Oct.

21, 2008 Darkness and Death on the Cross Kathleen Maples

Part 8

During my study of Roman crucifixions I learned that the condemned normally only
carried the cross beam that would be fastened to the pole that was already likely in the
ground, waiting, and was raised up not far off the ground to make the condemned a
spectacle of human suffering and mockery. Both pieces of wood used to make the cross
together would weigh almost four hundred pounds which makes it highly unlikely
that Jesus carried the full cross as is often illustrated. But nobody really knows for
sure-the Word does say He carried His cross part of the way to Golgotha. Crucifixion
had been a form of capital punishment for centuries.

The following quote from the online Encyclopedia Britannica mentions the earliest
recorded crucifixion in history: "Crucifixion was most frequently used to punish
political or religious agitators, pirates, slaves, or those who had no civil rights. In 519
BC Darius I, king of Persia, crucified 3,000 political opponents in Babylon; in 88 BC
Alexander Jannaeus, the Judaean king and high priest, crucified 800 Pharisaic
opponents; and in about ad 32 Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth put to death by
crucifixion. " End quote. So Jesus was not the first person to be crucified, however, in
studying this I wondered of all the ways for a human being to die, why crucifixion?
Why did He have to be crucified?

Jesus went to the cross accompanied by the soldiers, and a man named Simon, of
Cyrene, was made to carry the Lord's cross. By this time, Jesus' physical condition
had deteriorated so much He was unable to carry this cross all the way. His back had
been laid open with 39 stripes of the scourge. He had been beaten, He had not had
any sleep in over 24 hours, there is no mention of Him having eaten anything after
the Passover meal. He had endured so much. There is a question as to where He
was tried-some sources said it was at Herod's palace, some said it was at Antonia,
the fortress built at the Northern end of the Temple, which overlooked the Temple
Mound. It was a walk of about two tenths of a mile to the hill of Golgotha from the
fortress of Antonia, if that was where Jesus was tried before Pilate. It was about
double that if He was tried at Herod's palace which was where it was reported
that Roman Procurators stayed when they were in Jerusalem. I think this is
unlikely since Scripture mentions that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod when he heard
Jesus was causing problems in Galilee from Jesus' accusers. So, likely, it was at
Antonia, where He was tried. Every step had to be agony through these winding
streets, passing spectators on the side. Some were mocking, others were weeping.
Luk_23:27 tells us that there were many people, including women, following him,
grieving out loud that this should be happening to Him. At one point, Jesus
stopped and turned to them, Himself being in incredible pain, and said:

Luk 23:28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me,
but weep for yourselves and for your children. (NASB)
Jerusalem means 'foundation of peace'. Ironic that a city so named has seen so little
peace. In Luk_19:41-45 Jesus weeps over this city as He prepares to enter the city,
knowing what awaited Him here. But I believe He was weeping because He knew what
would happen to this city and its people because of their rejection of Him. Because
they would not recognize and receive the Messiah, who is life, the only alternative is
death and destruction. This is why the Word warns us all nations that forget God will
be turned into hell. What is left when you reject divine order and life but chaos and
destruction?

Luk 19:43 "For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade
against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side,
Luk 19:44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will
not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your
visitation."

I did some reading about the destruction that Jesus was talking about here. By 66 AD,
under a cruel procurator from Rome, Gessius Florus, the Jews revolted and seized
control of the city of Jerusalem. 1 Upon hearing of the Jews' rebellion, Nero sent his
12th legion of soldiers to quell the rebellion. But, the Jews' conquered these soldiers.
Then, Nero sent his brilliant general Titus to Jerusalem who strategically and
methodically set about laying siege to Jerusalem. His siege began on April 14, AD 70
during the Passover. This meant Jerusalem was full of pilgrims who had come to
celebrate the Passover and were now trapped in a city under siege by a vicious army
of Romans. Starvation set in after awhile. Many left the city, trying to escape, and
were captured by the Romans who were full of fury at the Jews and crucified those
captured along the road out of the city. There were so many crucified that there wasn't
enough room for the crosses along the side of the road, and, too, they ran out of
crosses.2 ( Josephus, Wars of the Jews 5.11.1) Crucifixion was considered the most
obscene and abhorrent death to die by the ancients of this time. Remember these are
the children and grandchildren of the people who 70 years earlier had screamed
viciously for Christ to be crucified, and for His blood to be on them and their children.

