Focus: Two Sides of The Cross

Text: Mt.27:35

"And they crucified him…"

The cross has two sides to it: the human and the divine. The four Gospel writers report the human side of the cross. They show us that the cross is man's doing. Matthew says, "And they crucified him." Mark says, "And it was the third hour, and they crucified him." Luke writes, "There they crucified him." John declares, "Where they crucified him." Four of them are in agreement that they crucified Him. But who are the "they?" Luke tells us, "And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed" (Lk.23:33). John says, "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus…" (Jh.19:23). In Mt.26:2, Jesus says, "The Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." In Mt.27:23, it was all the people who said to Pilate, "Let him be crucified." In Mt.27:26, Pilate "delivered him to be crucified." So we can see that the "they" refers to the Jewish multitude, Judas Iscariot, the Jewish political and religious leaders, Pilate and Herod, the Roman soldiers, and indeed all of us. All humanity is included in the "they." 

The cross reveals the extreme cruelty of man and the heinousness of evil. The cross shows man brutalizing and killing his own Savior and Lord. Satan was on the side of man, inspiring and stirring him up, and ensuring that Christ was executed and finished with. We read in Jh.13:2, "And supper being ended, the DEVIL having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to BETRAY him." Then in verse 27, we read, "And after the sop Satan entered into him." Remember also, that after the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, we read in Lk.4:13, that "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." That tells us that Satan made his final return at the cross. He temporarily left Jesus after the temptation to make a comeback at the cross. The chief priests wanted Jesus out of the way by all means. Mark says, "For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy" (Mk.15:10). 

Pilate noticed that the Jewish leaders were possessed by the spirit of envy. Jesus Himself said, "They hated me without a cause" (Jh.15:25). These are two terrible demons: envy and hatred plus the greed of Judas. The cross, on man's side, is a revelation of evil. From man's side, wickedness was winning the day. But there is the other side of the cross with God orchestrating everything. From God's side, the cross was indeed God at work. The cross was a revelation of divine goodness. On the cross, God was doing His thing and having His way. On the cross, good and evil were clashing against each other. Right there on the cross we see the full display of human cruelty, but from God's side, we see God "laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa.53:6). From God's side, we see Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, giving His life for the sheep, and as a prophetic fulfillment, God was striking the Shepherd and letting the sheep to scatter (Mt.26:31). 

The cross was God's original and eternal idea, not an after thought.

Joseph's story exposes to us the human and the divine sides of history. Joseph said, "But AS FOR YOU, ye thought EVIL against me; BUT GOD meant it unto GOOD, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen.50:20). He said, "And GOD SENT ME before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt" (Gen.45:7-8). His brothers sold him, and those who bought him took him to Egypt and sold him there, but Joseph is saying, 'No! God orchestrated everything. He simply used your evil machinations as a raw material to make something good from it.' So it was with the cross. Man thought he was having his way, not knowing God was behind it all. While man and the hosts of hell were doing their worst, God was doing His best for all men.

*Man's worst:

Jesus says to His disciples, "The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of SINFUL MEN, and be crucified, and the third day rise again" (Lk.24:7). Cleopas, one of Jesus' disciples said, "And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him" (Lk.24:20).

*God's best:

Isaiah says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed… and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all… Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief…" (Isa.53:5,6,10).

In the New Testament, Peter declares, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of GOD, YE have taken, and by WICKED HANDS have crucified and slain" (Act.2:23). Again, he says, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that GOD HATH MADE that same Jesus, whom YE HAVE CRUCIFIED, both LORD and CHRIST" (Act.2:36). Hallelujah! The cross is entirely God's idea. Jesus Christ came to earth to die for the salvation of man. On the cross, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Paul declares, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom.8:28). 

Hell will never win in your life. Satan will not have the last laugh in your life. Man's evil plot against you will surely miscarry. God will surely be glorified in your life. Relax your mind even when it seems like Satan is winning. Today the cross is the power and wisdom of God for the Christian. It is our symbol of freedom and victory. We glory in the cross of Christ. Death was put to death on the cross of Jesus Christ and our sins were forever atoned for. Glory be to God, most high!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter