… even death on a cross!
Summary: The challenge of understanding who Jesus is continues to haunt us as we read more of Paul’s words. It is one thing to jump on a grenade to save your friends; it is entirely something else to allow yourself to be flayed alive and hung on a wooden cross until dead.
In our last meditation, “Our Selfless God,” we stumbled across what the Bible calls the “stumbling stone.”* In our version of the “stumbling stone,” we realized:
“If Jesus isn’t God, then none of this makes any sense. In fact, it flips the script entirely. If Jesus isn’t God, he has the biggest ego in the world because he claims to be God (John 10:30).”
As we ponder this conundrum, it helps to examine the historical record of what Jesus did with his life. Did he protect it and cherish it? Did he hoard every breath as many of us do?
The evidence that Jesus put his Father’s will above self is seen throughout the Gospels. Perhaps the most obvious example is at the beginning of his ministry. Immediately after being baptized by John, Jesus is led into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). He doesn’t have time to pack or prepare in any way.
The Bible tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. This means that every time his stomach said, “Feed me!” he said, “No.” (I don’t know how many times that would be over forty days, but if it were me, I suspect we would be talking about thousands!)
The Bible tells us that “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (Matt 4:2). Then, as if forty days of going without food weren’t enough, the “tempter” comes and starts working Jesus over. The writer of Hebrews explains:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
This is the part of the story where God’s love for us shines through.
Because Jesus is perceived as a threat by the Jewish leaders, they take him before the Roman governor, Pilate, to arrange for Jesus to be crucified (John 18:28-19:16). Jesus knows this ahead of time (Matthew 17:22-23). He also knows that this has been the plan since the very beginning when Adam and Eve first sinned (Genesis 3:15).
If Jesus is not God, he should simply turn and run away. All he had to do was to do what Peter did and deny everything. He didn’t have to die the way he did — the most painful and shameful death imaginable.
Why?
About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, God explained through Isaiah the prophet:
[H]e was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
Application: Accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and eternal life. Just say, “Yes!”
Food for Thought: How is dying on a cross different than simply dying?
*Isaiah 8:14, Isaiah 28:16, Romans 10:11, 1 Peter 2:6, 1 Peter 2:8
Dying on a cross is different from simply dying because crucifixion is designed to bring brutally excruciating and prolonged pain, in a humiliating public display, adding to it psychological torture. Not only is the one being crucified suffering, but anyone who loves that person, or honors life, is also being tortured as well.
As I wrote that last paragraph I began to think of a nightmarish thought. To have oneself handed over to another who desires to do evil to you is a frightening thought. I think about the fear, I believe, any person would feel in a similar circumstance; prisoner of war, kidnapping, enslavement, etc., to be at the mercy of another who has no mercy for you, is a bit suffocating for me. Jesus willingly handed Himself over, not even one word to try and escape, knowing what they would do, He humbly allowed them to scourge Him, beat Him, humiliate Him, and crucify Him, knowing what it would accomplish. Something that pierces my heart when I think about the crucifixion of Christ, is that He thought about everyone that the Father had given Him. Despite suffering all that crucifixion is designed to do, His thoughts rested on being the Good Shepard, preparing the way to redeem mankind back to the Father.
John 18:4-9 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
Thank you, Chris.
Extremely well said. Reading your words I am reminded of why it is so important to subordinate the “self” to God’s will. Jesus never let his control over the flesh waver for a second in life, and in dying it was the same. As you point out his devotion to God’s will was flawless, even in the face of unmitigated horror.
I have been thinking about this question all day. Such a tremendous gift of grace. As we burrow into who Christ Jesus is, I just am amazed and grateful for what He did.
Chris,
Thank you for sharing! That is exactly what a meditation is supposed to do! 🙂