Crucifixion – James G. Owen, Author

Understanding the Sin Nature of Man

By James G. Owen

Why do I stumble? Fail? Why do I keep falling into sin after living by faith for a season? These are the questions I have asked myself these questions many times after receiving salvation. Before getting saved, being forgive by Jesus, I did not have these experiences nor thoughts of failure because I was in sin and did not know the wonderful blessing of being in a relationship with God Jehovah and his son Jesus.

What was the problem? I did not have the knowledge and understanding of scripture at the level where I am now. Growing up I needed the maturity that scripture and prayer to give me the strength I needed. I also cared what people thought about me when I should have been strong and let myself be myself. The other problems are that I let the sin capture me and keep me in bondage. I knew sin had pleasure attached to it and I kept looking over the fence. So, realizing all this what have I been doing to understand? I sat down and wrote a definition of the sin nature from my experience and studies.

What is the Sin Nature of Man?

Before defining we need to know the origin of the sin nature. In Genesis we find Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden. Both God had instructed Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of good and evil. The serpent we call Satan began to tell Eve that if she ate of the tree of good and evil, she would know the difference between good and evil and will become like a god. Adam, I believe was sitting there with her and heard the exchange of the conversation. Like any human, curiosity fed the imagination of how it would taste. The longer she thought about how the fruit tasted the greater was the temptation. Eve made the decision to eat of the tree. She enacted the free will that God gave all of us to whom we will serve. Either we search God Jehovah or Satan. That was the choice. As soon as Eve ate of the fruit her eyes was opened. The veil of innocence fell from her eyes. Her innocence was stolen by Satan who lied to her. Adam soon partook of the fruit as well. Scripture does not record why he did not object or direct Eve not to partake of the fruit, but scripture records the fall from perfection into sin.

The Sin Nature of Man Defined

The sin nature is a fallen position. A position that man fell from God’s safety, goodness, love, and a perfect world. The fallen position is the separation of man from God. The purpose of humanity was to worship God and be totally in his image. God created man to multiply and to oversee all of creation on earth. This was man’s habitation. From the soil of earth to the boundary of the first heaven—the sky. When man fell, he was no longer the subject of God, but in bondage to a new master, the slave of Satan. Man had dominion over the earth until his sin, but now Satan has dominion over the world. The Earth was a state of perfection before sin entered, and man went from a perfect creation, a glorified state, to a fallen state into darkness. With God man was always in his light and had direct access to all God possessed. Now Satan wants to illuminate humankind with his gloomy light. Now that sin entered the world and universe, the future generations of man defiled by the sin become part of every human being because the situation did not have a remedy. Sin is generational and has become innate. It is not genetic but is a spiritual transformation. The remedy is an atonement, a blood covenant, and a perfect sacrifice to die for man. No animal or sinful human is perfect. Only God’s son Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. He is pure. There is no spot or blemish, no defilement because he has never sinned. Yet, he took sin upon his shoulders for you and me to deliver us from sin and bring those who accept him back into perfection by believing in him and accepting him. Justification is now in place for those who accept him.

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Genesis 2:17

“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

Genesis 3:24

The tenets of sin are pride, selfishness, the rebellion against God, his word, and the image of God. Sin is about the destruction of innocence and causes man to be guilty before God and accountable to his rebellion. The nature of sin is humanistic using pleasure to enslave humanity and keep him in depravity. The type of pleasure is varied and affects the psyche of man causing a perversion in his thinking process, imagination, and spirit. Hate, rebellion, disobedience, selfishness, and pride enters the spirit. Now, man has a desire for power to control mostly because of pride. The prideful man is about controlling other men, and nations. Their desire is to be a dictator, a god, that other men look up to as a savior and worship. This is an antichrist type and destruction of God’s creation is the goal. We have seen in world history men who came to power considered themselves as god as evident in the Roman Caesars, and other prominent dictators as recent as the 20^th century. The sin nature is enmity against God. It is against God’s image to usurp his position while working to destroy man who was created by God in his image. Man was originally created above the angels, yet when he sinned his position was lowered below the angels.

