Two Deaths of Christ on the Cross

(Document by Dr Jim Brettell)

That Jesus Christ died twice while hanging on His cruel cross of crucifixion is an idea foreign to most Christians, and yet, the fact that He died twice while hanging on the cross is most crucial to a proper understanding of the penalty paid for the sins of the human race. To adequately understand the two deaths of Christ on the cross, a common ground of understanding the usage of the word “death” is imperative.

Basically, the word “death” implies separation, therefore, whenever the word “death” is used in a sentence, it is proper to ask the following question: What has separated from what? For example, in the Bible, the word “death” is used to convey nine different categories of “separation.” The question that remains -- what vocabulary terms will be used label each of these nine categories? It must be understood that vocabulary terms used to label different categories of “death” may change from person to person because they are man made designations, but the nine scriptural categories of “death” will never change because they are given by God as part of divine revelation.

Let’s look at the nine different categories of “death” found in scripture by using vocabulary terms with which I am familiar:

Vocabulary Concept

1. physical death separation of the unbeliever’s soul from his body
2. spiritual death “U” separation of unbeliever from God in time
3. second death separation of unbeliever from God in eternity
4. positional death separation of the believer from the effects of his old-sin-nature
5. temporal death separation of the believer from God (out-of-fellowship)
6. operational death separation of the believer from blessing (dead faith)
7. sexual death separation of a person from the ability to procreate
8. dead works separation of the unbeliever from saving faith
9. spiritual death “J” separation of God the Son from God the Father

Jesus Dies the First Time: Spiritual Death “J”

Under certain conditions, if a “separation” has occurred, a corollary can be established. The corollary is as follows:

Corollary: If “death” implies “separation,” then some “separations” can be referred to as “death.”

Corollary illustration: If Jesus Christ was separated from God the Father while He (Jesus) hung on the cross, that “separation” from the Father can be given a vocabulary term to designate a category of “separation.” The term that I will use to designate this “separation” is “spiritual death ‘J’”

How can we deny that a “separation” occurred between the Father and the Son while the Son hung on the cross? This “separation” of the Father from the Son is declared by the Son in the following statement: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (KJV)

Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (KJV)

“Forsaken” implies “separation.” The mechanics of this “separation” is clear. An absolutely righteous God the Father was required to “separate” from His Son because His Son was “made to be sin” for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21).

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (KJV)

An explanation follows:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he [ God the Father ] hath made [ by judicial imputation ] him [ Jesus Christ His Son ] to be sin [ by judicial imputation ] for us [ on behalf of born again Church Age believers; this indicates that Jesus became a substitute for us ], who [ reference to Christ ] knew [ possessed ] no sin [ Adam’s original sin imputed, old-sin-nature, personal sins ]; [ in order ] that we [ members of the human race who have placed our faith in Christ ] might [ of a certainty ] be made [ by judicial imputation ] the righteousness [ positional righteousness ] of [ from ] God [the Father ] in him [ Christ ]. (KJV)

The principle is this: Absolute righteousness cannot relate to or fellowship with sin in any form, therefore, when the Son was “made to be sin” for us, an absolutely righteous Father had to “separate” from His Son.

From 12:00 noon (the sixth hour) until 3:00 p.m. (the ninth hour) on the day of Christ’s crucifixion, God the Father imputed (transferred) the sins of the world to His Son. This transfer occasioned the “darkness over all the land” and the “cry” of the Son read about in the following verses:

Matthew 27:45-46
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
(KJV)

This transfer resulted in an immediate “separation” of the Father from the Son. This “separation” lasted three hours -- 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. (the sixth hour until the ninth hour). And since “separation” implies a form of “death,” I will refer to this “separation” as “spiritual death ‘J’.”

Further Evidence of Separation Between God the Father and God the Son

The eight last words of Jesus as He hung on the cross provide further evidence that a separation took place between the Father and the Son. The eight last words are as follows:

First Word Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Second Word: Luke 23:39-43 “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Third Word: John 19:25-26 “Woman, behold thy son!”
Fourth Word: John 19:27 “Behold thy mother!”
Fifth Word: Mark 15:34 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Sixth Word: John 19:28 “I thirst.”
Seventh Word: John 19:30 “It is finished:”
Eighth Word: Luke 23:46 “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: . . .”

