#2: How Brutal was Jesus' Death on the Cross?

On episode 2, Tim answers two questions he had doubts with over the years to hopefully encourage you. 1) Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? 2) Why was Jesus' death on the cross any different than the other two criminals next to him?

If you have a question or topic you would like addressed, email the show at [e-mail]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Bring Heaven Down. This is episode Numero dose. Man,
I better be careful because I don't know that many
words in Spanish and any Spanish words passed? Who know? Dos?

(00:23):
Grace quatrolls? What's five? Did I even say four? Right?
This is episode two of Bring Heaven Down. And I'm
so excited for this podcast to be up and running
because this is really a passion of mine to talk

(00:49):
about Jesus. And we are going to do a podcast
next week on why we decided to the podcast Bring
Heaven Down, and I want to explain the reasoning and
the rationale behind it, and also the motivation behind it.

(01:10):
But yesterday we released our first episode, and with it
being the week of Easter, I talked about Jesus's moment
in the garden of Gethsemite. I examined his prayer life
and I shared how we could mimic Jesus's prayer life,

(01:33):
and then I discussed Jesus's arrest and although he was
being arrested, Jesus decided to keel these soldier's ear, whom
his disciple cut off, and I talked about the love
that Jesus has for us and how it never stops.

(01:55):
So if you missed that episode, go back into the
podcast feed wherever you listen to podcasts and check out
episode one. I hope it's encouraging for you. On today's episode,
I want to discuss what that cup is that Jesus
was referencing in the Garden of guessemone. Jesus talked about

(02:20):
this cup that he was asking the Father to take away.
If it be possible, let this cup pass for me.
And I also want to share why Jesus had to
die the death that he died. Thank you for tuning
in and hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to
this podcast, hold on to that steering wheel, grab your

(02:43):
coffee or your favorite drink, and let's bring Heaven a
little closer together. Today is Good Friday, which means today

(03:05):
is the day that Jesus died on the cross. And
I want to pull up verses in Luke chapter twenty
three that illustrate Jesus's death on the Cross. I want
to pick up in verse thirty four of Luke chapter
twenty three, it says this, and Jesus said, Father, forgive them,

(03:27):
for they know not what they do. And they cast
lots to divide his garments, and the people stood by watching,
but their rulers scoffed at him, saying he saved others,
let him save himself if he is the Christ of God,
his chosen one. The soldiers also mocked him, coming up
and offering him sour wine and saying, if you are

(03:48):
the King of the Jews, save yourself. There is also
an inscription over him, this is the King of the Jews.
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying,
are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us? But
the other rebuked him, saying, do you not fear God?
Since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And

(04:09):
we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward
of our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.
And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into
your kingdom. And he said to him, truly, I'd say
to you today, you will be with me in paradise.
There are a few verses in Luke chapter twenty three

(04:32):
that stick out to me more than other ones. Verse
thirty four, as Jesus is being pinned to the cross,
as he is receiving the nails in his wrists and
the nail in his feet. As he is undergoing the
most excruciating pain, Jesus cries out to his father and says, Father,

(05:00):
forgive them, for they know not what they do. The
love of Jesus never stops. And then in the moment
when one of the criminals turns towards Jesus and says,
remember me, Jesus turns back towards him in verse forty

(05:20):
three and says, truly, I say to you today you
will be with me in Paradise. What this tells me,
and what this should tell you, is that whatever you
are going through and whatever you are doing, Jesus is
love for you never ever stops. Jesus hates the sin,

(05:44):
but he loves the sinner. As these soldiers are crucifying
Jesus on the cross, Jesus cries out to his father
and says, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
One of the questions that I've had doubts with over

(06:04):
the years was the question of why did Jesus have
to die. A doubt that crept into my mind was
He's God. He can literally do anything that he wants.
He is the creator of the universe, Why couldn't he

(06:25):
do something else? Why couldn't he snap his fingers and
forgive our sins? However, with our doubt comes a greater truth,
and the truth is that we first must understand that
His ways are higher than our ways, and we must

(06:45):
submit under His authority. Through the course of our life,
we are going to encounter doubts. They are going to happen.
But while you encounter a doubt, you must be patient
and allowed the Spirit to reveal the truth to you
through time, while you continuously draw close to him. I

(07:09):
had this doubt first appear into my mind years ago,
and just a few months ago I received the answer
to this doubt of why did Jesus have to die
on the cross? I understood the fact that it's to
forgive our sins, but why couldn't it have been something different?

(07:31):
Why did it have to be death on the cross? Well,
the answer is this, death is God's just consequence for sin.
In Romans six twenty three, it says for the wages
of sin is death. This goes all the way back
to Adam and Eve in the garden. When Adam and

(07:53):
Eve sinned in the garden of Eden. Every human being
has been guilty of disobeying God's gods. I don't know
about you, but when I look at murderers, I scoff
at them, thinking, jeez, how could you be such a
low life? How could you do such a terrible act.

