The Heidelberg Catechism (15)

Now we have come to the fourth article. It is again about what the Lord Jesus has done upon earth.

Question 37: What dost thou understand by the words, “He suffered”?

Answer: That He, all the time that He lived on earth, but especially at the end of His life, sustained in body and soul the wrath of God against the sins of all mankind; that so by His passion, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, He might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the favor of God, righteousness and eternal life.

What does the word “suffered” mean? It speaks about the suffering of the Lord. In the previous Lord's Day we heard that the suffering already began at His birth. He was the King of kings, and yet He had to be laid in a manger. What a humiliation that was! How poor He became!

His suffering lasted throughout His entire lifetime, from His birth to His death. How terrible it was for Him when He saw people sinning. What a grief He had when He noticed that people did not want to love and obey His Father. What enmity He experienced! He was slandered. Most of the people did not want to believe that He was the Son of God. In this way He suffered His entire lifetime. However, at the end of His life it became much worse.

How fearful was His agony and sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane. That was the suffering of His soul. There was also the crown of thorns which He received on His head. Think moreover of the blows and the scourging that men gave to Him. Think also of the way to the cross on Golgotha.

Why did He suffer so much? Why was that necessary? You know well that God has an aversion to sin. God is wroth with all men because of our sins. All people have deserved eternal punishment in hell, where the wrath of God continues forever as a burning fire. Jesus had to bear that terrible wrath of God, and He was also willing to do so, for then only could that wrath of God again be withdrawn. His suffering was the sacrifice, the only sacrifice, by which God could be reconciled. Therefore His sacrifice is called a peace offering, for by it sinners can come to God in heaven as children of God. In this way even the greatest sinners can yet be saved. They can again be reconciled with God.

For whom has the Lord borne the punishment? It is for all His children, and therefore He is called their Surety. He took their guilt upon Himself, and they then receive the grace of God, so that they no longer need to be punished. They are delivered from the eternal condemnation, that is, eternal suffering in hell, and they receive eternal life in heaven.

Question 38: Why did He suffer under Pontius Pilate as judge?

Answer: That He, being innocent, and yet condemned by a temporal judge, might thereby free us from the severe judgment of God to which we were exposed.

It is also mentioned that He suffered “under Pontius Pilate.” Why is this added?

Pilate was the Roman governor appointed by Caesar to rule over the Jewish territory. He was also the judge and thus must punish evildoers. Jesus was condemned by him, meaning that Jesus was also punished. It was the most severe punishment; He must die on the cross. But was Jesus not innocent? Indeed! What Pilate did was very unjust and dishonest. Yet it had to happen. When Pilate condemned Jesus unto death, it was actually done by God! God is the highest Judge, and it was His will that Jesus would die. Why was this? It was because Jesus was the Surety for His people. Did He not take upon Himself the punishment of His people? Did He not stand in their place? For that reason He was given the punishment of death. It was the righteous punishment of God.

Now you will also understand why Jesus said nothing when Pilate declared the punishment. He actually heard the voice of His Father, the honest Judge. His people deserved this punishment, and therefore Jesus was silent. He accepted it. He truly desired to be the Surety for His people, for then they would no longer be condemned by God, but acquitted. Oh, how He loves His children!

Question 39: Is there anything more in His being crucified than if He had died some other death?

Answer: Yes, there is; for thereby I am assured, that He took on Him the curse which lay upon me; for the death of the cross was accursed of God.

The answer is given, “I was accursed of God, because I have sinned against God.” “Accursed” means never to receive any good from God, but only wrath and punishment, and to be always forsaken of God.

A person who was hung on the cross died as an accursed one. Death on the cross was an accursed death. The curse of God was a heavy burden upon the Lord Jesus when He hung upon the cross. By this He delivered all His children from the curse. It was for that reason that He as Surety died the terrible death upon the cross. Jesus could die no other death but must be crucified. How terrible the curse was can be heard in what He cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” When He said, “It is finished,” everyone could hear that He had suffered all the punishment and curse for His people.

We are all in need of this Surety. Let us pray that He will also be our Surety. Will it not be terrible if we ourselves must forever bear the wrath and curse of God?

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