Going further into the realm of sin, its claws grab ahold of mankind’s heart and brings upon humanity spiritual bondage. Humankind imprisoned by Satan’s control and now man is a prisoner, a peon, slave to sin and control. Man’s heart now deceives him since the seed of sin has been planted. Man’s master now is Satan because of sin imprisons.

”His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.”

Proverbs 5:22

The spirit of man is now at war within himself. He may want out, but his flesh and mind war against each other. This is the prison. Within this prison we have become defective, ineffective, and impaired, not being able to function as created.

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Romans 6:16

” But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Romans 7:23

The sin nature, a prison, a prison within ourselves that we cannot shake. We cannot provide the answer, the remedy, because of defilement and not in the perfect state. All of creation is wailing and groaning because what man has done. The remedy came in the form of a man and God. He has given his life as a reconciliation and broke the chains of death by giving his life on the cross. He further brought sin to its knees by his resurrection and procured eternal life for all who believe in him. Those of us who want out of the spiritual prison we have found ourselves can now choose the remedy and be set free from sin’s dominion. When we are set free our master becomes Jesus and the reward is eternal life. The sin nature of man will bring him to eternal death. Death being the penalty, the eternal death of separation eternally from God. The first step to a decision to eternal life is realizing and understanding the sin nature of man. Now, we know what holds us. Liberty is at hand.

Notes: All scripture has been taken from the King James Version. Public Domain. BibleGateway.

God’s Gift—Grace, Our Inheritance, and Redemption in Ephesians

By James G. Owen

Grace, a subject St. Paul talked about a great deal. Grace defined is unmerited favor, but could be love expressed by our Creator, and loved us so much that he created a plan of salvation before everything in creation was created—before the world began. God being the Father called us to be his children, and because of sin we were separated and that kept us from knowing him spiritually, a breach in our relationship between God and us. So, God in his wisdom extended grace to mankind before the world existed. Grace was part of his plan.

His plan of salvation expanded into atonement, a sacrifice, and redemption. The atonement was that a price had to be made, and a perfect man who was fathered by God to be the sacrifice, and to make sure the price was paid in full then the son of God would give his life on the Cross. This caused sin to be defeated, and death would be defeated by his resurrection. His plan of salvation also ushered in the last covenant, the new covenant of Jeremiah 33, called the better covenant. This covenant annulled the old covenant, and it was to give all of us life, both Jew and Gentile. The old covenant could not save people from sin because the blood spilt was from the blood of bulls and other animals, but the blood of Jesus the perfect man who lived a blameless life, his blood could save all of mankind. His plan God created wanted us to be blameless, to be free from sin.

In Ephesians 1, God predestined us to adoption, to make all of mankind his children. Predestination means he predetermined his plan, and what he wanted his creation to be and how to interact in creation and in man’s relationship to God. He wanted to invest himself into his creation, to be available should his creation need him, and it proves man would need him forever. He adopted us, he chose us to be in a relationship to him, just like an earthly father and mother would adopt an orphaned child so that the child would have a life, freedom, and to take care of the orphan’s needs. The orphan would grow in maturity and fulfill the purpose and destiny injected to him at conception.

What did God predetermine his creation, man, to be like? He wanted us to be like him, to conform to the image of Jesus, and we see what Jesus was like by reading the gospels about his character and spirituality. God wanted man to act with righteous morals, to be obedient, pure, having wisdom, and come to the knowledge of him, Jesus, and of course his Holy Spirit.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

Romans 8: 29-30

How would I explain predestination further to make sure it is understood? Well, consider God the Father as an artist. The artist will have a format in which the person will follow. Not every artist will create the same, but I see God creating much the same as I would create. My process would be to conceive of an idea, plan his creation by sketching, taking note of the color palette, and whatever means he needs to execute his creation. God, as an artist I see would have much the same process but would decide what his creation will be and the extent of his creation, and foreordain the creation to possess order, beauty, and in his plan, he conceives of a rescue. That rescue was salvation. His creation would be perfect. Man’s creation would be imperfect. God’s creation would make a choice and fall into sin and would only have one way to salvation. Man’s creation may take several attempts, but is not guaranteed success, but the Father’s creation will have success as man stays within the boundaries of his grace, that he purges himself daily. God knew his creation would fail and that is the reason for salvation.

