The Sufferings of The Savior- Part 3
This is our third and final post regarding the sufferings of Jesus when He died for us.
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Matthew 27:39-44 (KJV)
The people walking by Jesus as He hung on the cross reviled Him, which means to blaspheme, rail, to speak evil of. They wagged their heads, or shook their heads in His direction to mock Him. They were nodding their heads to sneer at the supposed ending of His “career.” They spoke evil of Him on the cross, abusing Him verbally, as they mocked Him. Those who reviled Jesus were:
Passersby
Chief priests
Scribes
Elders
Thieves who were crucified with Him (Luke 29:39-43 gives a bit more detail, telling us that one of the thieves believed on Jesus).
Jesus found no comfort from the people, just evil speaking and gloating over His suffering and approaching death. His body suffered physically as His joints became dislocated and He struggled to breathe. And, as His death approached, Jesus was forsaken by God.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:45-47 (KJV)
Christ cried out to the Father and asked Him why He had forsaken Him. This was the first time the Son was totally separated from the rest of the Godhead. Until this time, He had experienced ongoing communion and fellowship with the Father. God turned away from Him because Christ didn’t just take our sin- He BECAME sin. He was our sin offering, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World (John 1:29). Christ was forsaken during this time so man could be reconciled to God and accepted by Him.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Matthew 27:50 (KJV)
Jesus cried out again and released His spirit to the Father. When Jesus died, His Spirit and soul descended into hell, and for three days He took our place in hell.
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption…. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. Acts 2:27, 31 (KJV)
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:8-10 (KJV)
At the end of His time in hell, Jesus took the keys of hell and death from satan (Revelation 1:18). Keys signify power and authority, meaning death and the devil no longer had authority us. Jesus was resurrected from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and has all power and authority.
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay….And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:5-6, 18 (KJV)
Jesus then ascended into heaven and is exalted over all (Philippians 2:6-11). He went back to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, worthy to receive all honor.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephsians 1:17-23 (KJV)
As we reflect upon all that Jesus voluntarily suffered and endured in our place, let’s give praise to our Lord and Savior for His unrelenting love towards us.
