Church apologizes after bizarre video showed kids spitting on, hitting, and cutting an associate pastor with a steak knife to signify what happened to Jesus when he was on the cross

An Ohio church has apologized for an Easter lesson in which a pastor encouraged students to slap, cut and spit on him as a re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion - incidents that were captured in videos and posted online.

Justin Ross is lead pastor at Impact City Church in Pataskala near Columbus. 

He says the incident happened Monday at an organized hangout session for middle and high school students.

Ross says an associate pastor, Jaddeus Dempsey, encouraged the attacks on himself as a way to help students learn about Easter and the crucifixion of Jesus.

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Jaddeus Dempsey, an associate pastor at Impact City Church in Pataskala, Ohio, is seen above on Monday during a lesson with students

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Dempsey is seen above encouraging a student to cut him with a knife as part of a lesson about Jesus' crucifixion

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Dempsey reportedly provided one of the students with a steak knife, which was then used to cut him on the back

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In the images above, Dempsey appears to encourage one of the students to spit on him

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Dempsey encouraged a group of students to spit on him and slap him as well. Video of the incident went viral, sparking outrage

Several students took the associate pastor up on the offer, and one cut him on the neck, The Columbus Dispatch reports. 

Ross says cellphone recordings sparked backlash.

Ross said the topic was important, but the lesson went too far and was inappropriate.

He said Dempsey first invited students to spit in his face with no backlash.

A number of students did so.

According to Ross, Dempsey then encouraged students to slap him, which some did.

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Justin Ross (right), the lead pastor of Impact City Church, appeared alongside Dempsey to apologize after the video provoked outrage among parents

Dempsey then invited students to cut him, according to Ross. Again, the students obliged, having been told they would not be punished.

One of the students used a steak knife, according to WBNS-TV.

The knife was provided to the student by Dempsey. The student used the knife to cut Dempsey on his back.

A parent whose son was in the video received a telephone call from a friend who told her what was going on.

'The guy who is in the video turns around and grabs the knife and he hands it right to my son,' a parent who went by the name Mandy said.

Mandy and her husband, Josh, rushed to the church to pick up their son.

'He was upset,' Mandy said. 'He thought he was in trouble. 

'When I explained to him I'm not upset with you, I just want you to know that the things that happened here wasn't OK.'

Amid the backlash, Ross posted an apology video on Facebook.

'Many of you were disgusted, many of you were hurt by us, many of you were very confused on why this would be taking place at a church in the youth (group), and we agree it was inappropriate for this audience and there’s really no excuse for why it happened,' Ross said. 

'We exist to create an environment that is safe and predictable for students to come, connect with their friends and grow closer to God. 

'Today we failed at creating that safe, predictable environment. We want to do better.'

Ross told WBNS-TV that he was in the room at the time the incident was taking place.

When asked why he didn't intervene to stop it, he said: 'That's something that I'm thinking about a lot right now. 

'What could we have done to handle the situation better.' 

Dempsey also appeared in the apology video alongside Ross. He said that nobody knew what he was planning to do and that the stunt was entirely his idea.

Ross defended Dempsey, saying the associate pastor was illustrating the crucifixion so as to 'share Jesus' message of love.'

'He chose to allow them to spit on him and beat him and crucify him in order to take the payment of our debt that we call sin,' Ross said. 

'So Jaddeus, in an effort to share that message of love with the gospel and the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, he shared this illustration and tried to share in some of the pain that Jesus took on that day.' 

'I crossed the line and it was over the top,' Dempsey said.

'It was just not appropriate and it was in bad judgment. 

'I am so sorry for misrepresenting the community, the church, the parents, and the students - anybody that I hurt. 

'This was not my intention. 

'My intention was to just show them how much Jesus loves them and that I love them as a student leader for almost four years now. 

'Tonight was an anomaly and it is not normally what happens. 

'Again, I am deeply sorry for the pain that I have caused.'

Mandy said that a public apology is not enough.

'I do want an apology, a personal apology, not an apology all over Facebook,' she said. 

'I think they should personally apologize to all the kids involved, and their parents.'

Mandy and Josh said they will not allow their son to return to the church.

They said they have also contacted the Licking County Sheriff’s Office about the matter.

'Today’s illustration does not reflect the teaching of Impact City Church not does it line up with the vision and the values of our student ministry,' Ross said.

Ross told WBNS-TV that church officials will discuss Dempsey's future as associate pastor.