Considerations of the Cross

Easter is past, but it is not over. It is never inappropriate to consider Easter, its events and its ramifications. And most of these thoughts came from others, also commenting "after Easter." The Cross and it's work in our lives should always be in mind.

Let's start with Mary and the Magnificat. She began her paean of praise to the Lord for choosing her as the vehicle the Messiah would use to enter the world. Luke 1:48
    "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bond slave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed."

The final comment reminds us of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 as He spells out nine conditions for being "blessed." And it seems, as we scroll down through the list, that they would all, eventually, apply to Mary. Not everyone can be the birth mother of Messiah, but all can share in the blessings. We do this by living with and in the light of His ministry.

We have looked at them before, and they seem to build upon each other. "Poor in spirit.. mourn... gentle... hunger and thirst for righteousness... merciful... pure in heart... peacemakers... persecuted... insulted...." And I will leave the follow up to you. Read the list of "blessings" that are delineated for this list of spiritual responses to our sin.

Jesus' words and actions on the cross have been extensively discussed so we will not repeat that here. But some new considerations occurred recently. Matthew 27:46
    "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

We will not consider the theological discussions of this statement. Both Matthew and Mark (15:34) also give the Aramic wording.
    "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"

Notice the word for "God." Incidentally, it is a reflection of Psalm 22:1. This is, according to the experts, the generic name for God, El. Other names add a second syllable for the multiple names that we can study in reference to His character and attributes. The key item is the "oi" (in Mark and just "i" in Matthew). It is the personal possessive, "my."

Jesus was both declaring and lamenting His separation from the Father, His God. It had never before, in all of eternity, happened. And it will never happen again. The significance of that is staggering. But, as Jesus took our sins, His communion with the Father and Spirit was severed. He had been left alone.

Then, a little while later, just as He was dying, Jesus declared, (Luke 23:46)
    "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He breathed His last.
Despite being "abandoned" Jesus had not forfeited His trust in His Father. That eerily resembles Job's declaration in Job 13:15.
    "Though He (the Lord) slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

Job was suffering untold torture from loss of his family and fortune and now his health. Even if God were the One Who was bringing this on him (it wasn't), Job would not forsake his confidence in Him. Jesus did know that He would die, in just a few minutes. Yet, His trust was unwavering. "Into Your hands, I commend My spirit."

Thank you, Job, for putting that into human perspective for us. And now for the final part of the Luke quotation. "Having said this, He breathed His last." I always wondered at that. Now it makes sense. First, Luke, being a physician, was versed in life and death and would be attuned to this final gasp. I wondered how people there could know that Jesus was no longer breathing. They were not very close, not even those who were at the "foot of the cross." How could they hear and know?

And without life and death expertise or ever experience, how did they know that He had stopped and, "...dismissed His Spirit." (Into God's hands. Glory!)

Our understanding of crucifixion helps. Being "stretched out" on the cross was literally the description of a body undergoing this torture. As the body, hung by the spread arms, drags downward, it causes the diaphragm to expand the lungs and they inhale air. But to breathe out, the victim had to push up with his legs and feet which were nailed securely to the upright beam.

The torture this inflicted has been documented, so we will forego that. But to keep breathing, Jesus had to push up in order to exhale. The process of crucifixion was a combination of excruciating pain, physical damage to the body and organs, loss of blood (exsanguination), and the exhausting regimen of respiration.

When Jesus "breathed His last" He made one final push with His legs. That is why the soldiers broke the legs of the others who were hung with Him. Once the bones were broken, they had no leverage with which to elevate their bodies and quickly suffocated.

The point is that it was not "poetic license" that Luke used when he reported that Jesus "breathed His last." He based it on medical and physical evidence.

The final consideration comes after the "end." Matthew (27:51), Mark (15:38) and Luke (23:45) include the statement that the "veil of the temple was torn in two." Matthew and Mark specify that it was from the "top to bottom." One of the roles of the curtain in the temple was to separate the people from God and prevent them from approaching Him in an unworthy manner.

Do you recall the instances in the Old Testament when the Ark of the Covenant and access to God was violated? It cost people their lives and or health. The "separation" was not to protect God, but to protect sinners who would perish in the Presence of the Holy God. This separation for protection is reflective of the Lord setting an angel with the "flaming sword" to guard the entrance to the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:24)

This was also to protect man. Had Adam and Eve been able to eat of the tree of life, they would have been cursed to live forever in the sin-wracked body they inherited by rebelling against God. The tabernacle and subsequent temple was also protection by separation. But that barrier was no longer needed. Jesus had paid the penalty for our sin and to illustrate that, the dividing curtain that partitioned man and God was destroyed. The way into the "garden" of God was no longer blocked. The Holy of Holies was accessible to all who trust in Jesus.

Think on these things. Glory!