Note carefully that the First Word of Jesus. “Father, forgive them . . . . The word “Father” designates family relationship.

Note the Eighth Word of Jesus. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Again, the word “Father” designates family relationship.

Now note the Fifth Word of Jesus. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The term “God” designates deity, and is devoid of relationship meaning.

Question: Why does Jesus begin with relationship to the Father in the First Word and end with relationship to the Father in the Eighth Word, but in between these two relationship experiences He shifts to a term that designates deity rather than relationship?

Answer: The answer is simple. Separation of the Father from the Son did not take place until 12:00 noon at which time the Father began to impute the sins of the world to His Son. From 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon, relationship remained established. However, when the first sin was imputed to Christ, the Father had to forsake His Son until the work of Christ on the cross was finished. Immediately upon forsaking the Son, relationship between the two Persons of the Godhead was broken. This is why in the Fifth Word of Jesus He referred to the First Person of the Godhead as God, and not Father, when He said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” This separation is unique. It happened only once and will never occur again. During that time of separation, the Son could only recognize the First Person of the Godhead as deity -- not as Father. At approximately 3:00 p.m. that same afternoon, the Son looked up to heaven and said, “It is finished.” This meant that the penalty for sin had been completely paid through the Son’s three hour separation from the Father, and now that the work of Christ was finished, the next words out of His mouth were an indication that the relationship between the Father and Son had been restored. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: . . .”

Note again the order -- Father, God, Father. Is it not clear that relationship had been broken and separation taken place?

Conclusion: Separation is tantamount to death, so the first death that Jesus experienced on the cross was spiritual, not physical.

Jesus Dies a Second Time: Physical Death

The second death that Jesus died on the cross was physical death. His physical death occasioned the separation of His human spirit and soul from His physical body. Matthew 27:50 records this separation for us.

Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (KJV)
Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up {His} spirit. (NAS)
Matt 27:50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (NIV)
Matt 27:50 Then Jesus shouted out again, dismissed his spirit, and died. (TLB)

Note the following phrases that indicate physical death in the verses just listed:

• yielded up the ghost (KJV)
• yielded up {His} spirit (NAS)
• gave up his spirit (NIV)
• dismissed his spirit, and died (TLB)

Physical death resulting in separation is also seen when comparing the following verses:

Jesus’ soul went to paradise:

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (KJV)

His human spirit went to the Father:

Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (KJV)

His physical body went to the grave:

Matthew 27:57-60
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (KJV)

There are at least two good reasons why many Christians fail to understand that Christ died twice on the cross:

1. Lack of knowledge of the biblical facts:

2. A rejection of the known biblical facts.

Adam in the Garden and Christ on the Cross

The first personal sin of Adam in the garden of Eden resulted in two deaths. First, Adam immediately died spiritually. He became “separated” from God. Years later, he died physically because the ultimate end of personal sin is physical death.

Genesis 2:17 indicates TWO possible deaths for Adam if he violated the divine prohibition.

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (KJV)

The phrase “thou shalt surely die” should read “dying thou shalt die.”

The word “dying” refers to spiritual death, i.e., separation from God because an absolutely righteous God could no longer relate to or fellowship with a sinful man. Adam’s spiritual death occurred simultaneous with his choice to eat the forbidden fruit.

The word “die” refers to Adams physical death hundreds of years later.

As Adam died twice, so Christ would also die twice, once spiritually “having been made sin” for us, and once physically so that He could overcome physical death and pave the way for His own resurrection, and ultimately the resurrection of the human race.

The “spiritual death” that Christ suffered is associated with our personal sins. He had to suffer “spiritual death” so that mankind’s personal sins could be forgiven.

The “physical death” of Christ is associated with mankind’s resurrection. He had to “die physically” so that He could overcome physical death, and He overcame physical death by being resurrected.

Awesome Conclusion

The penalty that Christ paid for the sins of the world was a three hour separation from God the Father. It was His spiritual death, not His physical death that expiated the sins of mankind.

tags: death  cross  jesus  christ  separation  

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