I was surprised to read that Jewish historian Josephus by this time had surrendered
(or defected) to Rome and found favor with them.3 He was used by Titus during this
siege to try to negotiate the surrender of the Jews, who by this time viewed Josephus
as a traitor. When negotiations failed, he watched the city destroyed and wrote about
it. There was no mercy shown any Jew, be it man, woman, or child. 4 The slaughter,
according to Josephus was great-over a million people were killed, during the siege,
mostly Jews, and without mercy. 97,000 survivors were taken captive when the city
finally fell. Titus reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory, as there is "no merit
in vanquishing people forsaken by their own God". 5 During the siege, one attack
after another was made on all three walls of Jerusalem, which were destroyed, with
the exception of part of the third wall, which was left in tact. The temple was burned,
the city destroyed. Nothing was left standing except the watchtowers, part of the wall,
and part of the Antonia Fortress near the temple. This was a devastating end of
Temple worship in Judaism. The siege at Jerusalem was one of the worst events in

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gessius_Florus

2 http://www.orlutheran.com/html/crucify.html
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Second_Temple
4 NIV Archaeological Study Bible, "Josephus and the Fall of Jerusalem", page 1606
5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Second_Temple
history. The Roman soldiers were said to delight in crucifying those trying to escape
in as many different positions as they could imagine. The bodies were left on poles to
rot and feed the birds and animals along side the road into Jerusalem. The temple has
not been rebuilt and now there is an Islamic Mosque on the site of the temple mount.
No wonder Jesus wept, knowing what would happen to these people and their city.

Jesus had also said there would come a time when those who were barren would be
glad they were, and that people would be seeking refuge in the mountains, crying out
for the rocks to fall on them and hide them...what kind of catastrophic event would
produce such fear?

In Isa_2:10-21 reference is made to the judgment of the Lord, a time when for fear of the
Lord people would be humbled, idols would be forsaken and people would run to the
caves of the earth to hide from fear of the Lord when He arises to shake terribly the
earth. But there is coming a time, when the judgments of God will begin to fall-not
corrections, but judgments. There is a difference. When God sends corrections, in the
form of famines, natural disasters, even invading armies, there is hope for repentance
and restoration. There is a mixture of mercy and willingness to forgive in God's heart.
But there will come a time when people will fill up the cup of iniquity and there will be
no more remedy but judgment, wrath poured out with out mixture. (Rev_ 14:10)
Judgment will fall hard. The stars in heaven will fall, the sky will roll back like a scroll
and the islands will be moved out of place and disappear. Every one on earth, rich and
poor alike will be running for cover, crying for the mountains and rocks to fall on
them and hide them from the face they will see when the sky is pulled back like a
curtain and they see the Lamb-the One they rejected, and hated. The One whose love
they scorned and refused. What an awful time that will be.

We can see in the Scriptures that Jesus Christ, sent by the Father, out of love, mercy
and compassion, poured out Himself for the sake of mankind, for humanity, that we
might be spared. He took upon Himself the fury of God's hatred for sin because He
wanted us to be saved. He did everything He could to make a way we could avoid that
day. He knew many would reject and refuse the offering of Himself for their sins, but
He endured the cross, and allowed His own creation to crucify His flesh, and yielded
up His life as a sacrifice for us. This kind of love is mind blowing.

