The Suffering King
Hebrews 2:9-17
The Suffering King
Hebrews 2:9-17
Main Idea: In his crucifixion, Jesus defeats the devil, destroys death, and delivers us from fear.
I. Defeats the Devil
Though Satan does not have ultimate power over life and death, he does have influence over the things that cause death. In the Scriptures, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 Jn. 5:19); he is the “ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31), the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), and the “accuser” of God’s people (Rev. 12:10), whose deception led to death’s entrance into the world (Gen. 3:4).
Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.
Though Satan surely thought he had defeated Christ in his crucifixion, Jesus’ death is actually his victory as he crushes the head of the serpent. Christ has defanged the ancient dragon and his weapons of accusation and the judgment of death, and he now rages on as a defeated foe, “knowing that his time is short” (Rev. 12:3, 12).
Colossians 2:13b–15: … God made [us] alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
II. Destroys Death
Death is an unwelcome intruder into this world because of sin, and it is the “last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Cor. 15: 26). Because of the close connection between sin and death, the only way to destroy death is to defeat sin.
Jesus’ crucifixion is:
1. Substitutionary: “Since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself partook of the very same things… he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so he might become a merciful and faithful high priest…” (2:14, 17a)
“The concept of substitution lies at the heart of both sin & salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man.”
~ John Stott, The Cross of Christ
2. Sacrificial: “... to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (2:17)
“[The witch’s] knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. The witch would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack, and Death itself would start working backwards.”
~ C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe
III. Delivers us from Fear
Facing death without the hope of Christ inevitably brings about a “lifelong slavery” of the fear of death (2:15). The thought of death confronts us with feelings of finality, uncertainty, and guilt. But for all who are in Christ, we no longer have to fear death because Jesus is the “founder” (‘champion’ or ‘pioneer’) of our salvation (2:10), who has “tasted death for everyone” (2:9).
“All religions talk about death and the afterlife, but in general they proclaim that you must lead a good life in order to be ready for eternity. Yet as death approaches, we all know we have not even come close to doing our best; we have not lived as we ought. So we stay, with warrant, enslaved by the fear of death until the end. But Christianity is different. It doesn’t leave you to face death on your own, by holding up your life record & hoping it will suffice. Instead, it gives you a champion who has defeated death, who pardons you and covers you with his life. You face death “in him” and with his perfect record. To the degree we believe, know, and embrace that, we are released from the power of death”
~ Tim Keller, On Death
The Curtain, The Tomb, The Centurion
Matthew 27:51-54
The Curtain, The Tomb, The Centurion
Matthew 27:51-54
Main Idea: Jesus truly is the Son of God.
I. The Curtain (27:51a)
Matthew 27:51a: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Hebrews 10:19-23: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Through his death, Jesus welcomes us behind the curtain.
II. The Tombs (27:51b-53)
Matthew 27:51b–53: 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, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Jesus’ death brings life.
Ezekiel 37:1-5, 10-13: The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live… So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “…And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
Jesus came to make dead people alive through his death.
III. The Centurion (27:54)
Matthew 27:54: When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Jesus truly is the Son of God because he welcomes Centurions, people least likely to believe in him, to become adopted children of God through his death.
The Cross
Luke 23:32-49
the cross
Luke 23:32-49
I. The Cosmic Plan of the Cross (23:32-34)
Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise his heel.
Isaiah 53:4-5:
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
I love this prayer because of the indistinctness of it. It is “Father, forgive them.” He does not say, “Father, forgive the soldiers who have nailed me here.” He includes them. Neither does he say, “Father, forgive the people who are beholding me.” He means them. Neither does he say, “Father, forgive sinners in ages to come who will sin against me.” But he means them. Jesus does not mention them by any accusing name, [but simply]: “Father, forgive them.” Now into that pronoun “them” I feel that I can crawl. Can you get in there? Oh, by a humble faith, appropriate the cross of Christ by trusting in it; and get into that big little word ‘them’! ~ Charles Spurgeon, “Christ’s Plea for Ignorant Sinners”
II. The Coronation of the Cross (23:35-39)
Jesus is (ironically) mocked on the cross for being a:
false Savior (23:35, 39)
fake King (23:36-38)
Jesus reveals his kingship not by coming down from the cross to save himself, but by staying on the cross to save others. Jesus reigns by saving, and he saves by giving his life. ~ Jeremy Treat, The Crucified King
III. The Completed Work of the Cross (23:40-49)
1. Darkness covers the land, signifying God’s judgment on sin
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. The temple curtain is torn, granting us access to God’s presence
Hebrews 10:19–22: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
3. People begin to be changed: a Roman Centurion (23:47), the crowds (23:48-49), the criminal on the cross (23:40-43)
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Christ Crucified - Good Friday
Mark 15:21-39
Christ crucified
Mark 15:21-39
Main Idea: Christ has turned an instrument of terror and shame into our symbol of salvation and hope.
