Welcome to the
'Books of the Book.'
00:00:20.32\00:00:23.18
A special series on 3ABN
00:00:23.22\00:00:25.49
featuring each of
the books of the Bible.
00:00:25.52\00:00:27.29
It's a wonderful
series to be part of.
00:00:27.32\00:00:29.82
I'm Glenn Russell,
professor of Religion
00:00:29.86\00:00:32.13
at Andrews University.
00:00:32.16\00:00:33.90
I'm here with a good friend
00:00:33.93\00:00:35.26
and New Testament
scholar, Dr. Ranko Stefanovic.
00:00:35.30\00:00:38.57
Ranko, as you teach
there in the seminary,
00:00:38.60\00:00:40.77
it's great to
partner with 3ABN ministry
00:00:40.80\00:00:44.01
and to come and share
the insights of scripture.
00:00:44.04\00:00:47.28
So you're sharing as teacher,
00:00:47.31\00:00:48.68
but you're also a
student of the word
00:00:48.71\00:00:50.08
of all the way
through the process.
00:00:50.11\00:00:51.48
You know Glenn, we
are there in the classroom
00:00:51.51\00:00:53.98
and our purpose is always,
whatever we teach our students
00:00:54.02\00:00:57.92
what we present to them,
00:00:57.95\00:00:59.32
we want them to use that
material one day for preaching.
00:00:59.35\00:01:03.36
So I try to balance my
teaching with traveling around,
00:01:03.39\00:01:06.33
because I've like to share
the word of God with others.
00:01:06.36\00:01:10.87
And this is what our mission is.
00:01:10.90\00:01:13.30
I'm really grateful to
God that He gave me privilege
00:01:13.34\00:01:16.50
that I've more time
than pastors in the churches
00:01:16.54\00:01:19.61
to study the word of God.
00:01:19.64\00:01:21.78
So we need to help each others.
00:01:21.81\00:01:23.41
I learned many
things from others
00:01:23.45\00:01:25.81
and I try to make
my own contribution.
00:01:25.85\00:01:28.38
We need each other in
order to understand the Bible.
00:01:28.42\00:01:30.42
We certainly do and we need
00:01:30.45\00:01:31.82
the Holy Spirit
to guide us. Yes.
00:01:31.85\00:01:33.22
Let's pray as we continue.
00:01:33.25\00:01:35.36
Lord as we open Your word,
00:01:35.39\00:01:38.19
we ask that once again
You'll open our hearts.
00:01:38.23\00:01:41.13
Father, we are not able
to know You by ourselves.
00:01:41.16\00:01:44.83
We could never understand You
00:01:44.87\00:01:46.30
and we thank You
for Your revelation.
00:01:46.33\00:01:49.84
We realize that we
will still only know enough
00:01:49.87\00:01:54.04
to give us a taste of
Your wondrous awesome glory.
00:01:54.08\00:01:57.78
And we look forward to eternity
00:01:57.81\00:01:59.78
when we can sit at Your feet
00:01:59.81\00:02:01.58
and you'll
teach us face to face.
00:02:01.62\00:02:03.02
But until then
thank You for Your spirit.
00:02:03.05\00:02:05.52
May You be our teacher now,
00:02:05.55\00:02:06.92
in Jesus name, amen. Amen.
00:02:06.96\00:02:10.16
We've been with Jesus
following Him on his journey
00:02:10.19\00:02:13.26
as He goes through His baptism,
00:02:13.29\00:02:16.23
through His
temptations of the worldliness
00:02:16.26\00:02:18.57
through His
three and half years,
00:02:18.60\00:02:20.40
and now He is
coming to the cross.
00:02:20.44\00:02:22.70
He's gone through Gethsemane,
that great agony of heart.
00:02:22.74\00:02:26.61
He's faced the
mob in the garden.
00:02:26.64\00:02:29.28
He has been taken into arrest
00:02:29.31\00:02:31.45
and now we find Him
heading to the cross. Yes.
00:02:31.48\00:02:34.65
So Jesus is
standing before Pilate.
00:02:34.68\00:02:38.92
Pilate was Roman
Governor who was in charge
00:02:38.95\00:02:43.09
of the entire political
situation in Palestine.
00:02:43.12\00:02:46.49
He was also in charge
of collecting taxes. Yes.
00:02:46.53\00:02:50.33
And his main mission was to keep
00:02:50.37\00:02:53.23
peace in
Palestine for any price.