Mat 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put
his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
Mat 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they
compelled to bear his cross.
Mat 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of
a skull, (KJV)

They led Him to a hill outside the walls of the city, where the city was still in view. He
was forced to carry His own cross but on the way they called upon a man standing by
named Simon of Cyrene to carry the Lord's cross for Him, because He was unable
physically to carry His cross the whole way. Crucifixion was the most horrible form of
death known to man at this time. To a Jew it was even greater horror because
Deu_21:23 says anyone hanged on a tree is cursed of God. This made Christ a
stumbling block to the Jews for how could One be the Messiah if He was accursed of
God for hanging on a tree? This was a form of execution used by the Romans because it
was a gruesome, particularly painful, shameful and public way to die, reserved for the
most vile of criminals. It could mean anything from being impaled on a stake, or
nailed or tied to an upright pole. Sometimes, like with Jesus, a cross beam was used
and the condemned man would have to carry this cross beam which weighed
anywhere from 75 to 125 pounds. 6 This was hard because often the one being crucified
would be flogged first. The word for cross in the Greek is 'stauros'. (G4716) It means a
stake or post set upright; a pole or cross used as an instrument of capital punishment.
Figuratively it means deliberate exposure to death, or self denial, and great suffering.
It's a pagan symbol of great shame. The cross was an instrument of torture and death
used for the worst of criminals and was associated with ideas of guilt, shame and
pain. It was a very symbol of shame. After studying this, I don't ever want to wear a
cross around my neck again. It was spring time, during the Hebrew month of Nisan
(March-April) and it could have been a little chilly or it could have been comfortably
warm. So the weather wouldn't have been too harsh, like the hot burning sun or
freezing winter would have been.

They passed a garden, where there were tombs carved out of the rocky hillside. Upon
the brow of the hill, they led Him and two other criminals who were all three to be
crucified. This hill was called "Golgotha" meaning the place of the skull. If you tour
Israel, you will be told the traditional site of His crucifixion is in a place called the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, thought to be built over the site of the crucifixion. But to
the north, there is a place, which lines up with Scripture, where there is a rocky
outcrop of a hill, and on the front face of this hill, there are holes in the rock that make
it look like the appearance of a human skull. This is a place outside the city, where the
city could still be seen, and there was a public road leading to the city near the site of
Golgotha. People on their way into Jerusalem passed by this very public spectacle of
the crucifixion of the Son of God. Many gawked at Him, thinking Him a criminal and
spoke harsh, unkind things. So many people speak unwisely when they judge
situations and people by the sight of their eyes.

A sign which read "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" in Greek, Hebrew and Latin,
was nailed above His head on the cross. People sat down and watched Him, hanging
there, suffering greatly, nailed to this cross. The religious leaders were angered by the
sign and asked to have it changed but Pilate refused. There were two other criminals,
thieves crucified with Jesus, one on either side of Him.

The effects on the body of one crucified were horrendous. First, the suffering was great
from the scourging, the beating, the crown of thorns on His head. The nails in His
hands and feet added to His pain. Being suspended, stripped of His clothes, He hung as
a spectacle before humanity. There was no reverence for Him on that day. He was
shown no respect by His executioners or His own people, with few exceptions. The
artist renderings with a loin cloth covering Him I believe were painted out of the
artists' respect. Every source I have found has said those crucified were stripped
naked, to add to their indignity and shame. The Romans made a deliberate effort to
humiliate the person being crucified as much as possible. 7

As He hung there, He could see and hear them gambling for His clothes. He could see
the city of Jerusalem in the distance. His garments they divided into four parts, and
then there was the seamless robe for which they cast lots, rather than rip the garment
apart. To think, the King of glory hung above them, pouring out His life's blood for
their sins, and they just want His clothes. (Joh_19:23). I can't imagine how awful it
must have been to endure such pain, but to also add the humiliation of being crucified
without clothing, bare before the whole world-my mind can't comprehend it. I had

6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion
7 Smith's Bible Dictionary
never realized this until I got sick and had to spend a couple days in bed a few weeks
ago. During that time I read the book written by Corrie Ten Boom, "The Hiding Place".
After being arrested along with her whole family and sent to various concentration
camps, she and her sister Betsie ended up in an extermination camp called
"Ravensbruck" in Germany. While there they had to endure being stripped naked and
marched down a cold hospital corridor for examination, past leering soldiers. During
this awful trial, the Scripture came to her mind how they took His clothes and cast lots
for them as He hung on the cross and when she whispered this to her sister in front of
her, it caused her to cry and Betsie murmured softly "And I never thanked Him.." As I
read it, there was such a powerful and unexpected witness of the Holy Spirit to my
heart that I, too, began to cry at this awful realization and thank Him. It ached my
heart as I laid in my bed, contemplating this awful truth I had never previously
considered. I had always thought He had the loin cloth I've seen in so many paintings
of Him on the cross. But He was left with nothing. What shame and humiliation, how
humbling for the Creator to endure such awful things for the sake of humanity's souls.
This really tore me up when I read this...and realized it was true.

