The death of the Son of God is one of the most important events in human history, and it really happened just as it is written for us here. Unlike the writings of many other religions, the Holy Scriptures are true history. The things they record really happened. They are true. They are real. Yeshua really died just the way this history tells us He did. And, He really rose again from the dead, which has the greatest ramifications for you and me, and the entire human race. In this section, we will get a very detailed account of the death and burial of the Messiah. Every detail is pregnant with meaning.
They took Yeshua, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross – after being awake for more than 24 hours straight, beaten, and whipped by Romans, and we know from history that many people didn’t survive a Roman whipping. Pieces of bone, metal or glass were tied to a leather whip which cut through the skin and even the muscle. The whole body was affected, including the face – after all that, adding insult to injury, Yeshua is force by the Romans to carry His own cross. It’s like a prisoner who is forced to dig his own grave, and then shot.
Yeshua doesn’t refuse to pick up His cross and carry it to His execution. That’s not surprising in light of His words, “whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me, can’t be My disciple.” Really Lord? Be willing to carry my own cross? Be willing to be humiliated by an unbelieving world, be willing to suffer, and be willing to die, all so that I will be faithful to follow after You? Being faithful to You, and not denying You, is more important than having a comfortable life, or even having any life in this world? That’s right! And that is the example that Yeshua Himself sets for us right here.
This is not an easy truth, but it is one that we need to take seriously. We constantly need to ask ourselves, “Am I really willing to carry my own cross? Be arrested, humiliated, and die, to be a faithful disciple of the Lord? Are there things creeping into my life, the love of this world, or the pleasures in the world, are there idols in my life that would prevent me from being faithful to the point of death?”
He came to the place called the Place of a Skull (it could be that the area, or part of the area resembled a skull), which is called in Hebrew, Gulgotha. It was a place outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem. There is no evidence that it was a hill.
Every detail of Messiah’s death is significant, and the book written to the Messianic Jews, the Book of Hebrews, teaches us the significance of Messiah’s death outside the city: The High Priest brings the blood of animals into the Holiest Place as a sin offering, but their bodies are burned outside the camp. So too Yeshua suffered death outside the gate in order to make the people holy through His own blood. Therefore, let us go out to Him who is outside the camp and share His disgrace.
Adolph Saphir, a Messianic Jew from a previous century, observes that it was necessary to burn the bodies of the animals that were sacrificed on Yom Kippur, outside the camp. On that special day, the animals were killed in the Temple court, their blood was brought into the Most Holy Place in the Temple, but the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp.
Messiah is the fulfillment of the great sacrifices for sin that was offered up on the Day of Atonement. Just as the bodies of those special sacrifices were taken outside of the camp and burned, Yeshua suffered, was crucified and was buried outside the city walls of Jerusalem. There, God made Him a sacrifice for the sins of Israel and for the transgressions of the entire human race. It is His death outside the gates of Jerusalem that opened the gates of Heaven for all of mankind.
The apostle to the Hebrews concludes, therefore, let us go out to Him who is outside the camp and share His disgrace. Yeshua is still outside the camp, rejected by this world. And, our place is with Him, outside of the religions and values of this world. If we want to be joined to Yeshua in Heaven, we must go to Him outside the camp, sharing His disgrace. We must share Messiah’s rejection, and meet Him on the ground where He has chosen, which is outside the camp.
John continues: There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Yeshua in between. John only gives us the very shortest description of the actual crucifixion. John does tell us that the Son of God was crucified with two other men, kind of lumped together with them. How ironic that the One Who Willingly Gave All was considered to be worthy of the same death as those who lived by stealing.
Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “Yeshua the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Yeshua was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.
The Roman governor wrote up the official charge against Yeshua and placed it on the cross. And what is the crime for which the good rabbi from Nazareth is being put to death in such a horrible way? What is His sin? That Yeshua is the King of the Jews, and Rome won’t tolerate any rivals to Caesar.
Rome crucified the King of the Jews as a common criminal. How insulting, how tragic, how sad, how ironic, because Yeshua was and is and forever will be the King of the Jews, and the King of all those who love God.
Pilate had the charges written in the three major languages of that day and area, so that all – Jews and Gentiles, would be able to understand Yeshua’s crime, and reject Him. I’m reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah, “He was despised and rejected by men.” Men despised and rejected the King in the Garden of Eden. Men despised and rejected the King before and after the Flood. Men despised and rejected the King when Israel worshiped the golden calf. Men despised and rejected the king during the times of the prophets.
Men despised and rejected the King and crucified Him at Gulgotha. And men and women, Jews and Gentiles, still despise and reject the King. Don’t be deceived my friends – there will be a terrible price to pay for every human being – Jew and Gentile, who has participated in mankind’s rebellion against the King.
The chief priests didn’t like the way that the official charge against Yeshua was phrased. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘ The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.'” We don’t believe that Yeshua is the King of the Jews, Pilate, only that He claimed that title. Please change the way the official charge is phrased. But Pilate is sick of the whole situation, and is not going to accommodate the Jewish leaders any more. Pilate has had enough of them. So Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” That’s it.
