Gaining clarity about the time and circumstances of the atoning death of the Lord Jesus outside of Jerusalem on Good Friday, almost 2 000 years ago, is important. The historical event itself as well as the deep spiritual significance of the crucifixion should be clearly understood. There are different opinions about the day on which Jesus was crucified, and for that reason we will first focus on the three days of Passover. Subsequently, the profound soteriological significance of these events will be considered.
We first have to identify the three days between the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ in their correct historical context.
The Lord Jesus compares His burial and resurrection from the dead with the experience of Jonah: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Jonah 1:17 reads, “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” John Hannah (1985:1467) says, “The phrase three days and three nights need not be understood as a 72-hour period, but as one 24-hour day and parts of two other days.” Compare in this regard also Esther 4:16 and 5:1, where Esther asked for a fast of three days and three nights; but on the third day, before the end of the day, she had accomplished her purpose with the fast.
Some people have a problem with the view that Jesus was not in the grave for three full days (i.e. 72 hours), and endeavour to move the crucifixion from Friday to the preceding Wednesday. However, in the inclusive chronology of the Jews a part of a day is also reckoned as a full day. Louis Barbieri (1983:47) makes the following remarks on Matthew 12:40: “Since the Jews reckoned part of a day as a full day, the ‘three days and three nights’ could permit a Friday crucifixion.” In an addendum to the Strong’s Concordance (Harmony of the Gospels), 41 events are listed, together with Scripture references, that all occurred during the week of Christ’s crucifixion – the week commencing with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a Sunday, and ending with His crucifixion and burial (Strong, 1990). This sequence of events proves beyond any doubt that He was crucified on a Friday.
According to the Bible, as well as other supporting sources, Jesus was crucified on Friday, early in the morning, and buried on that Friday afternoon shortly before the start of the Sabbath, while He rose early on the first day (Sunday) of the following week. The day when He was crucified (Friday) was the first day of the Passover events, Saturday (the Sabbath) was the second day, and Sunday (His resurrection) was the third day. In Jewish chronology, a period of this nature is described as “three days and three nights” or simply as “three days”. Jewish days elapse between sundown and sundown the next day. Therefore, the third day after the crucifixion already commenced on the Saturday even at dusk.
The men on their way to Emmaus confirm these facts. The day (Sunday) when Jesus rose from the dead they were walking along the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13). Not being aware of the fact that Jesus Himself had joined them, they discussed the events related to His crucifixion early on the Friday morning, and added: “We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive” (Luke 24:21-23). Sunday was, therefore, the third day after the crucifixion of Jesus, which occurred the preceding Friday.
On this Sunday afternoon, on the third day, when the men of Emmaus talked to Jesus, He had already risen from the grave several hours earlier: “On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1). After Jesus had met with the travellers to Emmaus, still on the day of His resurrection, He also appeared to His disciples (John 20:19).
Jesus was in the grave for only a part of the third day, and also for only a part of the preceding Friday. But the Jews nevertheless regard this as three days and nights, although only parts of these days constitute the entire period. The discussion of the men from Emmaus nullifies all speculation on an earlier day for the crucifixion. If Christ was crucified and buried on Wednesday (the fourth day of the week), then the following Sunday would have been the fifth day since the event took place, but these men clearly said it was “the third day”!
Since a part of a day may be regarded as a full day in a system of inclusive reckoning of time, a week (e.g. from Wednesday afternoon to the next Wednesday afternoon) may be described as eight days as both Wednesdays are counted as full days. The Feast of Tabernacles in Israel is celebrated for one week, from the 15th to the 22nd day of the seventh month: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. ... For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:34-36). The last day of this week, i.e. the eighth day, was the great day of the feast (cf. John 7:2, 37).
