Title: The meaning of the three crosses
“When they took Jesus over, he took up his cross and came out to a place called the skull (Golgotha in Hebrew), where they crucified him, and two other men with him on the left and right, and Jesus was in the middle. And Pilate wrote a plaque and put it on the cross, and it was written, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, many Jews read this plaque, and it was written in Hebrew, Roman, and Greek. Then he said, “Write, not the king of the Jews, but write that he is the king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “I have written what I need.”
One week from today is the beginning of the week of suffering, which passes as we meditate on the sufferings of our Lord. What does the three crosses on Calvary mean? As we face Passion Sunday today, we should all think deeply about it. And by realizing the meaning of the cross that the Lord carried to me, we must become the bearers of faith who love the Lord fervently. According to the Gospel of John, written by the Apostle John, it is relatively detailed compared to other synoptic Gospels. It is said that three crosses were erected on a hill called the place of the skull, and the cross of Jesus was in the middle. The cross is the same cross, but we need to think about what each of those three crosses mean to us spiritually.
1. First, we should consider the cross of the thief on the left.
According to the Roman law at the time of Jesus, a sinner who was put to death on a crucifixion was the time when rebels or slaves were sentenced to death, and it was said that no matter how serious a crime was committed against Roman citizens, he was not crucified to death. In that sense, this robber on the left must have been a truly anti-human and vicious criminal. So he was hung on the crucifixion, the supreme brother. The cross of the thief on the left was a cross that showed what the end of sin was. It is the cross that shows that all sins end in this way. This cross of the robber on the left is the cross that showed that, in the end, no matter what kind of sin, human beings cannot escape death as the price for sin. Not only that, it was the cross of sinners who missed even the opportunity to repent and mocked and distrusted Jesus to the point of death.
Here we see the face of those who are not saved. It is a cross that shows the stubbornness of those who do not repent after committing a sin, and are unaware of the world of eternal hell after death. In other words, it is a cross that sees the end of life for those who have given up on repenting. A few years ago, in our society, a criminal organization was formed and killed passersby mercilessly, but it is the same death as those who died without remorse. Therefore, it can be seen here that salvation is not for everyone, but limited salvation for the elect.
At first, no one was allowed to enter the room. He was so terribly annoyed that he threw and hit him. But when I went, I had no energy to do so and it was time to lay down. When I entered the room, the smell was already terrifying. “It is hard work to bring my Lord closer to the burden of the cross.” After singing the hymn and reading the words of John 14:1 and below, there is no sound and no movement. “Master Kwon! Believe in Jesus. If you believe in me, your soul will be saved.” I opened my eyes and said, “I am the savior,” and then I closed my eyes again. I was so surprised and bewildered that I had the experience of praying and returning home.
I saw that it is not right to say that all people repent when they die. If it is not God's chosen people, they die while mocking Jesus like the thief on the left. “If you are the Son of God, come down to the cross to save you and us,” he mocked Jesus. How amazing is this? but the same death
But the robber on the right was completely different from him.
2. Second, we should consider the cross of the thief on the right.
The thief on the right is the cross of a man who committed the same sin but repented. The price of sin is the cross, which shows that the way to salvation is still open in the face of the stark fact of death. In other words, the price of sin is death, but it is the cross that shows that if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, entrust your soul to him, and believe that you will go to paradise with him, you will be saved. How fortunate this is! Therefore, salvation is not the merit of human works, but the gift of grace given as a result of faith.
It is a gift that is so expensive that it is invaluable. If the price is too high, you can't put a price on it. Paintings by famous painters are highly priced in galleries. But even now, it is said that the painting of Leonardo da Vinci painted around 1500 is priceless. So it is said that 'Priceless' was written on the picture. Because it is so precious and precious, it means that it cannot be measured in price.
That is God's saving grace. For the sake of worthless and worthless sinners, the death of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is an invaluable gift of noble grace. It was the cross of the thief on the right that showed this grace of salvation. Every time we look at this cross, we are convinced that even a sinner like me can be saved. It is this cross that showed the amazing secret that even if you believe at the moment of death, you can be saved. So, in hymn 211, it says, "That heinous thief realized his sin and believed in the sinless Lord Jesus as Savior. My sins are heinous, but if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will be forgiven as soon as a forgiven robber." It is the cross that showed the conviction that even sinners who could not be forgiven even by those caught for killing and robbery were saved. Therefore, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven before God. The cross that showed that all sins are forgiven except for blaspheming the Holy Spirit is the cross of the robber on the right.
3. Third, we must think of the cross of Jesus.
It is the cross of atonement for the sinless person who died in the place of sinners. So the meaning of the cross up to now has changed. After the Lord took up the cross, the cross has now become a symbol of sacrifice for the sake of righteousness, not a frame for killing atrocious sinners. Therefore, it is not a cross of curses, but a cross of respect, glory and praise. The cross, which used to be a symbol of shame and shame, has become a symbol of sacrifice, service and love. So, today, all crosses mean that the hospitals that treat people's diseases and the Red Cross's sacrificial volunteer work are all carried out by wearing crosses.
Moreover, the cross of Jesus is a cross as a sacrifice offered once for all. It is the cross that bore all the sins of all mankind and died in its place. This cross of the Lord is a cross of emotion that has opened the way to salvation. Romans 10:10 says, “With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made, resulting in salvation.” Therefore, if anyone confesses Christ as Lord, believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth, it is the cross that confirmed his name for salvation.
Jesus died on the cross saying, 'It is finished'. What would you say you have accomplished? It means that we have overcome all the forces of sin and have been victorious. It means that the power of the unrighteous bayonet was accomplished with the cross of love. Therefore, in these words, we see ① the completion of his love, ② the completion of his mission as a sacrifice of obedience, and ③ the completion of the sinner’s work of redemption. In other words, we can see that he has paid the full price of death, the price of sin, and set us free.
The love of the cross of the Lord is giving birth to another love. Where did the many volunteers who silently sacrifice themselves in the shadows without a name and without light today come from? Because they are people who have realized the love of Jesus on the cross. So Isaac Watts (1674-1748) said in hymn 141, "I thank you for that when I dealt with the cross. ' he wrote a hymn of tears.
Now, no matter how violent a sinner, when he sees the cross, his heart melts. No matter how foolish you are, when you face the cross of the Lord, you will turn back to tears. Even drunkards and prodigals, no matter how hard they try, decide in front of that cross and become new people. Therefore, the cross of the Lord became the cross of , not of . Now, the cross of the Lord has become a cradle for life, not a frame to kill. That's why we don't know how many sinners come back today who are hung up in their throats of emotion while looking at the cross.
Dear saints!
In the three crosses erected on the hill of Golgotha, we thought about the meaning of each cross. If the cross of the Lord had not been erected in the center, where could a sinner like me be saved? I hope that all of us will continue to love the new Lord as we meditate on the Lord who bore the cross of suffering today for a week. Now, I earnestly hope that we will all be able to live a life that seems to repay even one tenth of the love of the cross of the Lord. Let's pray.
Prayer:
"Loving Heavenly Father! Thank you for your love for us. Thank you for blotting out our sins for us who deserved to die, so that the innocent Jesus Christ was hung on the cross for sinners. Please give me new faith so that I can live a life that is moved by love. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray." Amen. ♣