Crucified with Christ

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden beam and left to hang, perhaps for several days, until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used to punish slaves, pirates, and enemies of the state. Crucifixion was usually intended to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful, gruesome, humiliating, and public. Thousands have been punished in this manner over the centuries. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished crucifixion in the Roman Empire in 337 AD out of veneration for Jesus Christ, its most famous victim.

Jesus’ Crucifixion was not a random affair. Jesus was not murdered on a Jerusalem back street by one of Caiaphas’s thugs.  was not a political assassination brought about through collusion between government and temple authorities. After several hours of agonizing in Gethsemane, He received from  Father’s hands the ‘cup’ of the dark sin and drank it deep to the last drop.  crucifixion was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). Jesus told Pilate during the trial "You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above”’ (John 19:11). One thousand years before Christ  and centuries before  the Romans introduced crucifixion as capital punishment, David prophesied this (Psalms 22:16).

True Christians are those who believed in their heart and confess by their mouth that Jesus’ death has allowed God to offer them forgiveness and eternal life as a gift. They have accepted that gift through faith and are seeking to live a life of obedient gratitude, for what God has done for them. True Christians are considered to be crucified with Christ symbolically - partakers in  death and in  resurrection, like the below verses confirm:

Romans 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in death, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection.

Romans 8:17 says if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Numerous verses speak about the necessity of following Jesus’ example, live the way He lived, suffer the way He suffered and die the way He died. Peter says in 1 Peter 2.21 “For God called we to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is our example, and we must follow in His steps’’. It is the ultimate aim of every Christian to become like Christ. (2Corinth 3:18) The Lord-makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into  His glorious image.  St. Paul confesses ‘’I have been crucified with Christ, and I live, yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf’’ (Galatians  2:20). 

We must know how Jesus was crucified if we want to die in Him. We know he died amidst hatred, mockery, disgrace, humiliation, insults, loneliness, the crown of thorns, hammer, nails, etc. Can we imitate Him in  His death, as the scriptures demand? How did Jesus die?

1. He died innocently:

Isaiah _53:9 Then they made His grave with the wicked, and with rich people in His death, although he had committed no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth."

Pilate, the judge of the land found Him innocent and declared it public three times.  Herod Antipater, the tetrarch was disappointed in Him, mocked Him, but eventually declared and informed Pilate that he found nothing wrong with Him. Pilot’s wife described Jesus a righteous person and warned her husband not to meddle with  Him, breaking all protocols. Even one of the thieves condemned along with Him found Him innocent. Jesus was so innocent, that the government and the temple authorities had to collude and  break 30 laws in order to declare Him guilty!

As Christians we are prone to be accused unjustly. Jesus predicted this and warned us.   ‘’God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me’’  (Mathew  5:11). He practiced what He preached and was a model to you.

St. Peter understood this, practiced this and taught this. We don't gain anything by being punished for some wrong we have done. But God will bless us if we have to suffer for doing something good (1Peter 2:20).

2. He died silently.

He was painfully abused, but he did not complain. He was silent like a lamb being led to the butcher, as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off. (Isaiah 53:7) 

He was most times silent during  His trial. Pilot was surprised, wondered  why He was not defending Himself. Silence is often interpreted as an admission of guilt. Jesus knew this and still kept quiet. Didn’t He have a voice? He is the God who spoke galaxies into existence. Dead men heard Him call and came back to life. Demons trembled and fled at His voice. Now mortal men were now accusing Him and His strong voice fell silent.

David exalts the power of God’s voice in a beautiful psalm (29). God’s  voice echoes over the oceans, above the raging seas; deserts tremble at it;  His voice was mighty and marvelous – mighty enough to destroy the cedar trees, flash lightning; forests are stripped of leaves when He roars and deer give birth! It is this voice that remained silent as the disgraceful trial unfolded that tumultuous day.

The Word that was in beginning, Word that was with God, Word that was God, did not utter a word! It is the guilty that are often loud, like the first thief, like our politicians. It is the criminals who are fiercely vocal in defending their rights.

1Peter  2:22, 23  He who did no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth,  who, when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously.

3. He died apparently weak and helpless

But according to Paul “for even if He was crucified out of weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For indeed even we are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward us (2Corinthians 13:4).Power, authority and glory belonged  to Him, but  He set them aside to become a man, in obedience to  Father’s will. ‘’Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross’’. (Philippians 2:6-8).

The Lion of the tribe of Judah humbled Himself and offered Him to be sacrificed as God’s spotless lamb. The Almighty God refrained from using  His power to save Himself, He became weak for you. He had the authority to summon a legion of angels to defend Himself but didn’t.  He admitted to Pilate He was a king, but told him His kingdom was not of the earth. He knew God’s will and yielded quietly, didn’t wield power or authority outside God’s will.  He allowed mortals to abuse Him, murder Him. God’s purpose would not have been served had He done otherwise.

From His example, we realize we are strong when we are weak.  His power is made perfect in our weakness. Paul wrote in 2Corinth  12:10 

‘’I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong’’.  His grace is sufficient for you. It is through this single concept, millions of devotees went through persecution over millennia.

4. He died alone

Jesus was not new to loneliness. Frequently He chose to be alone to spend time with  His Father alone.  His family had shunned Him.  His townspeople disregarded Him. When he was arrested all of Jesus' disciples ran off and left Him alone. One of them betrayed Him.  His primary disciple denied Him.

Although He was hugely popular during  His ministry, surrounded by crowds always, He died alone at Calvary – forsaken by everyone –  family, government, religious authorities, society,  beneficiaries, those who flocked to Him day and night – and finally disciples. Crucifixion was a terribly cruel death, slow death, lonely death, shameful death, a criminal’s death. He who never knew sin became sin for you. To top this all, He suffered separation from  His Father for a brief moment.

Everyone has to die, but Christians die in hope, because they know death was not the end. We are only aliens and travellers on earth and death opens the door to our eternal home. We are not alone if Jesus is with us. If we die with Jesus we’re buried with Him, if we’re buried with Him we are resurrected with Him, if we are resurrected with Him we live with Him our eternal life, which was offered to us at our conversion; we rule with Him.

When we learn to die like this, we access and experience a most wonderful power. Christ Himself lives in our place, gives us victory. This was St Paul’s secret. It can be ours too.

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