Does it Mean Anything to You?

Have you ever considered what the Cross of Christ means to you personally? I've often thought about it, but up until this blog post, I haven't thought about it this deep. Recently encouraged, after reading another blog post about what the cross meant to the author, to write my own. I was going to have it posted by Good Friday'. That came and went, then by Easter Sunday. Today is Monday. I really struggled putting thoughts and ideas into words.

Of course the cross means something, it's the basic foundation of Christianity. You can't have the Resurrection with out the cross. With out the Resurrection you don't have Christianity. I kept thinking of the cross itself, the image. You can see crosses on the tops of cathedrals and churches, and worn around the necks of many people. There are also many Bible verses pointing out references to the Cross. How does it all relate to me, to you personally? Does it relate personally?

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, " For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." So what's the message of the cross? How does it lead to salvation? In order to be saved you first need to understand what it means to be saved and know you have the need to be saved. It's not just being saved from something but for something. Saved for a life set apart beyond this world. 

Recognizing the need for salvation doesn't start at the cross, it ends at the cross. It starts in the Garden of Eden where that first sin was planted, took root, and began to entangle itself throughout the world, for generations. Sin causes separation from God our creator, death of the body, and death of the spirit. This truth grieved the Lord so much He made a way to escape death! Through blood sacrifice us modern day "civilized" humans find hard to grasp; which led to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

 Understand that the cross represents  death! Our death in exchange for the death of the Savior, Jesus Christ's. He died for us so that we can have eternal life.  The cross IS the central part of the gospel message: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," (1Corinthians 15:3,4). With out belief in those scriptures, there would be no foundation for the Christian Faith and no crosses on top of cathedrals, and churches, or worn around necks. 

Today, in much of the world the cross is looked upon as a religious Christian symbol, most commonly seen with a bloody and tortured representation of Jesus still hanging there. Often we see crosses decorated with elaborate designs, or two unremarkable stripped down logs, one vertical and one horizontal. The true cross that Jesus endured, the one He once hung and died on; dying the most horrific way any man could think of dying, is unlike dying by the swift modern tactics of Capitol punishment used today. It was so brutal and awful, even though Jesus knew He would die, needed to die, in order to save mankind He prayed in Gethsemane an agonizing prayer for another way. He prayed to God, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39, NKJV) Jesus was fully man and fully God while on Earth. Knowing what He was about to face in his human body had to cause the most fear and anxiety ever. Have you ever been anxious and fearful? Jesus knows how you feel, and then some.

I think those who have been Christians for a long time loose sight of the reality the of the cross. It is lost on them because they have heard the story over and over. They are all too familiar with the awful details, coupled with the feeling of having a not too distant relationship with the Lord, the reality of the cross becomes a hazy idea or concept. I didn't realize it until I started researching and typing this out, how guilty of loosing clear sight of the cross I was.

Putting a side all the mental and physical torment Jesus endured hours before the long procession to Golgotha or Place Of The Skull, also known as Calvary, where He would be crucified the horrific ordeal should break the hearts and haunt the minds of anyone who knows the truth. So much so, it should not be forgotten or taken lightly. 

I've learned a lot by reading scientific studies and listening to sermons on the crucifixion. Once Jesus arrived at the spot he was to be hung He was  shoved backward landing with His shoulders against the wood. The Roman guard feels for just the right spot  on the front of the wrist.  A heavy, square, wrought-iron nail is then driven through the "right spot" in wrist and deep into the wood of the crossbeam. The same action is repeated on the other side. The soldier is careful not to pull the arms too tightly, to allow movement. The cross beam on which Jesus' wrists are nailed to is put in place on the top of vertical  beam. Then, the plaque with the Title, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of The Jews", is put in place. With knees flexed and toes pointed down, the left foot is pressed against the right foot onto the wooden beam, and another heavy, square, wrought-iron nail is driven through both arches and into the wood. As Jesus' body begins to droop down from the weight pulling on the nails in the wrists, excruciating pain surges violently through the nerves in his body and erupt in his brain.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. More info a decade ago, reading Jim Bishop’s The Day Christ Died, I realized that I had for years taken the Crucifixion more or less for granted — that I had grown callous to its horror by a too easy familiarity with the grim details and a too distant friendship with our Lord. It finally occurred to me that, though a physician, I didn’t even know the actual immediate cause of death. The Gospel writers don’t help us much on this point, because crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetime that they apparently considered a detailed description unnecessary.So we have only the concise words of the Evangelists: “Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified — and they crucified Him.”  I have no competence to discuss the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God atoning for the sins of fallen man. But it seemed to me that as a physician I might pursue the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord’s passion in some detail.Jesus quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms to tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum is then lifted in place at the top of the stipes and the titulus reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” is nailed in place. ***reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” is nailed in place. 

