The Cross: Instrument of Capital Punishment:
The cross was an ancient instrument used for capital punishment. The Romans used this torture of death on the enemies of the state, and those who had committed crimes of theft, murder, or rebellion.
Jesus was crucified because the Jews said, He had made himself King. Crucifixion was cruel and barbarous forms of death know to man. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, and Romans practiced this form of torture and death soon followed. Those sent to the cross were deprived of all their clothes except for a small covering around their loins.
There were four different forms of the cross.
1. The crux immissa, this type in which the upright beam extends above the cross beam, traditionally the one upon which Jesus suffered and died.
2. The crux commissaits, its construction was that of the letter T.
3. The Greek cross in which the cross beams are of equal length, +.
4. The crux decussatta, was in the shape of the letter “X.”
Near the middle of the cross was a piece of wood on which the victim could sit for a short moment. This helped to support the body, since the weight of the body might otherwise have torn away the hands from the nails. Also the height of a cross rarely exceeded ten feet.
The prisoners were first beaten with rods or more generally with whips. Under this severe beating, many died before they were ever nailed to the cross. In Jesus case, He was first crowned with thorns, then made the subject of mockery. The mocking came from the Roman soldiers.
Matthew 27:29, “they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews.”
After having been beaten, He was obliged to carry His cross beam to the place of punishment, which was out of the city. The cross, sometimes called the unpropitious, or infamous tree, consisted of a piece of wood erected perpendicularly, and intersected by another at right angles near the top so as to resemble the letter, “T.”
A piece of wood placed near the top of the perpendicular post spoke of the crime that Jesus was to die for. The chief priests wanted the title above Jesus head to read,
“he said, I am King of the Jews.” but Pilate wrote, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”
The chief priests were outraged, and attempted to have it changed. Pilate refused, answering them, “What I have written I have written.” Unknown to Him, the voice of God had spoken to his heart in this matter. Why, because Jesus was “the King of the Jews.”
There is no mention in historical records that those who went to the cross were bound by ropes around the wrists and feet. Both the hands and feet were fastened to the cross by nails, and is asserted by Plautus. Also, this description can be found in the writing of Tertullian against the Jews, and against Marcion. Gregory Nazianzen asserted that one nail only was driven through both feet. Cyprian who had been a personal witness to crucifixions testifies that two nails or spikes were driven, one through each foot. He is considered to be the better authority.
Because of the sacrificial death of the Savior the cross rapidly became interwoven in the theological construction of religious thinking. Paul wrote,
1 Corinthians 1:17, “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”
The work of the apostles and Paul was to preach the Gospel, not in “wisdom of words,” or in philosophical reasoning, secular learning, or with the tongue of an oracle. In these things did the church at Corinth set their values!
“Wisdom of words,” in several places in the N.T. “words,” can be taken to express a word, a speech, a saying, but also doctrine, teaching, reason, or a mode of rhetorical argumentation that was highly prized among the Greeks.
1 Corinthians 2:1-4, Paul said, “when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
Paul was sent to announce the truth; to proclaim Christ crucified and for the sins of the world. He did it plainly and simply. Paul’s bodily presence was weak, and his speech contemptible, 2 Corinthians 10:1-10. God had used Moses who had a speech impediment to fulfill His will. God now used Paul for His own purpose, to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ.
It is presented as the medium of reconciliation;
Ephesians 2:16, “that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross.” Both, refers to both Jews and the Gentiles. A natural hatred existed between the two, this because of the differences in their religious forms of worship. Christ death was to remove this enmity, this hatred. Peace between man and God, was presented to all. Jesus was now our peace,
Verse 17, “came and preached peace to you which were afar off (Gentiles) and to them that were nigh (Jews.)”
Peace to all men has been affected through the Cross.
Colossians 1:20, “having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself.”
What Jesus Christ did for the Church gave Him the right to preside over it.
Verse 19, “in Him (Jesus) would all fullness dwell.” As in a Temple:
John 2:21, “He (Jesus) spoke of the Temple of His body.”
Peace could now exist between heaven and earth. But, this peace could not be made without atonement for sin. The death of our Lord and His blood shed, was necessary to make this atonement, this peace.
So, Jesus finished work, and now through the influence of the Holy Spirit, has blazed a path of reconciliation for the wicked, the transgressors, and all who have offended God.
The penalties of the law have been removed from the believer by the Cross.
Colossians 2:14, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.”
The ceremonial law has now been blotted out. The law worked against the Jews, they were bound to fulfill it, but they could not. It had become contrary to them, condemning them for their transgression and the neglect of it.
As one can erase or wipe a blackboard leaving no evidence of the words or meaning, so also the “blotting out — of ordinances.” The blotting out may be alluding to the curses written in the book in,
Numbers 5:23, “the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water.”
So God having, “wiped out,” Having forgiven us,” having cancelled the law’s indictment against us. The law was accusing and compulsory. It produced outward works only. It produced nothing inside, nor an obedience of our wills. This was all removed by the cross.
To the Jew, one who hung on a cross was accursed, and to a Roman citizen one who was crucified was an object of scorn.
Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”
To say that some one had come to glory upon their death on a cross would have been one of the absurdities of history. Yet the apostle held that the Crucified One was the Messiah.
Galatians 2:20, “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.”
No hope of salvation by the law. Christ was dead when He gave up the ghost, as are all men. But now we have been crucified with Christ, or “I am dead.” Nevertheless we live, this through Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection from the dead. Messiah now lives in us.
The antithesis between crucified and live requires the translation, “Nevertheless.” The life of the new man, compared to the life we lived before. So this new man lives in faith, and by faith. “Jesus is the soul of our soul.” He gave Himself for all men, He loved us, He sacrificed Himself unto death. Why?
So that we might be saved from the pains of death and the pains of the eternal lake of fire:
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com