On March 18, 1875, President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Judge Isaac C. Parker to hold the bench of the U.S. Court for the Western District of Arkansas. On May 4th, at the age of 36, Isaac arrived in Fort Smith, AR and held his first court on the 10th. He held that position for 21 years. He soon was remembered as “the Hanging Judge”. On that date, May 10th, Judge Isaac C. Parker convicted 8 men to death. Six were hanged on gallows on September 3, 1875. One was killed trying to escape; the last one had his sentence commuted to life in prison due to his age.
These were the first of many men sentenced to hanging. This became the standard guilty sentence of capital punishment surrounding Judge Parker’s court.
Isaac believed in letting no guilty man go unpunished. He bragged about this motto, ‘Do equal and exact punishment.’ In his tenure, he sentenced 160 men to death.
When we ponder the act of hanging a person, we feel disgust and weakness in our stomach. It does not create a pretty sight. Those who know of a person being hung hold a differing perspective of the family and person hung. It is regarded as a great disgrace to the family and to their society. This may be the reason capital punishment is not held much today. Society feels it is too severe a punishment.
There is no other disgraceful form of death than to be sentenced to death by hanging on a pole, by a tree or any other device to suspend a person between heaven and earth.
Our Lord died in that manner. Jesus knew the type of shameful form of death he must endure; hanging.
John 12:32-33. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
This form of death–hanging–was to be remembered and known by many from that day forward.
Like Jesus’ form of death, many men and few women in the history of our country were hanged by rope upon a pole, tree or any form of hanging gallows. They have been remembered by family and society around where their death occurred. They are not well remembered because of the form of death by which they died. These families had to endure the shame placed upon them by society. Often it was more than they could bear.
Let us examine Jesus form of death and compare it to Gal. 2:20 where the Apostle Paul says, 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
What does Paul mean to be crucified with Christ? We call the hanging of Jesus on a cruel cross of Calvary a crucifixion. Does Paul mean he, too, was crucified physically, being hung upon a tree but lived through it?
Answer: YES! However, not literally.
Let’s clarify! Romans 6:3-6. 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
‘…our old man is crucified with him’ implies we, like Apostle Paul said, have been crucified with Christ. We agreed to be counted as a villain, killed in a most disgraceful manner, like Jesus was. Jesus took the shame of the cross, therefore, we willingly, also take on the shame of the cross.
If it was shameful to be hung to death, and Jesus was shamefully hanged to death, and our old man is crucified (hanged) with him, (vs. 6) we have been a participant to a shameful form of death of the old spirit, the sinful old man. We, by faith, accept the shame and do not sound it as foolishness as the world does. 1 Cor. 1:18. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. It was by that shameful death that we were saved by the power of God through the cross.
We do not despise the cross; it is the power of our salvation. By faith we accept this teaching. The world sees it as foolishness. Therefore, to them it is their judge which will sentence them to eternal hell.
The death on a cross, even in Bible times, to a Jew who would not accept the new covenant, saw only the disgrace in the form of death. They would not associate with such a one who accepted it as the power of God. The cross to them was a stumbling block. Apostle Paul and Christians, alike, preach this ‘foolishness’. 1 Cor. 1:23. 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Again, by faith it is our salvation. To the lost, it is a stumbling block and foolishness. As we see all around, too many see the cross and the death by a cross as nonsense and dumb. They do not want any part of it. This is partly why so many looked upon hangings as a shameful manner of death in our American History. This form of death has been instilled as extremely shameful and can only imply the recipient was a candidate for Hell. No other possible outcome could be allowed as possible.
In our history of America, a stumbling block is what is before the one who remembers a family who had a member hanged to death. It was a disgraceful event. Many living family members never overcame the stigma placed upon them by society.
Even today, many are under the same stigma of being associated with a family who has endured a member being put to death in a societal disgraceful death.
But, how did Paul look upon being associated with our Lord who had been hanged until dead? Gal. 2:20. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul is alive and proud because his life is filled with the life of Jesus–...Christ liveth in me:
A Christian should be very proud of the fact Christ lives within them in this physical life. Paul said it is by faith that Christ liveth in him. It was by faith in the son of God–Jesus–that propelled Paul forward.
Why did Paul feel this was? Jesus loved him–the chiefest of sinners. Jesus gave himself for Paul.
Jesus loves you. AND, he gave himself for you, also.
Paul understood the Grace of God. Paul would not frustrate God by interfering with the gift of grace God bestowed upon him. Paul would not allow the letter of the law to render his acceptance into the kingdom void. Paul put to death the power of the law with his crucifiction–baptism–the putting to death the old sinful man. Therefore, Paul explained it this way, Gal. 2:21. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Righteousness comes by faith; not by the law. Yes, the law taught us righteousness; of which we could not abide perfectly. However, to be found perfect in the eyes of God, his mercy and grace is sufficient to save those God chooses. Otherwise, Christ died in vain.
What the law could not do–save man–the grace of God does. Eph. 2:8. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Through a shameful death–hanging–that is Jesus being hanged upon a cross–the crucifiction–and we being crucified along with Jesus, to put to death the sinful man, faith in Jesus’ resurrection from the power of death and faith in God to raise up our mortal bodies to an immortal body–the gift of God to faithful believers, brings salvation to a sinful soul; not by works due salvation, but by grace–the gift of God.
Man cannot earn his salvation. It is not within man to be sinless all the days of his life. Living by the law could not make a man sinless. Therefore, Jesus died a shameful death–hanging/crucifixion–to usher in grace for mankind who does not feel shame to have association with one hung to death. Nor, to be known to have been crucified, spiritually, in the same manner.
Knowing I have put to death my old self by hanging–being crucified with Christ–I am not ashamed of it. Are you?
If you believe in Jesus as Savior, and you know the form of death he suffered, are you ashamed of Him because of that form of death in which he died? Could this be why you are not a baptized believer?
If, like Apostle Paul, you say you are not ashamed of Christ, because of the form of his death, why might you act as if you are?
NOTICE: In Galatians 2, some of the Apostles, namely Peter, at Antioch, were apparently ashamed of being seen living as a Gentile when certain Jews arrived. Their behavior even dissimulated Barnabas to behave similarly. (vs. 13)
When worldly people gather near you, do you act as if being a Christian and the gift God offers to you is too shameful? Are you dissing others to turn from the gift God is offering?
This hypocrisy is being found rampant in our culture. Too many people are being persecuted for being Christian. Even to the point of some believers turning ashamed of the Cross–the knowledge of the form of death in which we are being saved.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Do you need forgiveness to proudly stand and voice your allegiance to Christ? Can you repeat this passage boldly before the world?
