Mood:
sadTopic: The Cross
CRIES FROM THE CROSS:
Pastor. John Neal
What led up to there ever having to be, cries from the cross? Jesus wasn’t crying from the pain and agonies, He wasn’t crying for his own self. The first cry uttered from the cross was, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (St. Luke 23:34).
There were two legal system, which proved to be illegal, that condemned Jesus. The Jews, his own people, and the Romans. The very two system on which our own legal system is based upon. The arrest and proceeding’s under Anna Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, were under Jewish law. Those under Pilate and Herod were under Roman law. The Jewish trial was illegal in several ways:
1)- The judge was not impartial, and did not protect the accused. There is no evidence that the quorum of twenty-three judges were present. The judges took part in the arrest, and they were hostile (St. Matt. 26: 62-63).
2)- The arrest was unlawful because it was carried out under no formal accusation.
3)- In Criminal trails, all sessions had to be started and carried out only during the day. The verdict was not to be handed down until the next day. All night session were illegal.
4)- A verdict of guilty could not be rendered on the same day, as the conclusion of the trial. It had to be given the next day.
5)- The search for hostile testimony was illegal (St. Matt. 26: 59, Mark 14: 56; John 11:53).
6)- No accused could be convicted on his own evidence, yet, they sought replies and admissions from Jesus to condemn him (St. Matt. 26: 63-66; John 18:9).
7)- No valid legal evidence was presented against him.
After Pilate declared Jesus Innocent (St. Matt. 27: 24), ever thing that was done after that was contrary to the letter and spirit of Roman law. A murdered man does not have a choice, but Jesus had a choice. He laid down his life willingly. No man took his life from him. Like a sheep led to the slaughter, Jesus let himself be led to Calvary. To give his blood and die for the sins of this uncaring world, but he opened not his mouth, but suffered for us, a death too horrible to even try to understand.
Psa. 22: 14-18, David gives us a picture of the Crucifixion. The bones of the hands, arms, shoulders, and pelvis pulled out of joint (v 14), the profuse perspiration caused by intense suffering (v 14), the action of the heart affected (v14). Strength exhausted, and extreme thirst (v15). The hands and feet pierced (v 16). All are associated with this form of death.
The second cry from the cross was when Jesus spoke to the thief. “Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise” (St. Luke 23:43).
The third cry from the cross was when Jesus looked down and saw his mother, he said to her, “Woman, behold thy son,” this he spoke of John the beloved disciple, and to John he said, “Behold thy mother” (St. John 19:26-27).
The forth cry from the cross, and the most saddest anyone could hear was, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (St. Matt. 27: 46; St. Mark 15:34-36).
The fifth cry from the cross, Jesus simply said, “I thirst” (St. John 19: 28).
The Sixth cry from the cross, “It is finished” ( St. John 19: 30).
The Seventh, and last cry from the cross, “Father, into thy hands, I commend my Spirit” (St. Luke 23: 16).
Put yourself in Jesus’ place, see what was happening at the foot of the cross. While Jesus hung there on the cross suffering and dying there in pain and agony, the soldiers sat at the foot of the cross and played their games, and parted his garments, casting lots, gambling on his garment to see which one was going to get them. The people stood beholding, in indifference, like it was a circus going on. (St. Matt. 27: 35- 42). It was show time at the cross that day. The rulers, mocked him. They wanted religion, but, without a divine Christ crucified for their sins. (St. Matt 27:41). They railed at him (St. Matt. 27: 39). Reviled him. Def: Railed, means , criticize, denounce, condemn. They were there from near and far for the feast of the Passover, and they came to behold this public execution. He claimed to be the Son of God, would he come down from the cross. All eyes were upon him, waiting to see what he would do.
The Cross is for the judgment of the world. We have to go back to the cross, even though Jesus is not there anymore. That is where he was Crucified. That is where he died. That is where he shed his blood, so that we, who partake of it in Baptism, may be washed clean of our sins. Jesus told John the Baptist, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (St. Matthew 3: 15).
