They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. — Matthew 27:33-37
Now came the time for the clash between good and evil, heaven and hell. The crucifixion of Jesus is both the most horrific moment in human history, and humanity’s only hope. That’s why we call the Friday before Easter, Good Friday.
Jesus’ followers were still too weak to understand, and so they scattered. The religious elite carried out their plot. The political leaders passed the buck, and in the end, they discarded Jesus for the sake of convenience. The crowds gawked. Two thieves hung on either side of a man whose crime was hard to comprehend. The placard above his head announced with biting sarcasm: King of the Jews. That must have attracted some attention.
We know of seven things Jesus said from that cross, including a pronouncement of forgiveness for the soldiers, provision for the care of his mother, and a plea for something to wet his parched mouth. But the last words on that last day of his natural human life were the most important: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). That was not a cry of resignation, nor capitulation or surrender. It was a shout of victory that all that God had planned for the restoration of sinful human beings was now accomplished. Now there could be justification! Redemption! Reconciliation! All that needed to be done for the debt and scar of sin had been done. Forgiveness was now free.
All that remained was for Jesus to step out from the shadow of death, which he would easily do after a few days. But first, the disciples had time to search their hearts for how something good could be found in something so bad. And the enemies of God disappeared into the darkness of their own duplicity.
Ponder This: How does the crucifixion of Jesus most powerfully impact you?
[excerpt from Knowing Him: Devotional Thoughts About the Cross and Resurrection]
It brings to me both guilt and rejoicing. Every night I thank Jesus for His sacrifice because it has allowed me to look forward to seeing Him someday, to actually be able to tell myself I am Righteous, I am pure, I am sanctified through the One I love more than life itself — Jesus Christ. But I also apologize that He had to do endure such a horrid experience and I literally shed tears for my Beloved. For my Lord, the One who is always there for me, yet it is my fault He had to do what He did. And I love Him all the more for having loved me enough to go through it all.
Thank you, Suzy.
When I think of all that Jesus so humbly went through I feel a hurt deep within my soul. Then I feel so grateful beyond words for His sacrifice because it’s because of the shedding of His blood that I am able to experience salvation and become a daughter of the King. I know there is no way I could repay my Lord except to live for Him. I thank Him for His love, mercy, grace, compassion and all that He is to me and for me. To Him be all Honor, Glory and Praise. I bless His name always.
So true, Barbara.
Amen!
this scene that we see in movies of this brutal beating is so horrific …. my wife hides her face during the beating or leaves the room and I scarcely can see through my crying eyes…. even knowing that I watch this movie every year. I am thankful for the sacrifice that Christ has done so for a sinner as I.
It means that the work of justification is done. Plain and simple, I have nothing further that I need to do, or can do to gain eternal life. My thanksgiving shall be in how I live my life for Christ and in sharing that life saving, life giving message wherever and however I can. It shreds my feeble attempts at trying to save myself by working my way to heaven, trying to atone for my sin by being good or doing good things to offset my sin. My life should be a prayer of thanksgiving and repentance, and setting up opportunities for the Holy Spirit to bring others to faith. Christ’s death convicts me of all of my sin, but washes that sin away as if it never was. He saved a wretch like me.
How special I must be that God would suffer horribly and die on the cross to save me from the waves of sin.
How does the crucifixion of Jesus most powerfully impact you? Heart Wrenching, Disgusting, but humbling. While, at the same time accepting of its purpose, thrilling because of what it means for me, but more than anything else, LOVE and Gratitude for my Saviors sacrifice and Grace. It leaves me speechless because as I put my meanings into words I know that they do not begin to describe in depth what it really means to us all.
I fully realize that Jesus suffered greatly on the cross, for the sin debt only he could pay. It is hard for me to understand because I have to “feel it” not just accept it.
I am so very grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for my salvation. I found peace in the knowledge that I am a child of God and He walks with me, He carries me, His hand is in all things that effect me. As I am carried by Christ through some of life’s trials, I am grateful to be a child of God. As I celebrate joys in my life I know it is because of His generous grace, mercy and love that I am being blessed. I will continue to serve others for God’s glory, remembering His sacrifices for me, giving thanks for His presence in my life, and praying “Glory to God, my redeemer, my King. In you I will have salvation, in you I have found peace.”
