InPerspective

Harry Reeder: We are redeemed, not by a martyr's death, not by a revolutionary's death, not even by a model death. We are redeemed by an atoning death. Cursed. The divine wrath of God upon him who hangs on the tree, which is why he kept saying, "I must go to Jerusalem, I must be delivered over, and I will die on the cross and be crucified."

Guest (Male): Putting life in biblical perspective with Dr. Harry L. Reeder. This is InPerspective, a radio and Internet ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Harry Reeder: Many people believe that Christianity is about Jesus's teaching and miraculous deeds. But Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, "In vain is Christ's life and miracles and preaching, if Christ had not at last died for us."

We need not merely a teacher, but an atonement, and the death of a substitute. Our eternal hope rests upon this statement from the Apostles' Creed, "He was crucified, dead, and buried."

Guest (Male): Stay with us now as Dr. Reeder takes us to Philippians chapter 5 and brings us part two of the message, "Crucified, Dead, and Buried."

Harry Reeder: Would you look with me in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being found in the likeness of men, being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

"Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

There at Mount Calvary, Jesus is driven out of the city. Where would you expect? I mean, if you were there 2,100 years ago and you're there, where would you expect the lamb to be sacrificed?

Well, I know what I would expect. I would expect we'll show up at the temple, and there before the Holy of Holies, there at the temple. That is there that Jesus should die for me. But Jesus doesn't die for our sins at the temple. He doesn't even die for our sins in Jerusalem. He dies for our sins outside the walls of the city, driven outside of the city, outside of the city.

There, the scapegoat of God has taken away our sins, and the Lamb of God, spotless, pure, gives himself in our place. So not only expiation, our sins are taken away, but also propitiation, a satisfactory sacrifice is given. And what descends upon that hill? But darkness.

And then what does he cry out in torment? "I thirst." The scapegoat is enduring what he had prayed could be taken from him: the cup of God's unmixed, eternal, infinite wrath against all of our sins.

And the Father tips the cup to drink the last drop. And the Son of God, now hanging between two criminals, just days earlier had been lifted up between Moses and Elijah. Now lifted up in malediction, there in affirmation. "This is my son in whom I am well pleased."

Now, days later, lifted up between two criminals, a malediction is pronounced upon him. And he cries out, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani." "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He has been driven out of the presence of God, and all of our hell is poured out upon him. And he drinks it to the last drop.

And then the Lamb who was given for us says, "Tetelestai." It's finished. It is finished. And our sins are no more. They have been taken from us as far as the East is from the West. And we are redeemed not by a martyr's death, not by a revolutionary's death, not even by a model death. We are redeemed by an atoning death.

Cursed, the divine wrath of God upon him who hangs on the tree, which is why he kept saying, "I must go to Jerusalem, I must be delivered over, and I will die on the cross and be crucified." But on the third day, he will rise again.

But this day, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, then dead. Remember, the gospels record, the report ascends back to Pontius Pilate, and when it arrives to Pontius Pilate, Pontius Pilate is incredulous. What do you mean dead? He shouldn't be dead yet. I mean, this is too quick. He shouldn't be dead. I mean, this should be taking place hours later.

But no, he's dead. And just as a sovereign God had orchestrated the presence of a Roman Empire to bring a capital form of judgment, and that's a cross, in order for us to be redeemed on that cross because if he had been put to death under Jewish law, what would have happened to him? He'd have been stoned.

But curses would rain upon the one who hung on the tree. And just as a sovereign God had orchestrated all of that for our redemption, now this sovereign God does not have his life taken from him. He freely gives it up. No man takes his life. He freely gives it up. He says, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

Pilate wants to affirm it, so he sends Centurion. And the Centurion there will not only affirm the death, but will give an order not to break his legs, again fulfilling scripture. This one hanging on the tree is not the victim, he's the victor. And he even assures the promises of God, not one bone will be broken.

And the Centurion declares, "Surely, this is the Son of God." Then, in the midst of all of it, a spear is secured and driven into his side, and the separated water and blood, revealing his death, flows.

