The Death of Jesus, What’s the Point?

Some consider Jesus’ death a tragic misunderstanding.  Some consider it a sign that he was NOT who he said he was.  Some consider his mission to be useless, but Jesus died for a reason.  There WAS a purpose, and we look at understanding that Jesus’ death, especially his death upon a cross, was central to his mission.

We look at Luke 23:32-49.  The previous chapter, Luke 22, concludes with Jesus before the Jewish Sanhedrin (very roughly equivalent to our congress composed of two and sometimes more competing parties).  As a group, this“congress” declared that Jesus deserved to die because He claimed to be God. The only problem was that, as an occupied country, they no longer had the authority to order Jesus’ death…they would need to turn to the federal authority, Rome, to seek a death sentence.  So the setting is similar to what we would recognize as a STATE wanted to put Jesus to death, but to utilize the death penalty the accused had to be guilty of a federal crime. Initially, the Roman federal authority would not consent to do so and the state politicians still wanted their way.

Luke 23 opens with Jesus before Pilate. After questioning Jesus, Pilate found no fault in Him. Umm, he has violated no Roman law so I CAN’T sentence him to death. Upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate “appealed” Jesus’ case to the ruler of the province in which Jesus lived.  He sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee, and who was also in Jerusalem at the time. Herod refused to “take up the case” and returned Jesus to Pilate.  Pilate again questioned Jesus and he declared that he was innocent of any Roman crime, and since Herd refused to take up the case, any regional crime as well.  Look, he may have violated you ancient prohibition against picking a few kernels of grain on a Sunday, but THAT is not against; Roman LAW!  And the Galilean King sees no problem with it either.

So while the state religious political authority declared guilty and sought the death penalty, both the civil authorities of the Roman province AND the Jewish ruler of the kingdom of Galilee BOTH declared innocence or refused to take up Jesus’ case.  The “federal authorities” determined that Jesus was not guilty of law violation.  But the Jewish religio-political parties WANTED JESUS TO DIE AND GO AWAY so that they could hold their own power without challenge.  Even then the “deep state” were desperate to hold onto their jobs even if it meant murder.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Even though the “deep state” wanted him killed, Jesus remained faithful to God and exhibited God’s desires as we shall see, and so do many others.

Luke 23:32-34

32 Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with him. 33 When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.

Pilate had offered to release Jesus in a “can’t we all just get along” attempt.  In effect Rome offered look, we have one of your murderous revolutionary leaders in prison.  It is tradition to release one prisoner at this time. YOU get to choose which should be put to death…the peace-loving teacher or the murderous revolutionary?  But “popular” politics demanded that the revolutionary be released to continue the fight of a “worldly messiah”, while the peace-loving teacher was killed. Humanity wants a physical military/political leader to conquer others.  Jesus came to show us how to conquer ourselves. 

The Romans liked crucifixion as its means of execution.  In its years of rule, Rome crucified many thousands of people. Over six thousand rebel slaves were crucified in 71 BC after Spartacus’s failed rebellion against Rome.  Crucifixion was the typical punishment for those who rebelled against the Roman government.  So the Jewish political party wanted Jesus dead.  The Romans didn’t care. The Galileans didn’t care.  The religious parties politically pushed Pilate who finally capitulated and said “fine, crucify him” but he rebelled against YOUR government, not mine!”  Their response was OK, so it is on us and our children.  Just get rid of him!

Crucifixions took place outside of cities. It likely occurred about 9 AM on the Friday before Passover.  Jesus’s body was on the cross from about 9 AM until sometime after He died, about 3 PM The bodies of Jesus and the two criminals would be buried before sundown (6 PM) when the Sabbath and Passover began. 

As the crucifixion began, Jesus began by addressing God as Father. He asked His Father to forgive them. Although the New Testament does not clarify who them was. It could have referred to the Roman soldiers, the Jewish populace, or even the religious and government leaders who pronounced judgment against Jesus. All needed forgiveness. Jesus’ rationale for His request appears to be compassion for those who were acting in ignorance. He was dying for them as well. 