For one hanging like this on a cross, breathing would have been very difficult,
especially to exhale when speaking. But Jesus said some things from the cross,
through His pain and shame. Considering the circumstances He was in I want to look
very carefully at what He said. The first thing recorded that He said was this:

Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they
parted his raiment, and cast lots.

He is hanging there in physical agony, a spectacle to those He suffered for and to

demons. Many were like spectators at a show. But there were some there who
were watching Him carefully, unsure why all this had happened. Some who knew
who He was and loved Him were mourning and grieving. The rulers, and others
sneered at Him, "He saved others but He can't save Himself? Let Him save Himself
if He's really the Messiah, the Chosen One of God! Let Him come down from the
cross!" People passing by railed on Him. They blasphemed Him, defaming Him,
speaking evil of Him, shaking their heads in arrogance, enjoying His suffering.
They mocked His Word, "Oh, yeah, He said He could destroy the temple and
rebuild it in three days and He can't even come off that cross and save Himself!"
The chief priest mocked Him also, along with the scribes-and let me just mention
the scribes' number one job was to make handwritten copies of the Word of God
and teach it to the people..and here they mocked the Word made flesh in their
blindness. That to me is such a warning. You can know this Book from cover to
cover and quote Scriptures after Scriptures and still not know Him. Doesn't this
remind us of our need to set aside everything and make time to get alone with Him
in prayer?

He warned them earlier "You search the Scriptures for in them you think you have
eternal life but you won't come to Me that you might have life." (Joh_5:39-40)

Save yourself, was the taunt He heard on that day. If He had saved self, we would
have no hope. Pastor Carter Conlon preached one of the best messages I ever heard
on this a few years back at Times Square Church, titled "The Devil is After One
Thing In Your Trial". Below is an excerpt from this message:
"Jesus knew his position, His life purpose, and His destiny. We need to know ours.
Look at the tactics the devil brought against Jesus: I believe he can always get those
who are not fully surrendered to God to speak His thoughts. He attacks Jesus at
Calvary; an intense battle was taking place on the cross that largely goes unnoticed
by those who read these scriptures. He challenges again Jesus’ position in God.
Every time, using the word ‘if’. Ref to Mt. 4: 1-11. Same thing. Here, Jesus is
suffering incredibly. And that is when the devil will seek to destroy you, at your
lowest point. He would have you believe the Lord does not accept you any longer,
having found some sin in you or that He’s displeased with you and rejected you
which is why you are suffering in your trial. He throws it in Jesus’ face “you trusted
God, and look where you are at! If God doesn’t deliver you now, right here, it’s
because He’s rejected you! Who do you think you are? You said you were His Son!
But look at you! In your trial, when you are suffering, the devil would have you
believe, have you convinced if God truly loved you, if you were truly pleasing God,
you wouldn’t be suffering like you are. We must realize, as Jesus did, the devil has
no power over us who believe in Christ, and are under the precious blood, and can
only do what God allows. But our life, our destiny, is in God’s complete control. If
you are not fully surrendered to God, the devil knows it and can try to torment you
and sow doubt in your heart about the faithfulness of the promises of God. You must
guard your faith carefully. No matter what the situation looks like, trust God loves
you and remember all things work together for the good of those who love Him, and
who are called according to His purpose." (Rom_8:28). End quote.

