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Is it not ironic that the best God had to offer was terminated by the worst man could do? It is senseless to think that the most gentle and loving person on earth was exposed to that escalation of hate. It boggles the imagination to think that God could withhold His wrath during the tortuous death of His Son. On the other hand, was it not just like Jesus to end up some place where His grace was most needful? He died just like He lived among the kind of people who were the most likely candidates for religious renewal. He came to seek and to save the lost, and He found them in every circumstance of His life. From a jealous Herod at His birth to a conniving Sanhedrin at His death, Jesus encountered a sinful humanity. His famous prayer "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" is a summary statement of how He lived. His attitude toward sin and sinners combined condemnation and grace as the basis of holy living. " He who knew no sin became sin that we might know the righteousness of God the Father." How then can we escape if we neglect His great salvation? |
The death of Jesus carried with it the terrible stigma of crucifixion. According to the customs of His time, it was not an honorable way to die. Crucifixions were meant for murderers, thieves, insurrectionists and rabble-rousers of the worst kind. Decent folk did not participate in the horror of such executions. It was left for the cruelest of the cruel and toughest of the tough to carry out this phase of Roman justice. The reputation of crucifixion was such that it always discredited its victim. Only the most notorious criminals received such treatment.[Click Here] for an index of all available article clippings.