The Apostle St. Paul wrote that he was
"Crucified With Christ", Gal:2:20a
What does it mean to be "crucified with Christ". To better understand what the Apostle was speaking of we can look at two persons who were quite literally "crucified with Christ".
Each of the Gospel’s accounts mention that
with Jesus there upon Calvary, were two others, who were crucified along with
our Lord.
The Guilty Two
We are told that these two others, whose
specific names are not given in the Gospel accounts, were sentenced to
death and led away to be crucified along with Jesus. Two guilty ones along with
the One innocent.
These two had spent their lives
in breaking the law, it leaves no doubt in the Gospel narratives that
the two, who were joined in crucifixion with Jesus, were guilty and that they
were receiving the just punishment for their sins.
"Two other men, both criminals, were also
led out with him to be executed"Lk:23:32
Yet, in this death sentence, one of them
would find life through his encounter with Jesus as they were joined together
in crucifixion.
This one-man story is all of our
stories.
It is probable that due to the fame of Jesus
that they may each had heard of Jesus though they might never had a
personal encounter with him prior to their joint crucifixion. Certainly, their
life styles would not have naturally brought them into serious contact with
Jesus, yet, now in the drama of Salvation they are thrust together with
our Lord and find themselves in the same procession to Calvary, the "Place of the Skull" where they will share
crucifixion with Jesus.
They would have seen Jesus beaten and
bloodied, walking in the crucifixion procession yet steadfastly accepting
and facing the circumstances with pain filled resolution and divine
determination.
Calvary
The three condemned men arrive at the site of
execution, that small rocky hill that was along the road side on the west side
of the Holy city of Jerusalem. This little hill in many ways resembled the
rough ancient alters erected throughout the pages of the Old Testament
Scriptures which were used for sacrifice.
Calvary was a place exposed where all could
witness the crucifixion without obstruction. Here the three men were
led and are placed upon the crosses in plain view of all. Each of the
two on either side of Jesus.
"When they came to the place called the
Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the
other on his left."(26)
No Wine & Gall
In St. Matthew's account we are told that
Jesus was offered a drink of gall, this was a concoction which was given to
those who were condemned to die on the cross, it numbed the wits and lessen the
pain, yet when Jesus knows what it is he refuses to drink it.
"There they offered Jesus wine to drink,
mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it"Matt:27:34
Jesus would not lessen his own suffering; he
would have the full experience of the suffering of crucifixion. Jesus would not
avoid the pain, but rather, would look to God and the power of the Holy Spirit
to face, for each and all of us, the death that was there at hand. Jesus would
know and share the pain of death with and for us all, Jesus would not exempt himself from suffering.
The two malefactors would have been first hand
witness of Jesus' willingness to share our sufferings with nothing to lessen it
or diminish it.
Father Forgive Them
As they hung upon and exposed upon the crosses
before the assembled onlookers, they hear Jesus utter his prayer pleading
all of our cases, not just for those would have falsely accused
Jesus, not just for the religious leaders, or the Romans who enacted the
crucifixion and even now were casting lots for Jesus' personal effects, but
for us all, including the two crucified with Jesus.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do
not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots”. Lk: 23:34
Only St. Luke records these words of Jesus
asking for forgiveness, they encompass more than is possible to convey,
they are all at once intersession and Jesus' mission, his purposes and his
accomplishment as well of an invitation that is extended to any who
will freely receive it.
Railed At
The Gospel accounts tell us that even as the
prayer of forgiveness is uttered by Jesus and leaves his lips the assembled
crowed of religious leaders and soldiers begins to rail against him and hurl
insults at him.
"The people stood watching, and the
rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself
if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked
him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,
save yourself.”(35-37)
St. Matthew records that even those condemned
with Jesus insult him along with the rest of the crowd.
"Those who passed by hurled insults at
him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple
and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are
the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and
the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save
himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we
will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him,
for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the malefactors who were
crucified with him also heaped insults on him”. Matt:27:39-44
A Change Comes
Here upon Calvary, as all seemed to have
abandoned Jesus, as insults and curses are heaped upon him and his enemies
laugh Jesus to scorn, there occurs a miraculous change in the heart and mind of
one of those who hung upon the cross alongside Jesus.
The Scripture does not give us what
specifically happens in this man's heart and mind but his view of
Jesus begins to be transformed even here as he hangs dieing. Perhaps it was the
way that Jesus bore the insults, or in that he faced his death boldly or maybe
it was Jesus' plea for forgiveness for those who were behind the
crucifixion but something changes in this man's heart and mind toward
Jesus.
This Crucified man begins to see in Jesus even
there upon the cross his as his means of salvation, that something which
transcends the moment is taking place, something, which betrays the
apparent death of an upstart Rabbi, that reaches beyond the confines of this
age and this world, something of eternal import is happening and this man is
part of it, and all of it is centered upon the person of Jesus.
This Crucified man then rebukes his fellow
criminal for his sneering insults of our Lord, and his self-desire to be set
free from his situation. Yet, this man then confesses his own sin and
acknowledges his own guilt while proclaiming that Jesus is undeserving of this
cruel fate of the cross.
