Crucifixion is one of the most horrific forms of death ever invented. It basically amounted to execution by torture. Our English word, “excruciating,” comes from a Latin word that literally means, “out of the cross.” When Jesus died on the cross, He suffered emotionally through the denial of the disciples, the betrayal by Judas, the rejection by His people, and the anguish of knowing what He was getting ready to face. In fact, He was in such anguish in the Garden of Gethsemene prior to His crucifixion that He experienced a condition known as hematidrosis and sweated drops of blood. He greatly suffered physically. Jesus experienced a night where He went sleepless, was beaten, and probably had nothing to eat or drink. The next day, after enduring a mock trial and appearing before two rulers, He was sentenced and then was severely beaten. He had to carry his cross (the horizontal beam) to the place of execution, but He was actually too weak to finish that task. Next, He was nailed to the cross and spent six agonizing, torturous hours there dying a slow death. Most of all, however, Jesus suffered spiritually. Can you imagine the sinless, spotless, perfect Son of God having the sins of the world placed upon Him? This is the only time ever that the perfect fellowship between God the Father and God the Son was ever broken. Thus, Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 and cried out; “My God, My God, have you forsaken me?” Of course, words, especially a brief and non-detailed description like this, cannot do justice to His suffering because we really cannot comprehend how much He suffered. !
Why then would a religion take a cross for its symbol and worship a crucified man for it God like Christianity does? The reason is that the cross is also wonderful because of what it accomplished for us. Jesus was not another martyr dying for a cause, but He was (and is) God who died as the substitute for our sins. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. This means that Jesus died in our place so we can be forgiven and have a relationship with God. That is absolutely wonderful. It is even more wonderful when we realize how awful the cross that purchased this for us was.
We are going to spend the next six weeks exploring what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross and how it can change our lives. Won’t you join us at True Life Church for this series?