The Father calls man to salvation by the convicting of man’s heart by his Holy Spirit. Conviction by the Holy Spirit is the movement of the Spirit to cause the man to realize he had sinned through his conscience, and the thoughts of his sin will come to remembrance. The conviction will tell us we know we are not pure, and the Spirit is beckoning us to come to a decision for forgiveness. When a person decides to repent, to receive forgiveness justification will be enacted meaning he is pardoned of his sin, no longer held guilty.

Further into Ephesians 1 we see Paul writing about redemption. Redemption comes to us by his saving grace. We are saved by God’s grace, that he loved us so much he would provide a way out of sin so that we would not be condemned to eternal death by choosing his Son Jesus. Why did he give us grace? Because of our innocence and not having knowledge of what sin would cause, and never having the experience of evil. Redemption gave us access to God through faith. When he made man, he planted a grain of faith within his being, and we have been taught to enact that faith, meaning believing whatever we conceive will be done as long it is within, he will of God and his word.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Ephesians 2:8

What else would redemption bring to man? The redemption of man would be his inheritance. The inheritance would be eternal life, and to live in the New Earth that God would create for his children. This inheritance is guaranteed if we live in obedience, growing in wisdom, knowledge, and trusting in God. As we spend time with God you learn more about him, his personality, and his ways. Spending time reading the bible, in prayer, and the interaction of the Holy Ghost within us is how we learn to know and learn of him. As we get to know God, we will see his glory more as time goes by, and we understand the inheritance he has chosen for us. Those who have accepted Jesus are his chosen ones. As we interact with God in prayer, and the reading of his word he constantly reveals himself and his works. He shows us his full power in his works of the Holy Spirit through us and from us ministering to others.

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1: 13-14

The inheritance is given to us as soon as we give our life to Jesus, and this inheritance was also assured by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and by the fulfilling of the new covenant. The cross gave us the victory over death, and through Jesus resurrection he ascended to heaven to sit on David’s throne and to administer the kingdom to bring things to an end. He is there sitting by the right hand of God reigning until his return to earth.

We see in Ephesians 1 that God has set Jesus above all creation giving him all authority as the head of the Church and the kingdom, and that God is Israel (God prevails). His Church is his body, his temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. In administering his covenants God has brought all the major covenants to fulfillment. His Church is prevailing in the last covenant sharing the gospel to the world so that all men will have the chance to salvation that was predestined before the beginning of creation. Grace, faith, salvation, and redemption were in place waiting for the time to come to being to bring men out of sin and to bring in the New Earth, which is Eden and the inheritance.

God deals with man through his covenants written in his word, and dispensation (administration) to cause man to stewardship (relationship) with him giving him deliverance and restoration. Can you see the love of God in all his actions? Why would God go to such lengths if he did not love us? The fact is his action is the ultimate love anyone would express. Wouldn’t a parent on earth not do the same? Your hope that Paul writes about in his letter is within God’s grace, and your hope is the resurrection that conquers death for eternity. Let me ask you this. Are you willing to change to live a righteous life to achieve eternal life? To assure your place in a beautiful, perfect place for eternity? To live and not die. Are you willing to place all things on the altar so you can break from the bondage of sin and your habits? Are you tired of sin? Tired of uncertainty? If so, make your decision so that you will assure your place in God’s record of life.

Notes:

From the website messie2vie.fr Strong’s Hebrew 3478, Yisrael.

All scripture given is taken from the King James Version, Pubic Domain, BibleGateway.

A Dianoetic Process: Seeking an Answer That Evades a Profound Question About Healing

By James G. Owen

The question that evades or flummoxes a biblical scholar or an average person when asked. Why does God heal one person, but another person does not get healed? Can this question that bewilders the people queried be answered? In my opinion, there is an answer, but we must investigate the scriptures for the answer.

In seeking an answer for this question lets discuss healing from a scriptural point of view, and how it is received.