The four soldiers who were involved in the actual crucifixion now find themselves with an opportunity to make a little extra profit from their day’s work. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Yeshua, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.”
As if He hadn’t been mocked and humiliated enough already, Yeshua is further humiliated and stripped of His last earthly possessions and crucified naked. He died naked and poverty stricken so that we would be eternally rich. This fulfills Psalm 22:19, which was written a thousand years before. And John, this great Emissary, this apostle sent from God to teach us, tells us that this was to fulfill the Scripture: “they divided My outer garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things. God knew that this tragic, yet glorious scene would happen exactly the way it did, that the eternal Son of God, the Lord of Glory, who from eternity shared with His Father the glory of God, died naked and poverty stricken so that we would be eternally rich and clothed with garments of righteousness. And so it happened.
Perhaps the most significant event in the history of the universe is taking place. The incarnate Son of God is allowing Himself to be killed in order to atone for the sins of the world, and reconcile us from the God from whom the whole world is estranged. These soldiers are right there. They are actually taking part in it. They are nailing Yeshua’s hands and feet to the cross, and raising Him up on it. If only they could see! If only they could understand! They could have received robes of righteousness, and garments of salvation that would enable them to be accepted by God and live forever and ever. But they only saw a dying and despised Jew, and were satisfied to divide up His clothes.
Jewish and Roman men arrested Yeshua. Most of the disciples – men – abandoned Yeshua. Peter – a man – denied Yeshua. Most of the Jewish leaders – again, men – rejected Yeshua. Pilate – a man – oppressed Yeshua. The four soldiers – men – crucified Yeshua. Now we are introduced to another group who are there at the King’s death: women – faithful, loyal women.
But standing by the cross of Yeshua were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. In contrast to the Jewish leaders, Pilate, the soldiers, are a few faithful Jewish women, who fearlessly stood by Him to the bitter end. The women were loyal. They didn’t abandon Him. Thank God for good, faithful women!
When Yeshua then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby (no doubt John, the author of this book, who was particularly close to Messiah, and love by Him. And, due to his great humility, John does not name himself, setting us an example we should follow), He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
Even while on the cross, Yeshua was thinking of others, especially those in His family for whom He was responsible, particularly His mother. Joseph is mostly likely dead by this time, and Yeshua, as the eldest son, would the head of the family. He makes a decision that the care of His mother Mary should go, not to his father, who is probably dead, or to His brothers, but to John. Why John and not His brothers? Because those who believe in Him are closer to Him and better equipped than His physical brothers who have no faith in Him.
After this, Yeshua, knowing that all things had already been accomplished (Yeshua knew that He had successfully accomplished everything that God had sent Him to do. He had said everything that needed to be said, taught everything that needed to be taught, touched all those who needed to be touched, healed all those whom God wanted Him to heal, resisted all the temptations that came His way, witnessed to all those He needed to witness to, interacted with all those He needed to interact with) to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”
He probably had not drunk anything since the evening before, at the Passover Seder. It’s now the afternoon of the next day, and Yeshua, has been up all night, moving from place to place, beaten, whipped, carrying a heavy cross, exposed to the sun of a Israel April day. Yeshua was a Man with a body like ours, and He was thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Yeshua was thirsty. Yeshua thirsted so that we might be able to drink the water of life, that within us we can have a well of water that springs up to eternal life, that when we are in the New Jerusalem, we can drink from the river of the water of life, which comes from the throne of God and the throne of the Messiah who died, which is clear as crystal, refreshing, invigorating, eternally life giving and sustaining.
Yeshua thirsted so we can sing, “Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord my God is my strength and my song; and He has become my salvation. Therefore You will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” Is the Lord your God? He is if Yeshua is your Lord. Are you joyously drawing water from the springs of salvation? Is your thirst for God, thirst for meaning, thirst for truth, thirst for security, thirst for peace, thirst for life quenched, or are you still thirsting?
Therefore when Yeshua had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” The great work of mankind’s salvation was at that moment, finished; the great work of atonement, reconciling us to God, our Source of life, happiness, and blessing, is finished; the great work of reconciling the world to God, of reestablishing peace between God and man, is finished; the great work of reversing the curse, redeeming us from sin and death, that God sent Messiah to accomplish, the plan that was formulated between God and His Son before one atom in the universe was even made, is finished!
And, if it is finished, how can you, a puny, sinful mortal, whose best deeds are tainted by sin, and are like filthy rags, how can you improve upon that finished work? What good deed of yours can you add to it to make it better? What prayer that you pray, what money that you give, what religious activities that you undertake, can add to atonement of the Son of God, when it is already finished? If it is finished, how dare you come up with some other religious system? If it is finished, why would you offer Him up again on some Catholic altar? If it is finished, how dare you assert that it is unfinished?
