I believe that the most used phrase aside “Jesus loves you” is probably “Jesus died for you and me “.Often, the explanation for why Jesus loves us is ” because He laid down his life for you”.

Jesus’ sacrifice at Golgotha is so commonly spoken of in Christian discourse that mostly, we do not pause to ponder: “what does that really mean? What did that really entail? What does it really signify?”

The incidence of Christ’s death and burial are so much more than a passing comment.

So let’s attempt to ask the questions today.

THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF CHRIST:

What does it really mean?

In the beginning of all things, man had direct communion with God and man had dominion. But man sinned and in doing so seceded his dominion to the devil because he put himself in a position of disorder with God. And now, man by His sin owed the devil a debt; death because God was the only source of life. Romans 6:23 explains that the wages of sin is death and eternal life is the gift of God.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. NKJV

So the death of Christ was God coming to earth to take the form of man and die on his behalf and in so doing, pay the debt and restore man back to life, Communion and Dominion. But it was more than a restoration. It was a restitution. Now death forever had no influence on man and the new man was more than just an upgrade of the old. He became an entirely new creation.

So in Galatians 2:20, Paul expresses how his old man no longer exists but instead it is Christ who exists in him.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” Galatians 2:20 NKJV”

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

What did it really entail?

Often, we depict Christ’s crucifixion as glorious which is accurate because the Spiritual reality is that it was. But we do not really consider it from the natural point of view.We have not really imagined and grasped the agony, exhaustion, humiliation, excruciating pain and anguish he actually felt.

The anguish that drove him to pray in the garden of Gethsemane till his blood capillaries burst and blood seeped out with his sweat (Luke 22:44). The exhaustion that was an effect of this phenomenon happening and yet still being arrested and questioned into the morning( John 18).

The pain of the flesh peeling off his back and yet still receiving the blows of a metal tipped whip on his fresh wounds (John 19:1). The pain of carrying a heavy rough wooden cross on the same raw flesh on foot over quite a distance. The pain of having a crown of thorns pierced into his head.

(Mark records ( in 15:17-19) that the soldiers actually hit his head with a reef, causing the torns to probably sink in deeper.)

The pain of being taunted and humiliated by the very ones for whose sake he was suffering (Luke 22:63-65). The pain of being beaten till his vision was marred and his face and form were disfigured, as stated in the book of Isaiah. “… At first everyone was appalled. He didn’t even look human – a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.” ( MSG) Isaiah 52:14

The pain of having nails driven into his wrists and ankles, not just with one hit of the hammer but several hits until it went through his body and into the wood. The excruciating pain of having the weight of his whole body hanging on just wrists and ankles nailed to the cross. And on top of all this the suffocation that was caused by not being able to properly breathe as a result of the body’s posture on the cross and so much more.

Medical experts performed an experiment where they tied volunteers to a cross to study the crucifixion process and had to stop because, after 6 minutes, they started having difficulty breathing and by 30 minutes, they were complaining of extreme pain in their wrists. And these people were only tied to a cross. Jesus was nailed. And was on the cross for 3 long hours before he gave up his life. ( Luke 23:46)

I read an article on the Forbes’ website about the medical implications of dying by crucifixtion. As part of determining what exact medical implications may have arose, the author had to research how the Romans conducted a death by crucifixion-From psychological and physical torture to humiliation to actual death. At the end of the article, the author mentioned how, as violent and gory as the movie Passion of the Christ was reviewed to be, it did not come close to showing what really happened in the actual crucifixion process.

The crucifixion process was only reserved for the most utterly outrageous crimes. ( so Christ paid the highest price for us) It was a slow and extremely painful death.

Subsequently, after his death, Christ was taken down and buried in a tomb offered by Joseph of Arimathea.

What did it really signify?

The significance of the death of Christ is inexhaustible but we will attempt to list a few.

The death of Christ upon the cross, signified that the debt owed by man had been paid for. As a result of this His death became a symbol for new life so that all who onwards gave their lives to Christ would ‘die’ with him, losing their old sinful nature forever and resurrect in Him as an entirely new creature filled with the life of Christ. ( Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Moreover, His blood spilled on Calvary made forgiveness available (“Here is the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29) so that forever, those who believed in him would not be condemned for sin but instead could boldly enter the throne room of God to obtain mercy.

“Grace to you from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. ” Revelations 1:5.

“Also, by His sacrifice, righteousness was imputed on us and we could once again have right standing before God. ” For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

However, what excites me most about his sacrifice was the fact that the veil in the holy of holies at the temple was torn in two ( Matthew 27:51). Signifying that we could now individually access the presence of God. Unlike before when nobody aside the Priest could enter the Holy of holies. We could now know him personally and more intimately. We could have an actual relationship with God. Communion had been restored.

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying out, ” Abba, Father!” Galatians 4:6 NKJV.

But even more was the significance of His burial.

Upon His burial, Christ visited Hades where he defeated death and obtained the keys to death.In Ephesians 4: 9-10, Paul explains that Christ descended into the lower parts of the earth upon his death. But his soul was not left in Hades as clearly stated in the book of Acts. “he, for seeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” Acts 2: 31 NKJV.

It was because He defeated death that he rose again on the 3rd day.

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried , and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV.

And in this conquest, he obtained the keys to death.

” I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death”. Revelations 1:18 NKJV.

His defeat of death meant that we no longer became subject to death as long as we remained in Him. Hallelujah!

Also, it was in his death that he witnessed to those who had already died before his sacrifice on the cross so that they could also be partakers of the redemption God had accomplished.

“For this reason, the gospel was preached also to those who were dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 1 Peter 4:6

Conclusion

The main purpose of today’s write-up is to spark a conversation amongst us about the significance of the death and burial of Christ. A conversation that I hope will continue into even more detail in your individual circles, that all may come to the understanding of what It means that Christ died for us, what his death entailed and what it signified.

Thank you for joining us today!

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Stay blessed❤