Healing in scripture begins in the Old Testament. The first healing experience that comes to my mind is the brazen serpent (nahash nehoshet) in Numbers 21:8-9. Here, the people were being bitten by fiery serpents. Some had died because of the bite. It was the Lord God, Jehovah that told Moses to construct a serpent on a pole. So, Moses had a fiery serpent and pole constructed and informed the people to go before the brazen serpent and look up on it and those bitten would live.

There is symbolism here of the serpent being placed on a pole. The pole is the symbolism of the cross that Jesus was sacrificed upon at his crucifixion. This portion of scripture causes me to think of the promise in the book of Genesis of a promised Messiah and his actions.

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Genesis 3:15

By placing the serpent on the pole shows the beginning of the defeat of Satan. It is the Messiah who will bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent to bruise his heel. So, when the people went before the brazen serpent and looked up on it, they were acknowledging Satan’s defeat and the presence of the Lord who heals, and a gain in salvation because they were spared from the effects of the poisonous venom of the serpent. What was the action of healing in the scripture in Numbers 21? The action of the smitten people was they “looked upon” as they went before the brazen serpent on the pole. When we go to get healing, whether we present ourselves at the altar, or in another manner, we are coming before the one who was crucified and the sacrifice that provides for our healing as prophesied in Isaiah. Here in the action of looking upon an acknowledgment of God is made known and we present ourselves to him. In this presentation of ourselves we are asking for grace.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

Here in this prophetic scripture the provision of salvation was promised by the atoning blood of Jesus because he was the Son of God shedding his blood for our sins. He was the perfect sacrifice because he had the DNA of God the Father within him as well as the DNA of mankind. By providing for our salvation, he also provided for the healing of people so that they would be able to perform the spreading of the gospel to the world by destiny and purpose.

What happens when a person is healed? In an unbeliever coming to God for healing, two things should occur, that is the salvation of the person being forgiven of their sins after asking for forgiveness which is a witness that God work within their lives, but also a witness to others in the congregation, or gathering group of changes taken place. Changes in the spirit of the person from spiritual death to life, and the physical healing of the person’s body.

What other things will facilitate healing? First is belief in God. Healing is facilitated by believing that God is the only God and that he is all powerful, and that he provides grace sufficient for every need. How do we come to believe in God? We come to believe in God and who he is by reading the bible and encountering people who know him through the experience of his saving power, salvation, and by their own testimony. The child of God can point you to scripture of how to know God and his Son Jesus. It is through believing that God’s word is true, and that he is present in his creation, and by faith we come to believe. Second is grace. We are saved by grace through faith. After receiving salvation, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves purged of sin daily through sanctification through prayer. Living a righteous life before him our grace increases along with our faith and knowledge because we are spending time searching and reading the scriptures in the bible. We are growing and becoming greater by our increased affection for God and the blessings he has given us, the provision he brings, and by the fruits and proof of our newfound morality. Grace comes by obedience and gratitude.

Healing came to the people following Jesus because they had seen others healed. Those healed believed what Jesus taught and trusted him fully. They knew by his works that he was from God because no man could perform such miracles that they witnessed. The people believed because of the wisdom and the fruits of his life that he remained sinless. He could not be tested and fail or deceived because Jesus was part God because he was born of a virgin and his father was Almighty God, the Great I AM. To be clear he was tested by Satan after his baptism by John the Baptist, but he was victorious! So, his healing comes to us as a promise and through the fulfilling of the new covenant.

So, what is the answer to the perplexing question that people ask? Why some are healed instantly, and others are put on hold, so to speak? This is my answer while working the dianoetic process. Those who are healed instantly are ones who are needing salvation. Those who are saved have a purpose that God wants them to fulfill by working in the kingdom of God and it is his will, and desire for them to be instantly healed to continue to serve. Those who are not healed instantly should make sure they are obedient in their spiritual walk and growing in the knowledge of Jesus, and that their walk shows the fruits of the Spirit. While conducting my study for this article those who are disciples, he wants us to persist. Make sure our hearts are right and all in in order. Work your faith by believing, keeping your petition before God, and placing full trust in him. We must also realize that he may not heal because we may not remember him, and in the example of Paul may use this as a thorn to keep our minds upon him, never giving up while we are continuously working for the kingdom. It is through the pain of trials, sicknesses, tribulations, and the experiences of living that he refines us.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

1 Peter 5:10-11

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”

Zechariah 13:9

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

In conclusion, there may be other solutions to this profound question. I do believe that any other answer will be shown in the scriptures of the bible and by revelation through prayer or a word from the Lord. So, we must keep searching the scriptures for answers while placing our faith totally in him knowing that everything is done according to his will and mercy. He has a purpose for everything. Keep searching.

