The Cross

   Fear was the fountainhead of Roman government control, and the brutal cross was the horrid weapon of destruction used to convince and  terrorize communities into subordination. 

   All ancient writers admitted, that crucifixion was the cruelest and blackest of punishments. It gave the greatest torture for the longest time. The feverish thirst of crucified men flamed all over his body, as if his blood had become a raging molten fire in his veins. The congestion of the heart, the rigidity of his veins, cramped muscles, terrible pain in the head, ever-greater agony. And vilified evildoers used this most brutal weapon of destruction to torture and kill the Christ. This is what the cursed tree is, and the price exacted as payment for OUR SIN DEBT!  This execution was a severe form of punishment. Execution and punishment is not something to rejoice in. Obedience to the Roman powers in control or command was not a virtue, but a fear of the weapon of torture and death -- the cross!

   In civilized nations, all is done that can be done to spare every needless suffering to a man condemned to death; but among the Romans,  insult and derision were customary preliminaries to the last agony. Such a custom furnished a specimen for that worst and lowest form of human wickedness which delights to inflict pain, which feels an inhuman pleasure in gloating over the agonies of another, even when He has done no wrong.  The mere spectacle of agony is agreeable to the degraded soul. The low soldiery of the Praetorium were mostly the mere mercenary scum and dregs of the provinces that led Him into their barrack room, and there mocked, in their savage hatred, the King whom they had tortured. In sight of their hardened ruffians they went through the whole heartless ceremony of a mock coronation, a mock investiture, a mock homage. Around the brows of Jesus, in wanton mimicry of the emperor’s laurel, they twisted a wreath of thorny leaves; in His tied and trembling hands, they placed a reed for the scepter; from His torn and bleeding shoulders they stripped the white robe with which Herod had mocked Him -- which must now have been all soaked with blood, and flung on Him an old scarlet paludament -- i.e. some cast off war cloak, with its purple laticlave, from the Praetorian wardrobe. This, with feigned solemnity, they buckled over His right shoulder, with its glittering fibula; and then -- each with his derisive homage of bended knee -- each with his infamous spitting -- each with the blow over the head from the reed scepter, which His bound hands could not hold -- they kept passing before Him with their mock salutation of “Hail, King of the Jews!” 

   He was stripped naked of all His clothes, seemingly His only possessions of the world, and the soldiers parted His raiment among them, and cast lots for His vesture when they had crucified Him. 

   Now, the cross, the most awful moment of all: He was laid down upon the implement, the weapon of torture. His arms were stretched along the crossbeam, and at the center of the open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, and driven into the wood, then through the feet another huge nail tore its way through the quivering flesh. Then the accursed tree, the cross mind you, with its living human burden hanging upon it in helpless agony, and suffering fresh tortures as every movement irritates the fresh rents in the hands and feet, was slowly heaved up by strong arms, and the end of it fixed firmly in a hole dug deep in the ground for that purpose. 

   He hung there for hours being further abused. There, in torture which grew ever more insupportable, ever more maddening as the time flowed on, so cruelly intolerable that often they were driven to entreat and implore the spectators, or executioners, for pity’s sake, to put an end to anguish too awful for man to bear, beseeching from their enemies the priceless blessing of death itself… For indeed a death by crucifixion seemed to include all that pain and death can have of horribly and ghastly: dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torture, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds -- all intensified just to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point of which would give the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. 

   The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries -- especially of the head and stomach -- became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst: and all these physical complications caused an internal excitement and anxiety, which made the prospect of death itself -- of death, the awful unknown enemy, at whose approach man usually shudders most -- bear the aspect of a delicious and exquisite release.

   Such was the price Christ was to endure when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane: “My soul is exceeding sorrowful… if it be possible let this cup pass from Me….if it may not pass away from Me except I drink it, Thy will be done.” He foreknew, and yet He drank the cup for you and me. This was no picnic at the cross. The priest brought about His death and the coarse, idle, vulgar multitude flocked there to feed their greedy eyes upon His suffering. 

   Think in comparison, who is enticing the masses to flock there today, and for what reason?  When I first read and entered into the scene at the cross my heart hurt -- I wept and repented for such a sinner I knew I was, and I also was at fault for this awful suffering and  death of God’s only Son! 

   There are numerous military stories wherein leaders of platoons, in time of battle, put their lives on the line to save one of their soldiers.  There is one story where a captain ventured into the vicious crossfire to save a wounded comrade and in dragging him to safety was killed instantly. The wounded soldier was sent home to recuperate.  Later the parents of the dead hero wanted to know who this comrade was whose life was spared at such a great cost or loss to them. 

   So, one evening, they invited him to dinner. He arrived high on drugs and was quite obnoxious and showed no respect for the parents who had lost their very son.  Upon his leaving he had the audacity to ask the father if he would bless him with a monetary sum being he was alive in his son’s stead.  How would you feel if you were the ‘parent’ treated in this disrespectful fashion? 

   Think for a moment, “All our righteousness are as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).  Christ died in our stead, a brutal death in our place.  We beg ‘the Father’ to bless us with trinkets.  What respect do we show Him for the pain, suffering and death we, our sin, caused His Son? 

   When we take communion, Christ dines at our table, and we dine in remembrance of His death in our place. Is our gratitude and thanksgiving like that of the saved comrade? 

   Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and Honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”  Does He get it? 

   Sin is a horrible thing. Look again on what sin did to God’s Son! You can’t take that lightly. “The wages of sin is DEATH, and Christ took that death penalty in our stead.  He is our substitute. Doesn’t that register? You don’t run to the arena of the cross for trinkets.  You go there and acknowledge that He bore your ugly sins, and then seek what He would have you do. 