Leviticus 23 says, among others, the following on the feast of the 50th day: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath … : seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath” (Lev. 23:15-16). These 49 days between a Sunday and a Sunday seven weeks later, are referred to as 50 days because the first and last Sundays are both counted as full days. In the New Testament, these two feasts were fulfilled during the resurrection of the Lord Jesus on a Sunday, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit seven weeks later, again on a Sunday. “Pentecost” means “Fiftieth” – that is the Feast of the Fiftieth Day.
The Old Testament feast of the first fruits was fulfilled during its proper time in the New Testament, i.e. on the Sunday on which it started and the Sunday seven weeks later when it was concluded. Note the clear directives for both feasts: “... the day after the Sabbath”. Sunday is the first day of a new week, or dispensation, in God’s divine plan for humanity. During this present dispensation, the resurrection of Jesus is spontaneously celebrated every Sunday as the Day of the Lord.
The Feast of Firstfruits in Leviticus 23 is the earliest indication in the Old Testament of a future Sunday celebration as a Christian feast. On this day we proclaim the message: “He has risen – He lives!” Jesus Himself delivered the first sermon of the new dispensation on the Sunday of His resurrection, and a week later, again on a Sunday, the second one (John 20:19-29). Thereafter, Sunday worship became an established practice. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the spiritual enduing for world evangelisation also occurred on a Sunday.
The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus on Good Friday, His resurrection three days later on a Sunday, as well as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a Sunday, are pivotal dates on the Christian calendar. His ascension occurred on a Thursday, 40 days after His resurrection, and ten days prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel 9:24-27 offers a clear prophecy on
the time of the Messiah’s crucifixion. During the Babylonian exile of Israel,
Daniel prophesied on the restoration of Jerusalem, and indicated that from the
command to rebuild Jeusalem, a count-down of 69 year-weeks would follow until
the crucifixion of the Messiah: “... from the going forth of the command to
restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be
seven weeks and and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25). The rebuilding of
Jerusalem took up 7 year-weeks, followed by another 62 year-weeks until the
Messiah was “cutt off” by Israel and the Roman authorities (Dan. 9:26).
This prophecy is based upon prophetic years of 360 days each, in which each month has 30 days (cf. Rev. 11:2-3, in which 42 prophetic months equal exactly 1 260 days. From Gen. 7:11, 24 & 8:4 it is evident that the Flood lasted five months of 30 days each, i.e. 150 days). The reason for the use of the prophetic calendar was to ensure that despite the use of other calendars (e.g. Israel’s lunar calendar or the solar calendar of the Romans) it would still be possible to arrive at a specific date for the crucifixion.
69 year-weeks (483 prophetic years) had elapsed since the day when King Artaxerxes, on 1 Nisan 445 BC, gave Nehemiah permission to go and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1-8), and the day of the Messiah’s crucifixion on 14 Nisan, 32 AD. Prof. J.M. Schepers of the University of Johannesburg indicated in an article (1984:7-10) that 483 prophetic years of 30 days each, represent 173 880 days. Divided by 365¼, this period equals 476,06 years on the Gregorian calendar. On this calendar, the 69 year-weeks elapsed between 23 March 445 BC and Friday 11 April 32 AD, ending on the Friday when Jesus was crucified.
The fulfilling of the Old Testament Passover was during the crucifixion of the spotless Lamb of God who was incarnated in the fullness of time to lay down His life on our behalf. Peter referred to the priceless sacrifice of the Lamb when he said: “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Paul says, “In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7); and also: “... without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).
Because of the typological nature of the Passover, referring to the future sacrifice of the Lamb of God, it was obvious that this feast would be fulfilled during one of its future celebrations. The Lord Jesus was indeed crucified on the feast of the Passover. According to Mark 14:1-2, the Jews in fact wanted to avoid such a situation: “After two days it was the Passover ... . And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. But they said, Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”
But the Jews could not succeed in averting the exact fulfilment of this feast, and Jesus was crucified on Friday 14th Nisan (11 April 32). On the ninth hour of the day (3 p.m.), He died (Mark 15:34-37), on precisely the same hour when the lamb was slaughtered during the first Passover in Egypt. Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so soon, and gave permission for His burial (Mark 15:42-45). That was done before six o’clock on the Friday evening, when the Sabbath started, on which no one was allowed to be buried (Luke 23:52-54; John 19:31).
