The Battle at the Cross
16. Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away.
17. And He bearing His cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.
18. Where they crucified Him and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, And the writing was, “Jesus of Nazareth The King of the Jews.”
John 19:16-19
How Will You Remember the Cross?
There are several ways that we can remember Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. We can remember it in the ceremonial sense where people will recognize that our Lord did indeed, give His life for mankind. That is how many celebrate Easter in memorial fashion. There is certainly nothing wrong with that type of recognition, but it falls short of fully explaining the impact and the importance of Jesus’ suffering to save the world. The ceremony seeks only to preserve the rituals and highlights of a powerful event that changed the fate for all of mankind. Surely there must be something more. Will you remember the Cross as simply an annual ceremony?
Some have even settled upon the view of Calvary as a casual event. Much like those who attended the crucifixion of criminals in the first century, there are those who view Easter in the light of a public event. They simply look at the unfortunate death of Jesus Christ as someone who got in the way of the powers that be and suffered the fate of dying on the cross. Their casual minds will not allow them to dig deeper as one would examine precious jewels and find that this was no ordinary event because this Man was no ordinary person. Were they to search within the truth of Scripture, they would be led to proclaim with the Roman centurion, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Mark 15:39. Will you take that deeper look into what happened on Golgotha’s hill or will you shrug your shoulders and go on about your business and discount the Cross as a public spectacle? It’s your choice but it is also your fate.
Then there certainly were those who would make a profit of the Cross and treat it as an opportunity for commercial gain. Much like Judas, who hanged himself, these Easter profiteers are only interested in one thing: “what’s in it for me?” While there is much to be gained from the Cross, it is not to be valued with silver or gold. There is much to be acquired but it will not be measured in material possessions or fortune. The reward of the Cross is to grasp the full price that God Almighty paid for the redemption of humanity. On the Cross is where the Savior literally purchased every soul from the gates of Hell. For that reason, it would be to the advantage of everyone to have a deeper understanding of what really took place at Calvary. Books have been written about it. Songs have been sung to celebrate it. Yet, it is only when we visit that place that we would come to fully realize that there was a battle fought and a victory won at the place of the skull.
On a hill far away stood an old rugged Cross – the emblem of suffering and shame.
And I love that old Cross where the Dearest and Best,
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged Cross, till my trophies at last I lay down.
I will cling to the old rugged Cross and exchange it someday for a crown.
The ceremonial view of the cross can only provide rituals and relics of what happened at Golgotha. The casual view has only discarded the event as an unfortunate day in human history. The commercial view has only sought to find material gain from a priceless outpouring of God’s Grace. There remains only one other way to view the Cross and that is to view it as a Heavenly Celebration.
For that reason, it behooves each of us to approach the understanding of the Cross as a place of battle. We cannot celebrate the victory of the Cross until there is a serious look at what caused the conflict. Then we must explore how Jesus would use the Cross as a weapon against something that threatened the souls of mankind. To celebrate the victory of the Cross, we must as the news commentator would say, “know the rest of the story.” Perhaps the attention is already drawn to the Resurrection. That is certainly the conclusion of the matter and it must never be reduced of its relevance and worth. But my argument is that Jesus Christ had to first endure the painful death and that His death meant victory that is worthy of our worship. For certain, we shall rejoice in His Resurrection, but I am drawn to the Cross also where our Savior emerged with victory over a deadly enemy. Come join me in this celebration so that your soul may also acknowledge the benefits of Calvary. In the words of another hymn written by Jennie Hussey in 1921, let us ask the Spirit to ‘Lead Me to Calvary.’
King of my life I crown Thee now – Thine shall the Glory be.
Lest I forget Your thorn pierced brow – lead me to Calvary.
Lest I forget Gethsemane – lest I forget Your agony.
Lest I forget Your Love for me – lead me to Calvary.
The Battle Grounds
Pilate, the Sanhedrin, and the angry mob all played a part in setting the stage for the greatest battle that would ever be fought on planet earth. Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away. John, the Gospel writer, used pronouns to describe those involved with setting up the battle lines. Clearly, Pilate would be the one who gave the command to start with his announcement to condemn Jesus to death. Although he had tried to wash his hands of the matter, there was no escaping of what Jesus had already predicted. The Son of Man shall be condemned. It was Pilate who delivered Jesus to “them.” The soldiers would now carry out their orders to crucify the Lord. Now would be an opportune time to ask, were you there? Were you there when they led Him away? While your reply may be that you were not present, but if the Savior was going to battle for you, then that places you squarely among “them.”
The Scripture then states that Jesus was then led away to that dreaded place. And He bearing His cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. While none of us would care to admit it, our sins were part of the load that Jesus bore on His way to be crucified. Even though we were far into the future and had no first hand knowledge of the events that day, it was for your sins and mine that the Savior walked that way of sorrows, the via Delarosa. To help each of us locate our place at Golgotha, it may be helpful to note that there was at least one person who was summoned by the Romans. Simon was coming out of the country and was forced to carry the cross with Jesus. This is an interesting note and one that should not be viewed as a coincidence. While the Romans ordered him to carry the cross, this man was actually being assigned the role as the armor bearer of Jesus. Jesus was not marching onward to the fate of a Roman Cross. Jesus was on His way to wage war against the sins that had plagued the world since the days of Adam and Eve. Our Lord was on His way to crush the head of the serpent that had held mankind under the spell of evil. Within a matter of hours, the war would end and the souls of humanity would be set free.
