by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Romans 1:18-20<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Certain Greeks once came to the disciples asking for the privilege to see Jesus – John\n12:20-21\n
A. We don’t really know anything about the physical characteristics of Jesus.<\/p>\n
1. We know that it was prophesied that he wasn’t handsome – Isaiah 53:2<\/p>\n 2. But the reality is that they weren’t there to see Jesus’ person but to learn\nwho he was\n
B. We too cannot see Jesus in the flesh<\/p>\n
1. But we can see him through his witnesses – I John 1:1-4<\/p>\n
2. Even seemingly minor details reveal character – Romans 1:20<\/p>\n C. In this lesson, we will focus on the events of Jesus’ death – events which reveal to\nus many invisible characteristics of our Lord and Savior\n
II. What we see in a composite of the Gospel accounts<\/p>\n A. After they mocked Jesus, they took the purple robe off him and put his own\ngarments on him. They led him away to be crucified and he went out, bearing his\nown cross. As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon,\nthe father of Alexander and Rufus, a traveler coming in from the country. They\npressed him into service and placed the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. \n 1. Though Jesus was the son of God, we see the implication of the extent of\nhis suffering. He started out carrying his cross, but before long a man was\npressed into service to complete the task.\n 2. Jesus wasn’t superhuman. He suffered the limitations of human flesh, just\nas we all do – Hebrews 2:9-15\n B. A large crowd of the people followed, and of women who were mourning and\nlamenting him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop\nweeping for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the\ndays are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that\nnever bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the\nmountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things\nwhen the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”\n 1. Here we learn that Jesus was loved and that he loved the people. Though\nhe was suffering to the point of weakness, though he was being led to his\ndeath, he was more concerned for the people’s future than his own. –\nMatthew 23:37-38\n 2. A people who treated him so shamefully and yet whom he loved. An not\njust those of that day – Romans 5:8 – A visible demonstration of God’s\nlove for the erring.\n 3. Jesus points out that the future is bleak. If the rulers, both Jewish and\nRoman, will crucify an innocent, righteous man, what will happen when\ndestructive forces are turned on a wicked and rebellious people? – Matthew\n23:29-36\n C. When they came to the Place of the Skull, which is called Golgotha in Hebrew,\nthey tried to give him wine mixed with bitter spices: gall and myrrh, but after\ntasting it, he refused to drink it.\n 1. The Fourfold Gospel, p. 724, “This mixture of sour wine mingled with gall\nand myrrh was intended to dull the sense of pain of those being crucified or\notherwise severely punished. The custom is said to have originated with the\nJews and not with the Romans. Jesus declined it because it was the Father’s\nwill that he should suffer. He would not go upon the cross in a drugged,\nsemi-conscious condition.”\n 2. In this we learn that while suffering, Jesus chose to experience it fully.\nNothing was held back.\n a. In the garden, at his arrest, Peter tried to defend Jesus – Matthew\n26:52-54\n b. Jesus had options. Man was not forcing the son of God to the cross,\nthough it might so appear. – Hebrews 5:7-9\n c. No, Jesus wasn’t looking forward to death. He wasn’t eager to\nmeet death. But he understood the necessity of it and when he went\nhe faced it fully taking nothing to even dull the pain.\n D. And they crucified him along with two thieves, one on either side, and Jesus in\nbetween. Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And he was numbered with\ntransgressors.<\/i>” But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know\nwhat they are doing.”\n 1. Once again we see the compassion of Jesus. Even while they are pounding\nnails into his hands and feet, he is praying to the Father to forgive them of\nwhat they were doing in ignorance.\n a. They did not fully comprehend who it was they were killing nor the\nconsequences of that death. But then, if they did, they would have\nnot done so – I Corinthians 2:7-8\n
2. It fulfilled the prophecy – Isaiah 53:12<\/p>\n a. No other religion teaches men to pray for their enemies. No other\nreligion asks men to seek forgiveness of those who do them harm.\nThe world teaches men to seek revenge. “the Christian bears\nreproaches and persecutions with patience, and prays that God\nwould pardon those who injure them, and save them from their\nsins.” (Albert Barnes’ New Testament Commentary). – Romans\n12:17-19\n
b. Jesus taught – Matthew 5:44-48<\/p>\n
c. To Jesus, it was more than words. Jesus lived by his teachings.<\/p>\n E. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his outer garments and\ndivided them into four parts, a part for every soldier, but the tunic was seamless,\nwoven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots\nfor it to decided whose it shall be.” Thus they fulfilled the Scripture, “They divided\nmy outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And so the\nsoldiers did these things. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over him.\n 1. It seems like a small thing, almost not worth mentioning, but it contains a\npowerful message.\n a. We see the callousness of the soldiers who are profiting from the\ndeath of three men while they are dying.\n
