16 – The Good News about Jesus’ Death

In the middle of a war, a dedicated general joined his unit in a foxhole. The fire
from the enemy was intense. Smoke and dust clouded the air. Young men’s faces
were filled with terror. Suddenly the general saw a hand grenade fall into the
hole. Instantly he threw himself on top of it. The explosion rocked the soldiers,
but none were killed. The general had taken the full-force of the hand grenade
and died in their place.

Isn’t that incredible courage and devotion? There is no greater evidence of

compassion than the willing sacrifice of ones life for another. It is a rare and very
special person who will do such a thing. Do you know anyone who would do that
for you?

Years ago Jesus died in a very unusual way. His death has great meaning for our
lives. Let’s look at the compassion and courage expressed in His last hours of life
on earth.

Grateful Hearts Praise the Healer

One day a huge crowd rolled up the hill toward Israel’s capitol city Jerusalem. The
people were so excited they broke off palm branches, swung them through the air,
and shouted.

In the middle of the crowd was a man the people called Teacher. He was known
throughout the countryside for His parables and proverbs. His words filled the
people with hope.

Others called Him Jesus, which means the one who heals and saves. There were
many in the crowd who eagerly proclaimed they had been deaf and mute, but Jesus
had healed them. Others jumped and ran, exclaiming that He had healed their
legs.

The crowd surrounded Jesus and surged towards Jerusalem. They hoped to crown
Him as their King. They thought eagerly of how good it would be to have a ruler
who was both powerful and compassionate.

Hatred and Jealousy Lead to Injustice

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 But Jesus knew that something different was about to happen. Inside the city of
Jerusalem important religious leaders were plotting to kill Him. They were jealous
of His fame. They were offended by His pure life of simplicity and His teachings of
compassion for the poor. They planned to arrest him while the crowds slept, have
a dishonest trial, and kill Him.

Although Jesus knew these plans, He didn’t turn around and flee. Why? Jesus was
confident that His death would help the people. The Healer knew that people
needed more than strong physical bodies that would one day die. The Teacher
knew people needed more than good teachings which they would fail to follow. He
knew people needed power to change their hearts and pardon for their sins. Jesus
was confident His death would provide the way of escape from the trap of sin.

So Jesus, very aware of the danger, determinedly walked into the city. Within days
He was arrested and tried illegally. No one could find any fault with Him in the
court, yet the Jewish and Roman leaders, united by their fear and hatred, still
condemned Him to death.

Soldiers whipped His back again and again. The pain was terribly intense, but
Jesus did not curse the cruel-hearted men. Instead there was pity in His face for
those who were hurting Him. They forced a crown of thorns onto His head and
mocked Him. Then they dropped a rough cross upon His bleeding back and made
Him carry it out of the city.

On the top of a hill called Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, soldiers took two
condemned thieves and nailed each to a cross. The thieves screamed in pain and
cursed the soldiers. Then the soldiers turned to crucify Jesus. He did not resist
them. No angry words came out of His mouth. The hands of Jesus had gently
touched the sores of lepers with healing. Now those hands were nailed to a cross.
The feet of Jesus had walked among the slums of the poor, now they were twisted
and bleeding under the iron spike.

Jesus’ Compassion on the Cross

The soldiers raised Jesus’ cross and dropped it into the ground. The pain was
excruciating. Beneath the cross, the soldiers gambled for the clothes of the
criminals, not caring about the pain they had caused. Jesus saw in the crowd
those who once followed Him, but now were ashamed of Him. He saw those who
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 plotted His death. In the face of all this ugliness and sin, Jesus said, “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

There was no anger or hatred in Jesus. Instead He was concerned for the wicked
men and women. He wanted them to turn from evil and escape further suffering.
The soldiers were startled. They saw in His face that He neither hated or despised
them. One of the officers in charge was so moved by Jesus’ compassion that he
blurted out, “Certainly this is a righteous man!”

The words of other people were not so kind. They mocked Him saying, “If you are
the Savior, if you are the King, show your power and come down off the cross.”
Jesus had earlier told His disciples, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My
Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”
(Matthew 26:53) Jesus was not trapped on the cross. Though He was suffering
terribly, He chose not to use His power to escape. There was purpose in that
horrible moment. He was suffering for some higher reason than anyone had ever
suffered.

