We talk about the cross of Christ lightly these days. We’ve gotten so used to the news that Jesus died on a cross for our sins that we’ve lost the horror of it.

Perhaps you’ve heard or read, as I have, the physical description of how a person died on a cross. I’m not going to go into all that detail here, but it would have been agonizing. When you consider that Jesus had been beaten, scourged, had nails driven into His hands and feet and was being held up by them as His body sagged–it’s almost too much to think about.

The cross was considered a shameful death as well. It was public. People not only gawked as Jesus gasped for breath, but they mocked Him. He was unclothed. His loved ones had to see and hear all that went on.

Jesus’ cross would have had a spiritual element as well. 1 John 2:2 says, “He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world” (CSB). The holy, righteous Son of God, who never sinned, bore the sins of everyone else.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

But I think the worst part of the cross for Jesus was the temporary breach between His Father and Himself. We don’t thoroughly understand how that worked (though this article gives a good explanation). But we hear Jesus’ agony when He cries out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Four times in John 10, Jesus said He lays down His life for His sheep.

Why did Jesus do this?

Because that’s what it took to atone for sin. That’s what sin costs. That’s how awful sin is.  The cross is the measure of sin.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great;
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed!
See who bears the awful load!
‘Tis the Word, the Lord’s anointed,
Son of man, and Son of God.

From “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted” by Thomas Kelly

No one else could atone for us; everyone has their own sins that need atonement. Instead, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

But the cross is also the measure of love.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

The Father was willing to give His Son, and the Son was willing to lay down His life, because they loved us enough to suffer all that was involved in order to redeem us. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” A former pastor said that “despising” there doesn’t mean that Jesus hated the shame of the cross, but that He “thought it down.” The Greek word for “despise” can mean scorn or disregard. We would probably magnify the shame if we were on a cross.

But Jesus endured the cross, disregarding the shame, for the joy that was set before Him. What was the joy He looked forward to? I imagine He anticipated His mission being over, being reunited with His Father, and going back to heaven when all was done. But I think a big portion of that joy was accomplishing what was needed to atone for us so we could be with Him. All through Scripture, God expresses a desire to dwell among His people. Jesus’ death and resurrection was going to make that possible.

This time of year, with Easter on the horizon, perhaps we think of Jesus’ death on the cross a little more than usual. Before racing to the joy of Jesus’ resurrection, let’s take time to meditate on His cross–the depth of our sin that necessitated it, and the depth of God’s love to pay so great a price so all who believe in Him could be saved.

Face the cross and see the dying Son.
See the Lamb upon the killing tree.
See His anguish and His tears of love.
Face the cross, He dies to set us free.

Look upon the One without a sin,.
Spotless Lamb upon the killing tree.
Feel His pain and love from deep within,
So great a price, yet paid so willingly.

From “Face the Cross,” words by Herb Fromach, music by David Lantz

More songs about the cross are listed here.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)