
   3. We must thank Him for not saving Himself. We must thank Him for becoming our substitute to bear our sins, thus being judged by God’s righteousness.
   4. Whoever thanks Him and treats Him in this way is a believer, one saved by Him.