“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit… But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” — John 19:30, 34 (BSB)
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (BSB)
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” — 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (BSB)
“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” — Isaiah 53:9 (BSB)
The Gospel writers go to great lengths to show that Jesus not only suffered but truly died. John 19:30 records His final cry—“It is finished”—followed by His voluntary surrender of His spirit. The spear to His side, recorded by John, was a decisive confirmation of death. His burial, as attested in all four Gospels, fulfilled Isaiah 53:9 and established that He truly entered the realm of the dead. This was no illusion or temporary sleep; He fully shared in our mortality.
Anglican doctrine strongly affirms the centrality of Christ’s death. Article II of the Thirty-Nine Articles declares: “Christ truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile His Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men.” In the Book of Common Prayer, the Eucharistic liturgy praises Christ “who made there (by His one oblation of Himself once offered) a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.”
John Donne, 17th-century Anglican priest and poet, wrote, “There we leave you, Lord Jesus, nailed and dead and buried, and yet alive in our souls, by faith.” Likewise, Bishop N.T. Wright insists that the burial is not an optional footnote, but a key affirmation: “The burial confirms that Jesus’ death was real, final, and complete—preparing for the glory of resurrection.” His death is not a tragedy to mourn, but the victory of love to proclaim.
Thus, to confess that Jesus “was crucified, died, and was buried” is to remember the cost of our salvation and to affirm its finished reality. We do not trust in vague hopes or abstract ideas—we trust in the incarnate Son of God who was nailed to a Roman cross, gave up His spirit, and was laid in a tomb. His death is the foundation of our life, His burial the sealing of His sacrifice. And because He truly died, we know that He truly rose.
Irenaeus defended the reality of Christ’s death against early heresies and affirmed its saving purpose.
Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD) declared: “Christ’s flesh was fastened to the Cross, truly suffered, truly died, and truly was buried. This is the ground of our redemption.” — On the Flesh of Christ, 5
Tertullian argued vigorously against those who denied the real humanity and suffering of Jesus.
St. Athanasius (c. 296–373 AD) taught: “The death of Christ is the ransom for many. By His death, He destroyed the power of death, and by His burial, He sanctified the grave.” — On the Incarnation, 20
Athanasius saw both the death and burial of Christ as essential acts in the work of redemption.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) preached: “He humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross… He was laid in the grave, that He might bless even the dust of the earth with hope.” — Sermon 218
Augustine emphasized that the burial of Jesus redeems not only life, but death itself.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386 AD) said: “Let no one doubt that He truly died. The burial confirms it. He went into the tomb, not as God alone, but as the God-Man who died for us.” — Catechetical Lectures, 13.4
Cyril stressed that Jesus’ real death and burial were the basis for faith in His resurrection.
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
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