He Died Alone

By Kent Heaton

Roman soldiers brought the condemned out of the city to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, “Place of a Skull.” A scene of carnage and smell of death welcomed all who came to this knoll outside Jerusalem. Death lingered long here as a place of execution. The curious and the religious gathered around to watch the execution of three men upon wooden instruments of Roman justice. Flickering in the eyes of the crowd two thieves were nailed to their crosses and between the two another was nailed. These men were suffering the justice of Caesar’s law upon those accused and found guilty. The crowd gathered to watch men die.

A mob of people sat and watched three men agonize in painful cries of misery and suffering. The two robbers reviled the one in the middle “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). The religious zealots saw a criminal; the people saw the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth, "a Man attested by God … by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him … delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, [was] taken by lawless hands … crucified, and put to death” (Acts 2:22-23). He died alone.

Roman soldiers took the sandals, girdle, outer robe, head-dress and garments of Jesus and cast lots among themselves for possession. The coat of Jesus was included in the casting of lots. It was without seam (as would be found in the tunic of a high priest; Josephus, Ant. iii.7.4) and was bundled away with the soldier who won the lot. They laughed, argued and gambled away the last earthly possessions of God’s Son while Jesus died alone.

The Jewish leaders came to watch Jesus die. Only a few moments earlier they had cried out to Pilate, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:15). Standing in the stench of Golgotha the chief priests, rulers, scribes and elders of the Jews looked with hatred upon Jesus. They mocked him with reviling words and insults while Jesus died alone.

Crowds of people passed by railing on Jesus and wagging their heads at him in derision. The voices sounded loud and rang in the ears of God’s Son as he suffered a slow death. People murmured among themselves talking of what they saw and laughing and jeering and Jesus died alone.

Among those gathered were a great multitude of disciples mourning and lamenting what they witnessed (Luke 23:27). “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). John the apostle was there (John 19:26). But Jesus died alone.

Jesus died to bear “our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). He died alone in that scene of chaos on Golgotha because only He could bear that cross (Matthew 20:28). As Jesus died alone at Golgotha He was not left alone at Calvary. “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me” (John 16:32). In His death Jesus has not left us alone (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). Our promise in life is that we do not have to die alone. &

Does Baptism Save?

By Bob Myhan

Water baptism does, indeed save, as “an appeal to God for a good conscience,” according to Peter in his first epistle. Notice 1 Pet. 3:18-21 (NKJV).

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

In verse 21, Peter mentions "an antitype which now  saves us." What is "an antitype"? The Greek word here means: "strictly struck back, echoed; hence answering to, corresponding to; neuter as an adverb; of baptism fulfilling a type presented in Noah's flood in a way corresponding to." (Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: Friberg, Friberg & Miller).

What is this "antitype which now saves us"? It is "baptism." Therefore, it is baptism "which now saves us." It "saves us" in that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ when we are baptized (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rev. 1:5). Peter is saying that the water of the flood was a prophetic “type” of water baptism. As water saved Noah and his family in the Patriarchal age, baptism “now saves us” in the Church age.

Some, of course, contend that Noah and his family weren't saved by water, but by the ark. Peter, however, said they "were saved by water” (GW, KJV, MontgomeryNT), “were saved from the water by the water" (MSG) or “were saved by means of the water" (MaceNT). Of course, the ark saved them physically, in that it bore them up above the physical destruction brought on by the water below. But the water saved them spiritually, in that it took away all the evil people and their evil influence (Matthew 24:37-39). Baptism “now saves us,” in that our sins are washed away when we are baptized (Acts 2:38; 22:16).

Peter does not say that baptism saves us in and of itself, but that it saves us "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." If not for this event, by which Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power” (Rom. 1:4), neither baptism nor anything else would or could save anyone. Baptism does not save as the cause, but as a condition of salvation.

Notice, also, that the baptism that saves is "not the removal of the filth of the flesh.” That is, immersion for the purpose of washing dirt from the body will not save.

The Greek word translated, "answer," in the KJV & NKJV, appears nowhere else in the New Testament. Its verb form, however, appears 59 times in 58 verses and is translated, "ask," "asked," "asking," "demanded," "desired," "question" or "questioned."

Consequently, the noun must mean "a request." Notice the following translations of verse 21.

Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn't save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life. (GW)

which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; (ASV)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (ESV)

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NASB)

And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NRSV)

Thus, baptism, as "an appeal to God for a good conscience," "now saves us," not as the cause but as a condition of salvation. &