(08:13):
But something as simple as a harmless lie deserves eternal
separation from God. Because of sin, everyone deserves death, which
is eternal separation from God in hell. And if we
were to cover our own sin, we would suffer God's

(08:36):
judgment in the flames of hell. We cannot do it.
We do not have the capability or the power to
do it. I don't know about you, but I forgot
where I put my socks this morning. This goes all
the way back to the Old Testament. God promised his
people that he would send and sacrifice the perfect lamb, Jesus,

(09:00):
to cover the sins of those who trust in him.
The answer to the doubt that I once had of
why couldn't Jesus forgive our sins some other way? Why
did it have to be death on the cross. Jesus
had to die because he is the only one who

(09:24):
could pay the penalty for our sin, and the penalty
for our sin is death. Jesus took our place on
that cross and paid our penalty so that we can
be saved. Now, going back to the cup in the

(10:05):
garden of Gethsemine, this brings up a different question that
I've struggled with and have had doubts with over the years,
And the question is how brutal was Jesus's death? Because
when I have thought about it in the past, a
doubt crept into my mind. And the doubt was there

(10:28):
was a criminal to his left, there was a criminal
to his right. How different was Jesus's death on the
cross than the same death that the other two criminals
had to endure. But going back to my doubts remark earlier,
there is a truth greater than all our doubts. We

(10:49):
must first understand that his ways are higher than our ways,
and we must submit under his authority. And over time,
while we draw close to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will
reveal to us the truth and our doubts will be erased. Now,
Jesus died a different death than the two other criminals

(11:11):
on the cross. In John chapter nineteen, it records Jesus's
final words as it is finished, which translates into paid
in full now let's go back to the garden of Gethsemane.
Recorded in Matthew, Jesus says, my father, if it be possible,

(11:33):
let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as you will. Jesus comes back and sees his
disciples sleeping, so he goes back again, my Father, if
this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.
And again he came back and found them sleeping, for
their eyes were heavy, so leaving them again, he went

(11:55):
away and prayed for the third time, saying the same
word as father, if this can not pass unless I
drink it, your will be done. So what is this
cup that Jesus is praying that the Father would take away?
Because he prays it three separate times, Father, take away
this cup. The cup is our sin, and Jesus drank

(12:22):
it all. And that's why Jesus's death on the cross
was different than any other death in the history of
the world. My mind goes to the worst death that
I can think of, specifically the Holocaust, just excruciating, awful situations.
Jesus's death was different than theirs because he had the

(12:45):
weight of the world's sin on his shoulders. Jesus conquered
death on the cross and took on my sin, your sin,
the world's sin, and that's what he was praying for
the Father to take away. And Luke It describes that

(13:08):
Jesus was sweating drops of blood, which is a real
medical condition when you know that you are going to
undergo the worst of worst outcomes, because he knew that
the suffering would be so severe. But instead of backing out,
Jesus obediently followed the will of his father and took

(13:32):
on the cross and took on my sin, and took
on your sin, and took on the world sin. Never forget,
Jesus will never stop loving you. He does not love
your sin. But Jesus will not stop pursuing you. He
will not stop loving you. He died the worst death

(13:57):
and drank your sin on the cross. Jesus's death was
not just physical and emotional like it was for the
criminals to his left and to his right. He took
the weight of our sin on the cross, and that's
the cup that he asked the Father to pass over him.

(14:18):
Jesus's death was different than any other death that has
ever occurred in human history. So to recapt our conversation today.
Jesus loved those that nailed him to the cross and said, Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do, which
means he loves you regardless of what you're doing. Doesn't

(14:43):
love your sin. Though Jesus died the death that he
had to die because he was the only one that
could pay the penalty for our sin, God's perfect son,
and Jesus at death was different than any other death

(15:03):
because he had the world's sin on his shoulders. Thank
you for listening to this episode. Sunday is Resurrection Sunday,
otherwise known as Easter. I like to call it resurrection Sunday,
and that's the good news. There's a song that kind

(15:23):
of reflects that today is good because Sunday's coming. And
one of my favorite things to do is to look
at evidence of the resurrection. And I have notes saved somewhere,
but I'll find it and on Monday and next week

(15:44):
we are going to look at the evidence of the
resurrection because the evidence is substantial. Make sure you hit
that follow button wherever you're listening to this episode, because
I cannot wait to talk to you next week about
the evidence of the resurrection. And just how overwhelming that

(16:09):
evidence is. Thank you for making this podcast part of
your day and for going on this journey where the
Holy Spirit will reveal more and more to us about Jesus.
I hope you have a great day.