Introduction
This book is a chronological commentary listing all of the events in the four gospels, which define what the Gospel of the Grace of God is. This book is not about the Gospel of the Kingdom which was preached by Jesus and the 12 Apostles while the nation was still under the Law. (For more on the Gospel of the Kingdom see the study above entitled: The Baptist)
The Apostle Paul sums up just what the Gospel of the Grace of God is the best in his first Epistle to the Corinthians,where he says:
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
The purpose of this book is to lay out a Scriptural defense of the Gospel, to quiet the false prophets who proclaim "Another Gospel", and to expose the error of those who claim to preach the "Full Gospel".
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Chapter One
The Crucifixion of Christ
While much could and should be said about the three years leading up to the cross, this book will stick solely to the events surrounding Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.
To remain silent while the Gospel is being watered down and attacked from every side is to be aligned with the enemies of God.
Luke 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Let us begin our defense of the Gospel with the moments immediately following Jesus trial and beating.
After Jesus' questioning by Pilate he was found not guilty but was sentenced to die by crucifixion anyway to appease the Sadducees and the Pharisees who had accused him of blasphemy.
Jesus was then beaten, mocked and whipped with a cat of nine tails thirty-nine times. His injuries were more severe than the two thieves were and only had enough physical strength to carry his cross part of the way to Calvary. Isaiah describes how Jesus looked that day:
Isaiah 53:14 As many were at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
The Bible is not clear about how far Jesus had to carry his cross, only that he didn't have to carry it all the way himself. Simon the Cyrenian was called upon to leave his two sons and carry the cross that should have been yours and mine:
(Mr 15:20) And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. (Mt 27:32) And as they came out, (Jn 19:17) he bearing his cross went forth (Mr 15:21) And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross (Lk 23:26) after Jesus.
The soldiers who ordered Simon to carry Jesus' cross either didn't see that he had his two sons with him or they just didn't care. Little did they know what God had in store for those two boys. Simon isn't mentioned again in Scripture but his two sons are along with their mother:
Acts 19:33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense to the people. 34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Romans 16:13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
From this salutation by Paul to the Romans it is clear that Rufus' mother was also saved and possibly Simon as well. It was likely that Simon was there that crucifixion day to participate in the passover celebrations and offer up a lamb for his own sins and for those of his own house as was commanded in the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
Little did he know that he was carrying the cross for the real Passover sacrifice, (Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world).
I believe Simon was also there at Pilate's Palace because he had heard of all the wonderful works that Jesus had done, and wanted to see what would become of the one many were calling the Messiah (Saviour or Christ).
Maybe Simon was present when Jesus healed a blind man or saw him cast a demon out of someone or when he fed the five thousand with a few fishes and pieces of bread. In any case, we do know that this experience greatly affected the life of this family.
I do not believe that their being there was just a coincidence. I truly believe that God, even in this most excruciating time, was still taking the time to reach out to this family and many others that followed him on that day:
(Lk 23:27) And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed lamented him. 28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, Behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, [Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.] 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
Jesus' prophecy to the Daughters of Jerusalem will find its fulfillment during the seven-year tribulation period that is coming upon the whole earth. This prophecy is played out for us fully in the Book of the Revelation:
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was an earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Once again, we see Jesus not thinking of his own suffering, but rather, he was thinking of you and me. He was also exhorting the Daughters of Jerusalem not to weep for him, but for themselves, and for their children's children who will one day go through the Great Tribulation (The Time of Jacob's Trouble Jeremiah 30:7).
As Jesus and the two thieves made their way down the Via Della Rosa (The Way of the Cross), they left the city walls behind them and made their way to the peak of the mountain (777 Meters above sea level) on which the city of Jerusalem was built. Directly beneath the place where their crosses were placed in the ground was a bizarre rock formation, that looked like a human skull.
32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. (Mt 27:33) And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, (Lk 23:33) which is called Calvary, that is to say, a place of a skull.
There has been a battle raging over the location of Golgotha or Calvary, between the Catholics, Protestants and Baptists for centuries.
The Catholics hold that Calvary is a place inside the city limits of Old Jerusalem were the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built. While Baptists and many Protestants hold to the site just outside the old city walls as the true site of Jesus' crucifixion.
Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
The Catholic Church holds to their position based on a superstitious legend that the place of a skull means the place were Adam's skull was supposedly found.
And for a fee you can see it if you like, along with literally thousands of other phony relics and Idols and hear some of the craziest stories ever told while touring this facade.
Baptists and most Protestants hold to the other site because it is the only site, which fits the Biblical requirements to be called Calvary. This site is free just like Eternal Life and it is available to all that will ask by faith.
We will discuss this subject more in the following chapters, but for now, let’s turn our thoughts back to Calvary and Jesus' crucifixion:
Mt 23:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall (Mr 15:23) wine mingled with myrrh): and when -he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. (Lk 23:33) And when they were come to the place, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Crucifixion was a relatively new way of torturing a criminal for a prolonged period of time and it served two purposes. The first was to inflict as much pain on the criminal as they could for as long a period of time as possible (People were known to survive being crucified for up to three days).
That's why Pilate marveled whether Jesus was dead yet when Joseph asked for his body later that day. The second and probably most compelling reason that Rome used this method of execution was, that it was a very effective deterrent to would-be criminals and rebels.
Another of the amazing things about Jesus' crucifixion is that it was foretold hundreds of years before crucifixion was ever thought of, which goes to show us that the Bible is always up to date. Notice the prophetic words of King David, which are really the thoughts and words of Jesus while he was on the cross:
Psalm 22:1-20 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytimes, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones; they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
What a horrific thing Jesus had to experience for us so that we might inherit eternal life. Our finite minds cannot even begin to comprehend the Saviour's infinite love that he has for us. After the soldiers unwittingly crucified the Lord of Glory, they then knelt down to divide the spoils. What was it that they took? His riches? No!
They took the only thing he possessed at that moment, his dignity! The God of all that ever was and ever will be was stripped of his clothing, and he hung there naked for you and for me. He could have struck them dead at any second, but he didn't because he loved even the ones who were crucifying him and pleaded with his heavenly Father for their souls.
Jn 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts; to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
While Christianity is based on faith, it is not a blind faith. God has given the world a perfect description of the Saviour so when he arrived on the scene we could recognize him without a doubt because we see him described throughout the Old Testament. For example:
Isaiah 53:4 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Mr 15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. (Mr 15:28) And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, [And he was numbered with the transgressors].
Then after the crucifixion Pilate sought to gain a little political clout at the expense of Jesus by mocking him with a sign that was sure to tell Rome how Pilate dealt with those who set themselves up as a King:
Jn 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZERETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, 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.
I don't know for sure but I am almost certain that Satan was smiling at this point, thinking he had won. I'll bet he wished he could have been there physically to belittle Jesus as he hung on the cross along with the others.
Little did he know that Jesus came for this purpose and that by going to Calvary it was Satan who was defeated on that day:
Mt 27:36 And sitting down they watched him there; (Mr 15:29) And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30 Save thyself, (Mt 27:40e) If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel (Lk 23:35f if he be Christ, the chosen of God), let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Lk 23:36) And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.