Story of Hope

The Crucifixion of Christ

Christ, the precious Son of God, was led out and delivered to the people to be crucified. The disciples and believers from the surrounding region joined the crowd that followed Jesus to Calvary. The mother of Jesus was also there, supported by John, the beloved disciple. Her heart was filled with unutterable anguish, yet along with the disciples, she hoped that the painful scene would change, and Jesus would assert His power and appear before His enemies as the Son of God. Then again her mother heart would sink as she remembered words in which He had briefly referred to the things that were being enacted that day. SH 68.3

Jesus had scarcely passed the gate of Pilate’s house when the cross that had been prepared for Barabbas was brought out and laid on His bruised and bleeding shoulders. Crosses were also placed upon the companions of Barabbas, who were to suffer death at the same time with Jesus. The Savior had carried His burden only a short distance when, from loss of blood and extreme weariness and pain, He fell fainting to the ground. SH 68.4

When Jesus revived, the cross was again placed on His shoulders, and He was forced forward. He staggered on for a few steps, bearing His heavy load, then fell to the ground like someone lifeless. He was at first pronounced to be dead, but finally he again revived. The priests and rulers felt no compassion for their suffering victim, but they saw that it was impossible for Him to carry the instrument of torture any farther. While they were considering what to do, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from an opposite direction, met the crowd. At the instigation of the priests he was seized and compelled to carry the cross of Christ. The sons of Simon were disciples of Jesus, but he himself had never been connected with Him. SH 68.5

A large crowd followed the Savior to Calvary. Many were mocking and deriding, but some were weeping and recounting His praise. Those whom He had healed of various ailments and those He had raised from the dead earnestly declared His marvelous works and demanded to know what Jesus had done that He should be treated as a criminal. Only a few days before, they had accompanied Him with joyful hosannas and the waving of palm branches as He rode triumphantly to Jerusalem. But many who had then shouted His praise because it was popular to do so now swelled the cry of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” SH 69.1

Nailed to the Cross—When they arrived at the place of execution, the condemned were bound to the instruments of torture. While the two thieves wrestled in the hands of those who stretched them upon the cross, Jesus made no resistance. The mother of Jesus looked on with agonizing suspense, hoping that He would work a miracle to save Himself. She saw His hands stretched upon the cross—those dear hands that had always dispensed blessings and had reached out so many times to heal the suffering. And now the hammer and nails were brought, and as the spikes were driven through the tender flesh and fastened to the cross, the heart-stricken disciples bore away from the cruel scene the fainting form of the mother of Christ. SH 69.2

Jesus made not the slightest complaint. His face remained pale and serene, but great drops of sweat stood upon His brow. There was no pitying hand to wipe the death dew from His face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging loyalty to cheer His human heart. He was treading the winepress all alone; and of all the people there was none with Him. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work and He was enduring the most acute agony, Jesus prayed for His enemies: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34. That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world, taking in every sinner who would ever live, until the end of time. SH 69.3

After Jesus was nailed to the cross, it was lifted by several powerful men and thrust with great violence into the place prepared for it, causing the most excruciating agony to the Son of God. And now a terrible scene took place. Priests, rulers, and scribes forgot the dignity of their sacred offices and joined with the rabble in mocking and jeering the dying Son of God, saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” Luke 23:37. And some deridingly repeated among themselves, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” Mark 15:31. The dignitaries of the temple, the hardened soldiers, the vile thief on the cross, and the base and cruel among the multitude—all united in their abuse of Christ. SH 70.1

The thieves who were crucified with Jesus suffered the same physical torture with Him: but one was only hardened and made desperate and defiant by his pain. He echoed the mocking of the priests and railed against Jesus, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” Luke 23:39. The other condemned man was not a hardened criminal. When he heard the sneering words of his companion in crime, he “rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong. ‘ ” Luke 23:40, 41. Then, as his heart went out to Christ, heavenly illumination flooded his mind. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he saw his Redeemer, his only hope, and appealed to Him in humble faith: ” ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today, ¹ you will be with Me in Paradise.’ ” Luke 23:42, 43. SH 70.2

With amazement the angels saw the infinite love of Jesus who, while suffering the most excruciating agony of mind and body, thought only of others and encouraged the penitent sinner to believe. While pouring out His life in death, He exercised a love for lost human beings that is stronger than death. Many who witnessed those scenes on Calvary found later that these events established them in the faith of Christ. SH 71.1

The enemies of Jesus now waited for His death with impatient hope. They imagined that His death would forever hush the rumors of His divine power and the wonders of His miracles. They told themselves that then they would no longer tremble because of His influence. The unfeeling soldiers who had stretched the body of Jesus on the cross divided His clothing among themselves, arguing over one garment, which was woven without seam. They finally decided the matter by gambling for it. Inspiration had accurately described this scene hundreds of years before it took place: “For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; . . . they divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Psalm 22:16, 18. SH 71.2

A Lesson in Love for Parents —The eyes of Jesus wandered over the crowd that had gathered to witness His death, and at the foot of the cross He saw John supporting Mary, the mother of Christ. She had returned to the terrible scene, not being able to remain away from her Son any longer. The last lesson of Jesus was about love for one s parents. He looked at the grief-stricken face of His mother, and then at John. Looking again at His mother, He said, “Woman, behold your son!” Then, to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” John 19:26, 27. John well understood Jesus’ words and the sacred trust He was committing to him. He immediately took the mother of Christ away from the fearful scene of Calvary. From that hour he cared for her as a dutiful son would, taking her to his own home. The perfect example of Christ’s filial love shines undimmed from the mist of ages. While enduring the keenest torture, He was not forgetful of His mother, but made all necessary provision for her future. SH 71.3