Jesus’ disciples could not see that purpose. Most of them were hiding, afraid they
too would be arrested and killed. They had been so sure that He was not an
ordinary man. Many even had believed Jesus was the mighty God who had always
existed and had come to save people from sin and death. Now their minds were
full of confusion, wondering why He didn’t use His power to come off the cross.
They didn’t understand that He had come to the earth for the very purpose of
dying. Jesus was like a brave soldier giving his life to save others. “Jesus died
because of His great compassion for sinners.”

Every breath was painful. Jesus had to push up with His spiked feet in order to
speak. His mother Mary was weeping in agony to see her son suffer. She
remembered the prophecy at Jesus’ birth, “A sword will also pierce your soul”
(Luke 2:35a). Then Jesus spoke to Mary, “Woman, behold your son!” To His
disciple John, He said, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26b-27a). Even in the midst
of horrific suffering, Jesus made sure someone would care for His widowed mother.

Hope for a Criminal

The criminal on the cross next to Jesus was unmoved by His gracious spirit. He
mockingly screamed out, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
However, the criminal on the other side was amazed by the peace and kindness in
Jesus’ face. That criminal was afraid to die. He knew his sins would lead to a

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 greater judgment than just the cross. He cried out to his fellow criminal, “Don’t
you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for
we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong”
(Luke 23:40-41).

Then the criminal pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your
kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

The people listened carefully. What would Jesus say? How could He help anyone,
let alone forgive such a sinner and give him hope for the future? They knew that
only a perfect being, only the God who is the owner, the king of the world, could
possibly have the authority to pardon sins and give a sinner a second chance.

Jesus promised the robber that He would take him to heaven, a place of no more
suffering where all is peace for eternity. It sounded impossible to those who
heard, but the robber believed Jesus and hope flooded his heart.

Many could not see past the shame of the cross to what was happening. Others
recalled the ancient predictions that someone would come to save people from
their sins. One prophecy, about 500 years old was supposed to be fulfilled that
very year. Another prophecy had said, “They look and stare at Me. They divide My
garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots. … They pierced My
hands and feet” (Psalm 22:17a, 18, 16b). When that prophecy had been written,
no one had used crucifixion to kill people. Now it seemed exactly fulfilled in Jesus’
death

As the people thought of Jesus’ wise words and His perfect life of compassion,
they knew that He could not be suffering for His own sins. The prophecies had
said that the eternal God would become a man in order to receive the
consequences of people’s sins right on Himself. Was this why Jesus had allowed
Himself to be captured and mistreated so terribly?

This is what the criminal believed. He knew he deserved to die. His own sin had
led to such suffering. But he cried out for mercy, not to escape from death, but to
escape from suffering in hell and to be able to go to heaven instead. He was sure
Jesus could help him.

The Battle between Jesus and Satan

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At noon, the sky became very dark over the entire city. The crowd was
frightened. Some thought that God was angry with them for murdering the
innocent Jesus. Others could feel the presence of evil. Satan and the entire realm
of evil spirits had come to the cross to tempt and attack Jesus. They knew clearly
that God’s plan was to save people through Jesus’ death. They were determined
to stop Him if they could.

Satan pressed on Jesus with enormous temptations. We don’t know exactly what
Jesus felt. Perhaps Satan pushed thoughts such as, “Don’t You want to live?
Can’t You see that no one is appreciating what You are doing? Your own nation
has turned against You and one of Your own disciples has betrayed You! You
might as well return to heaven where You were adored by the angels.”

The purity of Jesus’ righteous heart was pained by the ugliness of the people’s
cruelty. The weight of the world’s sin was crushing His soul. It was just like
Isaiah had prophesied centuries before, “He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed....The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 53:5, 6b).

Despite the temptations, Jesus did not come down from the cross. In His
incredible compassion for all people, He bore the load, until finally He cried out,
“It is finished!” Then He hung His head and died.

Why do you suppose those were His last words? What was finished? The battle
against the evil spirits was won. The battle to save people from sin and suffering
was perfectly completed. An earthquake shook the land, people cried and wailed
both from fear and great sorrow at Jesus’ death.

They didn’t know that His death would make it possible for anyone who trusts in
God to have victory over the attacks from evil spirits. Every evil being had been
there and each had been overcome. The Bible says, “And I heard a great voice in
heaven, saying, ‘Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of
our God, and the authority of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, who accuses them before our God day and night’” (Revelation 12:10).

