I don't know if you sit around and think of the kinds of things I think of but often I use these enews articles to share with you some of my "thinking thoughts"! I pray you find them encouraging, challenging, and they cause you to possibly think a bit deeper about Jesus and this life we have in Him.

This month I want to share something I've thought about…I'm not going to claim any of it is strictly Biblical nor should you revise your salvation theology as the result of it. I will say this is just how my mind works, it's just how I think. I could be totally wrong but then again even if what I'm about to write is off base it shouldn't mess you up too much!!

Some time ago I was thinking about why Jesus died on a cross. Not all the theological reasons for his Gospel work and message, but why did he choose a cross as his method for self-execution. He could have died a thousand different ways but he chose crucifixion when it was the state's primary means of capital punishment. He allowed himself to go through that horror! He even planned this to be his method of sacrifice. I have several thoughts and I'm going to share a few of those thoughts with you.

I think first and foremost the horror of sacrifice was initiated in the Garden when God killed animals and made clothes from their skins for Adam and Eve to wear. After they rebelled they knew they were naked and they were ashamed. God clothed them with dead animal skin. The first hint at the horrific results of sin…death.

Then God brought that extreme horror into the sacrificial system in the law he gave to Israel. Imagine the disgusting mess around the tabernacle and then the temple with thousands of animals being slaughtered continually, blood being poured out everywhere, with all the noise, filth, and mess involved in all that. This was a physical picture of the results and reality of sin. All this pointed to the repulsive death Jesus took on himself at the cross. God is the creator of life, he's all about life, obeying him following his ways is life! The opposite of obedience is rebellion…the opposite of life is death! Jesus who deserved only life accepted death on our behalf. We who deserve only death receive life by believing in Jesus.

Now to why the cross? Well, think about it for a moment. How did sin enter the world? The first man and woman took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told them not to do that but they disobeyed and sin cursed humanity to death. Jesus died on the cross, which in Greek, there's a word used for cross that means tree. Jesus died on a tree to undo the sin of the first man and woman who rebelled at the tree! We disobeyed at the tree, opening the door to the curse of sin. Jesus fully obeyed on the tree effectively shutting the same door!

Why were his hands pierced?

Because our hands took the forbidden fruit from the tree. We behave what we believe. We believed we knew more than God and deserved something better than what God had for us. So our beliefs led to rebellious behavior. We disobeyed with our hands by taking the fruit and opening the door to the curse of sin. Jesus allowed his hands to be nailed to the tree judging and cleansing rebellion from our behaviors. We can now chose to obey him with our hands…our behaviors and choices.

Why was his side pierced?

Among other reasons I think His side was pierced because Eve, the one taken from the side of Adam, led Adam into temptation. Jesus not only made atonement for Adam's transgression, but also for Eve. As the blood poured from his side, along with the many other reasons, I think it was also an atoning flow cleansing Eve's lack of love for God. Eve, the one who came from Adam's side was atoned for from the side of the second Adam…Jesus!

Why were his feet pierced?

Consider Genesis 3:15

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Jesus the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. That's talking about the Messiah crushing the serpent's head. I think Satan was trying to mock the promise of God. He's like, "You think you're going to crush my head? I'm going to nail your feet to the tree. Let's see how you're going to defeat me now!!" Satan thinks he's foiling the plan, but he's actually fulfilling it. What he meant for evil in Jesus' life was actually the best thing he could have done for Jesus and for you and me!

Why did he allow a crown of thorns on his head?

What's the curse of creation as a result of sin? The ground will produce thorns and thistles. Jesus literally took the curse on his head to break the curse and to restore the blessing. When he said it is finished it was…every sin, every punishment, every traumatic curse was fulfilled, paid for, reconciled, and resolved…everything! Nothing about his crucifixion was by chance. Every detail had a purpose! This ties in to one last thought I want to share with you; that is what he did the night before his crucifixion.

At the last supper, which was actually a Passover Seder, there's four cups. I read not too long ago from a Jewish source that at the Passover the four cups that are celebrated represent four aspects of redemption; spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical. When Jesus died on the cross, he came to bring spiritual wholeness. He came to bring emotional inner healing and wholeness. He came to bring relational healing and wholeness. He came to bring physical healing and wholeness. That is the fullness of the abundant life and of the salvation which he purchased for us on the cross. We can believe God will work in those four aspects of our life to bring healing and wholeness to us. Not just our souls but our emotions, our relationships and our body as well. That is the full promise of salvation we have in Jesus.

These are just some of my own musings. They may be totally Biblical, there may be some speculation in there but either way, I pray you'll think about these thoughts of mine and be encouraged. Jesus is our peace who has broken down every wall! He chose the cross as his means of sacrifice to provide reconciliation and redemption fully for all of creation and all of humanity.

Colossians 1:19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.