I just had to put that excerpt from Pastor Carter's message in there..he said it so much
better than I could have. Consider these circumstances and remember it's under these
conditions that Jesus said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." This
was heard by those near the cross, and the two thieves hanging on the crosses on
either side. Both had started out railing on Him to do something to save Himself and
them, too. But one of the thieves had a total change of heart when he heard this. Can
you imagine the conviction that washed over him? He had been mocking this man who
was suffering much worse than he was, though they both were being crucified. He
began to to watch and listen, and stopped mocking Jesus. He began to consider there
was indeed something very different about this Man hanging beside Him. Some
respond to Jesus' short prayer here with scorn, and mock Him. Oh, yes, the devil was
there at the cross, animating these people who knew not God. He was coming against
Jesus with everything he could. In the hour of His greatest suffering, no one was
crying out encouragement to Jesus. Even those at the cross who loved Him had
nothing to say. Jesus ignored the taunts and looks down from the cross to see His own
mother, and John standing nearby. With them is His aunt Mary, wife of Cleopas, and
Mary Magdalene. Jesus commits the care for His mother to John, who stepped up and
accepted the responsibility. "Woman, behold thy son!" And to John "Behold thy
mother!"

Another example of selfless love. Take care of My mother, John. One of the criminals
hanging beside Him began to rant at Jesus, in his pain, blaspheming this Man. Surely
he had heard of Jesus, perhaps even had heard about the good works, the miracles,
and was angry. He knew who they said Jesus was, and sadly, he too was animated
and blinded by the evil one. He says "If you are Christ, save yourself and us, too!"
There's that word "if" again. Something, however, has changed in the heart of the
other man, hanging on the other side of Jesus..he too had heard about Jesus. He too
was suffering on the cross. He had been hanging there thinking carefully about this
situation, suddenly realizing as he weighed things in his mind that he might have an
option here. He had committed crimes and received a just sentence. Where before, he
had been unwilling to consider this, something in his heart melted when Jesus asked
the Father to forgive those who were killing Him and mocking Him for they did not
understand what they were doing. What kind of Man could do such a thing? Now,
hearing the accusation of the other criminal, he rebukes him. " Do you not fear God
even knowing you are about to die for your crimes? We are suffering rightly so for our
crimes but this Man has done nothing wrong. "

Then he looks at the Lord and makes what sounds like an incredible request,
considering the circumstances. "Lord, remember me when You come into Your
kingdom , Your place of influence and power.." He called Him Lord. He had watched
this Man suffer torture and mockery that in his heart he knew Jesus did not deserve-
yet to his astonishment heard Jesus ask God to forgive these people for what they were
doing to Him. He recognized Jesus was Lord.

I don't know if Jesus lifted His head and turned to look at the man, for Scripture
doesn't say, but I believe He did, just like He turned and looked at Peter in His
suffering, when Peter denied Him at Caiaphas' palace. I believe His eyes turned
toward this criminal with the now repentant heart and I believe that there was a
pleasure in the Lord's heart to forgive this man's sins-wasn't that one reason He was
on this cross? He knew the heart had repented. Nowhere does it say the man asked for
God to forgive him. But there was a total acceptance, and embracing of the the Lord in
this criminal's heart and repentance. Two sinners dying on a cross on either side of the
Lord. One is changed by the love on display in the midst of great suffering. The other is
even more hardened by the suffering and unrepentant.

Jesus says "Truly, today you will be with Me in paradise."

The Jews believed that paradise was a separate part of Hell thought to be the dwelling
place of the souls of the righteous until the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Some
thought this to be a heavenly paradise. In Luk_16:22-23 it is referred to as Abraham's
Bosom. This is a Jewish phrase referring to paradise. It suggests a place of rest where
one is reclined as a guest at a feast, on the chest of his neighbor, as John was with
Jesus during the last supper. The Rabbis taught that there were one of two places you
would go after death-paradise or a place for the wicked with much suffering. Paradise
is a Greek word meaning a park or garden with trees-like Eden. This is a place where
the souls of the blessed enjoy happiness and peace, that is in a state of the blessed-at
peace, at rest in a specific place in contrast to Hell where one would suffer eternally.
That is not to say that Jesus condoned or agreed with this teaching. Abraham's bosom
is not spoken of as in hell but rather as a place separate from it, equivalent to
Paradise. (Source: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).

