The Death of Jesus

Scripture Reading: Luke 23:1-56, Isaiah 53:12, 1 Peter 4:19

I always enjoyed history classes in school. Being able to look back over the stories of history and see the actions and decisions that led to certain events is a good and necessary thing. Those decisions led to the rise and fall of nations. Those actions began and ended wars. Moments that seemed small at the time were the result of preceding years and had repercussions for the following years.

But there’s only one moment in all of history that changed everything. This is that moment. The entirety of the Old Testament points forward to this. All four gospels recount this. The rest of the New Testament points back to this. All of history revolves around a death on a cross.

It’s the definition of injustice. It’s terrible and tragic, which is precisely why we need to linger here. The innocent Son of God was beaten, tortured, and nailed to a cross to die. Each of us stands condemned because of our sin. And yet He took our place, bearing the weight of all of sin for all of time, shedding his blood so that we don’t have to shed ours.

It’s the most undeserved reversal ever. Innocence in place of guilt. Righteousness for sin. Pictures of it are littered throughout the text. Recognizing that He had saved others, the religious leaders taunted Jesus to save Himself, not recognizing that by sacrificing Himself, He was continuing to save others (Luke 23:35). Darkness covered the earth, and yet through the darkness, the way was opened to God as the veil was torn, “split down the middle” from top to bottom (vv.44-45). Our eternal life springs from Jesus’s death.

Luke gives an interesting description of the witnesses to Jesus’s crucifixion. Working backward from the outside in, we see His followers observing at a distance (v.49), and the crowds dispersing and mourning (v.48). But the Roman centurion, the one in closest proximity to the cross? He glorified God by seeing and proclaiming Jesus’s righteousness (v.47).

We can’t see Jesus for who He is without the cross. And we can’t see the cross for all it is without giving glory to God for what He has done. As we’ve seen throughout Luke, this is why Jesus came. This is how He rescues. This is how He reverses the curse of sin and inaugurates His kingdom on earth.

Today, may we be people who draw near to the cross of Christ. Let us dwell on His sacrifice on our behalf. Let us see His righteousness, given to us by His grace. It’s only through Jesus that we can echo His prayer: “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit” (v.46). Let us glory in the scandal of the cross.

Written by Cameron Magby