What Is the Cross All About

His doom was sure? But certainly someone would intervene-his inner circle of followers; people interested in fair play; failing that, God himself!But no one did. This was not just a moment of "suspense" before the author of the drama provided a swift and happy ending. To be sure, there was an ending, swift indeed, but scarcely happy, for everybody walked out on Jesus. Even Peter got scared, cursing and crying out in a frenzy of fear, "I don't even know the man."

"Cloak and Dagger" Episodes

If anyone had kept a check list of the progress toward getting rid of Jesus during those last days and hours, it might have gone like this: ˇ Sound out Judas. Get him to keep us posted on Jesus' whereabouts.
ˇ Check with priests about bribe money for Judas.
ˇ Alert guards to be ready to follow Judas at a moment's notice.
ˇ Arrange for half a dozen people to meet with Eli. Have him drill them on charges to make against Jesus at the trial.
ˇ Requisition funds from Caiaphas to pay off the "witnesses."

ˇ Hire messenger to call members of high court ( Sanhedrin) together at a moment's notice. (Impress on him that we've got to pull this thing off before the Passover, since no one can be put to death during the Passover.)
ˇ Send representatives to Pilate to point out that he had better condemn Jesus too, unless he wants bad reports sent back to Rome.

Things worked out pretty well. The trial was held. The proceedings were illegal. The witnesses were bribed. The court ruled that the "evidence" was overwhelming. The death sentence was passed. All that remained was for Pontius Pilate, the representative of the Roman Government, to ratify it.

At the crack of dawn, Pilate was approached. He seems to have been justly troubled. What was wrong with Jesus? Nothing -- and yet -- there was a mob outside, screaming for blood. If he turned Jesus loose, he would have a riot on his hands. Word about riots got back to Rome, and Rome was displeased about riots in the outlying provinces. Rome, in fact. recalled procurators who allowed situations to get out of hand. And those procurators, once recalled, were put to death for incurring Caesar's displeasure. It was Pilate's neck or Jesus'. So Pilate ratified the death sentence. He made arrangements for his Roman soldiers to nail Jesus to an upright post and crossbeam, and leave him to die. It was the accepted way.

It was not a pleasant way to die. The victim was exposed to the Oriental sun, to the agonizing thirst, to the dust, and to the flies. Since life might linger on for days, it was considered a merciful act for a Roman soldier to bash in the victim's legs with a club, breaking them so that he would die more quickly.

And so they took Jesus as a common criminal, along with two other criminals, and crucified him on a hill outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, "the place of the skull." This is what men did to one who, on a modest estimate, was the best man who ever lived. This is what men did to one who, on a Christian estimate, was God incarnate in human life.

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