We read the following about the day of the crucifixion in Mark: “Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, ... went in boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15:42-43). John Grassmick (1983:191) comments as follows on this passage: “Jesus’ burial officially confirmed His death, an important point in early Christian preaching (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). The designation Preparation Day is used here as a technical name for Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Saturday) as Mark explained to his non-Jewish readers. Since no work was allowed on the Jewish Sabbath, Friday was used to prepare for it. This reference confirms that Jesus was crucified on a Friday.”
Friday (the day before the Sabbath, or the Preparation Day) and Saturday (the Sabbath) are the only two days with specific names in the Jewish week. The other days are simply numbered, e.g. the first day of the week (Sunday), the second day (Monday), etc. Should a religious feast such as Passover (the 14th day of Nisan) be celebrated on any particular day of the week, it is celebrated like a Sabbath, but not referred to as a Sabbath; the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. Likewise we may also, on any day of the week, celebrate certain religious feasts as a Sunday, but that does not however, turn such a day into a Sunday.
The crucifixion of Jesus on the Preparation Day is clearly evident from John 19: “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a solemn day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. ... But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:31-34). The Sabbath directly following upon the Preparation Day on which Christ was crucified, was described as a solemn day (NKJV) or a special Sabbath (NIV) because it was at the same time the weekly Sabbath and the important first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Luke also confirms the fact that the burial of Jesus occurred on the Preparation Day: “Then he [Joseph from Arimathea] took it [the body of Jesus] down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near” (Luke 23:53-54). The Sabbath that would start at sundown that evening was, without any doubt, the weekly Sabbath. If it was the Passover that would begin, it would mean that Jesus was crucified a day before the Passover and that this feast would then not have been fulfilled on its appointed time. He was indeed crucified on the day of the feast, the day when the sacrificial lamb was slaughtered in Egypt to mark the beginning of Israel’s exodus from slavery.
We should have an unwavering confession of Christ’s atoning death and His resurrection, regardless on which specific day they occurred. Nevertheless, it is edifying to have specific historical points of reference for these important events.
We should not confine the sign of Jonah only to the burial and resurrection of Christ, but also take notice of what happened to Jonah after he had been delivered from the belly of the fish. He had a message of repentance for the pagan city of Nineveh. These people sincerely repented from their evil ways and pleaded with the Lord for mercy. Because of this, the wrath of the Lord was turned away from them (Jonah 3:1-10). God did not relent in the sense that He retracted a wrong decision that He had made with regard to Nineveh, but the repentance of the inhabitants ensured His benevolence and grace (Jonah 3:10). The repentance of the people caused the postponement of God’s judgements upon the city for about 150 years. Subsequent generations again lapsed into sin and rebelled against God, which led to the destruction of the city and its inhabitants in 612 BC.
In a message through the prophet Nahum the Lord said: “I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle. It shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you, and say, Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her? ... There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you off ... . Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe” (Nah. 3:6, 7, 15, 19).
After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the message of God’s wrath upon sinners should be proclaimed, as well as His saving grace upon those who sincerely repent: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).
What is the condition to be favoured by God? We must believe in the atoning death of His Son on the cross, and thoroughly repent from our sinful past. This is the message which should be proclaimed to the world. Shortly before His ascension the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47).
During the past 2 000 years there have been various communities, and even countries, where the gospel of Christ was accepted by a large sector of society, Christian constitutions were implemented, and Christian norms established and honoured in various spheres of social life. As in the case of Nineveh and their national conversion, the blessings of the Lord were enjoyed by these communities and nations.