   If one took a look at the cross through the eyes of the Mother of Jesus watching her very Son endure the pain, suffering, anguish, and death he would identify its loathsome details with the agonies of hell! And the Word says: “Like a sword it shall pierce her own soul!”  That’s hard on one’s heart. Think if it were your son, how would you feel? (Luke 2:35).

   This picture should touch a heartstring. It did that to the 3,000 that Peter preached to as written in the Book of Acts. Their hearts were pricked, they wept and repented and then asked: “What would you have us to do?” They were baptized and went out witnessing for Christ and the Church grew! (Acts 2:36-47).  What effect does it have upon YOU, and what are YOU doing for HIM? 

   Today they take the sting out of the brutal death Christ suffered on the cross. They transfer the suffering to the cross, as if the cross, which is an inanimated object bore all the sin, and is able to answer prayers. They say, “Take all your needs to the cross.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” 

   Many are being sidetracked by preachers putting the connotation upon this verse that people can go to the cross -- an inanimate object of destruction -- for everything, and most of their emphasis is upon getting things of the world -- trinkets!  This verse is about saving perishing people, and the power is in the preaching. (i.e. the Gospel and the Gospel is in the power of God who alone saves). 

   Historical: “The early Church kept Friday, the day of the cross, the crucifixion, as a rigorous fast and period of MOURNING: For it brought anguish to the Savior, and REMOVED Him, for a time, from the disappointed disciples. The public services were conducted with deep solemnity and withward signs of sorrow!  And they celebrated Easter with glad jubilation!  Friday the bells on the church towers were silent, and the lights on the altars were extinguished. The altar furniture were covered in black and communion for the parishioners omitted.” 

   No festivity on the day of the cross, but on Sunday Rejoice: He Arose, He Lives! No longer in the dark domain where He was dead.  He Lives and we receive and  serve a living Savior.  Paul says in part, 1 Corinthians 15:17: “..Ye are still in your sins without the resurrection..”  The resurrection was the fundamental personal conviction of the apostles and disciples, the basis of their preaching, and the final support of their martyrdom. 

   Think for a moment. Who commissioned the Apostles?  Not a dead Christ -- they didn’t go back to the cross where He gave up His power.  The Risen Living Christ gave the commission.  HE DIDN’T LEAVE THEM: “I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world.”  He is with US also; we need to go nowhere else!  

   We are so busy or distracted that our minds are many times “Holden” like the two on the Emmaus Road, and our heads are sad and hanging low because we still, like them, have Christ at the cross: dead. He is as close to us today as He was walking with them.  (Luke 24:15-17). You want your heart to warm within you?  Ask Him to abide (verses 29-32). They were saddened by their Master’s death. What are your feelings about His death?

   “Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but ALIVE unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:9-11 and Colossians 2:12). “Buried with Him in Baptism, wherein ye are RISEN WITH HIM through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”  “If then ye be Risen with Christ, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE WHERE CHRIST SITTETH on the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1). 

   Man has a God-shaped void in his life and when Christ fills it, God becomes Lord, Guide and energizer.  He is an ever present Helper.  He alone is the bedrock of our faith. Christ authenticates and confirms what we have experienced in Him. We cannot explain how He fills the void, but there is assurance by His presence that gives us the response to Him. 

   Once you are crucified with Christ on the cruel cross as Paul says in Galatians  2:20, you don’t stay there dead, but as the verse continues, “Nevertheless I LIVE, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Now in this new living state, whether ye eat, drink or whatever ye do, do it all to the glory of God! 

   We are born into this world in preparation for the next. We may depart this life at any time.  While we liveth, we must regulate every act in Him.  He is our greatest strength, our best Guide, and Highest comfort, we are in safe, secure hands right where we are. The eternal purpose of God in Jesus Christ is that all men appropriate Him.  He is not willing that any should perish, but that is man’s choice.  Have you made that choice? 

   Christ within makes each person He enters a living vessel of the Gospel and everywhere they tread, lost people are confronted with Good news. Are the results evident in your life? 

   When we look at the picture of the cross we seldom put ourselves as the culprit. We act like posthumous Pilates and wash our hands of any involvement. Unless our sin is placed on Him we have no Lamb of God who was slain in our stead.  Death is the penalty of sin and if He doesn’t bear it, we will.

   Christ is no longer at the cross.  He gave up His power there in order to pay the “DEATH PENALTY” for the sins of the whole wide world.  However, He had victory over death and now lives. You want victory, then you must go to the Victor, not the weapon of destruction -- the cross. You have a part in being saved. You must be born into the family of God. You must repent of your sin, acknowledge Jesus as paying your penalty, and  then ask Him to fill that empty God-shaped void in your life and He does. Then the Christian life is no longer a mystery, but as Paul says in Colossians 1:27; 2:6 “…Christ in you, the hope of glory…. Ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” And to make you assured that you need go nowhere else: “IN CHRIST dwelleth ALL THE FULLNESS of the Godhead, and ye are COMPLETE in HIM…” (Colossians 2:9-10). 

   My friends, like Saul, I was a chief of sinners, but today I am saved, and am ever so thankful to have the Risen Living Lord not only a Savior, but an every day companion, and I am just as sure of going to Heaven as if I were already there. He gives that assurance. 

Send questions and comments to:
The Upper Room Ministry
6854 N. Zett Road
Loretta, WI  54896
(715) 266-4131