My job this evening, as we come to the end of our time together, is to guide us through the final moments of Jesus’ life as he is murdered through crucifixion, dies and is buried in a dark tomb. Death is never pretty. It is ugly. It is confusing. And it is often horrifying – especially in the case of Jesus.

Death by crucifixion is something so horrifying that it would put even the worst of Hollywood horror films to shame. It was an excruciating, tortuous, bloodbath that was intended to make the victim suffer unspeakably in their final moments of life. It was a public spectacle that was meant to intensify the feelings of shame, hopelessness, and guilt in its victims.

This is what Jesus is about to experience on our behalf. Follow along with me as we read Luke’s account and pause briefly with me to take in the horror of Jesus’ journey to the cross in verses 26 – 43.

26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

When I read this first portion of Luke’s account of the crucifixion, I notice two things: Simon of Cyrene carrying Jesus’ cross and Jesus’ words to the people who were mourning over what was happening.

Jesus was so worn out from the beating he had already taken, that he needed someone to help carry his cross. He did not refuse the help, and neither should we when the cross we bear becomes heavy. It is our pride that keeps us walking in isolation, the very pride in us that Jesus is willingly suffering for.

It is also breathtaking to hear Jesus’ words to the crowd of mourners. They are mourning for him. But he warns them to mourn for themselves for what lies ahead because judgment is coming upon Jerusalem for their rejection of him, and it will be so brutal that they wished they never lived. With this sobering warning in mind, regarding what lies ahead for those who reject Jesus, we pick the story back up in verses 32 – 38.

32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34And Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

As I read this portion of the text, I am struck with the fact that Jesus was crucified like a common criminal among other criminals. The place he was crucified was called “The Skull” which signifies that it is the place of death – where criminals are taken to die, similar to an execution room with an electric chair.

In that place, the place of death and execution, Jesus was crucified. He was stripped of clothing, completely naked, stretched out on a rugged cross, his hands and feet were nailed to that cross, he was lifted up for everyone to see, his clothing was gambled away, and he was mocked by the religious elite and the soldiers as he began to take his final breathes.

And in some of those final breathes, Jesus prayed, asking the Father to forgive his enemies because they were confused by their sinful rejection of him; they did not understand what they were doing. This is the kind of forgiving grace that every one of us longs for once we come to our senses and realize the horror of our own sins against God. This is basically what happens with one of the criminals next to Jesus in verses 39 – 43.

39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me when I come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Forgiving grace! Isn’t this what every one of us longs for when we really come face to face with the horror of our own sin? In the midst of all the mocking of Jesus, one criminal realizes the justice of his own sentence and the goodness of God in giving his perfect Son to die a criminal’s death on our behalf, and he cries out for mercy and forgiveness. And Jesus’ response is, “Today you will be with me in paradise!”

Just like us, this criminal did not deserve to be in paradise with Jesus. Just like us, this criminal deserved the penalty of his sins – death. In his final moments, this criminal realized that he had no hope for Paradise other than the merciful, gracious, forgiveness of the crucified Savior next to him. The horror and the darkness of the cross of Christ overcomes the horror and the darkness of our sin. Look at the horror and the darkness of the death of Jesus in verses 44 – 49.

44It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

In Jesus’ final moments the entire land is consumed with darkness. It is as though all hell has broken loose and has captured the world in its dark presence. The curtain in the temple that separated everyone from the holy of holies – signifying how sin separates us from a holy God – gets torn in two. The imminent death of Jesus is about to tear down what separated us from God.

Jesus breathes his last as he commits his spirit to the Father’s care and the Lamb of God completes the work of giving his own, perfect life as a ransom for sinners. The people are stunned. All they can do is beat their chests in anguish. Except one man. A Roman Centurion. The one who oversaw and directed the crucifixion. This man, praised God in a stunning turn of events and acknowledged that “Certainly, this man [Jesus] was innocent!”

Only a spotless, perfect, innocent man could have ever paid the price for our sin in his death. The only thing that awaits Jesus’ lifeless body is the grave. Look at how Luke describes the burial of Jesus in verses 50 – 56.

50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

A grave side service is the moment of finality for a person’s life here on earth. When we attend the grave side service, we know that the story of this person’s life, here on earth, is over. All that is left is the dark void of their absence from this life here on earth. They are gone and we are left along without them.

Joseph of Arimathea was a good and righteous man who did not agree with his colleagues’ decision to murder Jesus. Instead of leaving Jesus’ body to the wolves, he acquires his body and loans him his own grave site to bring closure to this horrific day. Luke also tells us that the women joined Joseph in getting Jesus laid to rest in the borrowed grave. They saw his lifeless body in that darkened tomb with their own eyes. The bottom line is that Jesus is dead. Darkness appears to have won the day.

CONCLUSION…

In conclusion, this is where we must remain. Sitting in the very dark shadow of death, next to Jesus’ lifeless body. For now, Satan appears to have won. Sin’s power appears to have been left unchecked. Death seems to have had the last laugh. Jesus is dead. His lifeless body is locked in a grave.

The Lamb of God has been slain, brutally. All of our sin has been laid upon the body of Jesus. The price that you and I should have paid has now been paid in full in the death of Christ. We should mourn, every one of us… because the price of our sin has murdered an innocent man named Jesus.

1 Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references are to the English Standard Version Bible, The New Classic Reference Edition (ESV) (Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, 2001).