The Cross of Christ

The Cross of Christ
Exodus 5-7 | Psalm 19 | John 19

None of the four gospels go into explicit detail when mentioning the Crucifixion of Jesus: John's Gospel simply recounts: "Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (v.18).

A crucifixion is a humiliating and torturous death, common within the Roman Empire at the time but only inflicted upon the lowest types of criminals, slaves and provincials. Once convicted, the criminals were generally scourged with a 'flagellum' (a whip with leather thongs on the end - which doubtless significantly weakened the convict) and forced to march carrying the wooden beam that they would soon be fastened to. Once the place of execution was reached, the criminal would be stripped naked, laid on the ground with the cross beam under their shoulders and had their arms or hands tied or nailed to it. This cross-bar was then lifted and secured to an upright post so that the victim's feet were just clear of the ground. There the condemned man was left to die of hunger and exhaustion.

Jesus, though wanting to find some other way, nevertheless went without reservation to such a death and we have to ask ourselves: 'why?'

The factors leading to Jesus' death can be seen clearly to have begun with the betrayal of Judas, who sold out Jesus for a sum of money equivalent to the payment for four and a half month's work. But the death wouldn't have occurred if Pilate had not agreed to it - he felt that Jesus was innocent but bowed to pressure and his own fears, pronouncing judgement on an innocent man. But as Jesus said to him: he was only exercising authority legitimately given to him, those who would have him use that authority for unjust purposes are guilty of a greater sin.

The leaders of the Jews wanted Jesus out of the way so that their authority and power would not be threatened. It was they who paid Judas to Betray Jesus and it was they who handed Jesus over to Pilate and begged for the death penalty. Surely the reason for Jesus' torturous and humiliating death is found in the selfish acts of these men and the cowardly and treacherous acts of Pilate and Judas?

Yet to think this would be completely wrong: the reason for Jesus' death lies in you and I - it was our selfishness, expressed in sin and rebellion against God, that put Jesus on the cross more so than Judas or Pilate or the Leaders of the Jews did or ever could. Jesus was on that Cross not because He was forced onto it, He went willingly because God His and our Father wanted Him there - as Jesus said: "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53).

God had a purpose in Jesus' death: to reconcile mankind to Himself. The death of God the Son, an innocent and righteous man in His own right, enabled God to pour out His wrath and indignation into that man so that we, the sinners, could enjoy Jesus' deserved righteousness. He was a substitute for mankind: His death diverted God's anger and punishment into Himself, relieving those deserving that anger and punishment, and indeed blessing them with undeserved life with God.

It was God's will to redeem mankind in such a way. That is, it was God the Father's, God the Son's and God the Holy Spirit's unified will, as one God in three persons, that God the Son, Jesus Christ be made man, live a life deserving of God's blessing and presence and give it up on the Cross in order that the fallen human race could take up His righteousness as if their own through faith in the power of His death.

Praise God for His amazing love which saw Him come to earth to give the gift of eternal life to us, who are thoroughly underserving.