Jesus Is Placed On The Cross (Day 66)

Read Mark 15:25-32
 
   Crucifixion was a feared and shameful form of execution. The victim was forced to carry his cross along the longest possible route to the crucifixion site as a warning to bystanders. There were several shapes for crosses and several different methods of crucifixion. Jesus was nailed to a cross; condemned men were sometimes tied to their crosses with ropes. In either case, death came by suffocation as the person lost strength and the weight of the body made breathing more and more difficult. 
   A sign stating the condemned man’s crime was often placed on a cross as a warning. Because Jesus was never found guilty, the only accusation placed on His sign was “King of the Jews.” Two criminals were crucified with Jesus; one on His right and one on His left. Luke records that one of these criminals repented before his death, and Jesus promised that criminal that he would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23). 
 
   Jesus could have saved Himself, but He endured this suffering because of His love for us. He could have chosen not to take the pain and humiliation and killed those who mocked Him. But He suffered through it all because He loved even His enemies. We had a significant part in the drama that afternoon because our sins were on the cross, too. Jesus died on that cross for us, and the penalty for our sins was paid by His death. The only adequate response we can make is to confess our sins and gratefully accept the fact that Jesus paid for them so we wouldn’t have to. Don’t insult God with indifference toward the greatest act of genuine love in history. 
 
   When James and John had asked Jesus for the places of honor next to Him in His kingdom, Jesus had told them that they didn’t know what they were asking. Here, as Jesus was preparing to inaugurate His kingdom through His death, the places on His right and on His left were taken by dying men: criminals. As Jesus explained to His two power hungry disciples, a person who wants to be close to Jesus must be prepared to suffer and die as He Himself was doing. The way to the kingdom is the way of the cross. If we want the glory of the kingdom, we must be willing to be united with the crucified Christ.