By the end of the topic, learners should be able to:
Re-tell the events of Jesus on the way to the cross.
Narrate what happened from the sixth hour to the ninth hour on the cross.
Describe the burial of Jesus.
1.1 Mark15vs20, 21, Luke23 vs. 26-32, Matthew27vs31, 32
On their way to Golgotha they seized Simon of Cyrene who was in the country and laid on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
A great crowd followed him and the women were lamenting and he turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me but weep for yourselves and your children, for behold days are coming when they will say, Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never gave suck".
"Then they will begin to say to the mountains, fall on us and to the hills cover us and will not, for if they do this when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?"
1.2 Comments:
Simon of Cyrene the father of Alexander and Rufus (probably had come for the Passover feast in Jerusalem all the way from Africa).
Golgotha (Aramaic), Calvary(Latin) which meant the place of skull.
Sympathetic women and others joined the procession.
Jesus comforted them as those without children and poor were considered to be under a curse but in the kingdom they will be the happiest of them all.
If Jesus an innocent man can suffer such, how about the ordinary people who are guilty and full of sins.
It was a Roman custom for one condemned to carry his own cross to the place of execution.
Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross possibly because Jesus was tired of the beatings he suffered.
Two other criminals were led away to be put to death with Jesus.
One, on the right and the other on the left.
Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Lots were casted out to divide his garments.
People stood by watching, rulers scoffed at him saying, "He saved others let him save himself if he is the Christ, son of God, his Chosen One."
The soldiers came and mocked him offering him vinegar saying, "If you are the king of the Jews save yourself."
There was an inscription over him which says, "This is the king of the Jews."
One of the criminals said to Jesus, "Are you not the Christ save yourself and us."
But the other one said, "Do you not fear God since we are under the same sentence of condemnation and we indeed justly for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong, and said to Jesus, Remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus said, "Truly I say to you today you will be with me in paradise".
The gospel according to Matthew records that Jesus was offered wine mingled with gall, but he did not drink it.
InMarkJesus was offered wine mingled with myrrh but did not take it.
this took place at the third hour.
The passerby's swayed their heads saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days save yourself and come down from the cross that we may see and believe."
1.4 Comments:
The robber was promised to be with Jesus in paradise because he had shown the acts of charity and then was accepted and rewarded.
Paradise was the place where souls of the righteous were thought to be waiting for the judgment in the second coming of Jesus.
Clothes and sandals of the accused man became the property of the execution squad of the soldiers and were to be shared by casting out of lots.
Jesus prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Just the same as in Genesis 50 vs21 Joseph who was sold by his brothers but he prayed and forgave them their evil deeds.
Jesus was crucified at 9:00am. (Zimbabwean time)
The robbers were thought to be Jewish terrorists of the Zealot party who were to die with Jesus.
Jesus was considered, "King of the Jews "and this reveals Jesus as a suffering messiah.
Women had followed Jesus from Galilee and their presence was important as they showed love and ministered to him and were generally at less risk of being persecuted by Jews.
2. The death of Jesus
2.1 Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49
It was about the sixth hour, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
The sun's light failed, the curtain of the temple was torn into two from top to bottom.
He then cried with a loud voice, "Father into thy hands I commit my spirit "then he breathed his last.
When the centurion saw this he praised God and said, "Truly this man was innocent."
Women of Galilee were at a distant witnessing his death.
Jesus cried with a loud voice,"Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani " meaning "My God my God why haste thou forsaken me".
The bystanders said he is calling Elijah.
One ran with vinegar in a reed and gave it to him to drink and said "Wait; let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
After his death the soldier witnessed this and said, "Truly this man was the son of God and the women were looking from afar Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and Joseph and Salome from Galilee and other women ministered to him".
Matthew adds that there was an earthquake, the rock split, the tombs opened and many bodies of the saints were raised and appeared to many in the city.
2.2 Comment:
Jesus died on Friday when the Passover was about to start at 1500hrs that is Zimbabwean time.
Darkness over the whole land was a sign that the powers of evil were at work.
Tearing of the Temple curtain witnessed that people could approach God directly a Jew or a Gentile not through the high priest.
The curtain was torn from top to bottom which covered the Holy of Holies which again signified that God had abandoned it at the time of Jesus' death in order to build a spiritual temple for the believers.
"My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus felt abandoned or forsaken by God because he was taking the sin of the world on himself which separated men and God.
3. The burial of Jesus
3.1 Matthew 27: 57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56
When it was evening there came a rich-man called Joseph of Arimathea who was also a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus for burial.
He took the body and wrapped it in linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn in the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb then departed.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the sepulcher.
Since it was the day of preparation for the day of the Sabbath. A respected member of the council looking for the Kingdom of God took courage,
Pilate wondered if he was already dead he asked the centurion then proved it and bought a linen cloth.
The women witnessed where he was laid to rest.
Joseph was a good and righteous man.