An armor bearer was needed. Simon represents all those who recognize that we can’t fight the battle. Simon represents those who understand that the battle is not even yours. Simon represents those who face sin and yet understand that we are often too weak to even fight. The good news is that Jesus will be the Champion. The good news is that we still need to walk with Him up that rugged hill. There is an unfulfilled assignment that is now before everyone who will at least admit that Jesus was dying to save our souls. That assignment is simply to “take up the Cross and follow.”
An armor bearer is an assistant who serves the Warrior. Anything that the warrior needs, the assistant or armor bearer is to hand it over. On that day, Jesus could have used His arsenal of heavenly weapons, but He instead chose a simple cross. As a matter of fact, it was an instrument used by the Romans to torture prisoners to death. While the Romans administered the cross, it was Jesus Who chose the cross as the weapon of choice to slay the sin that had conquered mankind. As armor bearer, Simon was ordered to carry that Cross all the way up the hill to Golgotha. What about you? How far will you take the cross?
Upon reaching the summit of Calvary, Jesus dismissed the armor bearer and would fight the battle alone. Where they crucified Him and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. The Righteous One was now numbered among the transgressors. It was there that He warred. He fought. He began the fight by using three nails that had come from the very ore beneath the earth which He had created. He needed the nails to fix Himself to the weapon that would demand our release. As He said earlier in the Garden of Gethsemane, “If I Am the One you seek – then let these go free.” As surely as He had demanded the Disciples to go free, He would also demand that every repentant sinner would be set free from their sin. Why, it would be double jeopardy for One to die for the same sin twice. Jesus used the nails as a testimony of His Holy Sacrifice as God’s High Priest and our Only Savior. He warred! He that knew no sin, was made sin for us. He warred until He won. The agony of that six hour battle grew so intense that the heavens were darkened and became as midnight. The sun refused to shine for all the shame that had been placed on Jesus. If you recall, the Joshua of the Old Testament wanted the sun to shine, but in this case God pulled the drapes of heaven. There in the darkness, Jesus Christ fought alone on that old rugged cross. He fought against addictions. He fought against wickedness. He fought against hate. He fought against perversion. He fought against every sin that so easily beset you so that you would have the victory. He fought against demons and principalities. He fought against the very rulers of the darkness. Finally, our Lord and Savior looked at death. The Bible states that He said to His Father, “it is finished.” John 19:20. Then as death approached Jesus bowed His Head and gave up the Spirit. Luke 23:46 records the parting words as, Father into Your Hands I commend My Spirit. Those words are taken from Psalm 31:5. It should be very familiar to all of us because from those words we have all learned a familiar children’s prayer. The words go something like this:
Now I lay me down to sleep – I pray Dear Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake – I pray Dear Lord my soul to take. Amen.
Having won the battle at the Cross, Jesus took the fight to the next level. It was as if our Lord looked Death in the face and said, “This is not over yet – I’ll rise again.” The battle to redeem mankind had been fought. The battle was over, but if the war ended at Calvary, there would be no need of a Resurrection. Also, if the price for sin had been paid, but there is no Resurrection, what do we have to celebrate.
It is something how even evil men with wicked schemes can play into God’s plan and honor God without even knowing it. Pilate had to write a title over the Cross of Jesus and little did he realize that the criminal indictment would be the Title of God’s Mercy and Forgiveness. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, And the writing was, “Jesus of Nazareth The King of the Jews.” What are people to do when they see The King? Are they not to bow in reverence and acknowledge that is Who He is? This King had used His cross to benefit the souls of all humanity. This King of the Jews that had been prophesied in the Old Testament Scripture had now fulfilled His most powerful act of conquering the very iniquities that had separated mankind from God. This King, this Ruler, this Lord of Lords had given His very Blood as a holy offering to God. Since we are only armor bearers we can only shout praises to His Holy Name.
Blessings at the Cross
The cross is not only a place of battle, but it is also a place of blessings. No one can find God without going to the place of the Cross. On the day that Jesus died, there were many at the Cross but their minds were not on the Savior. The Sanhedrin and the mocking crowd were still railing on Jesus even after He was condemned. Hear them in their hatred of all that is good. “If He is the Son of God, let Him come down from the Cross.” Others were insulting Him with taunts, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save.” That last statement was true. The Savior would not save Himself because He knew that He was carrying out the Father’s orders on Calvary. Little did the Sanhedrin and the crowd realize that they were fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 22:7-8. All who see Me mock Me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads … “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him.” Sadly, the mockery against the Cross still continues today. Of all that Jesus did, some still refuse to come to Him.
Not only were there mockers at the Cross, there were also gamblers who were only looking get something for free. The soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes not realizing that they too were fulfilling another prophecy in Psalm 22:18. They divide My clothes among them and cast lots for My garment. Yes, they got something from Jesus dying on Calvary, but they missed Heaven’s free gift. They had come to the Cross but they did not come with a heart prepared to seek after God. It is only when we come helplessly to the Cross and ask God’s forgiveness that we are able to be released from sin.
What is the blessing of the Cross? It is the ability to confess our sins and realize that God is no longer angry at us. Jesus took that wrath upon Himself on the Cross. The blessing of the Cross is to be reconciled to God. Every person who falls on their knees at the Cross will be forgiven and will receive a full pardon from God. The blessing of the Cross is to know that God is your Father through Jesus Christ winning the victory. That is the Power of the Cross and that is the Blessing of the Cross. His Cross has set us free.
Amen!
Be blessed until next time.