b. But it is the prophecy that should shock us – Psalm 22:18<\/p>\n (1) This was written by David almost 1000 years prior to the\nevent\n (2) Those involved would not have known the prophecy, nor\nwould they be interested in aiding the fulfillment thereof.\n (3) Yet, God had the power to bring about even this small\ndetail.\n 2. It emphasizes the point that Jesus’ death was not accidental. It was planned\nby God and fulfilled by Jesus.\n a. Ephesians 3:8-12 – God had an eternal purpose that Jesus carried\nout\n
b. They had acted as God had determined – Acts 2:22-23<\/p>\n
c. We see the power of God, his control and his great knowledge.<\/p>\n 3. If God knew this small of detail, then he understood all that Jesus would\nsuffer beforehand\n
a. Luke 22:22 – Jesus went as determined<\/p>\n
b. But still the prospect was not pleasant – Luke 22:41-44<\/p>\n c. Again we must stand in awe at the willingness of Jesus to do what\nneeded to be done.\n F. Pilate had written an inscription and had it placed on the cross above him. On it\nwas written, “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read\nthis inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it\nwas written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews\ncomplained to Pilate saying, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews’; but that he\nsaid, ‘I am king of the Jews.’” But Pilate answered, “What I have written I have\nwritten.”\n 1. Even in ancient times, the forces of the politically correct moved to change\nhistory, even before history was completed.\n 2. It was the Jews who had claimed that Jesus’ claim for kingship was\ndangerous – Luke 23:1-3\n 3. Now that they had gotten what they wanted, the charge was too\nembarrassing to be made public. They were admitting that it was only\nwords to them. That they did not perceive a danger from Jesus’ claim\n 4. Yet, Pilate’s wording and his refusal to change it shows that Jesus had\ntouched his spirit during the trial – John 18:33-40; 19:6-15\n a. Pilate recognized Jesus, at least on some level, and taunted the Jews\nwith the fact that they themselves refused to see.\n G. Those passing by were hurling abuse at Jesus, wagging their heads, and saying,\n“Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save\nyourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way\nthe chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him and saying,\n“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him now\ncome down from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God\nrescue him now, if He delights in him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”\n 1. What temptation Christ bore on our behalf! He was fully able not only to\ncome down from the cross, but to destroy these men along with the world\nthat he himself had created – Colossians 1:15-17\n 2. What commitment Jesus showed in staying where he did not want to be.\nWhat wondrous love he demonstrated toward these miserable sinners and\ntoward us as well. – I Peter 2:21-24; 3:13-18; 4:12-19\n H. One of the criminals who were hanged with him was hurling abuse at him, saying\n“Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other answered, and\nrebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same\nsentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving\nwhat we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he\nsaid, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom!” And Jesus said to\nhim, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise.”\n 1. Imagine the insult that even those dying with you are taunting you! Of\ncourse, we see it is from selfish motives; this man wanted to be rescued.\n
2. But the other showed great understanding of what was happening.<\/p>\n a. He knew that Jesus was innocent, just as he knew that he was on\nthe cross because he deserved it.\n b. He knew that Jesus was a king and that his kingdom was not of this\nworld.\n
c. He knew Jesus would receive his kingdom after his death!<\/p>\n
d. Even Jesus’ own disciples failed to grasp this point – Acts 1:6<\/p>\n 3. In the midst of his own suffering, Jesus gave forgiveness to another. Such\nwas his right and such was his power – Matthew 9:2-8\n a. But the authority wasn’t given to men, but to the Son of God – John\n5:20-24\n b. No one but God can forgive sins because sins are committed against\nGod.\n c. Jesus is demonstrating his deity as well as his compassion –\nColossians 1:19-23\n I. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the\nwife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple\nwhom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your\nson!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the\ndisciple took her into his own household.\n 1. I wonder why the arrangement was made, when Jesus had living brothers.\nJames himself became a leader in the church, he though he, along with his\nbrothers did not believe in Jesus while he lived. – John 7:5\n 2. Perhaps it was because of their lack of belief that he committed the\nresponsibility of care for his earthly mother to the disciple to whom he was\nclosest \n 3. Once again we see Jesus mindful of his duties and responsibilities. As the\npsalmist wondered – Psalm 8:3-4\n J. It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the\nninth hour, because the sun was obscured. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a\nloud voice, “Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?” which is translated “My God, my God,\nwhy have You forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they began\nsaying, “Behold, he is calling for Elijah.” Jesus, knowing that all things had already\nbeen accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour\nwine was standing there; so someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it\non a hyssop reed, and gave him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will\ncome to take him down.”\n 1. Even though Jesus called out in a loud voice, those standing nearby\nmisunderstood what he was saying. We realize that Jesus is weakening. The\nstrength of his voice was fading. Thirst was overwhelming him.\n 2. Jesus understood that to be forsaken, to be forgotten by God, is the worse\nthing that can be suffered. – Psalm 42:9-11\n
