Crucifixion

150 Bible Basics

This is entry #126 of 150 from my book, Sunday School Catch-Up, available on Amazon!

A brutal form of capital punishment practiced by the Romans which involved a crossbar on a vertical post to which the convict’s hands and feet would be nailed.

Many important things took place at Jesus’ crucifixion. Colossians 2:13-14 says Jesus took the certificate of debt against us and nailed it to the cross, giving us forgiveness. The veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51) as Jesus entered the Father’s presence as our new high priest with His atoning blood (Hebrews 6:19-20, 9:11-12).

He also triumphed over Satan and all of his armies (Colossians 2:15) by taking away the power the Law had in accusing us. At the very moment His heel was bruised, He was crushing the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

While those who killed Him meant it as a mockery, we know by hindsight that the elements of coronation intended to be ironic were true in their application. He was given a robe and a crown, hailed as king, and lifted up before the people under a sign which proclaimed Him “King of the Jews.” Through great pain and suffering, He was being crowned King in reality.

You may sometimes hear that upon His death Jesus went to hell, but that is a common misunderstanding based on a mistranslation. He descended to Hades, or Sheol, common terms for the grave or the realm of the dead.

If the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16 is to be taken literally, this realm contains a separation of the good and the wicked, but it is not made up of heaven and hell.