Some were quite surprised to see that Jesus died so quickly. Often crucifixion
would take several days of torture and pain. But Jesus died after only six hours.
They wondered if Jesus had died, not from the wounds, but from bearing the sins
and the sufferings of the world.

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The Burial of Jesus

Soldiers usually threw the bodies of crucified criminals in a pile to rot and be
eaten by birds. Not so with Jesus’ body. A rich man named Joseph came and
requested the body of Jesus in order to put it in his own tomb. Joseph had
respected Jesus for a long time, but because he was afraid to lose his position and
friendships, he had not dared to show openly that he believed. He didn’t care
anymore. He just wanted to show appreciation for Jesus’ great love and sacrifice.
The governor agreed. Jesus was placed in Joseph’s tomb on Friday evening. This
fulfilled the prophecy “They made His grave with the wicked-but with the rich at
His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His
mouth” (Isaiah 53:9).

The disciples of Jesus hid behind locked doors, still wondering why their good
teacher had died. In just three days they would understand clearly as they
experienced the most amazing event. They would turn from sorrow to rejoicing,
and from despair to eternal hope. We will explore that story later. In the
meantime, let’s look closely at the meaning of Jesus’ death.

Jesus’ Death Demonstrated His Compassion

True love is willing to give everything in order to help. This is why Jesus went to
the cross. Was it the nails that really held Him there? No. It was His love. It was
His compassion for those who suffer and need hope. The Bible clearly says, “God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us” (Romans 5:8). We can know “Jesus died because of His great
compassion for sinners.”

How does it feel to know that God has that much compassion for you? Jesus was
kind toward the cruel soldiers and the criminals on the cross. He cared for His
mother in the midst of His pain. Many people have found courage, hope, and
lasting joy in the truth that Jesus died to demonstrate how much God loves all of
us.

God Has Authority to Forgive Sins

Jesus willing forgave the soldiers who crucified Him. Jesus also gave hope to the
criminal that his sins were forgiven and he would live in heaven. How could Jesus

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forgive the criminal’s sins which he had done to other people? It was because of
Jesus’ position of great authority.

Isn’t it true that fathers can forgive their children and pay for their debts?
Suppose your son likes to play with rocks. He throws them into the water. He
throws them at trees. You tell him all the time, “Be careful, you’re going to break
something.”

Then one day your son is walking near a nice house. He sees a coconut up in a
tree and takes a rock to hit it. The rock sails past the tree and smashes a large
glass window in that house. He tries to run and hide, but the neighbor sees him
and you.

Who has to pay for the window? You do. Now if your son had enough money,
you’d probably make him pay. He needs to learn a lesson. But he doesn’t have
enough. So you have to pay, because the boy is your son and you are responsible
to help him with his mistakes.

In a similar way, the Father of Life looked down on His children in this world. They
were stuck in their suffering, without hope of escape. Listen to these amazing
words which praise God for His mercy:

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He has
not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our
iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy
toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He
removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord
pities those who fear Him” (Psalm 103: 8, 10-13a).

The Father of Life chose to send Jesus to show them His compassionate mercy.
Daily Jesus helped the poor and the sick, showing them how willing God is to help
people of every race and background. Then Jesus went to the cross to die in their
place.

Jesus was perfectly righteous and full of merit. Because He was also God from
eternity, His righteousness was large enough to trade for our wrong doing. Jesus
was able to receive our demerits, our mistakes, our sins. He was big enough for
their suffering to all fall on Him. The Bible says, God “made Him who knew no sin
to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2
Corinthians 5:21). What an amazing exchange!

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 Can this be true? What joy and peace people would have if they knew God could
forgive their sins! This is exactly what many people have experienced. Those who
have repented of their sins and put their faith in what Jesus did at the cross have
found forgiveness, hope, and a new heart. There is hope for us too.

A Step Forward

But how can we say sorry to God and seek His forgiveness? Let’s think about how
we do it in the family. When a member of the family says something unkind or
does something hurtful, the whole family feels it. Harmony is broken. One of the
easiest ways to restore peace is by a sincere apology. There are three important
parts of a good apology. They are:

1. Say you are sorry, telling specifically what you did that was hurtful and wrong.

2. Ask the person you hurt to forgive you.

3. Tell them that you will do your best to not do it again.

We can use similar words to talk to the Father of Life. We can say:

1. God, I’m sorry for ________________(my sins).

2. Please forgive me.

3. Give me a new heart so I won’t do this sin again.

Jesus’ disciple John wrote about how God gives people opportunities to begin
again: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins; He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

We must humble ourselves and admit where we have been wrong. Let us look
closely at the story of the cross. We can see that the jealousy and hatred of the
leaders, along with the greed and selfishness of Judas and others, put Jesus on the
cross. If we are honest with ourselves, we also can see the same things in our
thoughts and our actions.

