Doctrine: Christ Death, A spiritual and physical death

Tod Kennedy, July 11, 2000

1.        Christ died for the sins of all mankind—sins past, present, and future. What kind of a death did He die?

2.        The Bible says that God the Father judged his Son, Jesus the Christ, while His Son was on the cross. Christ was on the cross for six hours. The last three hours were the bad ones—He took the judgment for mankind's sins; at the end of that period of time He voluntarily died physically. Jesus was crucified at 9:00 AM (Mark 15:25). The land was darkened from noon until 3:00 PM (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). Matthew wrote, “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.” (Matthew 27:45).

3.        Why the darkness for the second three hours on the cross? The judgment was so catastrophic that the Father broke fellowship with the Son while He was bearing our sins and the sun was darkened during this time to indicate the terrible judgment and separation. Jesus voiced this terrible separation from God the Father when He cried out to him while in darkness and on the cross: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:46. Also Mark 15:34).

4.        At the end of this terrible judgment, Jesus voluntarily gave up His life in physical death:  “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit” (Matthew 27:50. Also Luke 23:46).  John was very precise when He recorded Jesus’ physical death: “When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit” (John 19:30. Also Matthew 27:50 and Luke 23:46).

5.        To what did Jesus, still physically alive, refer when He said “It is finished!”? He meant that God the Father had finished judging him for the sins of the world. He then died physically—the second stage of His death on the cross.

6.        In mankind, physical death is a result of spiritual death. Jesus Christ was  true man; He also died physically, not because He had sinned, but because He had completed the payment for mankind’s sins and now followed humanity in physical death.

7.        Because Jesus died physically He was able to arise physically—physical resurrection. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead; He set the pattern as the first resurrected man. Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.”

8.        At the point of His physical death the veil of the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies tore into two pieces from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). The tearing of the thick veil, which occurred when He said “It is finished!” and died physically, demonstrated that He had completed the redemption of mankind. No longer was there a need for the temple sacrifices, including the day of atonement sacrifice.

9.        Note, also, that the soldiers offered Jesus a sedating drink at the beginning of His ordeal on the cross. He refused it (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; Luke 23:36). Why? Because Jesus wanted to be in full control of His mind and senses; He had a world changing job to do: He had to be judged for sin.

10.     At the end of the ordeal He requested a drink and was given one (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36; John 19:28-30). Why did He take a drink at this time? Because He had completed the agonizing work.

11.     Again the question, What kind of death did He die? The Bible indicates that Jesus went through two stages or two kinds of death. The first was the three hours of darkness and separation from the Father while He was being judged for our sins: it was dark during the day; He was alone; He was under the agonizing pain of our sins and the physical crucifixion. This separation from fellowship with the Father due to judgment for sin was a spiritual suffering or a spiritual death. The second stage or kind of death was a separation from His physical body or physical death.

12.     Which does the Bible emphasize as the most important and terrible part? The three hours on the cross bearing our sins and separated from the Father was the most important.

13.     The physical torture on the cross was excruciating, yet He was strong enough to survive it and maintain mental and physical self-control. He deliberately and voluntarily gave up His physical life after He said “It is finished!”

14.     The second stage or kind of death demonstrated the completeness of His work and prepared for His physical resurrection and rule.

15.     Adam and Eve and then all mankind experienced this spiritual death or separation from God due to sin (Genesis 2:19; Genesis 3:7; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; John 3:3). Adam and Eve’s spiritual death was demonstrated in the garden when they fell: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Genesis 3:7). They were very much alive physically.

16.     Paul wrote to believers in Asia and said that they were spiritually dead before they became Christians by faith in Christ: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). In order for Christ to substitute as our sin bearer, He had to die spiritually, then die physically.