We are continuing our series called Clue and we are looking at the crucifixion of Jesus through the eyes of the people that were there and today we are going to look at what the soldiers saw on the day that Jesus was crucified.
For the Roman Soldiers the day that Jesus was crucified was pretty much like any other day. Jesus, in the eyes of the soldiers, was just another Jewish man who had overstepped his bounds and threatened the Roman government. His punishment would be like the other death by means of crucifixion. You see Jesus wasn’t the first person to be crucified. Anytime someone led a revolt against Rome, Rome would come down hard on them.
Did you know that when Jesus was a teenager about your age, there was a Jewish rebellion against Rome in a town near where Jesus lived? The Roman army crushed the rebellion and to make sure that it never happened again they crucified every person who took part in the riot.
Over 1600 people were crucified in a stretch of about 10 miles. About every 10 yards another person was dying an awful death.
The first-century historian Josephus says there were times when the rebellions in Israel got really ramped up, where the Romans would crucify more than 500 Israelites a day. Josephus said there were so many crucifixions, they ran out of space for the crosses and they ran out of crosses for the bodies so these Roman Soldiers who were going to crucify Jesus were used to doing this. It was a dirty job but someone has to do it.
There used to be a show on TV called Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe was the host and for one day he would do the job that no one wants to do. He was asked what are the dirtiest jobs that are out there. His top 3:
1. Renderer: Rendering is the unpleasant process where dead animals are recycled into products like chicken feed and biodiesel. Rendering plants are loaded with carcasses and animal remains. Mike said, "It's a blood bath. The smell is indescribable but he says the finished product is something really valuable. Basically, all leather products come from dead livestock and they have to go through this process.”
2. Lift Pump Replacement Technician: This person’s job at the wastewater management plant is to wade or sometimes swim through human waste and fix the broken lift pump with a new one.
3. Animal Bone Charrer: This person chars animal bones into a granular material that is used in all kinds of cosmetics. It’s also used to remove fluoride from water and to filter aquarium water.
Those are dirty jobs but is there a dirtier job than crucifying people? They had heard the screams before. They had heard the cries for mercy. It would just be a matter of time before the person would finally breathe their last breath and then they could go home for supper.
Jesus is doing this and going through all of this because he loves you so much. This is Jesus dying in your place and taking your sin debt that you owe God. The physical abuse that Jesus endured paled in comparison to the weight of all of our sin that was placed on him. At 12 noon the sky grew black and my sin was placed on Jesus. This was the moment that Jesus had been dreading. All our lies, all our filth, all our selfishness, all of our hatred, prejudice, all the rape and murder and incest, every despicable thing we have ever done was placed on him. He felt separation from God and cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”
We can’t even imagine the depth of loneliness and despair that Jesus felt at this time, We have nothing in our life to even compare it to. This is a billion times worse than the worst day you have ever had.
He is paying the price for our wrongs, for our sin.
The story is told of a young lieutenant in World War II whose unit was ambushed by Nazi soldiers. Almost all of them escaped from the flying bullets by running into an old farmhouse. However, out of the darkness came the moans and groans of one of the men who had been severely wounded. The young lieutenant did the heroic thing. He crawled out into the night, grabbed the young recruit, and dragged him to the safety of the farmhouse. He saved the man, but even as he himself was going through the door to safety, he was struck by a bullet to his head and killed instantly.
A year or so later the young man for whom the lieutenant had heroically given his life was back in the States. The parents of the dead hero asked to meet him. On the appointed night, the soldier came to meet the mother and father of the man who had died for him. But when he arrived at the house where they lived, it was obvious to the parents of the dead hero that he was drunk.
They sat at dinner and tried to make conversation, but the man was loud and at times, obscene. Toward the end of the meal he vomited! The parents did the best they could do to make their way through a horrendous evening of suffering.
When the young soldier left, and they closed the door behind him, the mother of the dead hero slumped against the wall and moaned, "To think that our precious son had to die for somebody like that."
I'm sure that when the angels in heaven look upon the behavior of the likes of someone like me, they must say to one another, "To think that our precious Son had to die for somebody like that."
I owe Him better! He gave His life for me and I should be ready and willing to do whatever he asks of me. I’m not on this earth to make my name great. I am here to make his name great. I am here to build up his kingdom and to live my life for an audience of One.
So today, can I ask you, have you been numb to the forgiveness of Jesus, of what He did for us by dying on the cross? How do we feel when we think about Jesus dying for us, and us living in so much sin much like that man in the story who screwed up his second chance? Instead this week how can we take action to move closer to living from His forgiveness? Today, let’s choose to honor God with our lives. Ask yourself with every choice you make this week, “Am I honoring Jesus’ death with my life?” If you asked that question how different would our lives look.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