The soldiers divided his clothes and cast lots. This was typical practice of the soldiers at a crucifixion. After all, the dead person wouldn’t need them any more, and since they were criminals they forfeited their right to have them be willed to anyone else.  The state took their possessions and the state said the soldiers could have them.  This clothing would have included Jesus’s outer garment (what we would call a coat, a mantle or robe) as well as an inner garment (a long shirt, seamless tunic, or other “toga-like” garment).

In verses 39-42 Luke tells us the two who were on the crosses along with Jesus, unlike Jesus, were criminals, apparently having been found guilty in the normal civil legal proceedings. The Roman government executed violent criminals and murderers, not those who had merely stolen something. An irony since there is NO RECORD of Jesus having done ANYTHING violent, anywhere. But even has he faced a UNJUST death, Jesus forgave others for their ignorant actions.  

Next Luke provides even more details about the extent of Jesus’ forgiveness.

Luke 23:35-43

35 The people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing: “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”38 An inscription was above him: This Is the King of the Jews. 39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, sinceyou are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

From about 9 AM until 3 PM on the Friday before Passover began at 6 PM Friday night, on one of the MAIN roads leading into the city there were some soldiers, some of the women who followed him, including Jesus’s’ mother, the apostle John, some religious leaders, and others (literally “all who knew him,” v. 49 says) who stood and watched Jesus and the two criminals as they were crucified outside of Jerusalem at the place called “The Skull.”

Even the leaders were scoffing v. 35 tells us. While Luke did not further identify which leaders were present, it is likely they had been part of the crowd who demanded Jesus be crucified. Matthew and Mark identified these leaders as the politico-religious leaders that had passed judgment on Jesus – the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Gloating and mocking  apparently these Jewish religious leaders were knowledgeable about what Jesus had done in his ministery.  They mocked him by saying  He saved others; let him save himself. In the New Testament, the word saved also referred to being made whole, being healed, and the Gospels record many instances of Jesus healing people. In effect they were saying If you are THAT good, show us and just magically be saved.

Luke also mentioned the mocking by the soldiers.  They offered Jesus sour wine or vinegar.  One theory is that this anesthetic would prolong the agony of the one suffering.  Just enough anesthetic to make the pain last longer. The soldiers repeated similar words that the people and the Jewish religious leaders had used previously to mock Jesus. Yeah, if you are such a great magician, show us some magic!

An inscription was above him, Luke tells us. John informs us that it was posted at Pilate’s order and written in Aramaic(Jews’ everyday language), Greek (the primary commercial language), and Latin (official government language of the Roman Empire). This would have made it about as official as COULD be made.  Pilate was declaring, “I did NOT want to kill this man, BUT the politico-religious Jewish parties DEMANDED that I kill the King of the Jews.

One of the criminals hanging there likewise took up the taunting and began to yell insults at Jesus.  Luke included more of the expanded story, and noted that one of the criminals asked ”aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. One criminal’s words were concerned only with his immediate fate, seeking simply to be removed from his cross. The other criminal indicated he was open to Jesus’ message. He noted don’t you even fear God since you are undergoing the same punishment? These words imply this criminal had a change of heart based on fearing God.  

Remembering that these are violent or revolutionary criminals, one noted that we are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did. This criminal’s evaluation of his situation revealed his assessment of the punishment he received. He acknowledged he deserved his fate.  But this man has done nothing wrong.  Apparently these criminals were aware of Pilate’s declaration, and the inscription making it official.  They believed that Jesus was innocent, they perhaps knew that he was a popular great teacher, and probably were aware that this was just “political murder.”  This criminal simply stated Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  In effect indicating look, I know you are innocent; look I know you have done great things.  Just remember me when you become boss.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus’s response to this criminal reveals several things. (1) Jesus had ultimate authority—even authority to give a person access to heaven. (2) Jesus demonstrated His concern for repentant people. (3) Jesus knew He would be in heaven after His death. (4) Jesus saves those who trust Him. The word paradise originally came from Persia and referred to an exquisite garden or park (which is also the meaning of the word Eden). Jesus used this word in referring to the final home of the righteous, heaven.

Luke 23:44-49

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, 45 because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. 46 And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” Saying this, he breathed his last.47 When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God, saying, “This man really was righteous!” 48 All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. 49 But all who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Now for little known facts.  The Jewish time references were in watches or quarters of day or night time.  The day BEGAN at 6 PM at night.  There were four watches of the night from 6 to 9 PM, from 9 PM  to 12 AM, from 12 to 3 AM, and from 3 to 6 AM.  The same would then be repeated for the day watch.  

