THE GREAT SUBSTITUTION
Luke 23:33-43
THE TIME, THE PLACE, AND THE METHOD OF
OUR
SALVATION
In studying the events of Jesus's crucifixion, there are several questions
I needed answers for clarification.
V33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals — one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
THE PLACE OF THE CRUCIFIXION
Why was the place called the Skull?
1) That it was a spot where skulls were to be found lying about and probably, therefore, a public place of execution. This tradition apparently originates with Jerome (346-420 A.D.), who refers to (3), to condemn it, and says that "outside the city and without the gate there are places wherein the heads of condemned criminals are cut off and which have obtained the name of Calvary-that is, of the beheaded."
THE METHOD
How did the Roman soldier bind Jesus to the cross?
What do we know about the history of crucifixion?
In the following article, "New Analysis of the Crucified Man," Hershel Shanks looks at evidence of Roman crucifixion methods as analyzed from the remains found in Jerusalem of a young man crucified in the first century A.D. The remains included a heel bone pierced by a large nail, giving archaeologists, osteologists, and anthropologists evidence of crucifixion in antiquity.
What do these bones tell us about the history of crucifixion? The excavator of the crucified man, Vassilios Tzaferis, followed the analysis of Nico Haas of Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem suggesting Roman crucifixion methods: a contorted position: arms nailed to the crossbeam; legs bent, twisted to one side, and held in place by a single nail that passed through a wooden plaque, through both left and right heel bones, and then into the upright of the cross.
HIS DEATH
Whether the victim’s arms were tied, rather than nailed to the cross is irrelevant to the manner of his dying. As Zias and Sekeles point out:
“Death by crucifixion was the result of the manner in which the condemned man hung from the cross and not the traumatic injury caused by nailing. Hanging from the cross resulted in a painful process of asphyxiation, in which the two sets of muscles used for breathing, the intercostal [chest] muscles and the diaphragm, became progressively weakened. In time, the condemned man expired, due to the inability to continue breathing properly.”
The Biblical Archaeology Society
GOD’S DIVINE PLAN IN ACTION
Why were two criminals crucified with Jesus?
This was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 53:12
Isaiah 53:12
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus, on the cross, was making intercessions for you and me.
The first intercession was the prayer of forgiveness, He made it
possible for our salvation. Our sins were covered by His blood.
The second intercession was His death was a substitute for us,
His death satisfied God’s demand for justice for the sins of man for
all times.
The third intercession was giving all believers a measure of faith to
accept Him as Lord and Savior,
What clothes did Jesus have on for the soldiers to divide up?
John 19:23-25
V: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 shall 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.
When soldiers went to war they took spoils, Jesus' clothes were the soldier's portion,
The thing Jesus had that was worth the most to the world was the seamless coat. It was labor intensive and took skill to make a one-piece coat by hand. It showed that there is value in anything that touches Jesus. It was the touch of the hem of His garment that healed a
woman by faith.
What is the significance of the conversation of Jesus with the criminals?
INSULTS TURNED TO BLESSINGS
V:35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
Sometimes when we look at someone's condition we see what we want to see
and judge by what we have heard not knowing right from wrong. Notice the
rulers who wrongly accused Jesus made the most noise in their accusations
stirring up the crowd for their benefit. They proclaimed the good Jesus did (Saved others), but turned it against Him in the same breath (can He save Himself).
There will always be people who will be envious and jealous of you and will
do what they can to destroy you. The Lord may allow it for your benefit and
the benefit of others that He may get the glory.
Jesus' humble humanity was exposed for all to see. His family and His enemies
saw the Savior hanging naked for the shame of us. They knew his sentience
and cruelty was at the hand of man, but didn’t understand the mercy at the hand
of the Father was displayed for all to see.
PUBLIC NOTICE THAT JESUS IS KING
Verse 38-43
V:38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Any conversation with Jesus or about Jesus will be profitable even if was not
meant to be. While some were insulting Jesus, others were learning from Jesus.
The sign above Jesus was plain for all to see in three languages. The leaders
confirm who Jesus was with their sneer. As a result, the conversation continued with the two criminals hanging on the cross beside Jesus. The one on His right proclaimed
Jesus' innocence while the other on the left influenced by the crowd denied His
kingship. The one on the right received his salvation while the one on the left died
in unbelief.
While we still have breath, our job is to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. You
never know who is listening and who will be drawn to Christ by your
testimony,
Those influenced by Christ and the events of the Pass Over Festival and His
crucifixion were His disciples, criminals on the cross, Roman
soldiers and devout men from every nation under the sun
Jesus' crucifixion was planned by God and executed by Him fulfilling all of the
prophesies concerning Him.
John 10:17-18
Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down and the authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
Hebrews 1:3-4
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
THANK GOD FOR JESUS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR
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