The Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ – Part 2

 

In the first section of the post on this topic, I noted that I felt - in many instances -that insufficient attention has been paid to our Lord Jesus’ final three hours on the Cross: the “Three Hours of Darkness”. (Matthew 27:45-46, Mark 15: 33-35, Luke 23: 44-45)  My attention to this area was developed when I saw a video developed by one of my teachers, Pastor Joseph Prince, New Creation Church / Joseph Prince Ministries, Singapore - https://www.josephprince.org/ . The animated video depicted the Lord being under the attack of spiritual forces bearing disease, sickness, pain, suffering, etc. during those hours of darkness.

My interest in this time period is not only because of its relative uniqueness in Scripture, but also is an attempt to help me better understand why the events that took place at that time were hidden from us. Do you remember another time when two of the Lord’s followers were dejectedly returning home to Emmaus following the Crucifixion? They thought their belief in Him as their Messiah had been misplaced. Even as the Lord joined them on their journey, He hid His identity as He taught them to understand that the events they had witnessed were part of what had been foretold by the prophets in the Scripture (presumably including Isaiah Chapter 53, among others).  He wanted them to see Him and believe in Him through their “spiritual eyes”.  (Luke 24: 13-35)  In reading these accounts are we, even as they, being tested in our faith as to the full significance of what the Lord accomplished that day?  All eyes were hidden in the darkness.

Some people learned from the Bible that the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus were collateral damage to the punishment that the LORD God meted out to the serpent / Satan / Lucifer after he deliberately lied and drew God’s beloved creation man into the fateful, mortal sin of disobedience. (Genesis 2: 16-17) The key factor in that punishment for the serpent / Satan was the LORD God’s sentence: “And I will put enmity between thy seed and (the seed of the woman); it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3: 14-15). From that point on in the Scripture, the Enemy Satan has sought to keep God’s punishment from becoming reality while continuing to undermine God’s relationship with future generations of mankind. Did the “three hours of darkness” include part of the Enemy’s last steps to destroy the “seed of the woman”? Were the results so horrific that God would not let man witness them?  That line of thought seemingly places too much emphasis on the Enemy / Satan.

To fully understand the implications of the punishment, it is important to remember that both the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman are spiritual beings. The “bruise” or crushing of the head of the serpent would be a most serious wound, causing the serpent to lose any and all power over any person who chooses to believe / obey God. That person would no longer face spiritual death / eternal separation from the Creator. The “bruise” of the heel of the seed of the woman would result in the physical death of Jesus’ earthly body, but He would have ultimate victory in restoring eternal life with God for those who choose to believe / obey God.

The Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus fulfilled both of these aspects of the punishment mandated by the LORD God. Christians have been taught early on that the tremendous suffering and Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus resulted in our eternal salvation.  The evidence of the Lord’s “bruising” / physical mistreatment through the Roman scourging and other abuses were quite obvious to Pontius Pilate and all those who saw Him prior to His Crucifixion. (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19) His grotesque appearance was startling. (Isaiah 52:4) The death of our Lord Jesus’ physical body was witnessed by the many who were there. Even so, our Lord Jesus defeated Satan in his attempt to forge a permanent wedge between God and His beloved creation man.  Also, when the Incarnate Lord was Resurrected, He demonstrated that His powers over Satan and death were both physical and spiritual. Perhaps during the three hours of darkness, God did not want man to fully see the horrendous pain and suffering endured by His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, as inflicted by the Enemy. But…

Now I would like to postulate another possible explanation for shielding the eyes of mankind during those three hours of darkness.  Perhaps it was to spare us, God’s prized creation man, from witnessing what our disobedience / sin has inflicted on our Lord Jesus…even as He continues to bless us in so many ways. In His foreknowledge, God would use this series of events to accomplish what many have come to call the “Divine Exchange”.  Our Lord Jesus took on Himself all of our sins and the consequences of those sins for all mankind . In exchange, He gave to those who believe in Him His Righteousness and numerous blessings. (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Because Adam / man was guilty of sin / transgression against God’s Righteous Laws, and sin has been passed along to all future generations, all mankind also had to be punished. (Romans 3: 10-18, 23) Therefore, in His Righteousness and Justice, God had to give every person the opportunity to receive eternal life and the blessings. (John3: 15-20) Further, God had predetermined that there would be “no remission” of sin without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9: 22) In fact, God Himself was the first to shed innocent blood to atone for Adam’s sin, when He clothed them literally, and figuratively in His Righteousness. (Genesis 3:21) Two thousand years later, God made clear that His love for His beloved creation man would be fully manifest in that He would send His Beloved Son to pay that dear price for our sins.

For those who believe what our Lord Jesus has done to redeem us to eternal life, that blessing might seem significant enough for us to worship Him and honor His Crucifixion and Resurrection every year. Even so, many Christians still do not appreciate all the other blessings beyond eternal life that the Lord has secured for those who believe in what He has accomplished for us. The Bible teaches us that a Christian today is expected to believe the Gospel of Grace that provides the foundation for our redemption. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, Romans 10: 9-13) In my post on this blog in February this year, I listed many of the Lord Jesus’ blessings for us as we received His righteousness as part of the Divine Exchange. Because of their critical significance at this time of the observance of His Crucifixion and Resurrection, I am repeating them as I close this post:

Those who believe are impacted in all three areas of their being: Body, Soul and Spirit (3 John 1:2)

Through faith (Hebrews 11:1, 6), the believing person:

• becomes a Christian, having been baptized into Jesus Christ, into His death, burial and Resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5)
• who previously did not believe, and God had regarded as an enemy (Romans 8:7-9), that person has been reconciled to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5: 8-10, 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19)
• has all sins, past, present and future forgiven, their punishment having been paid through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 10: 43, Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19, Hebrews 9: 11-18, 22,28)
• has the support of the Holy Spirit to break any generational curses or iniquities. (Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18)
• becomes a new creation / creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) and is translated into His Heavenly Kingdom. (Colossians 1:13, Philippians 3:20-21)
• has become a member of the spiritual Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians Chapter 12)
• becomes the righteousness of God in Christ and becomes both a son of God and a joint-heir with Christ. (Romans 8: 14-17)
• has become sanctified / purified internally by renewing of the soul through faith. (Acts 26: 15-18)
• has become an Ambassador for Christ in this present time on the earth. (2 Corinthians 5: 20)
• is in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit, Who quickens / awakens the person’s internal spirit, providing knowledge, wisdom and guidance. (Romans 8: 1-27)
• has his/her name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, bringing eternal life. (John 3:16-17, Revelation 21: 27)
• can freely request the many blessings of God, including healing “by His stripes” (Isaiah 53:5), and safety and protection (Psalm 91), among other blessings.
• has comfort knowing that their prayers have been heard by God, regardless of whether or not God’s answer is what he / she hoped for. (Proverbs 15:29, Romans 8: 26-27, James 5:16)
• is comforted knowing that whatever trials or difficulties that person may face, the Lord will always be with them. (Deuteronomy 31:8. Hebrews 13:5)

Dr. W.A. Robinson