I am both thankful and sorrowful. I thank God that He loved me enough to give his Son for me and that Jesus was obedient until death. I often wonder why I am so special that Jesus would die for me. I am thankful for the fact that I can boldly go to the Father in the Name of Jesus for we have been reconciled to Him, that we can one day see His face and live in eternal live and are saved. Thank you for the Light and for the blood of Jesus. The sorrow that I feel is that He had to suffer for our transgressions and iniquity. But thank you, that while we were still sinners you thought enough of us to give your life for us. I praise God and give Him all the honor, praise and the glory. I love the Lord with all that I am and will ever be.
Thinking about His crucifixtion makes me cry and feel ashamed because usually I was just thinking about myself and feeling sorry for myself. I’m so sorry for my contribution to his suffering and remembering how many times I’ve used his beautiful name as a curse shreds my heart. And yet I know He’s forgiven me everything.
How could I possibly be worth what he did for me? Thank you Lord
How does this impact me? That is honestly the silliest thing a disciple of Jesus could hear.
Knowing that all things point to the cross…from creation to revelation, that my identity is actually found in Christ…the Cross is the most impactful event the world has ever known. Knowing that my savior, God, came down from heaven, lived as a man for me, then was physically and mentally beaten (this was not as bad as the spiritual punishment he sffered), then disconnected from the Father and a love I long to know in person, suffered a spiritual punishment for my sins (and I am he worst), how could I not know the love he has for me…that in and of itself impacts me. That this was done so I could have a relationship with the Father, even though I don’t deserve it. Even though, I may continue to mess up and sin over and over again. God loves/loved me enough to send his son to pay for my shortcomings/sin when I was an enemy of God. That Jesus died for me when he knew I wouldn’t be able to control myself and not trust in him and not allow the Holy Spirit to move through me…He died for me. I am such a fool and disobedient, and he still loves me. How does it impact me? It makes me want to be more like Jesus even though I can’t. It makes me want to know Jesus. It makes me want to love like Jesus, even though, I know I never can nor ever will…he makes me try. He is my savior, and I am his lowly unfinished vessel…and yet he still loves me.
That is the impact…
I am so sorrowful that Perfection had to take such a bitter and horrific path on my behalf. Words fail to describe the sadness in my soul for such sacrifice. I am thankful beyond measure, but I never want to forget the price paid that was so High for my sin to be redeemed and covered — and given hope for an amazing and bright future of eternity.
Eternity. That concept is most difficult to grasp. Eternity with the Lord. All I want to hear is, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” For all he has done for me and continues to do, my fervent prayer while on this earth is to bring honor to His name.
It is continually amazes me that my Lord would go to such lengths for me. And it challenges me that He would do this for everyone else I know or hear about, even the ones who rub me the wrong way or who consider themselves my enemies.
The crucifixion to me is overwhelming. I never deserved such a loving gesture, but my loving Savior gave it to me because He loved me that much
I belive that with the last statement of christ that all the darkness was (is) in trouble they had just put God where he always was only it was done publicly. The only death was of the man form Jesus not the Spirit man who lives today. To do what was done to the man Jesus all the faith, that he had as a man. He went to the cross not for himself but for the whole human race since time began to the end of time, we are saved by his Grace, and all we have to do is accept. Praise be to the trinety.
The fact that Jesus was 100% human as well as 100% GOD and that he was able to endure all the insults, torture, pain, sin and separation from His Father makes me feel so incredibly humble, grateful, remorseful. I am filled with tears of sorrow for what He had to do to save me. I am filled with Joy that He was victorious! I am saved and free!!! Thank You! LORD JESUS
Jesus , above all creation , God Himself became my kin’s man redeemer . Shedding His blood for me taking my place of punishment, that love of my Lord i can not comprehend ….. The Creator Himself
became a creation that too for the fallen man , how great is His love . My heart is filled with gratitude worships Him . Motivates me to love the fellow beings unconditionally.
Jesus’ death is so much to take in, not just the pain and suffering he endured, but the idea that at some point he would be completely and utterly cut off from God the father. This must have been more agonizing than anything else.
Now to think on how much he went through so that he could share his inheritance with someone that he’d never met who would commit the sins that I have–well it’s downright amazing! Yes, I love him because he first loved me, but why he loves me I will never know until “the day.”
