THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION

Have I been crucified with Christ? What does even mean? What if I was there?

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION

In the quiet night of my soul, I heard Jesus of Nazareth tell of His future. His words echoed, foretelling His impending crucifixion, a journey that would unravel the threads of destiny.

In the hushed stillness of this evening, I stood beside the long-awaited one. As events unfolded, the chief priests, scribes, and elders plotted against Him, but not during the feast, fearing an uproar among the people.

As we shared the last meal, the weight of sacrifice hung in the air. Jesus, breaking bread, imparted a solemn significance, setting the stage for the events to unfold. He told us that this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

His disciples had all heard the same words, nonetheless, they would deny him. They fell asleep when He needed them the most. I hoped I would not. He broke bread and shared the cup, alluding to His impending sacrifice.

In Gethsemane, I stood with Him as He grappled with the weight of His destiny, finding solace in faith yet facing the impending betrayal. The looming darkness  witnessed his struggle, a soul tormented yet resolute. I heard. “Let this cup pass from me."

The ominous trial unfolded with false testimonies and condemnation. I stood beside Jesus, receiving the same sentence as the crowd clamored for Barabbas. Torn, Pilate yielded to their demands, and they scourged Jesus and led him away to be crucified. Though I, too, received a beating, it was insignificant compared to the weight of the world He bore. In the halls of power, many individuals sought to condemn Him.

Standing beside Jesus as judgment unfolded, I carried only a fraction of the weight of the unjustly imposed sentence.

The crowd clamored for Barabbas, and the road to Calvary emerged. On that Golgotha road, I too stumbled with a heavy cross, compelled to bear the burden.

The piercing to His side flowed. They bartered His garments, as if it were a game. The crucifixion scene unfolded with a chilling darkness, mockery, and His agonizing cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” It wrecked me, and this moment of profound sacrifice was witnessed by onlookers and centurions who recognized the gravity of the event.

Many would hear the statement, "Surely this was the Son of God.”

As we walked that fateful road, I felt the splinters of the cross, sharing the burden alongside Simon of Cyrene. The crucifixion unfolded, a spectacle of mockery and pain. “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews,” proclaimed the sign above his head.

It was a pivotal moment in my life, for I too found myself nailed to a tree alongside Jesus, feeling life flow out of me. Amidst the darkness, I stood silent as Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” he declared, marking the triumph over suffering. His words reverberate throughout the world for eternity.

This victory was not just over suffering but also the culmination of a perfect life of obedience, and a decisive battle against the enemy. It is the completion of atonement for our sin stained souls. Nailed to that tree, I shared the profound moment when he yielded his spirit while the world jeered, questioning his divinity. Did He want to die this type of death? Satan was smug for just a moment.

He was buried in another man’s tomb.

And very soon, in the aftermath, an angel rolled away the stone, and the resurrection echoed with the promise of redemption. Though the enemy cried out, “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” Still, the demons had to flee. Death had been swallowed up in victory.

The narrative continued as women discovered the empty tomb, encountering an angel proclaiming the risen Christ. Jesus appeared, reassuring them and commissioning His disciples to spread the message of redemption and discipleship. I witnessed the joy of those who discovered the empty tomb, the risen Christ appearing to them with a message of triumph. It continues as I, too, am crucified on that symbolic tree, feeling life ebbing away. “Into thy hands, I commend my spirit,” only partially echoing His profound surrender.

Christ finished His work, though I haven’t yet. But with him, the journey found its completion, a testament of sacrifice and salvation woven through the cross. The amazing story of redemption, from the birth to the cross, from the grave to the ascension, all unfolded with profound significance, challenging all to consider taking up their own cross on the journey of faith.

It is not until we die to ourselves that He can live in and through us.

It was written. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Am I crucified with Christ?

Can I Take Up the Cross?

Ask Him. For is He not right beside you?

For can we then say?

I have been crucified with Christ, I am free, death has lost its hold on me. It has been swallowed up in victory.

If the Son has set you free, you shall be free.

Indeed, I am free!

©️Donald Schuler

1/9/2023

Photo by Thanti Riess on Unsplash