Joh 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

They had offered Him vinegar (sour wine) mixed with gall and myrrh because this
would have acted like a narcotic and dulled His senses and pain. But this time they
offer Him just the vinegar which is sour wine. It was acidic and not very tasty but
the acid in the drink did relieve thirst.

The first three hours He hung on that cross, He asked the Father to forgive them,
promised paradise to a repentant criminal hanging beside Him, and gave the care
of His mother into the hands of His disciple, John. Now, it was the sixth hour-and
darkness came over all the land. This was about twelve in the afternoon. As He hung
there, hearing the mockery, hearing the repentant thief beside Him, enduring great
suffering, I have to wonder what He was thinking. I have heard songs "when He was
on the cross I was on His mind" and I love that song, but I think it's a little
presumptuous. As a child, when I would hurt, or get mistreated by someone at school,
I wanted nothing more than the comfort of my mother's arms. I believe Jesus was
longing for His Father's presence-to be back in the bosom of the Father. Jesus knew,
hanging there, a spectacle on display, enduring great shame with great suffering, that
He had finished, and accomplished everything He had set out at the Father's bidding
to do. He had made Himself our sacrifice, so we could have access to the Father. He
had paid the price for humanity's sins against a Holy God. He had defeated the works
of the devil. Heb_2:14-15 says through death He rendered powerless the one holding the
power of death, the devil, and free those who were slaves all their lives by the fear of
death. It's dark, and He's hanging there, the Sacrifice for mankind, and He is
suffering. He is the Word made flesh. He was a Son who was in great pain, who
could not run to His Father's arms for comfort as a child would do. But I believe He
meditated on the Word, remembering what was written in the Scriptures about
this ordeal He was enduring. Pastor Carter went to Psalms 22 when he preached
the message I mentioned above, and when I went to those same Scriptures, and
read them, I believe he was right. It's not just a cry of abandonment..it's the
expression of a broken heart but one with hope. Surely, the depth of His suffering
wrenched the cry from Him that was heard next.

Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
" (Psa_22:1; Mat_27:46)

"Look," someone cried, "He's calling out for Elijah!"

He also said "I thirst" and somebody ran and offered Him vinegar on a sponge
held up with a stick for Him to drink. (John 19:28)
"Let's watch and see if Elijah comes to save Him!" somebody else said.

"It is finished." He said after He received for the vinegar-(John 19:30)

He knew what was happening. He knew why. He knew God had to turn His eyes
away as He bore the full load of humanity's sin. (Hab_1:13) Scripture says it was
the 6th hour-twelve noon, and there was darkness over all the land of Judea until 3
pm. Because the Passover was held during the full moon it is impossible that there
could have been an eclipse. The sun and moon were not lined up. So, it should have
been obvious that this darkness was supernatural. There was a supernatural
plague of darkness once in Egypt, right before God was preparing to bring Israel
out of Egypt's bondage. (Exo_10:23) It was described as a darkness which may be
felt and covered the entire region of Egypt. Right now there is, as Scripture
forewarned "gross (spiritual) darkness" covering the land. People are spiritually
blind to the spiritual and demonic warfare raging all around us. Once again, the
Lord is getting to ready to bring a people out. I wonder what the people thought
around the cross when the darkness came.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him.

The word for "made" here is G4160..in the Greek it is poieo. It means to be the
author of, to cause to bring something about, to make ready, prepare, to provide a
thing for one's own self, to make one do something, appoint or ordain something
for someone else. Christ Jesus, our Lord, the Scripture says is the Author and
Finisher, the beginning and end of our Faith. He knew man would fall. The devil
tricked Adam and Eve into thinking they needed to feed on knowledge of good and
evil rather than feed on the Tree of Life. But God had a plan all along to make a
way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him, to have an entrance back into His
presence once again. For someone who operates independently of God, making
their own decisions, without consulting Him, is operating in darkness for He is the
Light. He is the Source of our life who are born again of His Spirit. I am trying to
wrap my feeble mind around the Word that He who knew-was never infected or
polluted by sin, for sin was and is so alien to what and who He is, was made to be
sin for us who were so ungrateful and so ignorant of what He did. That we might
be "made" the righteousness of God-that is a different word, it is ginomai (G1096)
and it means 'to receive, ordained to partake of'.