Notes

https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Nehushtan.html

https://www.biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm

Grace, the Greek definitions for grow G 837 and grace G5485. Tecarta Bible.

All scripture used is from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

The Devil, Disease, and Deliverance: Origins of Illness in New Testament Thought, CPT Press Cleveland, Tennessee, by John Christopher Thomas, 2010.

The Resurrection of Jesus: Is the Resurrection Real, or is it a Fable?

What does the word resurrection mean? It is the raising of the man, woman, or child from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is a person in the in the godhead (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) of the Father. God is a trichotomous God, yet he is One.

Is the resurrection real? In 1 Kings 17:17-24, I am reminded as I write this article of Elijah and the widow’s son. The widow’s son fell ill and died. The lady complained to Elijah saying she had to pay for her sin by her son’s death. I can imagine that Elijah was grieved by the complaint and learning of the boy’s death. He took the widow’s son to the bedroom and laid him there, and for three times he petitioned God the Father to raise up the boy. After the third time God permitted him to come to life, and the boy did live. Imagine the look on Elijah’s and the widow’s face. With Elijah it must have been the look of determination and of faith. With faith we can move mountains and in enacting our faith we have authority. Elijah’s authority at this time was with the Father, even though God’s Spirit raised the boy from the dead. Also, seeing is believing and the widow believed by sight, and by the word of God that came from Elijah which was truth.

“And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

1 Kings 17:24

In Ezekiel, we can read about the story of the dry bones coming together as an army to fight for the Lord. Many think this is a story of the Holocaust, and it could be, but as I have been thinking on my writings this week it could be the raising of an army to go forth to bring the gospel to every man on earth by those who believe in Jesus, the Church.

Also, the basis in the New Testament that the resurrection is not a fable, but truth lies in Jesus raising the body of Lazarus who was dead for four days. It is at this point in the degradation of the human body that it begins to have a stench. Jesus waited until this forth day to prove that the man was dead, I believe, for the people to believe. Jesus by the word of his mouth, just as in Elijah’s case, commanded Lazarus to come forth. Looking upon the sepulcher where Lazarus was laid the people watched as Lazarus came forth clothed in his grave clothes. Here, we see the Old Testament giving its account and the New Testament giving witness of the other.

On the third day after Jesus was crucified, he arose just like he told the disciples. On that same morning there is another account in the New Testament, and that is the saints in the graves of Jerusalem were resurrected and walked the streets. Imagine the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Father. In the Father there is all power and can do the impossible. Surely there were people who did not believe that Jesus was resurrected, but there were many who did because of his actions in his ministry prior to his death. Jesus, arose, folded the grave clothes as he came out of the grave with the gravestone having been rolled away by two angels. Was the sepulcher guarded? Yes, by Roman guards, but they fell asleep, being put to sleep by the angels.

“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,”

Luke 24: 2-6

Imagine the scene as Mary Magdalene and others came to the grave and saw his grave empty and wondering who took him. They didn’t believe at this time, but there were two men at Jesus’s grave site and reminded those present of Jesus’s words. Even telling the apostles they did not believe but came to believe after being reminded, and in the days forward of Jesus coming to him before his ascension. He was seen by many over the land of Palestine before the feast of Pentecost. It was important for Jesus to die for us, and to be resurrected. It is by his death and resurrection that Satan was defeated, and those who choose life through Jesus, death can no longer sting or take hold.

Resurrection is real. Jesus’s resurrection is real and not a fable. Even today, we see a form of resurrection in the hospitals where people are given a shock to get their hearts beating and through resuscitation. Being Pentecostal, I have heard many stories of people being resurrected by the Holy Spirit in church services. We have been given the power through the Holy Spirit given to us, and the Holy Spirit came after Jesus’s death. Remember, Jesus said he would be with us always, and he is through the Holy Spirit.