But these good times did not continue – not because God was unfaithful, but because the upcoming generations apostatised into open sin and rebellion against God. Christian constitutions were repealed and replaced by humanistic constitutions in which all religions are equally recognised. At the same time, Christian norms were also rejected and this widely opened the door to antichristian practices such as lies, corruption, materialism, idolatry, sexual immorality, abortion, homosexuality, drunkenness, violence, and various other malpractices. Things that were previously regarded as shameful conduct are now openly practised.
What else can a depraved world expect than the judgements of God? All those who failed to repent to the Lamb of God will be the objects of His wrath and be judged by Him: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).
Do you believe in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus with all your heart, and has the foundation of repentance from dead works been laid in your life? (Heb. 6:1). If so, you will escape the outpouring of God’s wrath during the coming tribulation period (Luke 21:36). The believers in Thessalonica have “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10).
Those who pursue a false, man-made peace outside of Christ will miss the rapture and unexpectedly be overcome by the judgements of God. “For when they say, Peace and safety! then sudden destruction comes upon them ... . And they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:3). Those who truly believe and, as disciples of Christ, live holy lives, will watch and pray to be worthy to escape the coming tribulation and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36).
Our escape is based upon the work of redemption which the Lord Jesus did on Good Friday on the cross. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Isa. 53:5). Let us persevere on this way, “for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end” (Heb. 3:14). Let us not, like the inhabitants of Nineveh, backslide into apostasy after a time.
The gospel of the cross was the great message which the Holy Spirit impressed upon the hearts of the disciples. He makes the crucified Christ a reality in our lives as He is the Rock upon which our lives are built. Identification with Jesus Christ is also foundational to sanctification as a second work of grace. If we die with Him we will also live with Him. Paul said he preaches Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23). A person can only be saved after proclaiming to him or her the message that Jesus shed His blood for the atoning of sins on the cross. We are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood through faith” (Rom. 3:24-25).
During the six hours when Jesus laid down His life on the cross (that was from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – in Israel it is between the 3rd and 9th hours of the day) He talked very little. The seven pronouncements which He did make jointly took less than a minute to utter. Nevertheless, they were the most meaningful words of forgiveness, saving grace, comfort and victory over the powers of Satan which Jesus had spoken in the midst of intense agony of death. These words were the following (the actual words are typed in bold):
1. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus demonstrated His boundless love and grace when He prayed for His trespassers during His condemnation and execution. Before His crucifixion He had already prayed for the spiritually blind residents of Jerusalem. They faced great anxiety and international dispersion because they did not recognise the time when God visited them through His Son. The prayer which Jesus offered on the cross for the pardon of His trespassers was answered during the subsequent centuries when thousands of Jews accepted Jesus as their Messiah. In the end-time there will also be a large group of Jews who will look on Him “whom they have pierced”, and grieve for Him (Zech. 12:10).
2. “When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold your son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26-27).
With this arrangement Jesus had far more in mind than caring for His mother Mary. He also committed His mother (Israel) to the care of His disciples (the church). In the Bible Israel is often likened to a married woman of whom the Messiah would be born. In Isaiah 54:5 Israel is depicted as a married woman, and in Revelation 12:4-6 as a woman with her male Child, Jesus, who will rule all nations with a rod of iron.
The church certainly has an obligation to comfort and encourage Israel. We are called upon to provoke them to jealousy by the way in which we serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through this woman’s Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 11:11-12).
3. “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Initially, the thieves who were crucified with Jesus both reviled and insulted Him (Matt. 27:44). Later, the one thief was strongly convicted of his own wickedness and of the innocence and righteousness of Jesus. He then begged for mercy (Luke 23:39-42). The Lord Jesus immediately reacted to this change of heart, and gave the repentant sinner the assurance of eternal life. In this way He honoured a promise which is still valid today: “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37).
From the wonderful repentance of a stubborn sinner on the cross we know that Jesus is the great Physician who came to save spiritually dying people. He did not come for those who justify themselves and think they do not need His saving grace. We also know that there is no sin which is so big that it cannot immediately and completely be forgiven. Furthermore, we know there is grace for everyone who has entered the valley of the shadow of death, as long as he or she stretches out the hand of faith to the Lord Jesus.
4. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Between 12 noon and 3 p.m. when Jesus died on the cross there was darkness upon the whole land (Mark 15:33). That was an overt indication that, spiritually speaking, the dark clouds of humanity’s sin had descended upon Jesus and separated the Son from His heavenly Father. As an innocent Person, Jesus willingly took the place of convicted sinners so that the sin of lost humanity could be laid upon Him to pay the just penalty for all sinners. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).
The Father has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6), thereby making Him the object of His divine wrath: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). At that critical moment when the Son was covered by lost humanity’s burden of sin the Father looked away. Jesus was dying and during those agonising moments of laying down His life on the cross He cried out in His human nature: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He took the place of all lost sinners who were forsaken by God, and was surrounded by the darkness of divine wrath and judgement.
5. “I thirst!” (John 19:28). People who were crucified experienced an intense thirst when they were nearing death, and yearned for water. In a Messianic Psalm which prophetically refers to the death of Jesus, David said: “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to my jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death” (Ps. 22:15).
The death of Christ was much more intense than ordinary people’s death. He was confronted by fallen humanity’s total burden of sin and had to lay down His life under the extreme wrath and judgement of God: “My heart is like wax. It has melted within Me” (Ps. 22:14). He was indeed forsaken by God in a place where perpetual thirst prevails. The lost rich man was vividly conscious of this thirst when he opened his eyes in Hades (Luke 16:24). Jesus served the full penalty for our sins (cf. Santala, 1992:108-145).
It was shortly before His death when Jesus was forsaken by God and experienced immense thirst. The events of these critical moments emphasise the clear contradistinctions of His crucifixion:
· The big antithesis from which all the others arise is that Jesus died so that we can live (John 3:16).
· Jesus was forsaken by God so we will never be forsaken by God once we are reconciled to Him through Christ (Heb. 13:5).
· Because Jesus experienced the thirst of death He can quench our spiritual thirst so we will never again be thirsty (John 4:14; 6:35).
· He hung naked on the cross so we can be clothed with the garments of salvation (John 19:23; Rom. 13:14; Rev. 3:18).
· He became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich in God’s grace (2 Cor. 8:9).
6. “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Jesus laid down His life and commended His spirit into the hands of His Father. He did it willingly and consciously (John 10:17-18). Directly afterwards, with His last breath, He cried out:
7. “It is finished” (John 19:30). The original Greek version of the dying word of Jesus is tetelestai. To fully comprehend the significance of the word tetelestai that was uttered by Jesus at the moment of His death, we should briefly investigate its applications during the first century. This word was more meaningful to those people than to us today, and we will do well to retrieve its original meaning.
Fully paid. In the first instance, according to the Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, the word tetelestai was used as the first word on a receipt. It therefore conveys the meaning of fully paid. Have you ever considered the fact that Jesus actually bought you when He shed His blood and gave His life for you? Paul reminds us of this truth: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). Peter said: “... you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). The testimony of the elders in heaven confirms their full realisation that they have been bought with the blood of the Lamb, when they sang: “You were slain (sacrificed) and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9; AB).
Do you have the assurance that the price for your sins has been fully paid? Do you comply with the condition of repentance and confession of your sins to have them forgiven? The Word of God says: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov. 28:13; see also 1 John 1:8-9). After conversion, we ought to walk with the Lord and keep our record clean by confessing all sins of which the Holy Spirit convicts us (1 John 2:1-2). Do you have fresh date stamps on your receipt?
The Corinthians were very carnal due to a lax attitude, and this disposition seriously hampered their spiritual growth to maturity (1 Cor. 3:1-3, 16). Do not enter the new life with a heritage of carnal attitudes and unconfessed sins. They will eventually cripple you spiritually. Jesus has paid the full price to do a complete work in your life. He wants to save and sanctify you. Do not leave the throne of grace with hidden sins that have not been confessed and forsaken.
