The Cross Was an Ugly Torture Device

by Terry Wane Benton That is true, but men meant evil, while God used it for our good. How can a torture device be made for our good and bless us with forgiveness of sins? It is not the device itself, as if the physical item holds some mystical magic. It is the event of…

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Let this Cup Pass from Me

by Terry Wane Benton What did Jesus mean when He prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane to “Let this cup pass from me?” (Matthew 26:39). It is a metaphor for having to experience something very dreadful. When we experience something bitter and horrible to our senses, we could metaphorically say that we have…

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His Blood Be Upon Us

by Jefferson David Tant The expression in the title came from Matthew 27:25 during the trial of Jesus, as Governor Pilate was in a sense “between a rock and a hard place.” He seemed to realize that Jesus had committed no crime, and his wife had cautioned him against doing anything against Christ. Pilate’s wife…

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Saved from the Wrath of God

by Doy Moyer To be saved from the wrath of God is generally equated in Scripture with being saved from judgment. It is set opposite of eternal life. For example, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God…

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Was Jesus Literally Forsaken?

by Doy Moyer Did the Father literally forsake Jesus at the cross? The Aramaic phrase spoken by Jesus on the cross, translated as “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” is often taken to mean just that (Matthew 27:46). Generally, the idea is that since Jesus was made to be sin on our…

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On What Was Jesus Crucified?

by Jefferson David Tant According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses doctrine, Christ was put to death on a pole, rather than a cross. Notice a quote from their literature. “Jesus did not die on a cross. He died on a pole, or a stake. The Greek word translated ‘cross’ in many Bible verses meant just one…

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When will the Sabbath end?

Question: Jeff, I have a quick question. Is my understanding correct in saying that in Amos 8:5 the question is asked when will the Sabbath be past (end)? A few verses later (Amos 8:9-10) God answers the question: Sundown at noon darkness in broad daylight mourning (death) of an only son. Add up the clues,…

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The Passover Paradigm for Christ’s Death and God’s Wrath

by Doy Moyer How can understanding the connection between Christ’s death as the Lamb of God and the Passover event help us in understanding Christ’s death as it relates to God’s wrath? First, to see Christ’s death connected to Passover is biblical: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (I Corinthians 5:7). Second, we cannot…

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Why was a cross chosen for Christ to die on?

Question: Why was a cross chosen for Christ to die on? Answer: Jesus stated, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28). Jesus not only predicted his…

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There They Crucified Him

by Wayne Greeson Mere days before the crowds had thronged into the narrow streets of Jerusalem to catch a glimpse of Him and shout his praises. But almost overnight the joyful cries of “Blessed is the King” had turned into screams of “Crucify Him.” He was arrested, abandoned by his disciples and friends, falsely accused…

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A Trial Lawyer Examines the Trial of Jesus

by Larry L. Crain, A trial attorney in civil rights and constitutional law (abridged by Jefferson David Tant) During Easter, many believers reflect on the Crucifixion of Christ. As a lawyer, I have been intrigued by the criminal trial culminating in Christ’s execution. The Gospels give four narratives in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They…

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This Is My Body

by John Hendrix via Seeking Things Above “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26). What of the body of Jesus? What do we think as we take the bread? There is no monument…

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Faces Surrounding Calvary: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

by Dave Hart We are given very little insight as to the lives and characters of these two men, but there are some things we know about them which are worthy of our attention. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, a member of the council or what was otherwise known as the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus…

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Is the song “Follow Me” wrong?

Question: Would it be considered false teaching to sing “Follow Me” in worship? I always thought that Simon carried the cross for Jesus because of this song. While reading the article “Where did Jesus carry his own cross?” it was brought to my attention that the Bible doesn’t say why they made Simon carry Jesus’s…

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Pilate’s Revenge

by Jefferson David Tant The Biblical narrative telling the relationship between Christ and Pilate is interesting, and there may be some details that may escape the casual reader’s attention. So let’s take a few moments to dig deeper into the story. One question arises as to why the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate’s court. For…

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Suppression of Truth

by Terry Wane Benton Pilate presents Jesus, saying Behold your king John 19:14-15 The whole effort by the leaders of the Jews and Romans against Jesus was to turn the tide of public opinion against Jesus. They staged His trials and execution on the cross to humiliate Him and end His influence upon the people.…

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It’s Only Friday, Sunday Is Coming

by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, December 31, 2003 Searching the scriptures can be exceedingly profitable. It can also be an exercise in futility. The Jews searched them seeking eternal life (at least this seemed to be their expectation when the Lord told them to examine the sacred text), but they were apt to miss the…

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Why Jesus Died

by Matthew W. Bassford How do you convict a sinless man of a crime serious enough to warrant His execution? It might sound like a logic puzzle to us, but for the chief priests, it was a serious problem. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they determined that He had to die. However, they…

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Did Jesus not want to go to the cross?

