The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

This lesson begins our discussion of the Lord's second three hours on the cross (from noon to 3:00 p.m., or was called the sixth to ninth hours).  This time frame began with an eerie, mysterious darkness over the land, and an intense darkness over the Lord Himself as He was separated, for the first and only time ever, from fellowship with the Father. What were God's reasons for the darkness that shrouded the suffering of His Son from human eyes for three hours?   If Jesus is Deity (and He is), then why would He ask why God had forsaken Him (His fourth saying from the cross)?  Did He not know?  Yes, He knew!  In fact, His knowledge of that mandatory separation, when He literally became the curse of sin for us, was the whole reason for His agony in Gethsemane!  Also, the preincarnate Christ answered His own question in the prophetic preview of His cross-work recorded in Psalm 22.  Actually, by asking the question, He fulfilled yet one more Messianic prophecy!  One further point of interest:  Jesus asked the question so the world would know He paid the FULL wages of death for our sin, which includes not only physical death, but also spiritual death (separation from God)!  Deep, theological lesson made easy to understand and to deepen faith and appreciation for "What Jesus Did for YOU" . . . and for me.  Critical lesson for every believer; convicting lesson to use evangelistically with every non-believer. This lesson in written form (with Homework Questions) is in our "Caldwell Commentary" series, "The Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).

"Love: A Personal Concern" - John 19:25-27.  John's gospel record of the crucifixion of Christ immediately ushers his readers from the Lord's foes to His friends!  He is the only one of the four gospel authors to record Christ's third (of seven) saying from the cross, which was about His mother's care.  To the end, the Lord Jesus obeyed the Law, for He honored His widowed mother by providing (as her eldest Son) for her future care.  He not only obeyed the letter of the Law, He displayed the spirit of the Law, for He exhibited genuine love toward the woman who gave Him physical birth and an eternal home in her heart. Ivor Powell (great Bible commentator) said if he were a woman, one of his favorite passages of Scripture would be John 19:25, 26.  Why?  Because, at the most critical time in Christ's life (as He hung on the cross to pay for the sins of the world), all but one Apostle had forsaken Him.  Only young John was present at the cross  However, there were four faithful women who had both the courage and love to stand with Jesus in the midst of widespread, open hostility and mockery.  Find out who they were, as well as interesting information about each of them. Was Mary, the mother of Jesus, still at the cross when He died?  A lot of religious paintings would lead us to think so!  Listen and hear what the Bible actually tells us!   This study is found in written form (with Homework Questions) in our "Caldwell Commentary" series, "Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com) Find Katherine Caldwell Commentaries on Amazon.com

The sub-title for this concluding lesson on our mini-series, "It is Finished" (What Jesus Did for You) is, "Faith: A Penitent Criminal".  The conversion of one of the two thieves dying with the Lord is a wonderful demonstration of His triumphant victory over the wicked forces of Satan's principalities and powers even when He was seemingly at His weakest (He was really at His strongest).  This is the true account of a sinner who experienced the transforming power of God's grace.  There are some very significant doctrinal teachings that come to light in the Lord's promise to the penitent thief.  What appears to be five short and simple verses (Luke 23:39-43) about a man's dying salvation are actually complex and packed full of deep, spiritual, and eternal truths regarding the Christian faith. Did you know the thief's salvation was fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy?  It was!  Be surprised to learn where that prophecy was given.  

The title of this fifth lesson of our "It is Finished" series concerning Christ's cross-work is "Hate: A Provoking Crowd".  As Satan was in the very process of bruising the Saviour's heel (Genesis 3:15), he was also seeing to it that representatives of each First Century "people group" voiced hatred and scorn at his age-old enemy, God's Son (the One Who cast him like lightning from Heaven).  The events of this lesson occurred during the Lord's first three hours on the cross, before it became eerily dark.  The outline for this study is four-fold:  (1) The Scoffer Passing By the Saviour, (2) The Sanhedrin Calling Down the Saviour, (3) The Soldiers Mocking Under the Saviour, and (4) The Sinners Hanging Next to the Saviour. Please understand this truth: Many people erroneously think the crucifixion manifested the Lord's weakness.  The total opposite is true!  Christ crucified is the power of God (II Corinthians 13:4)! This lesson in written form (with Homework Questions) is found in "The Caldwell Commentaries" - Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).

This is the continuation of Lesson 175a on the Lord's crucifixion.  Repeatedly, throughout His earthly ministry, Christ's enemies sought to destroy Him, but they could not.  HIS predetermined "hour" had not come.  But finally it did, and their desires were granted by the will of God Himself.  The Lord Jesus, Prince of Life, willingly yielded Himself into their hands.  At any minute - even hanging nailed to a cross - He could have used His power to escape, but He did not.  He was fully surrendered to carry through to completion His divinely ordained mission to redeem mankind.  Regardless what it meant for Him personally by way of spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental anguish, He would drink the full, bitter cup of His Father's wrath and holy judgment against sin - for you and for me.  As in the first part of this two-part look at Christ's horrific crucifixion, we will see how Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled.  Learn, too, who wrote the first Gospel tract and what it said.  Also, did you know the Holy Spirit did NOT inspire any of the four gospel writers to record details about the Lord's actual crucifixion!  Why do you think that is?