And he's taken down. The body secured for burial. And on the day of preparation, he's prepared for burial. 75 pounds of spices. The one who had been attended at his birth with frankincense and myrrh is now encased with it.

Crucified, dead. But no man takes his life. He freely gives it for us. And then, buried. But this sovereign Savior keeps revealing his authority. What's interesting about buried is where he wasn't buried. Where was he supposed to be buried by Roman practice? It's a Roman crucifixion.

And it's a Roman crucifixion that has been carried out by the oversight of Roman authorities. It's a criminal death. What do they do with the criminals? Well, they throw them in the trash heap. The very place that Jesus himself earlier had used as a symbol and metaphor for the eternal judgment of hell. Gehenna.

It was the trash heap that its smoke goes up ever because it is ever burning what is thrown into it. There in the valley of Hinnom. Gehenna. The valley of Hinnom, in that place where the trash and the criminal bodies are thrown. His was not.

But again, a sovereign Savior is saying, his body by the petition of Joseph of Arimathea, whom the scripture takes great delight in revealing to us, is a rich man, who has been secretly following Christ. Now, no longer is silent.

He comes to Pontius Pilate, likely because of the accessibility of his wealth, and he asks for the body, and he receives it. And now another secret follower comes forth, Nicodemus, the one that would follow him by night. And the two with the women prepare his body on the day of preparation so that the Lord of the Sabbath who has redeemed us and given us eternal rest in his redeeming work will rest in the grave on the Sabbath.

So here on this first day, he is being placed in the grave. On the second day, he will rest, and on the third day, he will come again. But he first will be buried. No resuscitation. It will require a resurrection.

Crucified, dead, not swooned, dead, buried. Darkness again descends. The stone is rolled in front. The seal and the guards are placed. And he's buried. But folks, I don't want to overdo this, but I can't help but think this. What's coming? The resurrection, the ascension, the second coming.

What's coming is exaltation. Here we're at the depth of humiliation, yet at the very depth of humiliation, there's a gleam of anticipation. No trash heap. Fulfillment of scripture. A new, unused, borrowed tomb, and his grave is assigned with the rich.

He has been abandoned by his Father at the cross as he becomes our sin. But in his burial, we are anticipating he will not be abandoned to Sheol. He will not be abandoned to the grave.

Look at the grave that was secured for him, but cannot secure him, for he will rise. Crucified, dead, and buried. So, let me give you a takeaway and then we'll close in prayer. This glorious hymn, sometimes called 'Glorious Day.' I grew up hearing it called 'One Day.'

And this glorious hymn of 'One Day' is one that has captured my heart, and I love it, particularly in light of the Apostles' Creed. The first verse speaks of the conception and virgin birth. The second verse of his crucifixion and death and burial. And then finally, the third verse and then finally, the promise of his coming.

So, we've got his birth, we have his death and crucifixion, we have his resurrection, and then we have his second coming. But I love that flow. Living, he loved me. Dying, he saved me. Buried, he carried my sins far away. Rising, he justified freely forever. And oh, he's coming again. What a glorious day.

This day, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried. Three days is the Lord's Day. He'll be raised. He will ascend. And then on that day, he will come again.

Or if I could put it in these words: On this day, we call it Good Friday and Holy Week because of what he accomplishes. On this day, Christ suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried.

You know, may I pause here just for a moment? You probably remember, I made the point not only that there's a few words, but it's interesting to me, we follow the pattern of 1 Corinthians 15 and Philippians 2, we go straight from the birth of Jesus to the day of the death. We go straight from the day of his birth, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and then we go to the day of his death.

And there's 33 years in there, and it doesn't say anything about it. But maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe. I understand I'm pressing right now, but I want to press. Maybe his 33 years are covered with one word: suffered under Pontius Pilate. It's an interesting word that they chose, isn't it? Suffered. Now, it immediately attaches back to Isaiah 52 and 53, that the Messiah would be a suffering Messiah, a suffering servant, despised, rejected, and forsaken of men. And you wouldn't even be able to recognize him in his sufferings.

