(D) The crucifixion.  It would be difficult to exaggerate the cruelty and torture of crucifixion.  “It was the most cruel and shameful of all punishments.”  The disciples, however, dwell most of all upon the shame of it.  Such a death in the eyes of a Jew was the sign of the curse of God.  Several things are of importance and should be remembered. (1) The throng that saw it.  A few were friends, some were bitter enemies and many were curious on-lookers.  Altogether there was a great crowd and Jesus was derided and mocked in his death. (2) The story of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus and especially the conversion of the one who repented. (3) The seven sayings of Jesus while he is on the cross reveal his spirit and planning while undergoing this human outrage.  They are worthy of careful study. (4) The miraculous occurrences of the day.  There are three outstanding events that should be thought of as divine manifestations.  They are:  the darkness that covered the earth for three hours; the rending of the veil of the temple and the earthquake.  The people were deeply moved by these marvelous signs. (5) The element of grace seen in it all.  This is seen in the punishment of the innocent Jesus, while the guilty Barabbas went free; the saving of the guilty but penitent thief and several of the sayings of the cross.

(E) The burial and tomb.  The burial was very hurried, lest they should break a Jewish law.  Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus together took him from the cross and buried him and the officers made his grave as secure as possible and placed a guard over it.  All this they did because of his saying that he would rise again in three days.

The Forty Days. (Matt. ch. 28; Mk. ch. 16; Lu. 23:56-24 end; John chs. 20-21; Acts 1:3-12; 1 Cor. 15:5-7.) It is hard to divide this period into sections in such a way as not to present many difficulties.  The several events may, however, be grouped under the following heads. (1) The early morning. (2) The walk to Emmaus and appearance to Peter. (3) The appearance to the ten when Thomas is absent. (4) The appearance to the eleven, Thomas being present. (5) The appearance to seven disciples by the sea of Galilee. (6) Several other appearances mentioned by Paul. (7) The last appearance, when the commission was given and he ascended.  The order of events as outlined cannot be assured with any certainty.  Then, too, there are differences of detail as to the occurrences here outlined.  Each of them, therefore, presents its own difficulties.  The most perplexing of all these problems is the arrangement of the events of the resurrection morning and especially the movements of the various women mentioned.