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"Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went
forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two others with
him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF
NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" John 19:16~19).May the mental picture formed by the words of these Scriptures burn its way
indelibly into our minds to the extent that our hearts may ever be affected by it.
We shall now consider "Christ and the Cross" by studying Christ on the cross. Looking back almost two thousand years to that dreadful
day, we see three crosses upon the horizon. Two common criminals died there, but between them the Son of God paid our sin debt. Jesus
Christ was nailed to the center cross where He suffered, bled, and died for wrongs which He did not commit. Falsely accused by men
and unjustly sentenced, He died by the most horrible means we can imagine - crucifixion. Death by crucifixion defies our comprehension!
Nevertheless, if we are to see the importance of Christ, we must endeavor to understand His death on the cross.
The cross has become the chief symbol of the Christian religion. It seems to have received high regard during the reign of Constantine.
He saw a vision of the cross, which was to become the symbol under which he would reign. Constantine, having elevated the cross to a
place of prominence and acceptability, also abolished crucifixion, feeling that it was an insult to Christianity. However, his abolition
died by that horrible means. Today literally millions wear a small cross
on a chain about their necks with little thought about the death of
our Saviour.
What was it like to die on a cross? I am certain that none of us really want to know. The only way to fully understand what Jesus
endured in the flesh would be for us to be crucified. There are some things so horrible that no human language can communicate the pain
or convey the agony. Some things cannot be described, and some which can be described cannot be understood. Such was death on
a Roman cross.
Today we have no means of execution comparable to the cross. The electric chair, the gas chamber, the firing squad, or even the
gallows of the past cannot be compared, for these usually bring almost instant death. Other forms of death such as drowning, freezing, or
being burned cannot be compared, because after a short time the person becomes unconscious and is insensible to the pain while dying.
The cross was a slow and painful way to die. It was considered an appropriate death for slaves and was reserved for the vilest of criminals
such as murderers. The Latin cross on which our Lord died was in the shape of a t. Each horizontal extension was for the hands; the
lower vertical was longest and was for the body, and to it the feet were secured. The top vertical extension was for the title, an inscription
placed above the criminal's head which briefly told who he was or what he had done. Often this plaque was carried ahead of the
criminal on his way to the cross, so that the crowds which gathered along the streets would be able to know the crime which led to that
awful death.
The cross was despised by both Jew and Roman. Although crucifixion was a death sentence administered by the Romans, no
Roman citizen was to die by that means. Crucifixion was administered either by tying the victim to the cross beams or by nailing the victim's
hands and feet to the beams. The tying method was not so painful, but was a slower way to die for those tied to the cross were simply
left to slowly die by starvation. It was by the nailing method that our blessed Lord died! His hands were nailed to the cross beam and his
feet to the support beam. By this death, the ancient prophesies were fulfilled which said, "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of
the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet" (Ps. 22:16). Prior to this form of crucifixion, the victim was beaten
with a scourge. This scourge was a Roman whip with many strands which often had pieces of metal tied to them to cut or tear the flesh.
Jesus was subjected to the scourge before being nailed to the cross. Mt. 27:26 says, "Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when
he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." Some believe this was done to hasten death, but it seems to me that it only added
to the agony of our Lord, as did the crown of thorns pressed into the flesh of His holy head.
When a victim was nailed to the cross, death came more quickly than by the tying method, but seldom did it come in less than thirty six
hours. It took about a day and half, depending upon the strength and stamina of the individual, but every minute was a time of intense
pain. Some who were nailed to the cross were allowed to receive a mixture prepared and provided by a group of humane Jews to drug
the person and diminish his pain. Our dear Lord refused the "vinegar mingled with gall," and He suffered all of the extreme pain which
our sins brought upon Him (Mt. 27:34). A combination of inflamed wounds, heat, exposure, hunger, thirst, loss of blood, increasingly rapid
heart beat, and difficulty of breathing made death welcome. Enduring this horrible experience, our Lord laid down His life! "Jesus, when
he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost" (Mt. 27:50).
It is no wonder that the cross has become so important in the Christian faith, and yet we must always remember that it was not
the cross but Christ that saved us. The cross only conveys to us the depths of the love of our Saviour and the extent of suffering which
manifests His love and grace. It was evident that Paul wanted people to see Jesus on the cross. He said, "...And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8). Again Paul called our attention
to Christ on the cross when he wrote, "...Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2).Jesus finished the work
of redemption by His death on the cross. He suffered that horrible death that we might be spared a far worse everlasting death.
Today gospel ministers still endeavor to preach Christ and His cross. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (l Cor. 1:18). To the world, drunk on lust and power, it may be seen only as "God's
Plus Sign," but the grace of God has made many to see and feel the real impact of the cross in their lives. Like the dying man who held
a crucifix upon his chest, we also glory in the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14). Yet we must ever be reminded that it is not the crucifix but
the One who died on the cross who will take us to glory. Without Christ, the cross has no meaning, so we should never hallow and
worship the emblem of the cross. It should never be forgotten either but should always serve to remind us of what our Lord endured as
He took our place and died in our stead. That which He did for us we cannot now fully understand, but in ages to come we shall see
and know completely. May God cause our minds to remember the cross as presented in this lesson and thereby melt our hearts, so that
we may be molded more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Then we too shall be willing to bear our cross. Jesus said, "...If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mt. 16:24).Have you taken up your cross of service yet?
If not, why not? The Christ on the cross is worthy of our love, and all sacrifices we make in serving Him are very small when compared
to what Christ endured on the cross. We should love Him and serve Him with gladness (Ps. 100:2).
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