The great Bible commentator William Barclay described a tragic event that took place early in young Jesus’ life, when Jesus was somewhere around the age of 10 or 11. A zealot by the name of Judas the Galilean led a rebellion against Rome. He raided the Roman armory at Sepphoris, Mary’s hometown, which was only four miles from Nazareth where Jesus grew up. As might be expected, Roman vengeance was swift and violent. Sepphoris was burned to the ground and its inhabitants were sold into slavery. Two thousand rebels were crucified on crosses which were set in a line along one of the main roads as a warning to anyone who might have been thinking of following the example of these poor fellows. It sent a pretty clear message … don’t mess with Rome!
When Jesus spoke about His up-coming crucifixion, He and his disciples and followers had a pretty clear picture in their minds of what He was talking about. It was a fairly common sight in their day.
The cross was a symbol of deep shame and great pain to Jew and Gentile alike. To the Jews, it was the worst form of humiliation possible. Under Mosaic law, “… anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deuteronomy 21:23). A century before Jesus hung on a cross, the famous Roman senator and philosopher Cicero wrote this about the cross: “It is the most cruel and shameful of all punishments. Let it never come near the body of a Roman citizen.”
John’s description of crucifixion, like the other three Gospels, doesn’t give us a lot of detail.
“So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by Himself, He went out to what is called ‘The Place of the Skull,’ which in Hebrew is called ‘Golgotha.’ There,” says John, they crucified Him … and with Him two others … one on either side ..with Jesus between them.” (John 19:17-18).
As the senator and philosopher Cicero said, crucifixion was a cruel and horrible way to die. It was and is one of the most torturous forms of execution ever devised. After a brutal scourging or beating … which most did not survive … the victim was forced to carry his own crossbeam to the site of execution … a distance of about a mile. A man would walk ahead of the condemned person carrying a placard on which were written the charges that had brought this poor wretch to such a ghastly and deplorable condition. This placard, which would be nailed to the convict’s cross once they reached the place of execution, served as a solemn warning to others not to commit the same crime or crimes.
John says that Jesus carried His own cross … not the whole cross as we so often see depicted today but probably just the crossbeam as I mentioned earlier. The upright portion was already in the ground and waiting for Him at Golgotha.
The other Gospel writers report that the soldiers forced a man named Simon of Cyrene to bear Jesus’ cross. I think that Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us about Simon of Cyrene because they wanted us to know how weak Jesus was from the mistreatment and beatings that He had received. It was a miracle that Jesus was able to stand at all. I think that John leaves out the part of Simon of Cyrene because he wants us to focus on the fact that Jesus alone carried the burden of our sin all the way to the rest of the cross that was waiting for him at Golgotha. What Jesus carried on His shoulders that day weighed a whole lot more than just a wooden crossbeam … heavy as that was and as weak as He was, amen?
When they reached “The Place of the Skull,” soldiers stripped Jesus naked and made Him lie down with his arms resting on the crossbeam, where they proceeded to nail Him to it. The crossbeam was then hoisted up and fastened to the upright. His two feet were forced together and nailed to the cross with a single nail … and then everyone stood around and watched Him die.
In Jesus’ day, the image of the cross was associated with Roman oppression. It was associated with suffering and pain and death. The cross was a sign of the worst torture one could possibly suffer. It was a symbol of shame and humiliation. It was a cursed sign.
And yet, Jesus willingly accepted the cross. He willingly chose to die a condemned criminal’s death. He willingly accepted the humiliation … the ridicule and hate … the pain and suffering that came with dying on the cross.
But … [pause]
… when He did that, something truly amazing happened. He changed the cross from a symbol of Roman authority to divine mercy. He changed the cross from a symbol of death and hopelessness into a symbol of life … eternal life … and hope … eternal hope.
What do we think … what do we picture … when we see the cross today? Why do we place the cross in our churches? Why do we place them on top of our churches for all to see? Why do we wear them around our necks? Why do we place them at the scene of fatal car accidents? Why do we place them at gravesites? Because the cross is not only a symbol of ridicule, pain and suffering but it is also a symbol of love, sacrifice, hope, and victory!
Let’s hear what Jesus’ disciple Peter had to say about the cross and this amazing transformation of such a gruesome symbol. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!,” he writes at the beginning of 1st Peter. “By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading; kept in Heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1st Peter 1:3-5).
The cross reminds us of God’s love. Even when sin came into the world and messed things up, God had a plan to redeem His children. John 3:16 says … say it with me:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life.”
What greater love is there than to lay down your life for others?