Note: All scripture used was taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

The Messianic Prophecies of the Crucifixion of Jesus in the Old Testament

In previous articles I have shown you the shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament, and that throughout the Old Testament we will continue to find Jesus through messianic prophecies. I have chosen two that prophesy and depict the coming scene many years later from the time of David and Isaiah.

As many have heard, and some may not, Jesus was crucified on a cross for our sins, having been rejected as Messiah and King by the Judeans, as a shepherd in some cases in Galilee. The Judeans sought to kill Jesus from the very start of his ministry by trying to push him off a cliff of which he escaped. Next, we see his triumphant entry into Jerusalem to show himself as Messiah and King, but knowing he is coming to his death. He enters the Garden of Gethsemane and goes to the millstone where olives were pressed, and there he pressed on in prayer trying to get relief from all he was feeling. It was here he prayed so hard in preparation to his sacrifice for man that drops of blood fell to the ground as sweat. The first drops of blood on the road to the cross.

He was arrested, presented before Pontius Pilate because it was against their law to kill a man, and told Pilate they wanted him crucified on the cross, yet Pilate saw no cause to kill an innocent man. To the Judeans insistence, Jesus was taken and flogged by a whip with sharp metal shard, and other pieces of sharp material. Blood was split there, and blood was split throughout Jerusalem. There Jesus was mocked having kingly garments placed on him, and with a crown of thorns as his diadem.

On the road to the cross, Jesus faltered under the burden of the cross he had to carry, and there standing on the side of the street stood Simon of Cyrene. He was there watching, and listening at the scene before him, his name fitting because of its meaning in Hebrew to hearken or listen. As he got under the cross for Jesus to carry the cross the verse comes to mind that Jesus said, “take up my cross and follow me.” As I look upon this scene recorded in the New Testament of Matthew 27, I see a Gentile and a Jew walking together on the road to salvation. The only way to salvation is to the cross, and it is a narrow way just as the streets of Jerusalem were narrow, and so were the road to Golgotha. This scene reminds me of the promise that the Gentiles would be included in prophecy for salvation as well in the Old Testament.

“And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” Matthew 27:32

The scene of the crucifixion is seen in Psalm 22 written by King David, who was a messiah type. There he makes the cry, My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me? In the New Testament record we see it spoken by Jesus in Aramaic.

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” Psalm 22:1

As we read further, we see other pieces of the shadow of the cross prophesied. The pieces are of trouble to come, and agony, of giants he had to face, his mouth becoming dry, and the mockery he endured. His strength is almost depleted, and they have pierced his hands and feet, having placed garments on him and have rolled the Roman dice for someone to win.

In Isaiah 53, we see more of the picture of the crucifixion. It is here that Jesus’s physical description is told. He is not a comely man, a man of plain facial features. Next is best described in scripture.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:3-5

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

Isaiah 53: 7-9

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Isaiah 53:11

Jesus bore all the pain, the sins of the world, and agonized on the cross. As I look through spiritual eyes imagining the scene, it would be a horrible site to see a man being treated cruelly, and innocent man, and a perfect sacrifice before the Lord. His side was pierced, and not any bones of his body was broken. He was taken off the cedar tree where he was offered vinegar, and a sign above his head that told the world for generations then and forward. The sign read, “Jesus the King of the Jews.” He was a Judean, and from the line of David, and that qualified him as King and Messiah. He came first to the world as a Shepherd, a minister to tell the world of what it would mean to be saved, just as he told Nicodemus. He told his disciples who asked what would happen in the last days on this earth, and today we are seeing his words come to pass.

Remember this man, a man who was the Son of God having been seeded into Mary by the Holy Spirit. Remember him and believe upon him as you look for love and salvation, and to be delivered of you sins. Those sins cannot be redeemed, cannot be shaken off by any other means besides going to Jesus in prayer. So, my last thought is, always remember Jesus and make a stand for him.

Other references: John 19.

Notes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_of_Cyrene

All scripture used was taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.