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Suffered under Pontius Pilate

We believe Jesus Christ voluntarily paid the debt for our sin by dying on the cross.

 

Pontius Pilate bears full responsibility for the punishment and death of Jesus (Luke 23:23-24; John 19:16).

 

Crucifixion was the most excruciating and humiliating execution of the time. Jesus was whipped with a flesh-cutting whip, beaten and a crown of thorns jammed into his head (Matthew 27:26-31). This was prophesied hundreds of years earlier (Isaiah 52:14).

 

Soldiers, priests and civilians jeered him (Matthew 27:39-44). By Roman practice, he was crucified naked (Matthew 27:35).

 

He cried for relief and comfort from his Heavenly Father, but God had to allow the suffering for our sake (Matthew 27:46).

 

The absolute horror of Jesus’ death shows the seriousness and totality of his payment for our sin.

 

 

...was crucified, dead, and was buried

We believe Jesus was crucified and executed on a cross.

 

He physically died from beatings, whippings, food and water deprivation, and finally asphyxiation, which is the ultimate cause of death by crucifixion (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; John 19:30, 33). The Romans knew how to kill people! His survival was impossible.

 

He was buried to show his humanity and prove his death (Isaiah 53:8-9). Guards were posted at the tomb because he was in it (Matthew 28:11-14).

 

The apostle Paul wrote, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

 

 

He descended to the dead

We believe Jesus, as with all people, experienced complete death. His physical body was in the tomb, but his soul descended to the place of the dead. * It was where the souls of all humanity who died before Christ waited for his resurrection.

 

*Note: Humans are body and eternal soul. Jesus was also bod. As man and God, his body did not deteriorate (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27 and 31), as did that of Lazarus (John 11:39). Because Jesus' was both human and Son of God, they could not be separated.

 

The ancient Greek called the place of the dead “Hades.” It was divided into the place of the righteous and the place of the unrighteous.

 

Jesus did not go to a “hell” for more suffering. Just as he died on the cross he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). (“The payment for sin is finished.”)

 

He went to the place of the righteous to await its reunification with the body on the Third Day. Those there met their saviour.

 

 

On the third day...

We believe he was in the tomb for three days. The Jews counted a day as any part of a day. Friday afternoon plus Saturday plus Sunday morning equals three days.

 

He told people he would rise on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19).

 

He fulfilled what Jesus called the “Sign of Jonah.” Jonah volunteered to be thrown overboard to face death to save the crew of the ship. He was miraculously in the whale for three days. Jesus volunteered to die to save humanity and was miraculously raided to live after three days (Matthew 12:40).

 

Three days assured death. Many Jews believed a person’s spirit might hang around for three days after death before finally departing. Mourners would watch the grave for three days in case they returned to life.

 

...he rose again.

We believe he was physically dead for three days. But as God the Son, he did not have to await the end-times resurrection as we do.

 

We believe Jesus’ resurrection is the proof that his torment on the cross was accepted by God the Father as full payment for our sin (John 3:16).

 

The Father gave the “go-ahead” for the resurrection of Jesus (Galatians 1:1). Simultaneously, the Holy Spirit returned life to the body of Jesus (John 6:63; Romans 4:10). At the same time, Jesus-God the Son departed Hades and returned to the body.

 

Without the resurrection, our faith is just the philosophy of a wise teacher, made a few crazy false claims, and died for the cause of the poor, sick and oppressed.

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