00:02:53.27\00:02:58.54
If keeping peace
meant torturing people
00:02:58.57\00:03:02.31
and kill many
innocent people doesn't matter
00:03:02.34\00:03:04.71
as long as the peace is there
00:03:04.75\00:03:07.95
and then he can
collect taxes, that was all.
00:03:07.98\00:03:12.05
So he gives the people a choice
00:03:12.09\00:03:13.92
for Barabas or Jesus
00:03:13.96\00:03:15.42
and the devil and
the priest stir up
00:03:15.46\00:03:17.56
the people to say,
"We'll take the Barabas.
00:03:17.59\00:03:20.36
Crucify Christ."
00:03:20.40\00:03:21.73
So see the Jewish
leaders first presented
00:03:21.76\00:03:23.97
charges that were religious one.
00:03:24.00\00:03:27.00
Pilate did not
buy it. Didn't work.
00:03:27.04\00:03:29.07
But then he know that
they went to another thing.
00:03:29.10\00:03:32.04
They changed their acquisitions
to the political ones.
00:03:32.07\00:03:35.88
It was at that point
00:03:35.91\00:03:37.45
that Pilate
actually became concerned.
00:03:37.48\00:03:41.18
We don't have a king but Caesar.
00:03:41.22\00:03:46.12
Yes. What a tragic
pathetic confession? Yes.
00:03:46.15\00:03:50.63
We will take
Caesar instead of Christ.
00:03:50.66\00:03:52.66
And this cruel procurator
00:03:52.69\00:03:56.43
who did not care
about innocent people.
00:03:56.46\00:04:00.60
Actually did not have the peace.
00:04:00.64\00:04:05.24
He wanted to release
Jesus to make Him free.
00:04:05.27\00:04:07.98
He's got a
message from his wife.
00:04:08.01\00:04:10.25
He sees Jesus
eyes, he senses this man.
00:04:10.28\00:04:13.42
There's something
different about Jesus.
00:04:13.45\00:04:15.68
But he thinks
one more thing to do.
00:04:15.72\00:04:17.82
You see, he's moved
with compassion. Yeah.
00:04:17.85\00:04:21.62
But what about Jewish leaders?
00:04:21.66\00:04:23.93
The cost is too high.
00:04:23.96\00:04:25.43
He even presents Barabbas
to them to make their choice.
00:04:25.46\00:04:30.27
They'd rather
chose Barabbas than Jesus
00:04:30.30\00:04:35.47
and then he moves
to the last action
00:04:35.50\00:04:39.91
hoping, hoping to save
Jesus and what was that?
00:04:39.94\00:04:42.68
May I pick it up in
00:04:42.71\00:04:44.08
Matthew Chapter
27 verse 24? Please.
00:04:44.11\00:04:46.58
"So when Pilate saw
that he was gaining nothing,
00:04:46.61\00:04:49.58
but rather that a
riot was beginning,"
00:04:49.62\00:04:51.72
You can see how
fearful he be of that.
00:04:51.75\00:04:54.02
Verse 24, "He took
water and washed his hands
00:04:54.06\00:04:56.32
before the crowd and said
00:04:56.36\00:04:57.73
I am innocent of
this man's blood,
00:04:57.76\00:04:59.36
see to it yourselves."
00:04:59.39\00:05:00.83
Of course he wasn't innocent.
00:05:00.86\00:05:02.20
Verse 25, "And all
the people answered,
00:05:02.23\00:05:04.53
''His blood be on us
and on our children!''
00:05:04.57\00:05:06.67
Then he released
for them Barabbas,
00:05:06.70\00:05:08.37
and having scourged Jesus,
00:05:08.40\00:05:11.37
he delivered him
to be crucified."
00:05:11.41\00:05:13.58
Yes. And then we
have the description.
00:05:13.61\00:05:16.48
Can you just read
description of scourging?
00:05:16.51\00:05:18.85
Ah, this is so tragic.
00:05:18.88\00:05:21.38
"Then the
soldiers of the governor
00:05:21.42\00:05:23.05
took Jesus into the praetorium,
00:05:23.08\00:05:25.32
and they gathered the
whole battalion before him.
00:05:25.35\00:05:27.32
They stripped him and
put a scarlet robe upon him.
00:05:27.36\00:05:30.53
And plaiting a crown of
thorns they put it on his head,
00:05:30.56\00:05:33.80
and put a reed
in his right hand.