Verse 44 tells us “It was now about noon” and reports that “Darkness came over the whole land until three.”  It has peen popular to presume that this darkness was caused by some sort of solar eclipse, but this was not a possibility.  Remembering that Passover occurs at the first FULL MOON of the Spring, it is NOT possible for the Moon to eclipse the Sun when it is on the wrong side of the earth.  A full moon has its face towards the Earth AND the Sun and thus can not eclipse the Sun. It could not have been a solar eclipse.

It would have to have been “something else” obscuring the Sun and here any speculation goes…from a severe weather front blowing in and darkening the sky, to UFO Mother ships flying in front of the Sun and anything else that one might speculate.  But the real question is what would be something so “monumental” that even God’s light shunned the region?  Perhaps, maybe, the unjust murder of God’s messenger, God‘s son?! However it occurred, God caused this darkness to occur. Neither Luke nor the other Gospel writers explain exactly how God did this. 

We like to portray the Passover as the “Angel of Death” passing over, and some liken this darkness to the Angel of Death. But Exodus says that it was God who passed through the land killing the firstborn, and that he did this at Midnight. At the crucifixion it was dark as “midnight” as God moved through the land and his Messiah was put to death by humanity.  Symbolically, the removal of God’s light from the scene of the murder of God’s Messiah is very profound.  Luke merely lists the reason for the three hours of darkness as being because the sun’s light failed, but didn’t give the specific cause. No matter how you look at it, God caused it to occur.

The second historical fact Luke mentioned in verse 45 was about the curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place (holy of holies) in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In the temple of Jesus’s day, it was made from seventy-two panels of linen embroidered with twisted threads of purple, blue, and scarlet. The curtain was approximately sixty feet tall, thirty feet wide, four inches thick, and weighed so much that it took three hundred priests to manage it. Matthew (27:51) and Mark (15:38) indicated the veil was torn from top to bottom. This detail about the split in the curtain from top to bottom revealed God’s action in tearing it. This tearing also revealed that access to God was changed. Prior to this, onlythe high priest could enter the most holy place, and only once a year. With this splitting, access to God was made available through Jesus’ death.  Another little noticed symbolism is the tearing of one’s clothes in mourning.  Could the tearing of the veil that clothed God from humanity actually be an indication of God’s mourning for the unjust murder of his Messiah? God tearing his clothes in mourning if you will?  I think so.

Following Jesus’s final words, He “breathed his last”.  For humanity this indicates death.  Those who are not breathing are not living.  Jesus’ death occurred sometime after 3 PM which allowed up to a maximum of 3 hours, probably closer to 2 or even to only 1 hour for Jesus’s body to be buried before the Sabbath and the Passover that began at 6 PM.

Luke gives us another eyewitness declaration of Jesus’ innocence and role as God’s Messiah. The centurion was the Roman commander of up to 100 soldiers.  He would have been the commander of the soldiers who executed Jesus. The Centurion had observed what happened,  “such things as the darkness, Jesus’ behavior against his enemies, his words to the criminal, his prayer to the Father, and his giving up of his life.” Likely, all these actions the centurion observed caused him to begin to glorify God as he noted  “This man really was righteous!”  Not only did the centurion declare Jesus to be innocent, so did Pilate (three times: vv. 4,14,22), Herod Antipas (v. 15), and one of the criminals (v. 41). Even the people lingering to watch may have even moved to grief as they were “striking their chests” as they walked home revealing sadness and an expression of grief over the unjust death they had witnessed.

The point of all of this is that Jesus’ death was no accident.  It was not “pointless”.  It was not senseless.  The coming of God’s Messiah to die for humanity in a way that Rome itself, the Pagan nations, the dying criminals, the executioners doing the execution, and ultimately many of the people themselves took note of and determined was by unjust means, paved the way for God’s Messiah not to act to conquer others, but to teach others to conquer themselves as they become participants and citizens of the Kingdom of God.

The death of Jesus had a VERY significant purpose: to steer humanity from its selfish ways back into a relationship with God as citizens of God’s kingdom.