Carl Witty
12/12/16
Eight chapters, two in each of the four gospels, are devoted to the events surrounding The Crucifixion of Jesus. Many people were brought into contact with Jesus during the hours preceding His death, and during the hours of His agony on The Cross. In the characters surrounding The Cross we can see people we know, and we can see ourselves. Look at the following characters:
Judas, the betrayer of a beloved friend (Luke 22:3-6): He sold his soul for thirty pieces of silver. He was deceptive, dishonest, and selfish. These faults led to his destruction. His unresolved quilt finally led him to throw down the pieces of silver in the temple and to go out and hang himself (Matthew 27:5).
Peter, sincere but weak: Jesus warned Peter of his weakness as He instituted The Lord’s Supper. Peter saw himself as being so strong he would never forsake the Lord. He used his sword to cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus rebuked him by saying “put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). As Jesus is taken away, all the disciples run away. Later, Peter begins to “follow afar.” Finally, his weakness gave in to public accusations and he denied Jesus three times.
Religious Leaders, seeking “political correctness,” rather than the truth: We would expect such leaders to be on the Lord’s side. Actually, they bitterly opposed Jesus because He was a threat to their ambitions. They counted themselves right and others wrong. They were blinded toward truth by their own sense of righteousness, pride, position, and wisdom. They would not admit to truth. The chief priests and other religious leaders allowed Jesus to be spat upon, mocked, reviled, beaten, and crucified.
Pilate, knowing the truth, but not willing to stand up for it: Pilate was a ruler with power. He was evidently well informed and capable, and believed Jesus to be innocent. But he was a moral coward. His behavior, therefore, is inconsistent, despicable, and inexcusable. His verdict for Jesus was “I find no fault in Him,” and yet his sentence was death. He washed his hands, renounced his responsibility, and said he was free of innocent blood.
The Man or Woman in the crowd: One day the people were singing Jesus’ praises and thronged around Him. A few hours pass, and the people are screaming out “crucify him, crucify him.”
Simon of Cyrene, the bearer of another’s cross: “Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross” (Matthew 27:32). When Jesus fell beneath the weight of His heavy cross, Simon was conscripted. (It is thought that Simon was the father of two early prominent Christians, Rufus and Alexander.) If so, though he may have shouldered the cross reluctantly, later he could realize the blessedness of knowing he had borne the cross of the one who became his Savior!
The Thief who turned to Jesus: Jesus was crucified between two nameless thieves. One of these men turned to Jesus. He made his request and Jesus responded. He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember we when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Thief who rejected Jesus: The other thief railed against Jesus with mocking words. “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us’” (Luke 23:39). This thief’s rejection of Jesus put him beyond the reach of salvation. He closed the door of his heart to Jesus.
The Soldiers, mocking, striking, looting: The soldiers took advantage of the opportunity to take Jesus’ clothing. Evidently, Jesus had no possessions except the clothes he wore. The soldiers had no awareness of the significance of what was happening as the Savior of the World died. They are a picture of carelessness and indifference to the most important events before them.
The Faithful Few, unselfish in service and devotion: The mother of Jesus, other women, Mary Magdalene, and faithful John Mark their way with Jesus to the crucifixion site. They kept the lonely vigil. They showed their allegiance and undying love by staying with Him until the end.
Joseph of Arimathea, a man of conviction and courage: In the midst of confusion and in the face of public sentiment against Jesus, this man of character could do what needed to be done. “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
The characters noted in this article are a cross section of people who were around The Crucifixion of Jesus. Do you see yourself in this picture? Are you a Joseph, a John, or a Mary? If not, the marvelous part of the whole scene is that you can change your relationship with Jesus. By His matchless mercy and grace, the blood shed on the cross can cleanse you of sin and prepare you for eternity with the Son of God.