00:05:33.83\00:05:35.23
And kneeling before
him, they mocked him,
00:05:35.26\00:05:37.27
saying, ''Hail,
King of the Jews!''
00:05:37.30\00:05:40.30
And they spat up on
him and took the reed
00:05:40.34\00:05:42.67
and struck him on the head.
00:05:42.70\00:05:44.34
And when they had mocked him,
00:05:44.37\00:05:45.74
they stripped him of the robe
00:05:45.77\00:05:47.44
and put his own clothes on him
00:05:47.48\00:05:50.41
and led him
away to crucify him."
00:05:50.45\00:05:53.55
So many times I hear
when people are taking
00:05:53.58\00:05:55.55
about scourging of Jesus,
00:05:55.58\00:05:57.12
how Jesus was
whipped or beaten etcetera.
00:05:57.15\00:06:02.56
We have to keep in mind that
00:06:02.59\00:06:04.26
people then go
to another extreme
00:06:04.29\00:06:06.43
and we have that--
There is a famous movie--
00:06:06.46\00:06:10.80
Famous movie where people went
00:06:10.83\00:06:12.50
to completely
another extreme that--
00:06:12.53\00:06:16.54
Jesus was so
beaten in that movie
00:06:16.57\00:06:18.34
that He could die three
four times there etcetera.
00:06:18.37\00:06:21.04
The question is how
to keep the balance.
00:06:21.08\00:06:22.61
We have to understand
what scourging was all about.
00:06:22.64\00:06:25.98
Actually, there
were-- let their thongs,
00:06:26.01\00:06:30.82
at the end there were pellets
00:06:30.85\00:06:34.22
out of which sharp lead
or bones were coming out.
00:06:34.26\00:06:39.33
So they're five, six of them.
00:06:39.36\00:06:41.43
They would bind the
person for a pillar there.
00:06:41.46\00:06:45.97
They would stripped, you
know, person of the clothes,
00:06:46.00\00:06:49.57
so nothing was just a skin.
00:06:49.60\00:06:51.34
And one of the strongest
soldier would take that scourge
00:06:51.37\00:06:56.61
and beat the
person so many times.
00:06:56.64\00:06:59.41
After the scourging,
the person was beaten,
00:06:59.45\00:07:03.22
there was no skin left there
on the back and on shoulder.
00:07:03.25\00:07:11.23
Actually if the soldier was
not careful in beating, Yes.
00:07:11.26\00:07:17.23
The person could easily die
00:07:17.27\00:07:20.77
and they must say something is,
00:07:20.80\00:07:22.50
we don't know, which
of the two was worse,
00:07:22.54\00:07:27.21
scourging or the
crucifixion? Yes.
00:07:27.24\00:07:31.28
It's a terrible
beating as they whipped Him.
00:07:31.31\00:07:33.31
And they had limit,
00:07:33.35\00:07:34.68
you can only beat Him
so many times otherwise--
00:07:34.72\00:07:36.32
Among the Jews, 39 times. Yes.
00:07:36.35\00:07:38.29
Yes. Now--
00:07:38.32\00:07:40.02
Actually scourging
was a dreadful punishment.
00:07:40.06\00:07:42.96
Yes. Almost equal to the cross.
00:07:42.99\00:07:47.40
And Ranko, I'd like
to pause for a moment.
00:07:47.40\00:07:49.40
Someone might get the impression
00:07:49.43\00:07:51.00
that we're saying the Jews,
00:07:51.03\00:07:52.67
because the text--the
Gospel sometimes say the Jews.
00:07:52.70\00:07:55.10
We should pause and reflect,
00:07:55.14\00:07:56.84
this is not an ethnic
term as it's used here. No.
00:07:56.87\00:07:59.44
It's dealing with the
leadership at the time.
00:07:59.47\00:08:01.88
So there is n o justification
for any anti-Semitic behavior
00:08:01.91\00:08:05.75
or anything thing like that.
00:08:05.78\00:08:07.15
This is not against the people.
00:08:07.18\00:08:08.72
They probably behaved as
human beings would behave.
00:08:08.75\00:08:11.32
Sure, of course,
many of ordinary people
00:08:11.35\00:08:14.59
were prompted by Jewish leaders
00:08:14.62\00:08:18.79
to shout at and stood up,
00:08:18.83\00:08:21.56
you know,
against Jesus etcetera.
00:08:21.60\00:08:23.16
But when the Holy
Spirit served them up
00:08:23.20\00:08:26.80
on the day of Pentecost,
00:08:26.84\00:08:28.30
they responded
in repentance. Yes.