But maybe there's something more. Let me ask you a question. When somebody goes to court and gets a judgment and a sentence that's commensurate with their penalty, do you say they're suffering? No, here's what you usually say. Well, they got what they deserved.

But in this human court, Jesus didn't get what he deserved. In fact, Pilate knows that. Pilate knows this suffering ought not to take place, even the suffering on the way to the cross. The only reason he allows it is not because the law demands it. He's not a textualist. He is merely making a political, cultural decision. He actually tries to get out of it five times.

He sends him to Caiaphas, he sends him to Annas, he sends him to Herod, he sends him to the people, "Who do you want me to exchange for you?" He is trying everything he can to get out from this. Why? Because ten times he makes a verdict on the 33 years of Jesus' life: innocent. No guilt, no evil.

In that court, he's innocent. But that court can't bring the right judgment. Yet Jesus in that court never claims innocence because he knows he's standing in another court. And he's taking your place and my place. And in the court of God, he is not innocent.

He is bearing our guilt and our shame to take it away as the scapegoat of God. This one innocent becomes guilty for us. On this day, Christ suffered, was crucified, dead and buried in place of me.

But on the Lord's Day, he arose and declares, he will prepare a place for me. And on that day, he will come again for me. What about you? You know, in the midst of this death, burial, and crucifixion, he's saving men and women. A criminal will confess him on this very day that he is suffering, dead, buried, crucified.

On this day, arguably, a Centurion is converted. "This must be the Son of God." On this day, a secret, silent follower, who wasn't even at the trial in the Sanhedrin, will finally find his voice.

Do you see your sovereign Savior orchestrating entire empires to put in place a crucifixion whereby an atonement could take place? Do you see your Savior in sovereign, sovereign rule, who gives up his life, no man takes it? Do you see your Savior sovereignly assigning his own burial place and the Roman authorities agree to it, which he has already prophesied hundreds of years before?

It is this sovereign Savior who is sufficient to save. And on this day, a criminal is brought into the kingdom. "This day, you will be with me in paradise." And on this same day, a Centurion will give a confession that I pray is at least the nugget of his conversion. "This must be the Son of God."

And on this day, the coward, silent, secret follower will find his voice. And he'll stand up and he'll speak up. And Joseph of Arimathea will be numbered with the people of God, who put their trust in him, who went to the cross for us, who died, who was buried and who will be risen.

One of the passages of scripture that strike. You know what I love? Mark described. Do you know how Mark describes this? He says this: Joseph of Arimathea, who secretly followed Jesus, on this day took courage.

And I immediately go to John 16:33, where Jesus says, "In the world you will have tribulation. In me you have peace. Take courage. I, crucified, dead, buried, risen, I have overcome the world."

I love the Bible that says what happened on Good Friday: suffered, crucified, dead and buried. I love the Bible that tells me what happened on the third day: he rose again. I love the Bible that tells me, not only was on a day was Jesus born, a day was he crucified, dead, and buried and suffered.

A day he was resurrected, but it tells me there is that glorious day that he's coming again to take us to the place he prepared for us. But it is only for those whom he took their place on the cross.

Have you come to him as your placeholder and Savior, Lord, King, and Redeemer? Will you find your voice with the heart man believes, and with the mouth he confesses that Christ is Lord? Will you confess him through the power of grace brought and grace bought courage?

Take courage. I've overcome. For those of you who have already come to the Lord, will you this day take courage? And in an increasing hostility, not get angry at men, but find your voice and take courage to confess Christ. They need the Savior. Proclaim him.

Guest (Male): You were listening to InPerspective, featuring the teaching of Dr. Harry L. Reeder. Our current sermon series, "I Believe: The Apostles' Creed in Biblical Perspective." For additional teaching by Dr. Reeder, visit inperspective.org.

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And again, if you would like to receive this month's free gift offer, request "Cultivating a Heart for God" when you call 1-800-488-1888. Join us again next time as Dr. Reeder explains the most controversial and misunderstood statement in the Apostles' Creed, "He descended into hell." That's next time, as we turn back to the scriptures to put life in biblical perspective.