Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), Westminster Assembly

Question 49

How did Christ humble himself in his death?

Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas,a forsaken by his disciples,b scorned and rejected by the world,c condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors;d having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath,e he laid down his life an offering for sin,f enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.g

How did Christ humble himself in his death?

Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas,a forsaken by his disciples,b scorned and rejected by the world,c condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors;d having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath,e he laid down his life an offering for sin,f enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.g

  1. a. Matthew 27:4

    Matthew 27:4

    27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

    27:4 "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood," he said. "What is that to us?" they replied. "You bear the responsibility."

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  2. b. Matthew 26:56

    Matthew 26:56

    26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

    26:56 But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  3. c. Isaiah 53:2–3

    Isaiah 53:2–3

    53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

    53:2 He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him. 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  4. d. Matthew 27:26–50; John 19:34

    Matthew 27:26–50

    27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 27:36 And sitting down they watched him there; 27:37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 27:44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 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? 27:47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 27:48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 27:49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

    27:26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified. 27:27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. 27:28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 27:29 And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 27:30 Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. 27:31 After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. 27:32 Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. 27:33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull, 27:34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. 27:35 When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots. 27:36 And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 27:37 Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27:38 Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and the other on His left. 27:39 And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads 27:40 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!" 27:41 In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, 27:42 "He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 27:43 He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 27:44 In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him. 27:45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" 27:47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He is calling Elijah." 27:48 One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink. 27:49 But the others said, "Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him." 27:50 When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.

    John 19:34

    19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

    19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  5. e. Luke 22:44; Matthew 27:46

    Luke 22:44

    22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

    22:44 And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

    Matthew 27:46

    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?

    27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  6. f. Isaiah 53:10

    Isaiah 53:10

    53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

    53:10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  7. g. Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 12:2; Galatians 3:13

    Philippians 2:8

    2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

    2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross.

    Hebrews 12:2

    12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Galatians 3:13

    3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

    3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

Related (2)

The Baptist Catechism (1695), parallel to this question

Question 30

Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647), parallel to this question

Question 27

Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition made under the law undergoing the miseries of this life the wrath of God and the cursed death of the cross in being buried and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Commentaries (9)