" One of the criminals who hung there
hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said,
“since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are
getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Lk:23:39-40
His Prayer to Jesus
In all the world on that day there is
recorded only one person whose prayer was directed to Jesus Christ. A prayer
for the salvation of a man who through his encounter with Jesus came
to acknowledge that he was a sinner and now understood his need for the
Savior, he looked to Jesus and asked that he might share in eternal life
and in so doing, Jesus gives this crucified man affirmation that he would be in
God's Kingdom living with His Lord.
"Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom. ”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you
today, you will be with me in paradise.”(42-43)
These were last record words recorded between
Jesus and this man, that tells us nothing more need be said. This Crucified man
believed in Jesus and his eternal life is secured.
This man knew there is nothing that he can do
to save himself, he was completely reliant upon Jesus and his grace. There are
no works that he can perform nor any others self-availed of actions which will
result in his salvation, he can only look to Jesus.
Being Crucified with Christ means that we come
to see our own works are not sufficient to save us, that we are as helpless as
that man upon the cross, we can only look to Jesus.
"For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Eph: 2:8-9
Crucified With Christ
Though this man was dyeing physically yet he
came to life spiritually. This man became crucified with Christ, this tells us
that we cannot look upon a crucified man without seeing the cross. That
is, there is a transformation in the life of such a one, that is
obvious that they have come to experience the reconciliation and redemption of
the Cross of our Lord. That others sees we are a life redeemed by Jesus
Even in the brief narrative of the
Gospels we witness a powerful transformation in the life and death of this man.
He no longer needed to fear death his Lord is with him through it and in it.
This is what St. Paul meant when he said that
he bore the makes of the Lord in his own body. That means that St. Paul
reckoned himself as being crucified with Jesus and he lived out of that
crucifixion in a transformed life. St. Paul came to believe and look to Jesus and his
life was transformed.
"for I bear on my body the marks of
Jesus". Gal:
6:17b
For Us
This man's story is all of our
stories. At some point, there is a transformation of our hearts when
we come to look to Jesus. We, like this man, realize our guilt and confess
it , and acknowledging to Jesus our need for him; and when we do we
experience the forgiveness that is there for us. 1Jhn: 1:9
We see Jesus as that One who has shared
our humanity both in life and in death. Who tasted death for us all and bore
the sin of each and all of us.
"But we do see Jesus, who was made lower
than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he
suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone"Heb:2:9
We can rest in the accomplished work of our
Lord for each of us. In Jesus we have been crucified, that is we have died
in him so we might live with him.
"For Christ’s love compels us,
because we have considered that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2Cor:5:14-15
The heart of St. Paul’s message was about the
Salvation that Jesus has secured for any who will receive it. St. Paul preached
with the focus upon Jesus and all that He is and has accomplished for us
all, if we will but freely receive it. St. Paul understood that this was
central accomplishment of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus has on the cross joined himself to us
and we to him. Jesus has done what he spoke of to the Disciples in St. John’s
Gospel.
'And I, when I am lifted up from the earth,
will draw all people to myself."Jhn:12:32
St. Paul knew that the Cross of Jesus takes
away all of humanities excuses from knowing the great God, so he preached
boldly to all.
"but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews
and foolishness to Gentiles"1Cor: 1:23
"For I resolved to know nothing
while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."1Cor:2:2
The Other Man
What we see presented in the Gospel accounts
is, that all of humanity has a choice to embrace and look to Jesus and be
transformed by him as we all share in his crucifixion or to continue on in our
own ways with our primary concern is for the life of the flesh.
Though being crucified with Jesus’ humanity
can still turn its eyes away from the only one who is our Savior. This man
represents those who refused to look to our Lord though he be near to them and
willing to have them with Him in eternity, for these ones the hostility in
their own minds toward our Lord have kept them from receiving the
salvation that is offered them in Jesus.
"Once you were alienated from God and
were enemies in your mind due to the hostility in your own hearts" Col: 1:21
The One Crucified With Jesus
We see one last mention of those who were with Jesus crucified in the Gospel of St. John. The soldiers are dispatched to break the legs of Jesus and the other two men so that they would die quickly and be removed from the crosses so that their bodies would not be there for a High Sabbath day which was coming. But when they arrive at Calvary, they find that Jesus is already dyed. St. John describes it this way.
That one man, the "first man”, is described as being "crucified with Jesus”, this is the man who came
to believe and trust in Jesus and "the
other" is the one who, looked only for his own benefit of
escape.
"The soldiers therefore came and broke
the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of
the other" Jhn:19:32
One man is having been designated as
being "crucified with Jesus”, but not the other. This first
man is that one who came to believe and looked to Jesus and therefore he
shared in his crucifixion, that is, being found in his death, that he will
also be found in his life. This is far more than just a joint sharing in an
execution but speaks to this man’s profound spiritual transformation when
he trusted Jesus as his Savior.
When we came to believe in Jesus, when we
recognized our need and inability to save ourselves and understand that we can
only turn our eyes to the Cross of our Lord and cry out to him, we can
experience being crucified, the old life is dead we come to life spiritually
regardless of the physical limitation that we might be in. When we come to look
to Jesus alone, then we are as St. Paul wrote "Crucified with
Christ"...
Benediction: May we each and all ever
look to our Lord Jesus and be Crucified with Christ, today, tomorrow and
forevermore. Amen!
Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not
About Anything"
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