Sentence served. During the first century it was common practice to nail the charge-sheet of a prisoner to his cell-door. The offences for which he was convicted were written on the charge-sheet, as well as the penalty imposed upon him. After he served his sentence, the charge-sheet was removed from the door and cancelled by writing across it in large letters: Tetelestai (Fully served). It was then given to him and nobody could ever charge him again for these offences. He had paid the price for his trespasses in full by serving the entire sentence.
In a spiritual sense all human beings are captives of Satan, “for all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23). They find themselves in his death cells awaiting their trial before the great white throne where they will be condemned to eternal death. The prison master is the devil, and no person can free himself of his own accord from this grim bondage, or from the death sentence imposed upon him. To save lost sinners, Jesus Christ willingly served the death sentence that has already in principle been imposed upon all sinners (Rom. 6:23). After His resurrection from the grave, He is in a position to cancel the charge-sheet of every lost sinner by writing in red letters with His blood across it: Tetelestai – Sentence served.
“You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then He gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for He forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross” (Col. 2:13-14; LB). The Saviour was indeed sent to earth “to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house” (Isa. 42:7; KJV). His mission to free those who are spiritual captives of Satan, is also reiterated in Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isa. 61:1).
Have all the sins of which the devil accuses you before the throne of God been blotted out by the blood of the Lamb? If so, nobody can ever accuse you again for those sins, no matter how serious they were, because the sentence for them has been fully served.
Victory gained. A third usage of the term tetelestai was related to successful military campaigns against the enemy. When a general returned from the battle-field and paraded his captives of war in the streets of Rome, he proclaimed his victory by shouting: Tetelestai ... tetelestai! By this victory shout a clear statement was made that the enemy was conquered and its power broken: mission accomplished!
Although it was His dying-word on the cross, Jesus also proclaimed His victory over the enemy with the shout: Tetelestai! To die was a major victory for Jesus, “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14). “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15).
Jesus conquered the enemy, but has not yet obliterated him. The devil is still very active on earth, therefore we are called upon to share in the victory of Calvary and become “more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37). There is a battle to be fought and a victory to be gained.
These were highly dramatic moments when Jesus laid down His life on the cross to become the Saviour of a lost world. It introduced the dispensation of the New Testament, which made a marvellous difference in the relationship between God and mankind. The veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51). This ensured free access to the throne of grace for every person. During Old Testament times, only the high priest could enter the Holy of holies once a year to bring a blood sacrifice for the atonement of Israel’s sins. However, the broken body and shed blood of Jesus were part of a once for all sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. Lost sinners who accept this sacrifice by faith do not need human mediators, such as priests, to approach the throne of grace on their behalf:
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:19-22).
A big earthquake occurred at the moment when Jesus died, and many of the deceased saints rose from their graves when Jesus was resurrected (Matt. 27:51-53). Jesus broke the power of death so it cannot contain and lay hold of those who have received the gift of eternal life. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, even though he dies, he shall live” (John 11:25).
After the three hour long darkness which prevailed immediately prior to the death of Jesus, the sunlight burst through the clouds and shone vividly. Golgotha was bathed in a new lustre and the testimony of these events would, through the centuries, dispel the darkness of sin and the digression in the lives of millions of people. Everyone of us who has become a partaker of His saving grace has been sent to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (1 Pet. 2:9).
When the Roman soldiers “saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:54). Even pagans who were ignorant of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, came trembling to the conclusion that Jesus is the Son of God. The Lord offers reconciliation through the blood of Christ to people from every nation, tongue and tribe, even to the ends of the earth. Because Jesus was prepared to make Himself of no reputation and descend to the lowest depths of dying on a cross in the place of lost sinners, God raised Him from the dead and gave Him a name which is above every name (Phil. 2:6-11).
