JESUS 4
JESUS 4
Let us look now at some of Jesus' prophetic teachings: On His death and resurrection (CP Mt 9:15; 12:38-40; 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 21:33-39; Lu 9:22; 18:31-33; Jn 3:14; 12:27, 31-33). Jesus predicted the fact and the manner of His death. He taught that His death had a universal significance (CP Jn 3:16; 12:32). Jesus linked His incarnation and His death together (CP Jn 12:27). Jesus is the only one whose sole purpose for living was to die (CP Jn 10:18). No one took Jesus' life - He gave it. (For a detailed teaching on the resurrection, see author's study The Resurrection, in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith). On His coming again to take all the saints of God, both living and dead, back to heaven with Him (CP Jn 5:28-29; 14:1-3). These are only partial revelations by Jesus in scripture of what is known among Christians as the rapture. (For detailed teaching on this subject, see author's study The Rapture, in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith). On the great tribulation (CP Mt 24:3-8, 23-26; Mk 13:5-8, 14-23; Lu 21:7-24). A great many Christians believe that the church will go through the tribulation, but the church is not appointed to wrath (CP 1Th 1:10; 5:9). The tribulation is God's wrath poured out upon sinners - not saints. (For detailed teachings on this subject see author's comments on Mt 24: 1-3 and Rev Ch 6-18 in his book A Question and Answer Study on the New Testament). On his Second coming (CP Mt 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Mk 13:24-27; Lu 21:25-28). At His Second coming Jesus defeats Antichrist and the armies of his confederation of nations at the Battle of Armageddon and commences His thousand years reign on earth. (For more detailed teachings on these subjects see author's comments on Mt 24: 1-3, Rev 19:11-21, and 20:4-6 in his book A Question and Answer Study on the New Testament).
We will now look at the events leading up to Jesus' death. In the hours leading up to His death Jesus partook of the Passover with the disciples, during which He instituted the Lord's Supper, or communion, as it is generally called (CP Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lu 22:19-20 with 1Cor 11:23-26). Paul received the revelation of communion from Jesus Himself. The significance of the Passover is that it was an Old Testament type of which Jesus is the New Testament anti-type. The unblemished lamb sacrificed for the Passover prefigured Jesus as the supreme sacrifice (CP Jn 1:29; 1Cor 5:7; 2Cor 5:21; 1Pe 1:2, 18-20; Rev 5:5-10). The whole of the Old Testament sacrificial system prefigured Jesus' sacrifice of Himself in the New Testament. (For more detailed teachings on this subject, see author's studies Communion, in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, and The Old Covenant - Fulfilled in Christ and Completely abolished, in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1)).
After they had eaten the Passover and Judas Iscariot had left to betray Him, Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He was in such agony over His impending separation from God, which would happen while He was on the cross as the sin offering, that He sweated blood (CP Lu 22:39-44 with Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). Jesus' blood was literally mingled with His sweat. This is a condition called Hermatidrosis, which affects people going through extreme mental anguish and stress such as Jesus was going through in His agony in the garden, which He himself said had brought Him to the threshold of death (CP Mt 26:38; Mk 14:33-35). Hermatidrosis is a dangerous condition in which the walls of the subcutaneous capillaries -hair-like blood vessels under the skin - rupture and infuse blood into the perspiration of the one affected. While Jesus was in the garden He was arrested (CP Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43-50; Lu 22:47-54; Jn 18:1-13).
All the disciples fled after Jesus was arrested. Only Peter and one other followed to where He was taken, but when accused of being with Jesus, Peter denied it three times, which Jesus had earlier foretold would happen (CP Mt 26:31-35, 69-75; Mk 14:26-31, 66-72; Lu 22:31-34, 54-62; Jn 18:15-27). After a mock trial and scourging, Jesus was taken away to be crucified - nailed to a cross and left to die. Crucifixion was the most painful and degrading form of capital punishment in the ancient world. This was how the Romans publicly displayed criminals, and they treated the Son of God the same way to appease the Jewish religious leaders (CP Mt 27:15-26, 32-50; Mk 15:9-15, 20-37; Lu 23:13-25, 26-46; Jn 19:5-16, 17-37). Jesus was crucified with two thieves, one on the left of Him, and one on the right as recorded in Mt 27:38, Lu 23:32 and Jn 19:18. (Note that Luke records that Jesus saved the one who acknowledged that He was the Son of God, and had done no wrong (CP Lu 23:39-43)).
At the instant Jesus died, the veil of the Temple rent in two; the ground shook and rocks broke up; graves were opened and the dead in them rose to life. After Jesus' resurrection they came out of their graves and went into Jerusalem, where they were seen by many people (CP Mt 27:52-54; Mk 15:38). These bodies could not have come out of their graves until Jesus was resurrected, because He was ordained to be the first-begotten from the dead (CP 1Cor 15:20-23; Rev 1:5). The significance of the veil in the Temple being torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus died, meant that every Christian from that time on can enter into God's Throne of Grace in heaven through Jesus' atoning death. The veil represented Jesus' flesh (CP He 4:14-16; 10:19-23). The veil also represented the middle wall of partition that kept Jews and Gentiles apart (CP Eph 2:14-18). When the veil rent in two it broke down that wall, and from then on, regardless of who they are, Christians are all one in Christ (CP Ga 3:28). After He died, Jesus' body was claimed by Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, and was laid in his tomb (CP Mt 27:57-60; Mk 15:42-46; Lu 23:50-53; Jn 19:38-42).