I. The Paradox of the Cross (15:21-32)
The crucifixion scene has a number of haunting, divine ironies:
Simon of Cyrene vs. Simon Peter
Those acting against Jesus are fulfilling prophecy (cf. Psalm 69:21; 22:18, Gen. 3:15)
The mockery of Jesus as being a “King” who is crucified and a “Savior” unable to save himself
[The cross] is the climax of human blindness and iniquity spilling over in brutal outrage against God’s Son; it shows a world that has gone topsy-turvy. Jesus is a king who died an outlaw’s death. Jesus is the Messiah, who was rejected by the people he came to deliver. Jesus is the mighty Son of God, who did not use his power for himself but died a seemingly powerless death. All traditional symbols have been reversed. Weakness is a sign of power. Death is the means to life. God forsakenness leads to reconciliation with God. The perpetrators who executed Jesus did not realize that they were executing God’s will (14:36) and that Jesus submitted willingly as God’s obedient Son (10:45). They also did not realize that this death would not be the end of him. Instead, it meant the end of their whole order. They could not fathom how such a powerless death disclosed the character and power of God.
~ David Garland
II. The Prayer of the Cross (15:33-37)
A supernatural darkness of divine judgment covered the land from 12pm-3pm, when the sun should be at its brightest; Jesus’ death is ultimately a cursed, sin-bearing, substitutionary death on behalf of a guilty humanity (Psalm 21:1ff)
[Jesus] is not on the cross by mistake… The crucifixion was not just an unfortunate thing that happened to Jesus on his way to the resurrection. It is not a momentary blip on the arc of his ascent to the Father. It is precisely on the cross that the work of Jesus is carried through to its completion.
~ Fleming Rutledge, Three Hours
III. The Power of the Cross (15:38-39)
Immediately after Jesus died, two things occur:
1. The temple curtain is torn in two (15:38; cf. 1:10)
Hebrews 10:19–22a: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…”
2. A Roman Centurion acknowledges his true identity as the “Son of God” (15:39; cf 1:1)
The Cross of Christ | Good Friday
John 19:16b-37
The Cross of Christ
John 19:16b-37
Luke 9:23-24: And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
I. A Forsaken King (19:16b-22)
It was customary for the charge against the crucified one to be displayed above them. For Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The haunting, divine irony of the situation is that they are indeed crucifying the true King of all kings. Pilate’s stubbornness communicates this truth in three different languages, symbolic for the universal, world-wide reign of Christ.
“The Crucified One is the true king, the kingliest king of all; because it is He who is stretched on the cross, He turns an obscene instrument of torture into a throne of glory and reigns from the tree.” ~ F.F. Bruce
II. A Forceful Shame (19:23-24)
Though the physical pain of crucifixion would have been unthinkable, the emphasis in the gospel accounts is on the shame, disgrace, and forsakenness of the cross. Jesus’ death was a “curse-bearing” death:
His nakedness echos the nakedness of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:7)
He is mockingly given a crown of thorns (Gen. 3:18)
Jewish Law stated that everyone who was “hanged on a tree” was cursed by God (Deut. 21:22-23)
John indicates that there is more going on than we might realize in this scene; he sees the fulfillment of Psalm 22, which Jesus directly quotes in other gospel accounts. The Holy Spirit spoke through David in this Psalm to transcend his own experience and point us to the cross of Christ.
III. A Family Crisis (19:25-27)
Mary’s presence at the cross is a fulfillment of Simeon’s words in Luke 2:34-35 and a reminder of the faithfulness of God from Psalm 22:9-11.
“Even as Jesus’ disciples fled from him in shame, he could cite Psalm 22 while looking out from the cross at his mother. In the moment of his greatest desolation, Jesus could see the invisible outline of God’s mercy and presence there in the one whom, in his human nature, he learned to trust a fathering, nurturing God. He learned that from his mother. And there she stood.” ~ Russell Moore
John (the beloved disciple) is also there with Mary, even though he does not yet believe or understand. Jesus gives them to one another in this moment and this “adoption” is the beginning of the church, a new family joined together by the blood of the cross.
IV. A Finished Work (19:28-30)
John does not present Jesus as a helpless victim who is powerless on the cross; Jesus knows that a greater story is being written. His physical “thirst” (Ps. 22:15; Ps. 69:21) is part of the larger story of God’s plan for redemption that has led to this climactic moment.
Jesus’ cry of “it is finished” is not a cry of defeat or a comment on his impending death. It is a phrase meaning “mission accomplished” and the completion of a task. His death was the fulfillment of his introduction as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 1 Cor. 5:7)
“Jesus is not on the cross by mistake… The crucifixion was not just an unfortunate thing that happened to Jesus on his way to the resurrection. It is not a momentary blip on the arc of his ascent to the Father. It is precisely on the cross that the work of Jesus is carried through to its completion.” ~ Fleming Rutledge
V. A Fulfilled Promise (19:31-37)
The ‘blood and the water’ from Jesus’ side was to show that he really was dead. But even in the aftermath of this horrific scene, John reminds us of the faithfulness of God. His faithfulness and his promises were still true even at the place of the skull.
“The lack of broken bones there at the cross was a sign to Jesus that whatever happened could not go any further than God’s purposes, and that God’s purposes were good… God might seem absent at the cross, but he was not. He was there providentially ruling, even through the most wicked actions imaginable… Jesus could count all his bones because of the mystery of God’s providence, which works behind, and through, even the most awful things that happen to us. Jesus’ intact skeleton was a sign that no matter how much it seemed that he had been abandoned, the steadfast love of God would not depart. God was still there.”~ Russell Moore