Question: In the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed to God and said remove this cup from me, was he saying he didn’t want to go to the cross? Answer: Jesus understood that it was necessary for him to die on the cross, but it doesn’t mean he enjoyed what he did. In John 12:20-28,…

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Is it proper to say that Jesus’ blood was spilled?

Question: In response to a question on your website, I ask that you please give thoughtful consideration when using spilled in reference to the blood of Christ.  Genesis 3 and Isaiah 53 foretells the event that will take place in 33 A.D. and is predetermined, deliberate, and not accidental. Answer: If we are to be…

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Did Jesus die to remove God’s wrath against sin?

Question: Good day, Is there Scripture that says God’s wrath was removed for sin after Jesus died on the cross? Answer: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from…

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The Message of the Cross

I.         I Corinthians 1:18-24             A.        The core of salvation is the fact that Jesus died for our sins.             B.        The center of our hope is the knowledge that Jesus arose triumphant over death.             C.        Yet many are unable to understand this message.                         1.         The Jews wanted something else. They wanted further proof from God.                         2.         The Greeks thought it was silly.…

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Are there Contradictions about Jesus’ Burial?

by Edwin Crozier At the end of Luke 23, we learned some women, having seen where Jesus was buried, prepared spices and ointments for His burial. Then in Luke 24:1, they were coming to the tomb early on the first day of the week with those prepared spices, presumably to perform the Jewish burial customs…

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Did God know before He created the world that His Son would be sacrificed?

Question: Greetings and God bless, I just read your answer: Could you explain “foreknew” and “predestined” to me? Concluding the article, you said: “The idea of predestination in the scripture can be summarized bysaying that God predetermined (or predestined) before the beginning of the world to set up a church through his Son’s sacrifice…” My…

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Psalms 22

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Psalms22.mp3 Text: Psalms 22   I.         Life can get very difficult at times and we can easily get overwhelmed by the struggle. What do we do? II.        Why doesn’t God do something? – Psalms 22:1-5             A.        We not only want a solution, we also have a time in mind that we want it solved by.             B.        It might appear…

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Jesus and the Passover

by Alan Feaster “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Jesus, we know without a doubt was in the grave for three days, it was prophesied many times. When we say three days,…

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Who were raised at Christ’s death and where did they go?

Question: Matthew 27:52-53 says “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” I have a friend who, based on this, believes all the Old Testament saints were raised at this…

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Did Christ Die in Vain?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DidChristDieInVain.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text:   I.         Most, if not all, of us put hard work into various projects, be it a project at work, the raising of children, or implementing a favorite hobby.             A.        After hours of hard work, it is devastating to find it destroyed or never used.             B.        I remembered being asked to add…

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Was Christ’s body broken?

Question: I Corinthians 11:24 says, “And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Was his (Christ’s) body broken? Or is this referring to the bread? When leading the prayer for the Lord’s Supper I often…

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Seven Paradoxes of the Cross

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015Spring8SevenParadoxesOfTheCross.mp3 by Jonathan Perz Spreading the Gospel

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Betrayal of David and Jesus

by Joe Works David Jesus As David was being betrayed, he crossed the Brook Kidron (II Samuel 15:23) As Jesus was being betrayed, he crossed the Brook Kidron (John 18:1) David prayed that God’s will be done with him (II Samuel 15:26) Jesus prayed that God’s will be done with Him (Luke 22:42) He went…

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Your timeline of the crucifixion was excellent

Question: Brethren, I came across your website while searching for a timeline of the crucifixion to use in my sermon next Sunday. Although it is not always imperative, I like to use materials written by Christians (in the biblical, not the modern, loose, perverted sense) for my study when possible, so I added the phrase…

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I can’t figure out when Jesus ate the Passover meal

Question: Before last night I was convinced that Thursday was the date of the crucifixion. But after discussing it with another preacher, I’m not so sure. Knowing that you also take the Thursday crucifixion date position (I’ve seen your articles and charts), I want to inquire of you so I can come to the best understanding…

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