I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. ~ John 12:46 NIV
Sometimes I wonder where I would’ve been on that eternity-altering day when Christ was crucified.
Would I have been bold enough, brave enough to be with those women who waited at the foot of the cross, refusing to leave their Savior? (I pray that I would.)
Would I have caved to the masses and stood in the midst of the crowds crying, “Crucify!”? (I pray that I would not.)
Or would I have been one who hid away at home, fearful, uncertain and unsure of what to do? (Knowing myself, I’m afraid this might well have been me. Hiding away. Forgive me, Lord.)
That Day
The events of that long ago, eternity-altering day have often been told, but let’s take a few moments to walk through those last few hours with our Savior.
Following the farces of trials, Jesus stood before Pilate, and Pilate stood before the bloodthirsty crowd. In the hope of satisfying them, he ordered Jesus to be flogged. And while Jewish law allowed forty lashes (though, practically, it was thirty-nine to avoid going over in a miscount), Roman law knew no such mercies. We have no idea how many times that leather lash embedded with bits of lead and bone tore at Jesus, but we know what was prophesied of Him in Isaiah so many years before:
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. (Isaiah 52:14 NLT)
Somehow, after all this, Jesus still stood to face His accusers. Yet, even this brutality was not enough for religious leaders who whipped the crowds into a frenzy. So, once again, rather than bowing to the King of all kings, Pilate bowed to the demands of the people and to the not-so-thinly veiled threats of the religious leaders who declared, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar” (John 19:12 NIV). And so, the Son of God was handed over to be crucified.
The Cross
Roman soldiers led Jesus away, mocking and striking and jeering, “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mark 15:18 niv). They hoisted up the crossbeam of heavy wood and laid it across His battered body. They forced Him to carry it through the streets, wearing the twisted crown of thorns they’d shoved on His head. Then, they stretched His arms wide and nailed Him to that cross.
The song tells us that He could have called ten thousand angels to rescue Him—and He could. Instead, Jesus called out to offer mercy, grace, and love. To His mother (John 19:26). To the thief who would soon join Him in paradise (Luke 23:43). And to very ones who put Him there . . .
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NIV)
As the Savior died, darkness fell and cloaked the land in shadows from noon until three. The curtain in the temple—the barrier between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place—was torn from top to bottom, as if God Himself reached down and ripped away the wall separating Him from His people. “It is finished,” Jesus said (John 19:30 NIV). And a Roman centurion declared,
“Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39 NIV)
Jesus, who had “no place to lay his head,” was laid in a borrowed tomb (Luke 9:58 NIV). His body reverently wrapped in strips of fine linen and spices.
Those who hated Him rejoiced.
Those who were threatened by Him nodded with smug satisfaction.
And those who loved Him wept as they wondered why.
Why?
Why would Jesus sacrifice Himself for such a stiff-necked and rebellious people? Why would God send His own Son to die for them? For us? For you? For me?
God gives us the answers in His words:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” (John 12:46 niv, emphasis added)
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25 NIV, emphasis added)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV, emphasis added)
To seek and save. For His own sake. Because He so loved . . . and still loves.
Them. Us. Me. You.
I won’t pretend to understand that kind of love. I glimpse it, I think, when I look at those I love. Would I sacrifice myself to save them? Absolutely. Would I sacrifice one of them to save people who rejected me, spit on me, and mocked me? Honestly? Not a chance.
But God did. With a love beyond comprehension, He paid a price beyond imagining to offer us a place in His kingdom without end.
Holy God, there are no words to capture the debt of gratitude I owe. No way I could ever repay You. So please help me live my life as a living sacrifice and praise to You. In Jesus’ name, amen
Reflection Questions:
Who do you think you would have been that long-ago day? One who waited at the foot of the cross? One of the masses? Or one who hid away in fear?
Read Hebrews 13. How can you live your life as a “sacrifice of praise” (13:15 niv)?
Author Info
Tama Fortner
Tama Fortner is a bestselling writer and ghostwriter with over sixty titles, including Simply Christmas, Roar Like a Lion, and How Great Is Our God. With more than twenty-five years of publishing experience, she partners with leading voices in Christian publishing to create inspiring books for children, teens, and adults. She lives in Nashville with her husband, family, and two lively pups.