Trying to find relief from this tournament Jesus pushes Himself up and puts all of His weight on the nail in his feet which leads to the same violent surge of torturous pain. Fatigue sets in along with muscle cramps and throbbing pain, Jesus is hardly able to adjust Himself. He's fighting for oxygen to gain temporary relief from the cramping. With out being able to lift His body up Jesus can only inhale. With out being able to exhale, carbon dioxide will build up  causing more cramping and throbbing, and ultimately lead to death by asphyxiation. 

It was during this struggle for air Jesus spoke his last words. Looking down to those casting lots for his garments he said,  “...Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do...”(Luke 23:34) Looking to the thief next to him who asked to be remembered when He came to His Kingdom Jesus said, "...Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) You see, even a thief who was at the end of his life that was worthy of the cross was accepted into Paradise. He didn't have to do anything but believe in Jesus and accept what He was offering; one life for another, His. When looking down to His mother Mary, and one of the disciple He loved He said, "woman, behold your son!" (John 19:26) Remember, Jesus fully God, and fully man, while on Earth, was once a little boy too. He was loved and cared for by His mother. He was a son who cared for His mother and wanted her to be cared for after he was no longer on Earth. This is another detail that shows us how much Jesus is able to relate to and live humanity so much that He would die for us. 

Mark 15:34 says, "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This has probably got to be the worst part. Jesus had always had a close fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. However, at this time Jesus had taken on all the hurts, pain, and the sin of the world. God can't look upon sin in all of its ugliness. It's the sin that separates us from God. Jesus took it all upon himself as well as the pain and anguish sin causes. This is the type of pain, worse than any physical pain can only be felt in Hell, where there is complete separation from God. Jesus did this so that we didn't have to, so He can identify with us, stand up for us, and be an advocate to the Father when no one else can, not even our selves. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." It is often extremely difficult for my human mind to wrap around this very truth. It's like God separated Himself from Himself, think about that... Now my silly self has had moments I was so disgusted with myself and my actions, I couldn't stand my self, I couldn't even look at my self in the mirror. That was just dealing with my own sin. Not the sin of the whole world, past, present, and future! How awful would it be to feel all the sin, shame, and ugliness of EVERYONE who ever lived or will live. And to think, He did it for me and you! 

Weak and feeling forsaken, I believe Jesus had a thirst for the Lord like never before, the type of thirst we should have. "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” (John 19:28) This was the fifth statement Jesus said as He was slowly giving into His physical death. The Roman soldiers gave him sour wine, and when He received it, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19:30). Finally, as Jesus is about to give his seventh and final statement on Earth, He knows His mission is complete.  He could leave Hell and the broken Earth to be with the Father who would no longer require a payment or sacrifice for sin, Jesus voluntarily paid it all. "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’”Having said this, He breathed His last."(Luke 23:46) 

1 Timothy 2:5-6 states, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," Jesus is our mediator, always coming to the Father for us. We might not always feel the full weight of what Jesus did for us on the cross that day or completely understand while we are still inhabiting this earthly human body. However, I do believe our spirit fully understands.  "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

I might not have had a strong grasp in my little child mind when I decided to follow Jesus, but as I get older and put life experience behind me while facing new ones, I understand the great need for salvation. It's not just for one day, the day you "say the prayer". It is for every day. Jesus paid the price for my every day mistakes, (those who have followed my blog posts from the beginning know that I have made plenty) that would otherwise separate me from a perfect and loving God. My old (and new) mistakes or sin died on that cross with Jesus and I've been given a new life in Christ every day, IF I CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT. And that's not all, after the cross there is LIFE! Jesus arose from death and said, “...I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."(John 11:25)

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). 

The cross is making me knew every day. 

My hope and future are seen through what the cross has done, where is yours?

**"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness ...

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.."

~**From Hymn #370
The Lutheran Hymnal
Author: Edward Mote, c. 1834, cento
Composer: John Stainer, 1873, arr.