Every person on earth will have to bow the knee before Jesus Christ and confess that He is Lord and God. It is the duty of believers to prepare all people for an encounter with Christ. They are invited to bow before His throne of grace now to receive Him as their Saviour. If they refuse the offer they will, on judgement day, appear before Him at the great white throne where He will condemn them to the lake of fire. He is either your Saviour who has saved your soul, or He will be your Judge to condemn you to hell because of your sin and unbelief (cf. Acts 17:30-31).
The shadows of the church dispensation are stretching longer and time is running out. Let us make the most of the remaining time by redeeming it to serve the Lord and extend His kingdom on earth. Like Jesus, we should be urgent about our mission: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). The night of God’s judgements in the great tribulation is rapidly approaching and there is still much unfinished business in His kingdom to be done before the trumpet will sound. The lost must be saved and Christians must be prepared to appear before the heavenly Bridegroom.
The main mission of the Lord Jesus to the world was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Since the redeeming of lost sinners calls for divine intervention and a new beginning in life, Christ made a basic statement on rebirth to a Jewish preacher who was still in the dark on what salvation really is:
“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. … Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” (John 3:1-10).
Nicodemus was one of the moderate and more open-minded members of the Sanhedrin in Israel. He was impressed with the ministry of Jesus, particularly with His divine power to do miracles, and wanted to find out more about it. His colleagues hated Jesus, so he decided to approach Him alone at night-time. Nicodemus addressed Jesus on an equal basis as rabbi, but nevertheless recognised the fact that God was with Him. Jesus was not the equal of this Pharisee but far superior to him as He came from above. John the Baptist said: “He who comes from heaven is above all” (John 3:31). The Lord Jesus knew very well that the spiritual problems of Nicodemus were due to ignorance. He practised a dead, legalistic religion based upon outward acts and rituals, while his heart was cold and far from the Lord.
Jesus quickly came to the point by clearly mentioning the solution to this preacher’s problem of a dead form of godliness: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus could not at all understand how a person could be born for a second time as he was thinking about a second physical birth. The Lord Jesus then explained to him that for the second time he had to be born from above, by the Holy Spirit. He had to be quickened spiritually by getting a changed heart. Nicodemus was criticised for not being able to grasp this point. He was an expert on the Old Testament and should have known that God expects a changed heart from His people (cf. Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:25-27; Jer. 4:4). Jesus said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” He was unable to understand the point made by Jesus because his heart was not correctly inclined towards God.
Paul also refers to this deep spiritual work which the Lord wants to do for His people, i.e. a change of heart to be able to really love Him: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not of the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:28-29). Of what avail is a good-looking outward life, but inside the person has a dark, unregenerate, unholy and unbelieving heart?
Is your religion based upon the rule of the new creation? Do you have the testimony that your life and values have changed on a spiritual level, and that the old things have passed away and all things have become new? (2 Cor. 5:17). Paul warned Timothy that, particularly in the end-time, there will be many people who only have an outward form of godliness, but on a spiritual level they will still be dead in their sins and trespasses: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away” (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
These people do not know the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They have only been baptised and confirmed, but for the rest they live as they please. According to outward criteria such as church rituals and good works they claim to be Christians who are on their way to heaven. But they deceive themselves as they are like the church in Sardis of which the Lord Jesus said, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1).
Regeneration refers to the resurrection life of Christ with which we are endued when we are truly saved. Only this gives us a hopeful future: “Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3; AB). When we become conformed to the death of Christ after putting down the old life, we are spiritually renewed and endued with the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus. We can then walk with Him in a completely new life. Our family and friends will be able to see that our life has fundamentally changed. We can still falter and sin but immediately put the matter straight again and continue to walk in the Spirit – not in the flesh. The Lord transforms us spiritually to be shining lights in the midst of a crooked generation. We distance ourselves from the sins which we have committed in the past and endeavour to become conformed to the image of Christ.