We do not need to be afraid to admit this. God already sees and knows everything
that we have thought or done. It is wise to admit our faults honestly, and trust God
to forgive us and cleanse our hearts.

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 We often say that the worst sin is to kill someone. Many people think that it is an
even worse sin to kill a political or religious leader. If Jesus is truly the Son of God,
than the sin of killing Him is very great. Did we have any part in that death?
Jesus’ disciple Peter later wrote, Christ “Himself bore our sins in His own body on
the tree…Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might
bring us to God” (1 Peter 2:24a; 3:18a).

The God who always exists, who is everywhere, who is beyond time; entered into
our world. He received the sins of all people upon Himself. Surely if He would be
willing do this, He loves us enough to forgive us, even if we, through our sins, are
responsible for the death of Jesus. We know “Jesus died because of His great
compassion for sinners.” We can simply confess our sins and ask for
forgiveness.

The Power of Forgiveness

Here is a story of someone changed by the power of forgiveness. One day a young
man named Tom got drunk and drove recklessly through the night. He smashed
head-on into another vehicle killing another young man named Ted. Ted’s parents,
Frank and Elizabeth Morris, were heartbroken and extremely angry that Tom was
alive and their son was dead. They followed Tom’s trial hoping he would get a very
heavy sentence. Bitterness and anger grew in their hearts.

Then one day, after thinking about Jesus’ death on the cross, Frank and Elizabeth
realized they needed to forgive Tom as Jesus had forgiven others. On another day
Tom was taken from the jail to speak to high school students about the dangers of
alcohol and drunk-driving. Elizabeth visited the school and listened to Tom speak.
She sensed that Tom was truly repentant as he expressed his sorrow for what he
had done.

Elizabeth got up the courage to visit Tom in jail. There he sadly blurted out,
“Elizabeth, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.” Her heart froze as she stared at her
son’s killer. Then she let go of the bitterness and forgave him. She continued to
visit him and helped him overcome his eight-year addiction to alcohol. Tom
started studying the Bible.

Frank had a harder time forgiving Tom. Eventually though, they asked the court
to let Tom come to their house every Sunday. Tom would work for them and learn
more about God. Eventually he became a responsible man who could return to
society. He became like a new son to Frank and Elizabeth because they had let
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 Jesus’ forgiveness change their hearts.

Meditation Moment

Think about these important truths taken from the Bible.

 “Jesus died because of His great compassion for sinners.”

 “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are
healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

Now picture again Jesus’ compassion and love for those who were hurting Him.

You can know He has the same love for you.

 Has anyone hurt you deeply like Frank and Elizabeth were hurt?

 Would you like God to bring peace into your heart?

The Choice Regarding Forgiveness is Yours

God has shown real mercy towards us. Our sins caused the death of His only Son.
But through that death, God graciously made a way to forgive us. The Father of
Life wants us to be part of His family and has already treated us like His children.
Think of Jesus’ words “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing” (Luke 23:34). He is saying that to you today.

Would you like to receive God’s mercy and experience the peace that comes from
confessing your sins to God and asking Him to forgive you? Why not try it and feel
for yourself the peace that He brings.

There’s just one important choice to make today.

Pray the prayer below to receive God’s mercy and experience His powerful peace.

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Prayer Power

“Father of Life, thank You for Your amazing compassion. Thank You for sending
Jesus to die for my sins. I want peace, hope, and lasting joy. I confess that I, like
the people around Jesus, have had evil thoughts, unkind words, and wrong actions.
Surely it was also my sins that killed Him. Please forgive me. Please change my
heart and make it clean. Give me power to stop doing what is wrong. Thank You
for forgiving me because I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you prayed this with true sincerity, you can know that you are pardoned and that
God has given you a new heart. Eternal life and peace are His gifts to you today.

Always remember, “Jesus died because of His great compassion for sinners.”

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