Death on a Cross

Our Lord Jesus’ Death on a Cross

The heart and centre of Christian theology comes from the Easter Story. Any mainline denomination including Protestants and Catholics including all the other variations bow the knee in humility for what our Lord Jesus did for us at Calvary.

(The image below is used under the free commons licence SIKU – Edge Group)

I would have liked to have gone through all of the Passion narratives this Easter but then I wouldn’t complete it.  Over the next couple of years as a meditation I want to go through the whole story carefully, but this takes time.  This time we are going to go to the story of the crucifixion.  On first reading we see how great God’s love is for all people. Jesus loved people such as prisoners, women, the poor, Gentiles, his disciples.  Through this message of the Gospel, that he would reach all people over the whole world.  God’s mercy and compassion reaches to the ends of the earth no matter what a person’s religion, ethnicity, or no religion.   Our Lord’s message is a call to repentance and to forsake the sinful selfish road for a road that Jesus as personal Saviour through faith and obedience. 

When we live our own selfish life are we really free?

We might think we are free because ‘we can do what we want’ and we can sin how we like. 

Is this true freedom?

Some may call it freedom but in reality, when a person puts themselves first it can mean that one can carry anger, jealousies, and bitterness towards other people. One can make enemies at the workplace or at other places.

With certain actions there can be negative effects:

  • Alcohol can lead to alcoholism.
  • Drugs can lead to dependencies.
  • Broken relationships can lead to loneliness’s?

Then

  • alcoholism can lead to divorces and depressed children
  • Dependencies can lead to stealing so that one can afford to buy more drugs
  • Loneliness can lead to various illnesses or even suicide.

So then, when we trust our own devices are we really truly free.  My answer is no we are not free.  Freedom in its truest sense comes through obedience to faith in the person and actions of our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.  Our Lord holds out an olive branch to the ‘whosoever will believe…’ In fact, if you are an addict, alcoholic, or lonely, Faith in Christ can turn your life around even before entering heaven.  Christians have been accused of using religion as a crutch. My answer is that it is better to have a crutch than no crutch at all and end up in the gutter with no hope. 

The Crucifixion

22 Then they *brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they *crucified Him, and *divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

27 They *crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28 [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”] 29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32 Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.” 36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. Mark 15:22-41

Commentary

22 Then they *brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they *crucified Him, and *divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

We need to be aware about the facts and before I continue to interpret, it is important to look at the forensic evidences of the four Gospels. This is what a detective would do at a crime scene.  Perhaps there is a knife on the ground with blood on it.  Perhaps there were three witnesses and each witness had the same story but some of the facts did not match up in the order given.  This does not mean that the witnesses were lying but the detectives job is to investigate and by looking at all the facts come to a conclusion which is the likeliest thing to have happened.

Our Lord Jesus died a horrible death, and it has been recorded by four writers.  The one thing that is certain is that Jesus died, and all four writers agree that Jesus was the Messiah.  These things needed to be said because there are times that the Evangelists sometimes put the order of events differently or on the face of it some facts on the surface may seem to contradict.

Verse 22-23

Jesus was brought to the place of the skull and he was offered wine/vinegar/ myrrh and in this version it says he refused to drink it.  In johns Gospel however Jesus asks for the wine/vinegar/ myrrh and he drinks it.  I haven’t looked at any commentaries yet suffice to say I think there is sometime of theological meaning going on here, so we need to dig a little deeper to find out.

Calvin and Professor Judith lieu both agree that the sour wine was about mocking Jesus even in his death.  Calvin on John however says that this wine here is a separate event on the cross, when Jesus actually asked for real genuine wine because he was thirsty.  (

  • A harmony og the Gospels, pages 193-196,
  • John Calvin, The Saint Andrew press
  • The Gospel of Luke, page 195, Judith Lieu, Epworth Press

)

Reflection

The Good News that Jesus gives us is true freedom.  Even while he was on the cross, he saved a thief by letting him into Paradise.  His words on the cross were only to do with forgiveness.  On the cross he said Father forgive them for they know not they do.  For a moment in the whole of eternity God the Father could not look at his son because of the sins of the world that He, our Lord Jesus bore in our place.   Jesus loves you and he invites you to come to him and by faith it is possible for you to be in God’s presence forever.

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