I've begun to understand that in truth God, the Father, the Creator, is the Judge of
the creation. A judge has a court, with laws that must be enforced and penalties
that must be paid by those who break those laws. In this case, the law is Divine,
and unchangeable. There are not any constitutional conventions to add
amendments or interpret it differently. His Word is Law and is forever settled in
Heaven and He will not change it for anyone. His creation broke His law and being
Holy, and unchangeable, a price had to be paid. One only needs to look at the
intense suffering and shame the Son of God bore on that hateful cross to see an
OBVIOUS display of the hatred of the Father for SIN. How can anyone justify
saying you can't live above sin that you can't help but sin, but it's okay because He
died on the cross. That's a mockery and a lie of the devil too many have bought. If
we could have gotten by with sin (and I dare anybody to name one that will be
allowed in heaven) then He would never have had to endure such shame...such
suffering.

How many Christians really understand the meaning of the cross and how it must
be applied to their own lives? This is the understanding I am seeking. Every saint
of God, born again, is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, which in itself is a
symbol of forgiveness, of sacrifice, the selfless act of Another that constitutes our
hope. Freely we have received this sacrificial life of Christ so how can we live
selfish, self focused "Christian" lives, and not reach out to the lost and hurting all
around us? We were saved, bought and purchased with the blood of Christ and we
are not our own. We belong to Him. But we must overcome self-through the power
of the Spirit and sacrifice ourselves to Him, and let the Spirit conform us to His
likeness-one of serving others, and being LIKE CHRIST for CHRIST by the Spirit is
to live and rule in us, guide and direct us, make our decisions for us, and take us on
the ride of a lifetime that will ultimately be more satisfying than anything we
could ever achieve or imagine without Him. To see the blind eyes opened to the
reality there is hope. To see the lost found and saved. To see the hurting healed, the
sick restored, the dead in their sins raised to life in Christ freed from the bondage
of this world and the devil who wants them to spend eternity without God in a hell
with no exits. He was made the Sacrifice so we could partake of HIM and know
HIM and love HIM and serve HIM and in serving HIM serve others as well.
Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom;
and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city,
and appeared unto many.
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the
earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was
the Son of God.

It was finished. Complete. He did what God sent Him to do. His redemptive work
was finished, His mission to defeat the works of the devil was accomplished, His
blood was the cure to the poison the devil had infected the human race with.
Nothing else needed to be done or added to the Sacrifice, and neither can we add
anything to this work of the cross, either. It was fulfilled by the Son of God-only
HE could have done this. "It is finished" is Christ's own answer to those who say
that our redemption needed something else, some further work, for victory over
sin, Satan or hell. (quote from "Life in the Spirit KJV Study Bible" page 1643).

I don't fully understand the implications of the veil being ripped apart except to
say that God's heart was longing to have restored fellowship with His creation.
That desire must have been great to allow His Son to suffer so much. He made the
way so we could come into His presence, by the blood. Scripture says in Eph 2:13 in
Christ we are made nigh by His blood. We can come into the throne room of
Heaven and bow before Him and make our petition, talk to Him, love Him, learn
Him and feed on Heavenly things with Him. Hallelujah!!!!

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.
Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out.

These two verses have been my hope when I have failed the Lord and battled guilt and
condemnation which war against the desire to pray and be in His presence. As I have
studied the cross, and how it put to death all fleshly effort to serve or please God, how
it put to death religious works so man could no longer boast of anything but His
weakness, and total dependence on God, I have come to have a greater appreciation of
how my precious Savior suffered to grant me entrance into His presence. That is a
demonstration of His love and desire to reveal Himself to me, to all who would come.
Don't let anything or anyone hinder you...come to Him while there is still time. There
is nothing worth holding on to that is more valuable than He.