3. In taunting Jesus, the Jews had quoted Psalm 22:6-8<\/p>\n 4. Jesus, at the end responded with the beginning of Psalm 22:1-5. It is not a\ncry of despair, but of trust. He was left (or forsaken) to the power of his\nenemies, but even then he would trust God’s judgment.\n 5. As Isaiah stated – Isaiah 53:3-12. In all aspects, Christ fulfilled God’s great\nplan. As painful as it was, Jesus chose to offer his life as a sacrifice for you\nand I.\n K. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” And\nJesus cried out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”\nHaving said this, he bowed his head, and breathed his last.\n
1. Confidence, trust, submission all shine through. <\/p>\n
2. His final words are a quote from Psalms 31:1-5<\/p>\n
3. He did so of his own free will – John 10:17-18<\/p>\n
III. The effect of Jesus death<\/p>\n A. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the\nearth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of\nthe saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his\nresurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion,\nwho was standing right in front of Jesus, and those who were with him keeping\nguard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were\nhappening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” The\ncenturion began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And all\nthe crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had\nhappened, began to return, beating their breasts.\n
B. Notice that a Roman, not a Jew, came to certain conclusions<\/p>\n 1. Seeing what happened, he concluded that Jesus was an innocent or\nrighteous man.\n
2. He saw that Jesus actually was the Son of God.<\/p>\n
3. He saw reason to praise God.<\/p>\n
C. The Jews saw reason to fear. As Peter reminded them of the occasion – Acts 2:36-41<\/p>\n D. You know, the answer remains the same. Seeing Jesus for whom he truly is, there\nis only one thing to do – Acts 22:16\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 1:18-20 I. Certain Greeks once came to the disciples asking for the privilege to see Jesus – John 12:20-21 A. We don’t really know anything about the physical characteristics of Jesus. 1. We know that it was prophesied that he wasn’t handsome – Isaiah 53:2 2. But the reality is that they…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[228,100,73],"class_list":["post-63443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-crucifixion","tag-gospel","tag-jesus"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88998,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/like-father\/","url_meta":{"origin":63443,"position":0},"title":"Like Father","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson My finite mind soon reaches the end of its tether when I try to comprehend God, the eternal, invisible, all-powerful, all-knowing Maker of all things. By observing the wonders of His handiwork in nature, we get glimpses into His wisdom and power (Romans 1:18-20), To learn more,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":90285,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":63443,"position":1},"title":"The Word","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Why does John speak of Jesus as \"the Word\"? See John 1:1-14. Consider that Jesus is the fulfillment and substance of all that God had been promising and prophesying all through the years from the beginning of all communication. 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Was He being complicit with them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62638,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/he-got-up-and-followed-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":63443,"position":3},"title":"He Got Up and Followed Him","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Think about this for a moment. Jesus passed by \"Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, 'Follow Me!' And he got up and followed Him\" (Mark 2:14). What an impression Jesus must have already made on Levi (Matthew) to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61057,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-four-gospels\/","url_meta":{"origin":63443,"position":4},"title":"Why Four Gospels?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 29, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Shane Carrington \"Take your child to work day.\" What a great idea! How many young people see Dad as a father, yard-mower, car-washer, and neighbor, but never see him in his role as employee? Truthfully, we all take on different jobs that say many things about who we are.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22219,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-peter-follow-jesus-in-matthew-2628\/","url_meta":{"origin":63443,"position":5},"title":"Why did Peter follow Jesus in Matthew 26:28?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 17, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why did Peter follow Jesus in Matthew 26:28? Is your understanding that the \"reason\" that he\u00a0followed Jesus was only because he wanted to see what was going to happen?\u00a0 Not to stand up for Jesus? 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