A Meditation: Who Was At The Cross?
Some of the people who were at the cross…
Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose heart was stabbed with the deepest pain of grief.
Luke tells us: Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
John, the disciple Jesus loved, was obedient to his beloved Master and so was blessed with the instruction to take the responsibility for Jesus’ mother, Mary.
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
Other women including Mary Magdalene who had good reason to be there. Jesus released her from demonic possession and slavery to sexual addiction and depravation.
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
Then there was a nameless thief, whom Jesus saved as they hung there side by side.
In the middle of the three men on that hill was Jesus able to do the miraculous and promise to have that thief placed in Paradise. The poor man was powerless to help himself and could only cry out in faith for Jesus to save him:
“Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
A violent man, a robber, “blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ ” (Lk 23:39)
(Cf. Matthew 27:38, 44)
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
JESUS was on the cross
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
THE KING OF THE JEWS was on the cross
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD was on the cross
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
MY SAVIOUR AND LORD was on the cross
Lk 23:35 “And the people stood looking on…”
Finally, Matthew tells us there were those who passed by saying unimaginable things, bad words, blasphemies…
Mt 27:39 “And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads.”
People today at the cross either:
Look down wagging their heads, like those ancient passers by, or
Look at Jesus in a bemused way or
Simply ignore Him or…
Look up in wonder, faith, awe and praise!
Richard Kauffman says: “The cross has become a piece of jewellery, a beautiful decoration in a church, a symbol of faith. It is difficult for us to pass back through the centuries of tradition to see crucifixion as a form of capital punishment so horrible that polite people would not so much as mention it… If the idea of crucifixion was abhorrent to decent people in the ancient world, imagine the difficulty of trying to convince them that a god—indeed, the God—had willingly endured such a punishment.” (Richard A. Kauffman) http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2003/april/26.94.html
What about you?
Are you still looking at Him with the rest of the crowd, or have you trusted Him with all your heart and joined His faithful ones?
