I'LL TAKE LETHAL INJECTION, THANK YOU!

"Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' And they cast lots to divide his garments." Luke 23:32-34

Went to church today. A new church. Went to a different one last week, too. But today blessed me so much.

The pastor preached the above verses. I have heard it before. I have read it. But today, it was explosive to me!

As believers, we know Christ had to come to die. And he had to die for us to live. But I kind of relate to Andrew Lloyd Webber's lyrics for Judas Iscariot at the end of his musical, Jesus Christ Superstar:

Every time I look at you I don't understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand.
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned.
Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation.
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.

In particular the part about choosing such a backward time with no mass communication. That really resonates with me. If Jesus came today, his death and "trial" would have been broadcast to so many people. Even his resurrection. Why did he choose such a backward time and such a strange land?

The pastor discussed in full detail, the horror of crucifixion. He talked about the pounding of the nails, the nakedness on the cross and the shame. He talked about how people actually suffocated to death. Guards broke the legs of the men hanging there, so that they could no longer lift themselves, minute after minute to get a futile breath. There has never been a more excruciating death before or since crucifixion.

What a backward time in that strange land. Nowadays, we kill our criminals humanely. We strap offenders to a gurney and administer a series of drugs so that their death will not be a suffering time. We do it in a private prison room with only so many people allowed to watch and witness. No huge, mocking crowd, no nakedness, no physical abuse. So unlike the death our Savior died.

So why would our infinitely compassionate and loving Heavenly Father send his Son to die on a cross instead of a gurney? If Jesus only had to die - why then? Why that way? If the Father had to turn His face from His Son, why not while he was clean and fading away on a gurney, not beaten beyond recognition, skin ripped and falling from his body, nailed to a cross and suffocating? Why the cross? was the pastor's question.

Why the cross?

I believe that God was very purposeful when He selected the timing in history of Jesus' death. Publicly condoned executions have never been more heinous than the cross. There has never been a form of punishment worse. Since that time, we have seen the death penalty become an instrument of death, but no longer suffering. Jesus suffered. A LOT. Pain beyond comprehension, gasping for life, naked and shamed. All of that was for our God to endure. For you. And me.

I believe God chose the cross because it was so awful. In this way, we know that Jesus took on the worst punishment imaginable for a human. Wrath is undeniable when you see someone hanging on a cross. And not like in the pictures....but in real life. I believe Jesus was not stoned, as was the Jew's custom because he didn't just die for the Jews. I believe he was not beheaded, as was the Roman custom, because he didn't die just for Romans. I believe he was crucified like the worst of criminals to remind us that he didn't just die for those who had lied and cheated, but for those who murdered and raped as well. He took the worst of the world will ever have to offer publicly to show that he loved all people and that the Father's desire was to save even the worst offender....at the cost of his Son's life.

What about you? When you picture the Crucifixion, do you see Jesus on a cross with dribbles of blood coming down? Do you envision him enduring the hanging there with all the strength of God? He didn't. He endured it in his human flesh. Barely. Do you imagine him in a loin cloth? Do you picture him conversing with God about the forgiveness of those around him? He could not breathe as he pleaded forgiveness on our behalf! He suffered. There was nothing humane about it.

But make no mistake, there was no blunder in coming in that backward time and strange land with it's disgusting death customs. God chose it so that you would have no doubt that He hates sin. And loves you. Enough to have his Son die for you.

And Jesus loves you, too. We know because God's word says: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Notice he despised not the pain of the cross....but the shame.

Shame on us when we think our "little" sins are not what nailed him to the tree. Shame on us when we picture Jesus prettily hanging on the cross with his little halo glowing and eyes focused. Shame on us when we whitewash what he took on for us. It wasn't lethal injection....it was agonizing death.

Even death on a cross.