Adam and Eve were sent out of paradise because of a tree, remember that? The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate from that forbidden tree … yet it was also a tree that opened the doors of paradise once again for all believers! Know what tree that is? The Tree of Redemption. The Tree of Salvation. The cross! Because of that tree … or, more accurately what Jesus did on that tree … we have a hope for eternity. “Grace” is the kindness that God shows towards us in spite of our sin. Because of our total helplessness to right our wrongs, God made a way to show us mercy. Praise God!
I’m going to let Frank Silecchia of Little Ferry, New Jersey, tell you about his amazing experience with the cross.
"I’m an excavation laborer and a member of Union 731. Pick-and-shovel work is my trade. I live in New Jersey, but I’m a New York City native, Brooklyn born and bred. After the Twin Towers collapsed, my city was hurting. When I heard that they needed guys like me for search-and-rescue work at Ground Zero, I couldn’t get there fast enough.
"I’d seen the news coverage, but that didn’t prepare me for the reality. Down there it was like hell on earth. Fires burned out of control. Destroyed vehicles littered the streets. Everything was blanketed with dust … the air was filled with a choking stench. I soaked a bandanna with water before wrapping it around my head to cover my nose and mouth.
"I went to work, wondering if I’d be able to get through this. Six firefighters and I entered World Trade Center building six … which had been flattened by Tower One. We took a smoke-filled stairway down into the garage levels searching for survivors. There were no cries for help … no signs of life. We spray-painted orange Xs to indicate where we’d searched and to help us find our way back.”
'Think I’ll take a look over there,' I told the firemen, motioning toward the remains of the lobby atrium. Picking my way through the massive piles of debris, I peered into what had become a sort of grotto. Illuminated by the pale light of dawn were shapes …
[pause]
"Crosses. What? How did these get here? The largest was about 20 feet high. It must have weighed a couple of tons.
"In that grotto I felt a strange sense of peace and stillness. I could almost hear God saying, “The terrible thing done at this site was meant for evil, but I will turn it to good. Have faith. I am here.” I fell to my knees in front of the largest cross. Tears came, and I couldn’t stop them. I cried like a baby. Finally, I was able to pull myself together. I grabbed my gear and left the strange grotto to go back to search-and-rescue work. But first I spray-painted [the words] “God’s House” on the atrium ruins."
Here’s a picture of what he saw. [Picture #1.] Can you see it? Not very well? Sorry about that. Well, you can go on-line, type in “images of girder crosses at 9/11” and you can see the pictures that I’m about to show you for yourself.
For us, the “cross” is a symbol of hope. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1st Peter 1:3-4).
Before Jesus was crucified, the cross was a symbol of suffering and shame. Immediately after His crucifixion, it became a symbol of despair and hopelessness and even deeper shame. The Disciples and His followers had abandoned Jesus. They had betrayed Him. They had denied Him. They had placed all their hope in Him … and now He was dead. For three days they lived in complete and utter hopelessness and despair.
And then, something amazing happened that changed everything … changed their lives, changed the meaning of the cross, changed the whole world. Jesus’ grave, His tomb was empty! After Jesus’ resurrection, the Disciples and the whole world came to see and understand the cross in a whole new way. It was no longer a symbol of shame and suffering. It was no longer a symbol of hopelessness and despair. It was now a sign of hope for all people. It became the symbol of new life … eternal life. Whenever we think that evil is winning in the world, all we have to do is look at the cross and we are given hope. We are reminded of the truth … that sin and death will never, ever have the last say, amen?
The Apostle Peter says that the cross has not only given us hope but a special kind of hope … “living hope.” Our hope is a “living” hope because Jesus is alive, amen? C.S. Lewis said: “Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose … only [upon] the Beloved who will never pass away.”
The Apostle Peter also says we have an inheritance that is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away … reserved in Heaven for … who?” For you!
Our “inheritance” is the object of our hope. How many of you hope to inherit something from one or some of your relatives? Maybe it’s a piece of land … or a house … or some money. Maybe it’s something valuable … something that’s been in your family for a long time … passed down from one generation to the next.
Abraham was promised an inheritance. In Genesis 12:7, “The Lord appeared to Abram and said: ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’” Abraham’s inheritance was the land of Canaan. Well, guess what? We have a much, much, MUCH better inheritance! Our inheritance is Heaven … and all of its blessings. Hallelujah!
