Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.
Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.
John 19:1-3, 16b-18 NLT
In the video above, Pastor Carol explores the juxtaposition of a world cruel enough to employ crucifixion and a God compassionate enough to endure the cross.
There are many atonement theories—explanations for how and why the unjust execution of Christ facilitated forgiveness for humanity—but the theological particulars ought not muddy up the clear and evergreen message that nothing, not even death itself, would stop Jesus from offering us the gift of new life.
Lord God, thank you for your Son, the savior and redeemer of the world. This Holy Week, may we humble ourselves at the foot of the cross, and may we know the power of the resurrection. Amen.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We plan to post a weekly devotional and a monthly topical reflection AND we want to be as interactive as possible. Please share your thoughts and questions—we’d be thrilled to hear from you!
Yay! Pastor Carol!