The mission of Christs earthly life was now nearly accomplished. His tongue was parched, and He said, “I thirst!” They saturated a sponge with vinegar and gall and offered it to Him to drink; and when He had tasted it, He refused it. And now the Lord of life and glory was dying, a ransom for the race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as our substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God. SH 72.1

The iniquity of the human race was laid upon Christ as our substitute. He was counted as a transgressor so that He could redeem transgressors from the curse of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam from every age was pressing on His heart. The wrath of God and the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity filled the soul of His Son with dismay. The withdrawal of the Father’s face from the Savior in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that human beings can never fully understand. Every pang that the Son of God endured on the cross, the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands and feet, the convulsions of agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at the hiding of His Father’s face from Him, speak to us, saying, It is for love of you that the Son of God consents to have these terrible crimes laid on Him. For you He plunders the domain of death and opens the gates of Paradise and immortal life. He who stilled the angry waves by His word and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease flee from His touch, who raised the dead to life and opened the eyes of the blind, offers Himself on the cross as the last sacrifice for sinners. He, the sin-bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity and becomes sin itself for our sake. SH 72.2

Satan wrung the heart of Jesus with his fierce temptations. Sin, so hateful to His sight, was heaped on Him till He groaned beneath its weight. No wonder that His humanity trembled in that fearful hour. Angels witnessed with amazement the despairing agony of the Son of God, so much greater than His physical pain that He hardly felt the latter. The hosts of heaven veiled their faces from the fearful sight. SH 72.3

Inanimate nature expressed a sympathy with its insulted and dying Author. The sun refused to look upon the awful scene. Its full, bright rays were illuminating the earth at midday, when suddenly it seemed to be blotted out. Complete darkness enveloped the cross and all the surrounding vicinity, like a funeral pall. The darkness lasted three full hours. At the ninth hour the terrible darkness lifted from the people, but still wrapped the Savior as if in a mantle. The angry lightnings seemed to be hurled at Him as He hung on the cross. Then “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” Mark 15:34. SH 73.1

It Is Finished—In silence the people watch for the end of this fearful scene. Again the sun shines, but the cross is enveloped in darkness. Suddenly the gloom lifts from the cross, and in clear trumpet tones that seem to echo throughout creation, Jesus cries, “It is finished!” “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Luke 23:46. A light encircled the cross, and the face of the Savior shone with a glory like the sun. He then bowed His head upon His breast and died. SH 73.2

At the moment in which Christ died, there were priests ministering in the temple before the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place. Suddenly they felt the earth tremble beneath them, and the veil of the temple, a strong rich drapery, was torn in two from top to bottom by the same bloodless hand that wrote the words of doom on the walls of Belshazzar's palace. SH 73.3

Jesus did not yield up His life until He had accomplished the work that He came to do, and then He exclaimed with His parting breath, “It is finished!” Angels rejoiced to hear those words, for the great plan of redemption was being triumphantly carried out. There was joy in heaven that now, through a life of obedience, the children of Adam could be exalted finally to the presence of God. Satan was defeated. He knew that his kingdom was lost. SH 73.4

The Burial—John was puzzled to know what to do about the body of his beloved Master. He shuddered at the thought of its being handled by rough and unfeeling soldiers and placed in a dishonored burial place. He knew he could obtain no favors from the Jewish authorities, and he had little hope of anything from Pilate. But Joseph and Nicodemus came forward in this emergency. Both of them were members of the Sanhedrin and were acquainted with Pilate. Both had wealth and influence. They were determined that the body of Jesus should have an honorable burial. SH 74.1

Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus for burial. Pilate then gave an official order for the body of Jesus to be given to Joseph. While the disciple John was anxious and troubled about the sacred remains of his beloved Master, Joseph of Arimathea returned with the commission from the governor, and Nicodemus, anticipating the result of Joseph’s interview with Pilate, came with a costly mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred pounds’ weight. The most honored in all Jerusalem could not have been shown more respect in death. SH 74.2

Gently and reverently, with their own hands they removed the body of Jesus from the instrument of torture, their sympathetic tears falling fast as they looked on His bruised and lacerated form, which they carefully bathed and cleansed from the stain of blood. Joseph owned a new tomb, hewn from stone, which he was reserving for himself. It was near Calvary, and he now prepared this sepulcher for Jesus. The body, together with the spices Nicodemus had brought, was carefully wrapped in a linen sheet, and the three disciples bore their precious burden to the new sepulcher, in which no one had ever been buried before. There they straightened those mangled limbs and folded the bruised hands on the pulseless breast. The Galilean women came near, to see that everything had been done that could be done for the lifeless form of their beloved Teacher. Then they saw the heavy stone rolled against the entrance of the sepulcher, and the Son of God was left at rest. The women were last at the cross, and last at the tomb of Christ. SH 74.3

Although the Jewish rulers had carried out their devilish plan in putting to death the Son of God, their uneasiness did not go away, nor was their jealousy of Christ dead. Mingled with the joy of gratified revenge, they felt an ever-present fear that His dead body, lying in Josephs tomb, would come out to life. Therefore “the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, “He has risen from the dead.” So the last deception will be worse than the first.’ ” Matthew 27:6264. Pilate was as unwilling as the Jews were to have Jesus rise with power to punish the guilt of those who had destroyed Him, so he placed a band of Roman soldiers at the command of the priests. SH 75.1

The Jews realized the advantage of having such a guard around the tomb of Jesus. They placed a seal on the stone that closed the sepulcher so that it could not be disturbed without the fact being known, taking every precaution against the disciples’ practicing any deception regarding the body of Jesus. But all their plans and precautions only served to make the triumph of the resurrection more complete and to establish its truth more fully. SH 75.2