It is finished, and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Yeshua gave up His spirit. Even in death He was Lord. He had authority over His life and over His death. No one took His life. He willing gave it up, so that we might live. Are you? He who has the Son has His life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life. Do you know for sure? You can. You should.
Now we come to the events immediately following His death. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath for that Sabbath was a high day, asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. It seems to be Yom Sh’lee-shee, the sixth day of the week (Friday), the day Jewish people prepare for the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders wanted Yeshua and the two thieves to die quickly, before Shabbat began at sunset, so that they wouldn’t have to be bothered with burying these men on Shabbat.
Breaking the legs of one who was being crucified speeded up death. He could no longer raise himself up by putting pressure on the nail in his feet, and so he couldn’t breathe, and suffocated.
Again, what a warning this should be to us about the danger of religion apart from a true relationship with God! These Jewish leaders don’t want to violate the Sabbath, meanwhile they are committing one of the greatest sins in history, putting to death the Messiah, who is the Lord of the Sabbath, the One who can truly give the human soul true spiritual rest!
So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Yeshua, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Yeshua didn’t need to have His legs broken to speed up His death, because He was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out – I don’t know if this means that Yeshua’s lungs or body cavity contained watery fluid that flowed along with some blood, or that His blood had begun separating into a reddish mixture and a clearer fluid, but I do know that John was there, and he is trying to tell us that Yeshua was really and truly dead. There is no way, for example, that He merely fainted on the cross, and then was revived later on.
And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. This is accurate, true eyewitness testimony, from someone of the very best character, who was right there. It is reliable information, true knowledge, that we should believe, that we must believe.
And, the inspired apostle, sent to us from God and Messiah to teach us the truth, tells us that these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “not a bone of him shall be broken.” Just as none of the bones of the Passover lambs were broken (see Exodus 12:46), so none of the bones of the Messiah were broken, telling us that Yeshua is the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb – the One through whom we are redeemed from slavery to sin and death. Just as the Lord protects the bones of the righteous man from being broken (see Psalm 34:20), so none of Yeshua’s bones were broken, telling us that He is the perfectly Righteous One who can make us right with our God. None of His bones were broken, but He was pierced by nails and by a spear.
And, this fulfills another Scripture as well: And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced” (see Zechariah 12:10). This is an amazing prophecy, one that I find myself thinking of frequently these days. It’s connected to the Second Coming of Yeshua, when the nation of Israel, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, find themselves surrounded by all the nations of the world – a coalition of united nations intent on destroying our people has gathered against us. It looks to the world that we will be completely destroyed, A great battle ensues, and God helps little Israel have a miraculous, maccabean victory over these vastly superior forces.
At that point God reveals Himself to Israel in a powerful and dramatic way, and the entire nation looks upon Him whom we have pierced – the righteous Son of God, the King of Israel, our Messiah and Savior who still loves us, and we realize that we made a terrible, terrible mistake, and have perpetuated that mistake for so many centuries. The entire nation turns to Yeshua and we acknowledge Him, and we welcome Him, and we say, Baruch HaBa b’Shem Adonai – blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. And, when we turn to Him, He receives us, and forgives us, just as Joseph’s brothers were forgiven and received when their brother, whom they thought was dead, was finally revealed to them.
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Yeshua, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Yeshua; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.
Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:42-47). He had been a secret admirer of Yeshua, a so-called “secret believer.” But in a very difficult situation, when he could have suffered for showing that admiration for Yeshua, Joseph publicly identifies himself with Yeshua. He is no longer a secret believer, but one who loved the young miracle working Rabbi. At this crucial time, Nicodemus also rises to the occasion. The one who came to him by night, now, in the light of day, comes and helps Joseph bury Yeshua’s body.
Now, let me be very clear: I have no tolerance for so called secret believers. A true disciple must publicly identify with Yeshua, and confess his faith in Him before men, and be willing to take risks in order to advance Yeshua’s cause, otherwise he is not a true believer, and the frightening words of Yeshua will come to pass, “he who denies Me before men, I will deny before My Father in Heaven.”
So they took the body of Yeshua and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Yeshua’s body was encased in linen wrappings, dipped in spices and aloes, which are sticky, forming a kind of cocoon. Yeshua is truly dead, and He is buried in the tomb of Joseph, a rich man, who out of love for the young rabbi, allows Him to be buried in his own, new tomb.
Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Yeshua there. All this fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 53, that the Messiah would be with a rich man in His death.
Messiah died so that we may live forever. Yeshua died, and we must die too – die to everything that displeases God, die to the world, to that we might be forever alive to God. Are you?
Yeshua was buried, so that we might be raised, that our mortal bodies might be resurrected, glorified, and be immortal!
Messiah’s death and burial were foreknown by God, and predicted in Israel’s Holy Scriptures. This lets us know that these things were part of the preordained plan of God, conceived in the foreknowledge of the all-wise all-good, all-powerful God!