Meaning Crucifixion
Crucifixion Meaning
Golgotha - Place of a Skull - is today
the back wall of a bus station. Even though the skull's nose has eroded and
the mouth lies below the bus station's asphalt cover, the eye sockets are
still visible despite a century of industrial pollution.
After taking this photo, I stood staring at the cliff with incredulity. This is the site of Jesus' crucifixion, yet it's the back wall of a bus station? I had learned that Biblical Christians lack political power in Israel, but this was a bit much. Shouldn't this place be bought and at least kept quiet so that people can sit and take a moment to ponder the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion?
Come to think of it, what is the meaning of crucifixion of Jesus? If Jesus is God, why did God have to die? The Bible says it was to save us from our sins (John 1:29), but what does that mean to those who don't feel like sinners?
Do you know which famous American once said, "I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them have a good time, and all I get is abuse, the existence of a hunted man"? It was Al Capone. We know him as a criminal, but he thought he was a pretty good person.
Our standard of morality is higher than Al Capone's, but God's standard is much higher still. In fact, the Bible says that God's standard is absolute perfection and defines sin as anything that falls short of it, including such seemingly innocuous things like jealousy (Exodus 20:17), lust (Matthew 5:27-28) or being angry without reason (Matthew 5:21-22). The Bible adds that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:22) and that the mandatory punishment for sin is the death penalty. (Romans 6:23). That's the bad news.
The "Gospel", meaning "good news", is that God loved us too much to have us wiped out. But neither could a God of justice simply let our sins slip by, since that would not have served justice. So what did he do? He came and took our death penalty upon himself.
If that's tricky to understand, imagine you're guilty of a crime that carries a mandatory death penalty. At your sentencing, you stand before the judge, who happens to be your father. Because your father is a good judge who upholds justice, he confirms your death penalty. But then, just as you start to panic, your father rises from the judge's seat, takes off the judge's robe, walks down to you and tells you that because he loves you, he will take your death penalty for you, and adds, "Just truly believe that I did this to save you, and you'll be with me in heaven for eternity." That in essence is the Gospel, the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
Some people may tell you that you still need to contribute to your salvation by doing this and that, giving money, doing good deeds, etc. But that's like telling a death row inmate that good conduct will reverse his death penalty. It's nonsense.
However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't do good deeds. But the reason for doing them is crucial. We should do good deeds out of sincere gratitude for the salvation granted to us by Jesus. If we do good deeds thinking that the good deeds saves us, we reject the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion. It isn't what we do for ourselves, but our belief in what God already has done for us out of love.
After taking this photo, I stood staring at the cliff with incredulity. This is the site of Jesus' crucifixion, yet it's the back wall of a bus station? I had learned that Biblical Christians lack political power in Israel, but this was a bit much. Shouldn't this place be bought and at least kept quiet so that people can sit and take a moment to ponder the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion?
Come to think of it, what is the meaning of crucifixion of Jesus? If Jesus is God, why did God have to die? The Bible says it was to save us from our sins (John 1:29), but what does that mean to those who don't feel like sinners?
Do you know which famous American once said, "I have spent the best years of my life giving people the lighter pleasures, helping them have a good time, and all I get is abuse, the existence of a hunted man"? It was Al Capone. We know him as a criminal, but he thought he was a pretty good person.
Our standard of morality is higher than Al Capone's, but God's standard is much higher still. In fact, the Bible says that God's standard is absolute perfection and defines sin as anything that falls short of it, including such seemingly innocuous things like jealousy (Exodus 20:17), lust (Matthew 5:27-28) or being angry without reason (Matthew 5:21-22). The Bible adds that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:22) and that the mandatory punishment for sin is the death penalty. (Romans 6:23). That's the bad news.
The "Gospel", meaning "good news", is that God loved us too much to have us wiped out. But neither could a God of justice simply let our sins slip by, since that would not have served justice. So what did he do? He came and took our death penalty upon himself.
If that's tricky to understand, imagine you're guilty of a crime that carries a mandatory death penalty. At your sentencing, you stand before the judge, who happens to be your father. Because your father is a good judge who upholds justice, he confirms your death penalty. But then, just as you start to panic, your father rises from the judge's seat, takes off the judge's robe, walks down to you and tells you that because he loves you, he will take your death penalty for you, and adds, "Just truly believe that I did this to save you, and you'll be with me in heaven for eternity." That in essence is the Gospel, the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
Some people may tell you that you still need to contribute to your salvation by doing this and that, giving money, doing good deeds, etc. But that's like telling a death row inmate that good conduct will reverse his death penalty. It's nonsense.
However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't do good deeds. But the reason for doing them is crucial. We should do good deeds out of sincere gratitude for the salvation granted to us by Jesus. If we do good deeds thinking that the good deeds saves us, we reject the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion. It isn't what we do for ourselves, but our belief in what God already has done for us out of love.