Note 1 at Mt 26:2: In Israel, crucifixion was a common sight according to Josephus (The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 17, Chapter 10, Section 10 and Book 20, Chapter 5, Section 2). The Jews, unlike the Romans, never crucified living persons but did hang dead bodies on trees as an act of public humiliation and shame (Jos 8:29, 10:26; and Ezr 6:11). This practice was first mentioned in Scripture as one used by the Egyptians (Ge 40:19). Anyone hung upon a tree was accursed by God according to the Mosaic Law (De 21:22-23 and Ga 3:13).

The crucifixion and resurrection, with their spiritual implications, supply the foundation and heart of all that God has provided (1Co 15:3-4). These provisions include (1) justification - the act of declaring one righteous or just by being acquitted from sin (Ro 4:25 and 5:8-9); (2) sanctification - to be made holy or set apart through the atoning work of Christ (Ga 1:4 and Heb 10:14); (3) reconciliation - to change or exchange enmity for friendship by Jesus' removal of our sins, thus effectively dealing with the root cause of the enmity (Col 1:21-22); (4) redemption - to pay a price whereby something is purchased (1Co 6:20), or to free and release from sin and its effects (Ro 3:24 and Eph 1:7); and (5) propitiation - coming from a Greek word involving the Old Testament concept of the mercy seat, having the idea of both the payment for sin (the sacrifice) and the place of payment (the place of mercy) (Ro 3:25 and 1Jo 2:2).