00:08:28.34\00:08:30.67
So to talk
about any consequences
00:08:30.71\00:08:33.01
or anything you know,
00:08:33.04\00:08:34.74
it will be
against Biblical teaching.
00:08:34.78\00:08:37.35
We are talking about
Jewish leaders of course,
00:08:37.38\00:08:39.85
they had the consequences.
00:08:39.88\00:08:42.65
And so many times
Christians they are so ready
00:08:42.68\00:08:46.55
to judge those people,
00:08:46.59\00:08:48.02
but we don't have any judgment
00:08:48.06\00:08:52.13
that was coming from Jesus.
00:08:52.16\00:08:54.00
Actually the only
reaction of Jesus was a prayer,
00:08:54.00\00:08:56.93
"Father, forgive them
because they don't know
00:08:56.97\00:09:00.24
what they are doing."
00:09:00.27\00:09:01.64
They really did not
know what they were doing,
00:09:01.67\00:09:03.54
because few weeks
later they repented
00:09:03.57\00:09:07.04
and actually they
were among the first one
00:09:07.08\00:09:10.28
who joined the Christian church.
00:09:10.31\00:09:11.65
By the thousands. Yes.
00:09:11.68\00:09:13.88
"And when they
went out of that place,
00:09:13.92\00:09:16.92
they came upon a
man of Simon of Cyrene
00:09:16.95\00:09:20.32
and they compelled
Him to carry His cross."
00:09:20.36\00:09:22.22
So we see now we're moving
00:09:22.26\00:09:24.06
on that Via
Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross.
00:09:24.09\00:09:26.76
Let's keep in
mind what happened here
00:09:26.80\00:09:28.83
in Garden of Gethsemane there,
00:09:28.86\00:09:31.17
drained Jesus, I
mean you remember,
00:09:31.20\00:09:33.40
sweat was mixed with blood.
00:09:33.44\00:09:35.80
Then the whole night
evidently Jesus did not sleep.
00:09:35.84\00:09:38.47
I mean He was beaten there
00:09:38.51\00:09:39.87
and mistreated. Mocked, abused.
00:09:39.91\00:09:42.34
There mocked, abused
in the house of Kayafa's.
00:09:42.38\00:09:46.95
Now He was scourged.
00:09:46.98\00:09:48.35
We know what it means
00:09:48.38\00:09:50.12
and finally He
had to carry His cross
00:09:50.15\00:09:54.16
to the place of the crucifixion.
00:09:54.19\00:09:57.16
Let's talk a little
about crucifixion and cross
00:09:57.19\00:10:00.33
and what that
was in Roman times?
00:10:00.36\00:10:03.00
Actually
crucifixion has been considered
00:10:03.03\00:10:08.20
to be one of the
cruelest method of execution.
00:10:08.24\00:10:14.41
It wasn't simply
to kill someone? No.
00:10:14.44\00:10:16.78
That could have
been done very quickly.
00:10:16.81\00:10:18.31
You know what
they're supposed to do to--
00:10:18.35\00:10:20.15
to kill a person
but to make torture
00:10:20.18\00:10:23.59
and suffering as
long as possible.
00:10:23.62\00:10:26.76
Crucifixion was
not done by anybody.
00:10:26.79\00:10:30.86
In the court of
the Roman soldiers,
00:10:30.89\00:10:33.13
there was a specialist for
nailing person on the cross.
00:10:33.16\00:10:38.33
It means to put the
nails into the places
00:10:38.37\00:10:42.07
where the pain
was the most severe.
00:10:42.10\00:10:46.27
So to make the person to
suffer as long as possible
00:10:46.31\00:10:52.11
and to make, you know,
that pain as great as possible,
00:10:52.15\00:10:59.32
does that make sense--
00:10:59.35\00:11:00.79
And the reason would be
not just for the prisoner,
00:11:00.82\00:11:03.63
it's to show everybody else.
00:11:03.66\00:11:05.03
So they would crucify people
usually on the crossroads,
00:11:05.06\00:11:08.33
on the prominent places,
usually the gate of the city.
00:11:08.36\00:11:12.07
So when people were
coming in or going out,
00:11:12.10\00:11:16.57
there was a message,
00:11:16.60\00:11:18.31
you'll see this is
what will happen to you
00:11:18.34\00:11:21.58
if you do not surrender
yourself to the Roman authority.
00:11:21.61\00:11:23.95
Spectacle of the
cross. Spectacle of the cross.
