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The Roman soldiers had nailed two men to their crosses; ignoring their shrieks of pain, the soldiers rest.  It was hard work to kill a man on a cross.  One more Man—and the hardest part of this hideous work would be done. One more…

But this One was different.  Some of the soldiers had noticed the way He had taken the scourging without crying out like most men did.  The soldiers who had been at the trials had noticed the way He didn’t answer trumped-up charges, refusing to dignify such accusations with an answer.  The times He did speak revealed His deep inner peace.  He seemed to be drawing strength from a Source they couldn’t identify, yet was very evident.

However, the supreme test was about to occur.

The soldiers get up, shift their armor into place, and start to form a circle around Jesus.  But then they see something that they have never seen in all their years of crucifying men.  Jesus—of His own will—moves over to His cross and stretches Himself out on it.  He then extends His hands and waits for the nails.  They are shocked!  Never have they ever had anyone willingly accept a cross.  This Man is different!   Jesus actions seem to say, “No one takes my life from Me; I lay it down willingly.”  But why?  Why would He embrace a cross?

But they don’t have time to ask questions. Besides, soldiers weren’t trained to think, only to obey orders, and they had an order from the governor to execute this Man.  He must have done something worthy of death.  They had a job to do! (Oh, the tragedy of acting without thinking!  This is how most governmental wrongs have been accomplished: A few political schemers instigated evil while others assumed they weren’t qualified to question the actions of these in such high realms of government!)

One of the soldiers picks up a spike.  With the other hand he grabs a mallet then bends over the outstretched arm of Jesus.  Out of habit he secures Jesus’ arm by pressing his knee against it.  But with this Man there is no pulling away as the nail is placed in His hand.  The soldier, amazed that a man could face crucifixion this way, nevertheless, has a job to do.  He raises the mallet, and with a mighty blow brings it down against the spike.  The huge nail rips through Jesus’ hand, and the blood squirts out onto the cross piece.  His blood begins to run over the edge of the beam and form a puddle on the ground.  Now the soldiers hold His other arm against the opposite side of the cross.  Though Jesus’ body is writhing in pain, He makes no effort to remove His other arm.  Quickly the spike is driven through the other hand.  The muscles in Jesus’ upper body are now beginning to spasm, as the soldiers move quickly to His feet.  In all this torture, amazingly, there are no shrieks of pain coming from Jesus’ lips!  Though He is feeling the pain the same way as the previous two men, there is the noticeable absence of the loud screams.  He is suffering in silence.  This, too, the soldiers have never before experienced.  It creates for them a disturbing feeling that this is all wrong.  But, trying to ignore this feeling, they continue their bloody work.

Who actually nailed Jesus to the cross?  It was, in reality, you and me.  Our sin nailed Him there!  The Bible says,

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…”

(1 Peter 3:18)

Have you surrendered to Christ as your Master and Deliverer?

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children!  And you won’t like what that brings to you.  I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.

(This message has been taken from our book Why God Birthed America.  You can order a copy of Why God Birthed America at HERE)