Category Archives: Crucifixion

The Pilate inscription

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In 1961 an Italian archaeologist, Antonio Frova, discovered an inscription at Caesarea Maritima on a stone slab which at the time of the discovery was being used as a section of steps leading into the Caesarea theatre.  The inscription in Latin contained four lines, three of which are partially readable.  Roughly translated they are as follows:-

Tiberium
Pontius Pilate
Prefect of Judea

The inscribed stone was probably used originally in the foundation for a Tiberium (a temple for the worship of the emperor Tiberius) and then reused later in the discovered location. …

He stooped to conquer

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‘Irony’ means using words with the opposite meaning to that which is usually intended.  It is a powerful device, and can sharpen up our understanding of people and events by showing us who ‘gets it’ and who ‘doesn’t get it’.

Irony is not only a verbal device.  There is also ‘dramatic irony’, in which the ‘real’ meaning of an entire event may be the opposite of its assumed, or apparent, meaning.

The account of Jesus’ crucifixion as recorded in Gospel of Matthew (Mt 27:27-51) is dripping with irony. …

Quotes on the Cross

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There is not a word in the Bible which is extra crucem, which can be understood without reference to the cross.  (Martin Luther)

This one event of the cross of Christ is a final revelation both of the character and consequence of human sin and of the wonder and sacrifice of divine love.  (Alan Stibbs)

Calvary shows how far men will go in sin, and how far God will go for man’s salvation.  (H.C. Trumbull)

In the cross, sin is cursed and cancelled. …

Mk 9:9-32 – A demonised boy healed – sermon notes

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It had been a mountain-top experience to top the lot. Right there, in front of three of his disciples, Jesus had experienced a brief but amazing transformation. His face shone; even his clothes became dazzling white. Two godly men from long ago, Moses and Elijah, had put in personal appearances. And God himself had spoken: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

As they come down the mountain, Jesus gave Peter, James and John a solemn instruction, v9: “Don’t tell anyone about what you have just seen until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”…

Bias confirmation

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‘Bias confirmation’ refers to the tendency that people have to notice evidence that seems to confirm their existing beliefs, and to ignore or discount contradictory evidence.  It amounts to unconscious ‘cherry-picking’ from the available evidence, and can lie behind expressions such as, “There – I told you so!  Now will you believe me?”

To a lesser or greater extent, we are all prone to bias confirmation.  We cannot objectively and rationally evaluate all the sense experiences that come our way, and yet we need quick and easy ways of making sense of things, and of fitting them into our existing world views.…

Why did Christ die?

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Various answers could be given to the question, and there would be truth in all of them.

We could, for example, say that Christ died because of the actions of the Roman soldiers and Pilate.  The soldiers ‘crucified him’, Mt 27:32-35; Mk 15:21-25; Lk 23:26-33; Jn 19:17-18.  And Pilate, the Roman governor, allowed them to do so even though he knew Jesus to be innocent.

We could also say that Christ died because of the actions of the Jewish people and their priests. …

Nietzsche on the Cross

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John Stott writes:-

‘Perhaps the most scornful rejection of the cross has come from the pen of the German philosopher and philologist, Friedrich Nietzsche (died 1900).  Near the beginning of The Anti-Christ (1895) he defined the good as “the will to power”, the bad as “as that proceeds from weakness”, and happiness as “the feeling that power increases…”, while “what is more harmful than any vice” is “active sympathy for the ill-constituted and weak – Christianity”. …

Islam and the Cross

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John Stott has written about the Muslim attitude towards the cross of Christ:-

‘One of the saddest features of Islam is that it rejects the cross, declaring it inappropriate that a major prophet of God should come to such an ignominious end.  The Koran sees no need for the sin-bearing of a Saviour.  At least five times it declares categorically that “no soul shall bear another’s burden’.  Indeed, “if a laden soul cries out for help, not even a near relation shall share its burden”. …

The Calvary Miracles

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Miracles attended the birth, life, and death of our Lord.  The significance of these miracles: they are signs.  Consider those recorded in Matthew 27:-

1.  The Supernatural Darkness – a sign of the Divine Passion, Mt 27:45.

This signifies

(a) Jesus’ conflict.  See Lk 22:53; Jn 12:31
(b) Jesus’ comfortlessness, Mt 27:46

Remember this, when the dark clouds of despair case a gloom over your soul.  Remember that the wrath of God was poured out on Christ – for you. …