Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…” I Peter 2:24

Issac Watts in his immortal hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” could not have chosen a truer adjective than the word wondrous. Every aspect of our Lord’s death for us is wondrous because of who He is and what He did and continues to do for us.

First, Christ died a scriptural death. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 declares that the gospel (the good news) is “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. The gospel is not just my thoughts or ideas about what Christ did, but God’s message to sinful creatures. All the Scriptures point to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself as He was instructing the Emmaus disciples declared, “...O fools, and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25-27). What a thrilling experience that must have been as Jesus explained the symbols and prophecies in the Old Testament that declared and pointed to His coming death and glory. All the animal sacrifices that were made in the Old Testament pointed to a coming one who would make a sacrifice for sins once and for all and these sacrifices all have their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Beautiful pictures such as the offering of Issac, the Passover, the Day of Atonement, the Brazen Serpent, and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 all point to the coming death of Christ for sinners. Isaiah declares “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on us the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). Truly, Christ died a scriptural death in perfect fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Second, Christ died a suffering death. There were physical, mental, and spiritual sufferings. As to His physical sufferings Isaiah prophesied "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting" (Isa. 50:6). Mark records that they “scourged him” (used a whip made of three lashes of leather; up to 40 stripes could be administered) (15:15) and smote him on the head with a reed” (an imitation of a royal scepter) (15:19). Matthew records that they “plaited a crown of thorns and they put it on his head” (27:29). Psalms 22:16 foretold “They pierced my hands and my feet”. Death on a cross was a cruel agonizing death with the excruciating pain associated with being nailed in a distorted position, hanging from the cross, trying to keep oneself from suffocating (see Psalms 22). If those who crucified Him had only known! It was God the Son they had clothed with purple. It was their own creator they had crowned with thorns. It was the Lord of Glory that they struck on the head. It was the Prince of Peace they spat upon. It was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that they nailed to that cross. Such is the awful nature of sin and the way of rebellious men. And yet, our Lord willingly died a suffering death.

As to His mental sufferings they mocked, ridiculed, and scorned Him. Matthew says they … mocked him (27:31); “they reviled him wagging their heads” (27:39) Again, we hear them deriding him, “He saved other; let him save himself; if he be the Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35) The Scriptures declare “The thieves also, who were crucified with him cast the same in his face” (Matt. 27:44).

Peter tells us that when Jesus “was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered he threateneth not, but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously”. What a great example our Savior gave to us in dealing with those who would scorn and ridicule us.

The greatest of our Savior’s sufferings were his spiritual sufferings. Here we can little comprehend what the Scriptures mean when they declare “It pleased the Lord to bruise him, to make his soul an offering for sin” (Isa. 53:10). All the wrath of a holy God that was due to fall on each redeemed sinner for an eternity fell on our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. The depth of his suffering was infinite – immeasurable.

We hear Him cry “My God, my God why has thou forsaken me?” as He was bearing our sin and guilt there on the cross. Again, He cries “I thirst” at the height of his suffering. Our salvation is freely offered to us apart from any merit or works on our part. We simply receive it by faith. However, our Savior suffered far more than we could ever understand in this life to provide our salvation when He suffered and died for us there on the cross.

Third, Christ died a sacrificial death. The Scriptures says “He bore our sins in his own body there on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The word bore is used to speak of the priest bearing the sacrifice up to the altar. So Christ bore our sins to the cross. He was the priest offering the sacrifice and He was the sacrifice Himself. The wages of sin demanded that there be death, and Christ suffered that death for us. He fulfilled the statement Abraham made to Issac when he told him, “The Lord will provide himself a lamb”.

Fourth, Christ died a substitutionary death. Peter says that “he suffered for us” (1 Peter 2:21). The word for means “for the sake of”. He died for our sakes. He was not a martyr, but a redeemer. His death was vicarious. He died in our place on our behalf. He did something for us which we could never do for ourselves. He satisfied the divine righteousness which could not at all acquit the guilty, but demanded that His law be vindicated. Christ magnified and honored the law by paying the price which the law demanded, our death. He died the innocent in the place of the guilty, the innocent on behalf of the guilty. The stripes which should have fallen on you and me fell on Him. All the punishment due to you and me for an eternity became his. So fully did He become our substitute that somehow he bore our punishment and my guilt.

Isaiah declares “He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:10). Paul says God has made him who knew no sin to be made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). God placed our sin on His own dear Son that He might place on us the perfect righteousness of Christ and we might stand complete and accepted in Him.

Fifth, Christ died a submissive death. This was not a death which was forced upon Him. He was voluntarily submissive to the hands of his accusers. He was voluntarily submissive to the will of the Father. He voluntarily and deliberately yielded himself up to this death for us. His death was not an execution inflicted on Him, but something He endured purposely for our redemption.

Many other things could we say about the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not stay in an earthly grave. After three days He arose from the grave and after showing Himself alive for forty days by many infallible proofs He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father where He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is alive forever more and even now He is preparing a place for us. One day soon He will return for us so that we may behold his glory and share in that glory. It is all possible because of the wondrous cross of Christ. As George Bennard wrote in his famous hymn: