171 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 2 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, 'This is what e the Lord has commanded , saying , 3 "Any man from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp , or who slaughters it outside e the camp , 4 and has not brought it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord , bloodguiltiness is to be reckoned to that man . He has shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people . 5 "The reason is so that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open field , that they may bring them in to the Lord , at the doorway of the tent of meeting to the priest , and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord . 6 "The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting , and offer up the fat in smoke as a soothing aroma to the Lord . 7 " They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat demons with which they play the harlot . This shall be a permanent statute to them throughout their generations ."' 8 "Then you shall say to them, 'Any man from the house of Israel , or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice , 9 and does not bring it to the doorway of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord , that man also shall be cut off from his people .
10 ' And any man from the house of Israel , or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood , I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people . 11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood , and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls ; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement .' 12 "Therefore e I said to the sons of Israel , 'No e person among you may eat blood , nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood .' 13 "So when any man from the sons of Israel , or from the aliens who sojourn among them, in hunting catches a beast or a bird which may be eaten , he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth . 14 " For as for the life of all flesh , its blood is identified with its life . Therefore I said to the sons of Israel , 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh , for the life of all flesh is its blood ; whoever eats it shall be cut off .' 15 " When any person eats an animal which dies or is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or an alien , he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water , and remain unclean until evening ; then he will become clean . 16 "But if he does not wash them or bathe his body , then he shall bear his guilt ."
181 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ' I am the Lord your God . 3 'You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived , nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where e I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes . 4 'You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes , to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God . 5 'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments , by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord .
6 'None e of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness ; I am the Lord . 7 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father , that is, the nakedness of your mother . She is your mother ; you are not to uncover her nakedness . 8 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife ; it is your father's nakedness . 9 ' The nakedness of your sister , either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter , whether born at home or born outside , their nakedness you shall not uncover . 10 'The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter , their nakedness you shall not uncover ; for their nakedness is yours. 11 'The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter , born to your father , she is your sister , you shall not uncover her nakedness . 12 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister ; she is your father's blood relative . 13 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister , for she is your mother's blood relative . 14 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother ; you shall not approach his wife , she is your aunt . 15 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law ; she is your son's wife , you shall not uncover her nakedness . 16 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife ; it is your brother's nakedness . 17 ' You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter , nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter , to uncover her nakedness ; they are blood relatives . It is lewdness . 18 'You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive , to uncover her nakedness .
19 ' Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity . 20 ' You shall not have intercourse e with your neighbor's wife , to be defiled with her. 21 'You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech , nor shall you profane the name of your God ; I am the Lord . 22 ' You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female ; it is an abomination . 23 ' Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion . 24 'Do not defile yourselves by any of these things ; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before e you have become defiled . 25 'For the land has become defiled , therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants . 26 'But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any e of these abominations , neither the native , nor the alien who sojourns among you 27 (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations , and the land has become defiled ); 28 so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. 29 'For whoever e does any e of these abominations , those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people . 30 'Thus you are to keep My charge , that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the Lord your God .' "
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns , they put it on His head , and a reed in His right hand ; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying , " Hail , King of the Jews !" 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head . 31 After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon , whom they pressed into service to bear His cross .
33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha , which means Place of a Skull , 34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall ; and after tasting it, He was unwilling e to drink . 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots . 36 And sitting down , they began to keep watch over Him there . 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read , " THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS ." 38 At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left . 39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying , " You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days , save Yourself ! If You are the Son of God , come down from the cross ." 41 In the same way the chief priests also , along with the scribes and elders , were mocking Him and saying , 42 " He saved others ; He cannot e save Himself . He is the King of Israel ; let Him now come down from the cross , and we will believe in Him. 43 " HE TRUSTS IN GOD ; LET GOD RESCUE Him now , IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said , 'I am the Son of God .' " 44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. 45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour . 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice , saying , " ELI , ELI , LAMA SABACHTHANI ?" that is, "MY GOD , MY GOD , WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" 47 And some of those who were standing there , when they heard it, began saying , "This man is calling for Elijah ." 48 Immediately one of them ran , and taking a sponge , he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed , and gave Him a drink . 49 But the rest of them said , "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice , and yielded up His spirit .
(Read Matthew 27:26-30)
Crucifixion was a death used only among the Romans; it was very terrible and miserable. A cross was laid on the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, it was then lifted up and fixed upright, so that the weight of the body hung on the nails, till the sufferer died in agony. Christ thus answered the type of the brazen serpent raised on a pole. Christ underwent all the misery and shame here related, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and glory.
(Read Matthew 27:31-34)
Christ was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, as a Sacrifice to the altar. Even the mercies of the wicked are really cruel. Taking the cross from him, they compelled one Simon to bear it. Make us ready, O Lord, to bear the cross thou hast appointed us, and daily to take it up with cheerfulness, following thee. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? And when we behold what manner of death he died, let us in that behold with what manner of love he loved us. As if death, so painful a death, were not enough, they added to its bitterness and terror in several ways.
(Read Matthew 27:35-44)
It was usual to put shame upon malefactors, by a writing to notify the crime for which they suffered. So they set up one over Christ's head. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation was to his honour. There were crucified with him at the same time, two robbers. He was, at his death, numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints. The taunts and jeers he received are here recorded. The enemies of Christ labour to make others believe that of religion and of the people of God, which they themselves know to be false. The chief priests and scribes, and the elders, upbraid Jesus with being the King of Israel. Many people could like the King of Israel well enough, if he would but come down from the cross; if they could but have his kingdom without the tribulation through which they must enter into it. But if no cross, then no Christ, no crown. Those that would reign with him, must be willing to suffer with him. Thus our Lord Jesus, having undertaken to satisfy the justice of God, did it, by submitting to the punishment of the worst of men. And in every minute particular recorded about the sufferings of Christ, we find some prediction in the Prophets or the Psalms fulfilled.
(Read Matthew 27:45-50)
During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, man's redemption and salvation. Jesus uttered a complaint from Psalm 22:1. Hereby he teaches of what use the word of God is to direct us in prayer, and recommends the use of Scripture expressions in prayer. The believer may have tasted some drops of bitterness, but he can only form a very feeble idea of the greatness of Christ's sufferings. Yet, hence he learns something of the Saviour's love to sinners; hence he gets deeper conviction of the vileness and evil of sin, and of what he owes to Christ, who delivers him from the wrath to come. His enemies wickedly ridiculed his complaint. Many of the reproaches cast upon the word of God and the people of God, arise, as here, from gross mistakes. Christ, just before he expired, spake in his full strength, to show that his life was not forced from him, but was freely delivered into his Father's hands. He had strength to bid defiance to the powers of death: and to show that by the eternal Spirit he offered himself, being the Priest as well as the Sacrifice, he cried with a loud voice. Then he yielded up the ghost. The Son of God upon the cross, did die by the violence of the pain he was put to. His soul was separated from his body, and so his body was left really and truly dead. It was certain that Christ did die, for it was needful that he should die. He had undertaken to make himself an offering for sin, and he did it when he willingly gave up his life.
