THE DOCTRINE OF

CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS

A Look at what the Bible Says

 

 

Since God has revealed Himself to us in Scripture, and the doctrine that He wants taught in His church is nothing other than what the Bible says; it should be obvious that those who refuse to teach what the Bible says, or affirm that it is true, do so because another authority has replaced the authority of Scripture in their lives.

GOD’S RECORD OF WHAT TOOK PLACE

Mattthew 26 Gethsemane

30  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives.

31 ¶ Then Jesus said to them, Tonight you will all be scattered because of me: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

32  But after I have risen again, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.

33  Peter answered saying to him, Even if all men are scattered because of you, I never will be.

34  Jesus said to him, I tell you truly, That this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

35  Peter said to him, Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you. And all the other disciples said the same.

36 ¶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, Sit here, while I go and pray over there.

37  And he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

38  Then he said to them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death: remain here, and keep watch with me.

39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.

40  Then he returned to the disciples, and found them asleep, and said to Peter, What, could you not watch with me for one hour?

41  Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42  He went away again a second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done.

43  And he returned and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

44  And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

45  Then he returned to his disciples, and said to them, Go on sleeping, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

46  Rise, let us go: behold, my betrayer has arrived.

 

John 18 Betrayal

2  And Judas, who betrayed him, also knew of the place: for Jesus often met there with his disciples.

3  Then Judas, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

4  Jesus therefore, knowing everything that would happen to him, went out, and asked them, Who are you looking for?

5  They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. I am he, Jesus said. And Judas, who betrayed him, also stood with them.

6  As soon as he said, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

7  Then he asked them again, Who are you looking for? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

8  Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: therefore if you are looking for me, let these others go their way:

9  This was to fulfill the words that he said, Of those whom you gave me I have lost none.

10  Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

11  Then Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into the sheath: shall I not drink the cup that my Father has given me?

12  Then the soldiers their leader and the Jewish officers arrested Jesus, and bound him,

 

Mark 14 Trial

53 ¶ And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes were assembled with him.

54  And Peter followed him from a distance, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself by the fire.

55  And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for witnesses against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

56  For many bore false witness against him, but their statements did not agree.

57  And certain false witnesses stood up to testify against him, saying,

58  We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

59  But their statements did not agree either.

60  And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, Are you not going to answer? or reply to what they are saying against you?

61  But Jesus remained silent, and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

62  And Jesus said, I am: and you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

63  Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, Why do we need any more witnesses?

64  You have heard the blasphemy: what do you think? And they all condemned him as worthy of death.

65  Then some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to hit him, and to say, Prophesy: and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands.

66 ¶ And while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high priest came:

67  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him, and said, You were also with Jesus of Nazareth.

68  But he denied it, saying, I do not know, or understand what you are talking about. And he went out onto the porch; and the rooster crowed.

69  And when the servant girl saw him there, she began to say to those standing there, This is one of them.

70  And he denied it again. And a little later, those standing there again said to Peter, Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilean, and your accent reveals it.

71  But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I do not know this man that you are speaking of.

72  And the rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. And as he thought about it, he began to weep.

 

Luke 23 Pilate

1 ¶ Then the whole assembly arose, and led him to Pilate.

2  There they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

3  So Pilate asked Jesus, Are you the King of the Jews? And he replied, It is as you say.

4  Then Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

5  But they were adamant, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.

6  Upon hearing this, Pilate asked if he was a Galilean.

7  And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

8  And when Herod saw Jesus, he was delighted: for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him; and hoped to see him perform a miracle.

9  Then he questioned him at length; but Jesus made no reply.

10  But the chief priests and scribes stood there and vehemently accused him.

11  Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him back to Pilate.

12  And the same day Pilate and Herod became friends: for previously there had been hostility between them.

13 ¶ And when Pilate had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

14  He said, You have brought this man to me, as one who incites the people to rebel: and, I have examined him before you, and have found no fault in this man in regard to the things of which you accuse him:

15  Neither has Herod: for he sent you back to me; and, he has done nothing deserving of death.

16  I will therefore punish him, and release him.

17  (For he was obliged to release one prisoner at the feast.)

18  And they shouted out with one voice, Away with this man, release Barabbas:

19  (Who had been thrown into prison for stirring up insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate again appealed to them.

21  But they shouted, Crucify him, crucify him.

22  And he said to them the third time, Why, what evil has he done? I have not found any reason to put him to death: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

23  But they were loud and insistent, demanding that he be crucified. And their shouts and those of the chief priests prevailed.

24  So Pilate passed sentence that it should be as they required.

25  And he released to them the man who had been thrown into prison for sedition and murder, as they requested; but he surrendered Jesus to their will.

 

John 19 Crucifixion

17  And he went out, bearing his own cross, to a place called the place of a skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha:

18  Where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle.

19 ¶ And Pilate prepared a notice, and had it fastened to the cross. And it read, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20  This notice was read by many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

21  Then the chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, saying, Do not write, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

22  Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

23  Then, after the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothing, dividing it into four parts, one part to every soldier; and also took his tunic: but the tunic was seamless, woven from the top to bottom.

24  Therefore they said among themselves, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it will be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said, They divided my clothing among themselves, and cast lots for my garment. So the soldiers did these things.

25  Now near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

26  Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son!

27  Then he said to that disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that disciple took her into his own home.

28  After this Jesus, knowing that all was now complete, said, I thirst, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.

29  Now a jar full of vinegar was sitting there: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on hyssop stalk, and put it to his mouth.

30  When he had received the vinegar, Jesus said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

31 ¶ Now since it was the day of preparation, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was a high day,) the Jews requested Pilate to have their legs broken, and the bodies taken away.

32  The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the second man who had been crucified with Jesus.

33  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they did not brake his legs:

34  But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

35  And he who saw it bears witness to it, and his witness is true: and he knows that what he says is true, so that you might believe.

36  For these things were done, in fulfillment of the scripture, Not a bone of him will be broken.

37  And as another scripture says, They will look on him whom they pierced.

 

Matt 27 Burial

57 ¶ When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea came, named Joseph, who was also Jesus’ disciple:

58  He went to Pilate, and requested the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that the body be given to him.

59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock: and he rolled a great stone in front of the door of the tomb, and left.

 

 

THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST’S DEATH

 

Romans Chapter 5

6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7  For one will hardly die for a righteous man: although it is possible that some would even dare to die for a good man.

8  But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10  For if, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, when we were enemies, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

11  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

 

Colossians Chapter 2

13 And he has made you, who were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, alive together with him, having forgiven all of your sins;

14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

1Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit:

 

Hebrews 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto those who look for him he will appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 10:10, 14  And by that will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  For by one offering he has perfected for ever those who are sanctified.

 

John 1:7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

1Corinthians 11:24  Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you.

Matthew 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

The historical record of Christ’s death on the cross is just as much a doctrine of Scripture as anything else that the Bible says (2Timothy 3:16). Those who deny the truth of the Biblical account do not change that fact, nor do they change what the Bible says, they simply reject it.

 

“The pure doctrine is simply nothing else, absolutely nothing else, than the pure Word of God.” (Law and Gospel, page 349) “Neither ought any doctrine be taught or heard in the church but the pure Word of God, that is to say, the Holy Scriptures; otherwise accursed be both the teachers and hearers together with their doctrine.” (Martin Luther)

 

Gary Ray Branscome