Jesus Tasted Death
Course 3 of 6

Mankind was at his collective worst. An innocent man was being executed as a criminal although He had done nothing wrong. He had committed no crime and was guilty of no sin. Jesus Christ, the son of God, had tried to show the people who God was. He taught many high principles and did so many miracles to heal people yet, there He was - dying on a cross.

The Hebrew writer put it this way, “ But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9.) There are many things to see about Jesus but we certainly should see Him as He died. He didn’t just die but He “tasted” death. All the horror and heartbreak that one could experience was tasted by Jesus. This study will examine the horror of the cross.

Jesus knew He was going to die and that the time had come. He was praying in the garden of Gethsemane being in great sorrow (Matthew 26:38,) asking the Father for another way, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39.) He prayed this 3 times and His sweat was as great drops of blood (Luke 22:44) for He was in great agony. Any person about to experience what Jesus was going to would be in terrible agony also.

As Jesus was going through this agony, He sees a band of soldiers coming for Him and Judas leading the way. Read the story in Matthew 26:47—50. Judas was one of the Lord’s own disciples and is so identified in verse 47 as, “one of the twelve.” Judas had heard the gracious words of Jesus and had seen with his own eyes the many miracles that Jesus did. He had walked with Him for three years, ate meals with Him, and had a close fellowship with the Lord all that time. Now leading this band of soldiers.

Judas gives Jesus a kiss to identify Him and the soldiers arrested the Lord. Judas had betrayed the son of God.

This was a cold and calculated act on the part of Judas. He is the one who went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver Him to you?” (Matthew 26:15) The price was 30 pieces of silver and Judas took the opportunity of Jesus praying in the garden to lead the soldiers to Him. We know that any one caught betraying someone is a marked person. Can you imagine the hurt and anger if a soldier in our army betrayed our country into the hand of the enemy? They would be marked for death. It is hard to imagine that someone would be so cold as to betray us when we have done nothing but good to them. We can be very sure that Jesus was hanging on the cross knowing that one of His friends helped put Him there by betraying Him. That had to break the heart of Jesus as He died.

The apostle Peter was one of the great disciples of Jesus. He was part of the so-called “inner circle” composed of himself, James, and John. In Matthew 17:1-5, Peter, James, and John were privileged to see Jesus transfigured and hear the very voice of God. Even in the garden, they went a little further with Jesus than did the rest of the disciples (Matthew 26:37-39.) Then Jesus was arrested after being betrayed by Judas and Peter experienced one of his weakest moments.

Read the story in Luke 22:54-62. Jesus was taken to the house of the high priest to be tried but Peter sat outside in the courtyard. There was a crowd of people out there and some began to suggest that Peter was “with Him.” In each case, Peter denied knowing Jesus. This happened 3 times and then the rooster crowed just as Jesus had foretold in Luke 22:34.

Peter had denied the Lord! Three times! After the third time, the Bible says that the Lord turned and looked at Peter. What a look of sorrow there must have been on the Lord’s face.

Sometimes we may have good friends that for a long time have ate with us, talked with us, but then to have them drop us all of a sudden and not speak to us anymore cuts us to the heart. Imagine how Jesus must have felt when Peter denied Him. If there were ever a time when Peter should have stood with the Lord it was then as Jesus was on trial for His life. But he didn’t. Peter said, “I don’t know Him.” As Jesus hung on the cross, he no doubt remembered that one of His best friends denied knowing Him. That hurt!

When Jesus died on the cross, he tasted the abuse of what God Himself had ordained—civil government. They brought false witnesses against Jesus in violation of one of the 10 commandments (Matthew 26:59; Exodus 20:16.) They conducted a trial at night, with a judge that was not impartial and in fact had participated in the arrest, and rendered their verdict the same day in haste instead of waiting a day for due deliberation.

Jesus endured 5 mock trials before the Jewish council, King Herod, and Pilate, the Roman governor. None of these trials were interested in justice. Pilate declared Christ innocent (Matthew 27:24) but then let Him be crucified and this was against Roman law. The sting of all of this is seen more clearly in Romans 13:1-4. Notice there that “civil government is ordained by God...for the protection of the righteous.” Jesus was no criminal and had officially been declared innocent. He had not even committed any sin before God (Hebrews 4:15) yet He was condemned to die. The abuses of what God ordained as the purpose of government had to break the heart of the son of God.

We have talked about betrayal, denial, and the abuse of civil government but have not talked about the pain Jesus suffered. He was hit in the face, no doubt causing swelling and bruising (Mark 15:19.) He was whipped by the Romans (John 19:1.) This involved a multi-thronged whip with bone or iron chips in it. Every time it struck, the flesh was ripped away. A victim would be flogged until they were barely alive. They placed a “crown of thorns” on His head causing more pain (John 19:2.) He was led away to be crucified. A victim was laid on a wooden crossbeam and 18 inch dull-pointed spikes were driven through the wrists. Then the crossbeam was raised, with the victim attached, and fastened to a wooden upright. The feet were then nailed to the upright and the victim was left there to die. Every breath was painful as the victim had to pull himself up against the nails holding his wrists just to catch a breath. Eventually, due to weakness, the victim was no longer able to do this and fluid began to build around the heart and the victim would literally drown in his own fluids. Then came death. Has there ever been a more cruel way invented for men to die?

Read John 19:1-37 and picture the suffering of Jesus on the cross. The horror, grief, pain, and suffering are too much to comprehend.

One of the most touching scenes around the cross is when we see His mother standing there (John 19: 25-27.) Some of the Lord’s last thoughts were for His mother and making sure she was taken care of but we also see the faith of Mary. What mother can watch a child die? But that is exactly what Mary was doing. Jesus had claimed to be the son of God and that is what got Him on the cross but Mary could have discredited His claim by pointing out who His real father was. But she didn’t! She knew she was a virgin when He was born and that Jesus was God’s son. So she watched in quiet faith and sorrow as her son died.

Even sadder is when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-46.) Jesus had been with God from the beginning (John 1:1; Philippians 2:6.) Even when Jesus left heaven to be on earth, God was with Him and twice spoke from heaven to identify Jesus as His son (Matthew 3:16-17; 17:5.) But now, at the cross, darkness had come over the land at noon and God was gone. Jesus had no friend with words to comfort and no God to cry out to. He was alone as no one ever has been.

Why was God not there? Jesus was dying for the sins of the world and in fact, became sin for us though He had none of His own (2 Corinthians 5:21.) He paid the price for our sins and God could not look at that for God “cannot look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13.) In the words of a popular song, “He heard His son cry Father, how could He watch Him there.”

Jesus tasted all the horrors of death because sin is so horrible. It makes us be alone and without God too (Isaiah 59:2) but by the Lord’s death, we can be healed by His stripes (Isaiah 53:3-8.) Glory to God!