The women returned and prepared spices and ointments as the Sabbath was beginning and on the Sabbath day rested according to the commandment.
3.2 Comments:
The Roman law gave the crucified no right of burial, his body could be left to rot or eaten by vultures as a warning to others.
Joseph as a sympathetic and courageous man did not want to defile the Sabbath and the land then asked permission from the governor then buried him as Sabbath was approaching.
3.3 Guarding the Tomb: Matthew 27 v 62-66)
Next day, that is after the day of Preparation the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, after 3 days I will rise again,''
Therefore order the sepulcher to be made secure until the 3rd day lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people that he has risen from the dead and the last fraud will be worse than the first.
Pilate said, "You have a guard of soldiers go make it as secure as you can''.
They went and made the sepulcher by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
3.4 Comments:
Matthew included this story in his book to disapprove suggestions that the resurrection of Jesus was faked.
They tried to seal and guard the tomb as they were afraid that the disciples would steal the body of Jesus in order to fake the resurrection which he had prophesized.
3.5 Resurrection: Mark 16 vs. 1-8, Matthew 28 vs. 1-15, Luke 24vs 1-11
After the Sabbath towards the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the supulchre.
Behold there was a great earthquake the angel of the lord appeared from heaven, came and rolled back the stone.
His appearance was like lightning and his raiment was white as snow.
The guards trembled and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here for he has risen, come and see the place he was laid. Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead behold he is going before you to Galilee…"
They departed quickly with fear and great joy to the disciples.
Behold some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests and all that had taken place.
After a meeting the chief priests gave a sum of money to the soldiers saying tell the people, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.
If this comes to the governor's ears we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble then took the money.
3.6 From the gospel of Mark:
The women went with spices they bought in the morning when the sun had risen saying to one another who will roll away the stone for us.
They found it rolled away when they entered they saw a young-man in white robes sitting on the right side and were amazed.
He said, "Do not be amazed you seek Jesus…and tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee…"
Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene from whom he had cast out seven demons.
When he revealed himself to the other disciples they mourned and wept and could not believe.
Jesus then appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table as a proof that he had risen and said, "Go into the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation he who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not be condemned.
And the signs will accompany those who believe in my name they will cast out demons, speak in tongues pick out serpents and if they drink deadly thing, it will not hurt them, will lay their hands on the sick and will recover.
After this Jesus was taken up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God then they went and preached.
The gospel according to Luke indicates that they were perplexed behold 2 men stood by them in dazzling apparel and said, "Why do you seek the living among the dead, remember how he told you while still in Galilee that the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of sinful men and on the third day rise."
They remembered his words. They repeated this to the eleven and the rest. Magdalene, Joana, Mary the mother of James and the other women.
3.7 Comments:
The women had gone to the tomb to wash and anoint the body as it was a customary law.
Jesus had remained in the tomb for 36 hours from sunset on Friday to Sunday at dawn.
3.8 The walk to Emmaus: Luke 24:13-32
That very day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus seven miles from Jerusalem talking to each other about what had happened.
While discussing Jesus appeared to them and joined them but their eyes failed to recognize him.
He said, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk."
They stood still looking sad.
Cleopas said, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in these days but we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel".
Jesus replied, "Yes", and Cleopas said, "besides all this it is now the third day since this happened".
"The women had found nothing in the tomb but angels saying he was alive".
Jesus said, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken".
"Was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?''.
Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going.
He appeared to going further but they constrained him saying, "For it is towards evening and the day is now far spent''.
So he went in to stay with them at table he took bread and blessed it then broke and gave them and their eyes were opened and recognized him and he vanished out of their sight.
They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road when he opened the scriptures."
They rose and went to Jerusalem and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them said "the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon!''
3.9 Comments:
Resurrection is the central message to the Christians today because they believe that they don't die but sleep then resurrects on the second coming of Jesus.
There is new life after death as this was proved by Jesus when he resurrected on the third day.
3.10 The risen Christ appears: Luke 24 v 36-49
As they were saying this Jesus himself stood among them and were startled and frightened and supposed that they saw his spirit.
He said to them, "Why are you troubled and why do such questions rise in your hearts?
See my hands and my feet that it is I myself, handle me and see for a spirit has no flesh and bones."
And while still disbelieved for joy and wondered then said, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he ate before them.
Jesus then told his disciples that they were going to be his witnesses as thus it is written that the Christ should suffer many things and on the third day rise from the dead and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem "...and I will send the promise of my father upon you but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high".
The disciples had seen what had happened.
Their work was to witness to all nations after being clothed with the Holy Spirit.
3.11 The Ascension: Luke 24 v 50-53
Then he led them out as far as Bethany then lifting up his hands he blessed them while parting away from them and was carried up into heaven.
The apostles returned to Jerusalem with great joy and continued in the temple blessing God.
3.12 Comments:
While Jesus parted he blessed them, it shows that it was a continuous mission though he left the disciples were to live under his constant benediction.
His ascension was the crowning act of his victory.
