Topical Bible: The Death of Christ: Mode of Foretold by Christ

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The death of Jesus Christ, a pivotal event in Christian theology, was not only a historical occurrence but also a fulfillment of divine prophecy. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus Himself foretold the manner of His death, providing insight into its significance and purpose within God's redemptive plan.

Foretelling of Crucifixion

Jesus explicitly predicted the mode of His death, emphasizing the crucifixion. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reveals to His disciples, "From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matthew 16:21). This passage highlights not only the necessity of His suffering and death but also the specific location and the involvement of Jewish leaders.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus provides a more detailed prediction of His crucifixion. He states, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" (John 12:32). The phrase "lifted up" is a direct reference to the crucifixion, a method of execution where the victim is physically elevated on a cross. John further clarifies this in the following verse: "He said this to indicate the kind of death He was going to die" (John 12:33).

Symbolism and Fulfillment of Prophecy

The mode of Jesus' death by crucifixion was not only a fulfillment of His own predictions but also a realization of Old Testament prophecies. The crucifixion is foreshadowed in the Psalms and the writings of the prophets. Psalm 22, often seen as a messianic psalm, vividly describes the suffering of the Messiah, including the piercing of hands and feet, which aligns with the method of crucifixion: "They have pierced my hands and my feet" (Psalm 22:16).

Isaiah 53, another significant prophetic passage, speaks of the suffering servant who would bear the sins of many. The description of the servant's afflictions and the nature of his death resonate with the events of the crucifixion: "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus' Awareness and Willingness

Jesus' foretelling of His death also underscores His awareness and willingness to fulfill His mission. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus reiterates the necessity of His suffering and death, saying, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise" (Mark 9:31). This statement reflects Jesus' understanding of His role as the sacrificial Lamb, willingly laying down His life for the salvation of humanity.

Furthermore, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus resolutely sets His face toward Jerusalem, fully aware of the impending crucifixion: "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). This determination highlights His obedience to the Father's will and His commitment to the redemptive plan.

Conclusion

The mode of Christ's death, as foretold by Jesus Himself, is a testament to the divine orchestration of salvation history. Through His predictions, Jesus not only prepared His disciples for the events to come but also affirmed the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, underscoring the significance of His sacrificial death on the cross.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 20:18,19
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 12:32,33
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

How Christ Performed the Office of Redeemer in Procuring Our ...
... our ransom, it was necessary to select a mode of death ... could have been no kind of
satisfaction in such a death. ... When we read that Christ was led away from the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 how christ performed.htm

On the Baptism of Christ.
... by me, and keep my words as a law, is the mode of the ... words, "As many of us as were
baptized into Christ were baptized into His death [2157] ." Now if ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the baptism of christ.htm

The Life of Christ.
... Galilee or Judea; neither are we sure that He always journeyed on foot, or that
He adhered to a uniform mode of travelling. ... The death of Christ, of which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter ii the life of.htm

Christ and the Unstable.
... different from us, to whose views and mode of action we ... Messiah, had afterwards a
hand in His death as if ... possible means become doubtful as to Christ being the ...
/.../schleiermacher/selected sermons of schleiermacher/v christ and the unstable.htm

On the Offices of Our Lord Jesus Christ
... The Mode of Administration, and all its Means, are ... of many evils, and, lastly, eternal
death itself ... All these evils Christ inflicts as an omniscient, omnipotent ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 14 on the offices.htm

It Remains for Us, Lest Ancient Times May Perhaps have had the ...
... stedfast in suffering persecution, betrayal and death, much more ... well as the denial,
although the mode of putting ... beareth witness that he is Christ's; he who ...
/.../scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter ix it remains for.htm

Diverse Things are Spoken Concerning the Same Christ, on Account ...
... and became obedient unto death, even the death of the ... that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord ... said according to this or that mode of speech ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 13 diverse things are spoken.htm

The Last Incidents in Per??a - the Young Ruler who Went Away ...
... There is something deeply pathetic in the mode in which St ... the mother steps forth
from among those who follow Christ to His Suffering and Death, to proffer ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiii the last incidents.htm

Of the Lord's Passion, and that it was Foretold.
... The punishment was entirely Roman, the mode of death Roman ... which would imply that
they regarded Christ as a ... Another reading is "necaverunt," they put to death. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xviii of the lords passion.htm

Summary view of the Pre-Existence and Divinity of Our Saviour and ...
... the all-wise and all-virtuous teaching of Christ. 18. ... upon a certain brutal and
insupportable mode of life ... so likewise the manner of his death, his resurrection ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter ii summary view of the.htm