The Irony of the Crucifixion - A Good Friday Reflection

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, his enemies thought they had won. And why not? After all, his very existence was a threat to the existing social and religious order. What better way to get rid of a nuisance like Jesus than to kill him painfully and shamefully through the act of crucifixion.

Crucifixion was a penalty reserved for the worst and the lowest; for the scum of society. It was the preferred form of capital punishment for criminals and rebellious slaves; for traitors and rebels who promoted insurrection against the government. It was so gruesome, so painful, so disgraceful that it was more than an act of execution: it was an act of torture. Needless to say, it served as a strong form of deterrence because no one…no one…wanted to be crucified. 

Crucifixion was such a cruel and degrading form of punishment that all sorts of writers and historians – both secular and sacred – quailed at describing it with any significant detail.

Surely God did not intend for his one and only Son to die this way, did he? 

And so – from a human perspective – it easily can seem like the religious and political leaders succeeded in their plans on the day Jesus was killed. 

On that long ago Friday afternoon, the Jewish religious leaders were convinced that they had removed a heretical rabbi whose teaching undermined their spiritual authority. The Romans were relieved that they had eliminated a charismatic leader who could potentially incite an uprising against the Empire. 

Best of all, they knew…they absolutely knew…that no one would want to follow the disgraced Jesus after such an ignoble death. 

They had won. That’s what they thought. Yet the death of Jesus, in precisely this way, directly fulfilled biblical prophecy. 

The pain and shame of the cross.

The humiliation of soldiers gambling for his garments.

Jesus’ cry as he drew his last breath.

These actions – and more – were predicted in Scripture years before that fateful day.

So, yes, this horrible death was God’s precise plan. His plan to produce one, final, permanent, eternal remedy for sin. And to prove his point – to demonstrate his complete power over life and death and sin and judgment – God the Father brought God the Son back to life. Life over death. New life through Jesus instead of a life of death through sin.

Jesus’ enemies thought they had won, but in actuality they were instruments of God. They unwittingly and unknowingly accomplished the will of the Father. 

Oh, the irony. 

God’s purposes – and only his purposes – were fulfilled on the Friday Jesus was crucified. And that’s why we can call this day of shame and pain “good.”

Dear Jesus, saying “thank you” seems to be a small phrase to offer for your willing surrender and sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for obeying your Father and enduring such agony of soul and spirit because of your love of us. I pray that our hearts would be filled with gratitude for what you endured…for what you accomplished…on Good Friday. In Your name, Amen.


NOTE: If you are an email subscriber and would like to post a comment, just click this link which will take you directly to the blog: http://broensbridge.blogspot.com