And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit (English Standard Version, Matthew 27:50).
There are not enough words in any language, nor are there adequate words in any language to express in the smallest amount of all the Crucifixion of Christ offers, brings about, guarantees, and entails to us and for us, in redeeming and saving us through the mercy, love, and grace of God. There are no words for all Christ does in His suffering and death and all He grants to us freely through the laying down of His life.
There are no words to express what Christ suffered before, leading up to His death and upon the cross. There are no words for what Christ endured as He died for our sins. There are no words to describe the loneliness of being alone in His decision to submit to Father’s will as He was being abandoned by almost all of His followers and admirers. There are no words to describe the massive and incomprehensible amounts of hatred and rejection in the taunting, and condemnation heaped upon Him. The weight of this indescribable psychological, unbelievable emotional, and ineffable spiritual pressure upon His heart, soul, and mind brings us again to the complete inability to express all that was laid upon the “Son of God” as He offered himself willingly to His destiny as the “Savior of the World”.
No words describe the scourging, roughness, and brutal beatings inflicted with sadist glee upon the Savior. Just shy of bringing death; the flesh, muscle, and tissue opened up to shed the life of this fully human, God-self-limiting man stumbling towards the cursed cross. The crown, He wore … both literally and symbolically brought excruciating pain as it was smashed viciously into His brow with purposeful visual intended irony and mockery.
There are no words to describe the crucifixion, where death was seemingly both intended and denied as time passed in the wretched planned duration of judgment inflicted through its excruciating methods and procedures of torture and pain. The weight of the body of the Savior pulled against the tendon and bone was barely sufficient to sustain the continuance of this terrible agony. Even as the physical pain can be somewhat described … again, there are no words that can describe the weight of the sin of the world hanging upon the Holy Son by His dying to redeem all the people of the world for all time.
Finally, there are no words to describe the separation at the Crucifixion of the Son from the Father when Christ became forsaken. A separation unknown from everlasting to everlasting as the Father, turned away as the Son became the sin of the world, to redeem the world in bringing eternal salvation to all who would believe.
At the cross God takes all that Christ suffered and released in the laying down of His life, to forgive all sin totally and completely. His forgiveness towards us is without measure or limitation as to guarantee our relationship as His child by Christ’s grace with His immeasurable love sealed by His Holy Spirit as our eternal inheritance. This is the gift, given to us at the cross.
Are there any words to express or describe such a gift to each one of us? May we live our lives in endless thanksgiving for all you have been given!
Cross Artwork – A Precious Gift from my Friend, Todd Christensen