Its humbling to think that Jesus endured such horrible things because he loves me and all. I so thankful for my Savior.
Heart touching. We have to walk like him in our life so people can transform
Themselves and accept him as their savior and God will be honored.
I have read and heard the story of the crucifiction countless times, yet feel guilty. I know it’s the greatest story ever told. I have never felt worthy of his sacrifice I guess that’s the point. All I can do is humbly thank Him and try to do better. Also thank you for your thoughts and insights.
The Lord has opened the the door for all the sheep that are lost or gone astray, he has marked the path for those that are willing and understand. That this so called world / life, is nothing compared to what’s on the other side of the door or at the end of the path.
From 6yrs old till now 62yrs old, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. As I grow I went down the wrong road, I did thing that person old days would have being stone to death. God had some kind of plain for me cause I am still here, drugs, alcohol, and other thing in my life, should have put me 6 feet under. When Jesus give His life for my sin it hurt, and when it come this time of the year, I start to hurt all over again, why me? Who am I? Because God love me and He love you, He want all His children to come Him, but first we must go through Jesus. That why He dies for us, so we can get close to God.
It’s disgusts and saddens me to know that because of my sinful nature He had to be crucified on the Cross. And to even think of sinning would be like nailing Him on the cross over and over again. The Cross is a reminder of the torcher and pain that Jesus suffered because of our sins, it is also a reminder of His unfailing love for us that makes the cross so beautiful. So we have this sorrow within as a reminder of what our sin did as well as a joy within knowing that we who believe in Him have eternal life.
In my mind the crucifixion was the only Ultimate Way we could ask God to forgive us without sacrifice. Because of the crucifixion we now can come to Jesus Christ in prayer asking him to forgive us because the crucifixion was the ultimate sacrifice for asking for forgiveness to be free and our free will gives us the choice to either ask forgiveness or go on about our days without regarding Christ for what he did for us For All Mankind forever let’s give Jesus Christ his props amen
It brings a remembrance to me of what the Lord Jesus had to go through, not just for me, but for all mankind those in the past, the people alive today, and all those people that come after us. Imagine he had to take the whole worlds sins from the very beginning of creation till now and into the future. No wonder he shouted ” It is finished “. Thank you Lord Jesus ” and thank you Heavenly Father for allowing your only begotten Son to do this for us all. Praise be to you, may we do your will.
Father God in his infinite wisdom devised a plan of redemption for his fallen creation out of the love we see expressed by our earthly mother for their children but infinitely more profound. Emanuel came down from the father not as a created being but begotten of the Father. Emanuel suffered in every way the hurt, pains, temptations, trials and death of the flesh existence victoriously overcoming them all that who would beleive in him and that Father God raised Him from the dead through confession and repentance might have ever lasting life and life more abundantly above all we can ask or think time with out end. So great a gift yhat can not be bought or earned, but a free gift from God almighty. Thank you Father God for your “LOVE, MERCY, GRACE, BLESSINGS AND FAVOR” in the mighty majestic name of Jesus Christ our redeemed who lives for ever more. AMEN.
HIS AMAZING LOVE AND DESIRE TO HAVE US BE WITH HIM FOREVER.
What Jesus did for us was the greatest gift of all. There is so much to learn about him and the more I learn the more I want to be obedient to the call he has for my life. We have been reconciled back to God because of Jesus’ sacrifice. I thank him everyday for this.
Jesus crucifixion most powerfully impacts me in that I lived a crazy party life, hurt so many people, didn’t value my life, and did a number of terrible things to His creation (myself and others). While I deserve the death that He died, I don’t have to face it because He did. While I deserve to be eternally separated from God, I am able to call Him Abba. While I deserve to feel lonely, depressed, and to die, I have Jesus with me always and He has made streams of living water flow from my heart.
At first I wince knowing the pain He’ll endure. But He’s enduring all of that for me.
HALLELULA!!
Amazing that Gods Son took my place, for my sin on the cross. Amazing that this is Gods gift for me a sinner.Thank you Jesus for taking my place.Thank you for God for your promise of salvation and life in your presence in heaven, because you took my sin to calvary. What grace for a sinner who deserves nothing.
I am so grateful that God has shown us that he has a deep and abiding love for each one of us. I pray that we will not disappoint him as we spread the gospel to the world. May we not fail him in this respect.