00:11:23.98\00:11:26.31
By the way, Roman
citizens could not be crucified
00:11:26.35\00:11:30.35
because it was too humiliating
00:11:30.39\00:11:33.76
for any
dignified status of Romans
00:11:33.79\00:11:37.43
who claim to
have Roman citizens.
00:11:37.46\00:11:39.33
And the pathway
from trial to the cross
00:11:39.36\00:11:42.40
was not the most
direct route. Yeah.
00:11:42.43\00:11:44.03
He would take them
through the places.
00:11:44.07\00:11:46.20
You've walked through those
00:11:46.23\00:11:47.60
narrow streets
of Jerusalem. Yes.
00:11:47.64\00:11:49.04
You've been on
that tragic journey
00:11:49.07\00:11:51.61
for as many people
as possible to see,
00:11:51.64\00:11:53.58
this is what happens to someone
who rebels against Romans.
00:11:53.61\00:11:56.24
So let's provide
few more details.
00:11:56.28\00:11:58.51
You know the traditional
picture of crucifixion of Jesus
00:11:58.55\00:12:01.32
is how Jesus
carries the whole cross.
00:12:01.35\00:12:05.55
However it does not
fit the historical reality.
00:12:05.59\00:12:09.09
You see on the shoulder
of that scourged--shoulder,
00:12:09.12\00:12:16.56
okay, a cross beam
which was called in Latin,
00:12:16.60\00:12:21.64
patibulum, so that cross beam.
00:12:21.67\00:12:23.20
So the upright is there?
00:12:23.24\00:12:25.01
It's there, it's
fixed already in the ground.
00:12:25.04\00:12:27.91
So that cross beam
would be put on this,
00:12:27.94\00:12:30.48
it was very heavy. Oh, yeah.
00:12:30.51\00:12:32.05
It was very heavy.
00:12:32.08\00:12:33.45
So the person had
to carry it, okay,
00:12:33.48\00:12:37.59
to the place of the crucifixion.
00:12:37.62\00:12:41.06
Okay, so they
would come to the place,
00:12:41.09\00:12:43.32
they would put that cross beam,
00:12:43.36\00:12:45.06
they would put the-- Prisoner?
00:12:45.09\00:12:48.60
The prisoner, they'll
put that on cross beam,
00:12:48.63\00:12:50.80
they will tie the
hands and after that
00:12:50.83\00:12:53.57
they would put the nails there.
00:12:53.60\00:12:55.37
Because people are
fighting, I mean it was--
00:12:55.40\00:12:59.27
That's a gory
and 12:59] graphic.
00:12:59.31\00:13:00.81
But according to the gospels
00:13:00.84\00:13:03.61
there was no need
for Jesus to be bound.
00:13:03.65\00:13:06.72
Jesus put His hands there
and then He was crucified.
00:13:06.75\00:13:10.99
By the way, the problem is that
00:13:11.02\00:13:17.33
we don't know too
much about crucifixion.
00:13:17.36\00:13:19.63
We have information, we
have ancient inscriptions
00:13:19.66\00:13:22.80
telling us about,
but the problem is
00:13:22.83\00:13:25.77
we don't have any tomb of
any crucified person, why?
00:13:25.80\00:13:28.90
Because a crucified person,
00:13:28.94\00:13:30.67
see crucifixion
was so humiliating
00:13:30.71\00:13:33.41
that crucified
person could not be buried,
00:13:33.44\00:13:36.91
the person would be thrown
on the garbage place there.
00:13:36.95\00:13:41.55
Cor Gehenna.
That's why we understand
00:13:41.58\00:13:44.92
why Nicodemus and Joseph,
they had to go to ask Pilate,
00:13:44.95\00:13:49.09
did to God,
please would you give us.
00:13:49.12\00:13:50.99
Actually they
brought a lot of money,
00:13:51.03\00:13:53.40
they bribed Pilate in
order to get the body of Jesus
00:13:53.43\00:13:56.80
to prepare Him for the funeral.
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.87
And we're saying that
it was not simply nails
00:13:59.90\00:14:02.77
that held Jesus to the cross,
00:14:02.80\00:14:04.17
it was His love for
you, His love for me.
00:14:04.21\00:14:07.01
We're going to explore that love
00:14:07.04\00:14:08.41
a little bit further
right after our break.
00:14:08.44\00:14:10.01
We'll be right back.
00:14:10.05\00:14:11.41