Crucifixion by W. Frank Walton (wfwalton@juno.com)
"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God
has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might
live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins" (1 Jn 4:9-10).
It was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death.
Among the Romans, the degradation was also a part of the infliction.
The punishment, if applied to freemen, was only used in the case
of the vilest criminals.
F. W. Farrar wrote, "The one to be crucified was stripped
naked of all his clothes, and then followed the most awful moment
of all. He was laid down upon the implement of torture. His arms
were stretched along the crossbeams, and at the center of the
open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, which, by
the blow of a mallet, was driven home into the wood. Then through
either foot separately, or possibly through both together, as
they were placed one over the other, another huge nail tore its
way through the quivering flesh. Whether the sufferer was also
bound to the cross we do not know; but, to prevent the hands and
feet being torn away by the weight of the body, which could not
`rest upon nothing but four great wounds,' there was, about the
center of the cross, a wooden projection strong enough to support,
at least in part, a human body, which soon became a weight of
agony....
Then the `accursed tree' with its living human burden was slowly
heaved up and the end fixed firmly in a hole in the ground. The
feet were but a little raised above the earth. The victim was
in full reach of every hand that might choose to strike. A death
by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have
of the horrible and ghastly --dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation,
sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long
continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification
of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which
they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the
point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness.
The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated
veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the
wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries,
especially of the head and stomach, became swollen and oppressed
with surcharged blood; and, while each variety of misery went
on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable
pang of a burning and raging thirst. Such was the death to which
Christ was doomed." (Life of Christ, pp. 497-499).
So, why would God stand by and watch His Son be abused, spit upon,
tortured and killed by calloused pagans and religious hypocrites?
John says it is the supreme example of the Father's love for sinners
like us. How could Jesus take the humiliation, excruciating pain
and shameful spiritual stigmatization as our sin bearer? He loves
us everyone, as if we are the only one (Eph 5:2). The saying is:
love, not nails, held Jesus to the cross.
At the cross, God's hatred of sin and His amazing grace to the
sinner is forever demonstrated. In the gospel plan of salvation,
God's sacrificial part allowed him to punish sin and satisfy justice,
while allowing His love to give fallen man a second chance to
live by submissive faith (Rom 3:23-27).
No one has ever or will ever love me like that. The sacrificial
love of every man by Christ, shown at the cross, is the positive
drawing power of the gospel (Jn 12:32). Paul could never quite
get over such unfathomable love: "I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me"
(Gal 2:20).
When we suffer or are sad or discouraged, look back to the cross
and receive renewed motivation to live in obedience to the Savior.
He gave His all for the likes of me. It is a joy and privilege
to give my all for Him.
Decisions by W. Frank Walton (http://www.biblical-insights.org)
"I have set before you life and death, the blessing and
the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and
your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His
voice, and by holding fast to Him" (Deut. 30:19-20).
Life is full of decisions. This morning I was having a hard time
deciding what message to send out for e-Sights. (A weekly email
message edited by Bro. Walton - cd.) We face innumerable decisions
in the choice of our stream of conscious thoughts and daily actions.
"Our life is the sum total of all our decisions" (Albert
Camus).
Moses was Israel's leader for about 40 years. As a leader, he
had to make decisions to faithfully follow God, despite popular
opinion. How far would have Moses gotten if he had taken a poll
in Egypt? He led the Israelites from the exodus from Egyptian
bondage, to Mount Sinai where they received the Law, then during
the wilderness wanderings years, until the second generation stood
on the edge of the Promised Land. In his farewell address of Deuteronomy
30, before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses
urged them to "choose life" (Deut 30:19). Each responsible
Jew present had to make a decision to love and obey God's Word,
or they had to face the consequences of their repudiation of God.
In Psalm 90, Moses mused on the lost generation's mortality in
the tragic wilderness wandering. "Teach us to number our
days that we might present to you a heart of wisdom" (Psalm
90:12). Each man needs to evaluate each decision he makes in each
day he lives. Stupid decisions, smart decisions, careless decisions
and even thoughtful decisions about momentous events form the
record of our lives. A wise heart decides in view of God and our
accountability to Him (Ecc 12:14).
Our greatest God-given power is the power of choice. We are free-will
moral agents. Our choices are the hinges of our destiny. You and
only you can choose what you will do with your life. To not care
about God is a decision of callous unbelief (Ecclesiastes 12:1-2).
To not decide either way for Christ, like Felix, is a coward's
decision of procrastination (Acts 24:25). Some find it very difficult
to make a decision, because they dread being wrong; yet, indecision
at a critical juncture is the wrong way to be. To not decide is
a bad decision. Someone said, "I'll give you a definite maybe."
We set the course of our life each day by deciding upon the thoughts
we think and the deeds we do. These decisions will compromise
the record of our life on earth. When we come to the end of the
way, what will our record read? Begin today by choosing the right
attitude toward God, His Word and others. Choose to thoughtfully
make better decisions, conscious of God's will for our lives.
Joshua again challenged God's people to choose the right priority
in life. "Fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth;
and put away the gods which your fathers served...in Egypt, and
serve the LORD...Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but
as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:14-15).
Jesus taught us to choose to die daily to the old man to live
for Him (Lk 9:23-26). This decision is the beginning of a new
course of life that leads to eternal glory.
Once and again to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood
For the good or evil side.
-- James Russell Lowell
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Our weekly services are held at 1318 Griffin Road, Leesburg, Florida
34748.
Phone: (352) 365-9946 for times of services.
Web site: http://www.geocities.com/~cdillinger/cocbs/cocbshp.htm
MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Genesis 27-49
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
BIBLE INSIGHT is published
for the members of, and visitors to, the Church of Christ at Beverly
Shores, Leesburg, Florida, USA.
Carey Dillinger is the editor. He can be reached at the church
address or via e-mail: dillinc@yahoo.com