Some Deaths Mean More than Others

According to Luke 23, they bounced Jesus from one official to another, some Jewish, some Gentile, in a series of fakey trials. Everyone bears part of the blame.

Then they inflicted on him one of the most barbaric methods of execution ever devised, a favorite with the Romans when they wanted to teach some lowlife and his lowlife friends a lesson. The nails went through the wrist bones (not the hands, where they would tear away) and the bones of the feet. Naturally the victim would want to hang from the wrists to save the pain of the feet, but this would lead to suffocation because the hanging would put intense pressure on the lungs. So the victim would have to push up with the feet until the pain became unbearable, then put up with not being able to breathe, until the whole process was repeated.

Thirst was a crucial issue, and sometimes the soldiers below would offer some form of drink, more to keep the poor guy alive to suffer some more, than out of any sense of pity. On a cross, you were alone, doomed, in agony that could scarcely be believed. It could last up to three days before you finally expired.

They all mocked him, except for one thief. Jesus' response is moving. He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Forgive them? These monsters? Amazing.

But what is more amazing is that no one had identified, in any of his trials, a crime that he had committed. He was truly innocent of all charges. This should not have been happening.

So what did it mean? The Bible says that he was dying for us, paying the penalty we deserved for walking away from God. He volunteered for it.

Some deaths do mean more than others.