The forgiving of sins and rebirth are closely associated with one another, since the Lord Jesus cleanses us of our sins when He gives us a new life with a new nature through rebirth. The cleansing of our sins is the major purpose for which the Lord Jesus came to the world (Matt. 1:21). This is a vitally important matter as the Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). The Lord Jesus saves us by having paid the ransom for our sins on the cross in order that we may be born again spiritually and become partakers of His holy nature.
It is important that we correctly present Christ during the church dispensation, namely as the Saviour who has come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The emphasis should be on His crucifixion where He paid the ransom for our sins. Paul always maintained the pre-eminence of this perspective: “We preach Christ crucified. ... For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2).
Faith in the crucified Lord Jesus is the key to rebirth and a new life to all sinners, and for that reason He must specifically be presented to them in the context of His atoning work. All sinners are “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith” (Rom. 3:24-25). This image of Jesus Christ is also of continuous significance to Christians after conversion, as we must be united together in the likeness of His death (Rom. 6:5-6).
In our new life, the cross of Christ should be our greatest glory as our identification with it will help us to be crucified to the world, and the world to us (Gal. 6:14). We walk on the way of the cross, which is characterised by self-denial and continuous cleansing by the blood of the Lamb (Luke 9:23). John says, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; cf. Col. 1:14).
If our perspective on Jesus as the crucified One diminishes and is replaced by other perspectives we are running the risk of missing the great blessing of His atoning death, as well as the continuous cleansing by His blood. There are unfortunately people who only accept Jesus as a moral role model and then, by their own efforts, endeavour to lead exemplary and socially acceptable lives. But their association with Him ends there. Others regard Jesus as an inspiring example of political activism as, according to them, He was a champion of the poor and the oppressed, and was prepared to be unjustly persecuted by society and government. In this way they completely miss the great purpose for His coming to the world.
Then there is also the serious problem of a large number of believers who entertain wrong views on the revelation of Christ’s kingdom. They emphasise the position of the Lord Jesus as King at the cost of His other attributes, thereby justifying their main objective of becoming kings themselves. They pursue a kingdom here and now in the church dispensation, and are thus strongly inclined towards gaining kingdom powers. They strive after power to do miracles, including the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead. They also pursue fame, popularity, and great wealth. They want large followings and many of them wish to be known as specially anointed prophets or apostles.
Dominionists also try to gain power over the kingdom of Satan. They trust the Lord for power to cast out demons – not only from individuals, but also from towns, cities, and entire countries. In this way they endeavour to introduce a transformation towards kingdom conditions on earth, and then to rule over their kingdom on behalf of the Lord. Meetings for the promotion of a Christian transformation on national level are frequently held in many countries of the world. A great number of people are highly impressed by these efforts, but the question remains: “Which Jesus do they proclaim?”
The supporters of this movement promote Christ’s position as King who will rule together with His saints, but they do so at the cost of His position as the crucified Saviour who sent out His disciples to all corners of the earth to proclaim the gospel of salvation in a hostile world. They do not have the mandate or power to break Satan’s power in a territorial context – they can only lead people to the cross where they can be saved from sin and the power of Satan.
Evangelisation is a taxing task as only a small minority of people react positively to the gospel message (Luke 13:24; John 3:19). It is unbiblical and unrealistic to expect that entire societies and nations will now turn away from the broad way and come over to the narrow way, much as we would like to see it happen. We must continue preaching the crucified Christ who is still rejected by the majority of people. We will also experience suffering and rejection when doing this work (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12), but if we persevere, we will one day rule with Christ in His kingdom – definitely not now in a world which is under the control of the Evil One (1 John 5:19).
The Lord Jesus will only, at His second coming, appear as King of kings and completely break Satan’s power-base on earth (Rev. 19:19 – 20:3). Only then will His glorified saints rule with Him as kings (Rev. 20:6). It is dispensationally completely out of place to emphasise Christ’s position as King now, in the church dispensation, at the cost of His capacity as the crucified Saviour.