As Peter pointed out, our hope is a “living hope” because we have an inheritance that cannot be touched by human hostility, calamity, or circumstances because it is stored … or being kept … in a place where humans cannot reach it. Our hope is eternal because our inheritance is eternal. Our inheritance can never perish. Our inheritance can never spoil. Our inheritance can never fade.
Why? Because it is kept in Heaven. And because it is being kept in Heaven, it is secure. It will never be denied to us. It is being kept “guarded” … under divine lock and key … for you.
How do we know that we have an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away … reserved for us in Heaven? We need only look to the cross … where our inheritance was bought and paid for … and our hope springs eternal, amen?
The cross is a symbol of hope. The cross is also a symbol of victory! Peter goes on to say that we are “being protected by the Power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1st Peter 1:5). The Greek in this passage gives us the sense of being protected inside of a mighty fortress. Outside are evil forces waiting to assault us but the power of God is keeping them out and keeping us safe. Like the walls of an impenetrable fortress, God’s power surrounds us and protects us … giving us what? Giving us hope!
We have been saved from the clutches of sin. We can look to the future because Christ is going to return. Our final salvation is ready to be revealed in the “last time” … the time when Jesus returns!
Peter is saying that our salvation is ready. It is not in the planning stages. It is not waiting to hatch and develop. Our salvation is ready. It is complete. It is finished! It was finished on the cross! Jesus’ death and resurrection secured our salvation the moment He released His Spirit.
Before Jesus’ victory on the cross, death was one of the Devil’s most powerful weapons. The fear of death … the hopelessness of death … all played into the Devil’s hands. The fear was that all who died would enter into Satan’s dark kingdom … but when Jesus died on the cross and paid a little visit to hell, well … all hell and the Devil trembled, didn’t they … and for good reason … amen?
The Roman cross, which had been a tool of pain and suffering … a tool of evil and hopelessness … became the cross of Jesus Christ. Death has been swallowed up in what? Yes … Victory! “Death, where is your victory? [pause] Death, where is your sting?” (1st Corinthians 15:54-55). The cross … once a symbol of suffering and shame and death … has now become a potent reminder that Satan and death no longer have power over us.
Brothers and sisters … remember that our hope is a “living” hope because we have an inheritance in Heaven … and that inheritance is Jesus’ victory over evil and darkness and destruction and death. Jesus’ victory is our victory.
During these dark days of history, we must never forget to keep our eyes focused on the cross. We must never forget the meaning of the cross. Although events and logic and the world tell us to lose hope … to panic … to despair … NO! We’ve got the cross to remind us that we have hope … but not just any hope. What kind of hope do we have? [pause] That’s right … we have a “living” hope.
On October 5th of 2006, the 2-ton, 20 foot high cross that Frank Silecchia found in the wreckage of one of the World Trade Towers was placed on a flat bed truck and transported to St. Peter’s Cathedral three blocks away … its temporary home facing “ground zero.” It was later moved and permanently erected in front of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. [Show picture]
Believe it or not … but I’m sure that most of you will … a group of atheists tried to legally prevent the girder cross from becoming a part of the memorial and museum, claiming that … I don’t know if I can do this with a straight face … claiming that they experienced “depression, headaches, anxiety, mental pain, and anguish” when they looked upon it. Depression … headaches … anxiety … mental pain … and anxiety … really? Wow! They also claimed that it was “a shame and an insult to every non-Christian survivor.” An insult and a shame to every non-Christian survivor … can you believe that? Is it possible to survive something like that and still be a “non-believer”?
Even though these atheists tried to prevent this cross from becoming a permanent part of the September 11 memorial, guess what? Did they prevail? No! And do you know why? Because they had no idea, no clue, about the power that’s behind the cross, amen?
Ground Zero … nightclub shootings … high school shootings … church shootings … pandemics … wars … all these things going on around us can make us feel hopeless, overwhelmed, and desperate … but the cross gives us hope … the cross gives us faith … faith to go on … faith that new life will rise out of the ashes. The cross is a sign … a promise from God … that He loves us … that He will go to any lengths for us … that He is with us … even in the face of terrible evil and suffering … especially then … amen?
Let us pray:
Praise be to You, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• For Your great mercy in giving us birth into new life and a new hope by raising Jesus Christ from the Dead … Praise be to You, our God and Father.
• For an inheritance that is kept for us Heaven, an inheritance that can never spoil or fade … Praise be to You, our God and Father.
• For the protection of Your power … ours through faith … until salvation comes at the end of time … Praise be to You, our God and Father.
Father, to You be all praise and glory and honor through Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord … and in whose name we now pray …
• And will all of you who share a living faith with me say … Amen!
