Speaking of Death

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When Pontius Pilate gave the order for Jesus to be crucified, he sentenced himself and everyone else to death as well.

Program Transcript

You
probably know the old hymn “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”  To
answer that question, “Yes – you were there,” in a way you may not have thought
about before.

Not
long after Jesus was crucified, one of the first Christian leaders, Stephen,
was hauled before the religious court for blasphemy and heresy. In a bold
speech, he told his accusers who Jesus was, and then said, “you have betrayed
and murdered him” (Acts 7:52).

Stephen
wasn’t only referring to that particular group of men. He realized that everyone,
because of the guilt of their sins, had a responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion.
The priests and religious leaders of the time accused him and the Roman governor,
Pontius Pilate, may have signed the death warrant, but we were all accomplices to the murder of our Lord and Savior.

But our
involvement in the death of Jesus is much more than being an “accomplice” to
his murder. We were also included in his sentence of death. When Pontius Pilate
gave the order for Jesus to be crucified, he sentenced himself and everyone
else to death as well.

The
apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “We are convinced, that one died for
all, and therefore all died.” Your nosy neighbor, your nearest and dearest,
your enemy in battle, your loved one locked in suffering, the hungry child in
famine, those caught up in the tragedies of earthquakes and tsunamis, your boss
at work, those trapped in false religion, the worst of terrorists, the best of
heroes: they all died in Christ Jesus.

A
couple of verses later, in 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul tells us that on the cross,
God “was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins
against them.” Jesus died for everyone who has ever lived and who shall live.
No one was excluded from the effectiveness of his sacrifice. Everyone was
involved in his death. There were no exceptions.

It
means that our past, no matter how desperate or depraved, was nailed to the
cross. It means that through Jesus’ sacrifice we have all been forgiven whether
we accept it or not. It means that everyone, irrespective of race or
religion, was crucified with Christ.

And
it means even more than that. It means that there is hope for us all because,
as Paul wrote in Romans 6:8, “now, if we all died with Christ, we believe that
we will also live with him.” That’s why Christians are so committed to
spreading the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s a call to believe in
the one who loves and gave himself for us – the one who, as Revelation 1:5,
puts it, “has freed us from our sins by his own blood.”

Jesus
not only died for us, he rose for us as well. Were we there when they crucified
our Lord? Yes we were there.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of life.

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Program Transcript

You
probably know the old hymn “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”  To
answer that question, “Yes – you were there,” in a way you may not have thought
about before.

Not
long after Jesus was crucified, one of the first Christian leaders, Stephen,
was hauled before the religious court for blasphemy and heresy. In a bold
speech, he told his accusers who Jesus was, and then said, “you have betrayed
and murdered him” (Acts 7:52).

Stephen
wasn’t only referring to that particular group of men. He realized that everyone,
because of the guilt of their sins, had a responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion.
The priests and religious leaders of the time accused him and the Roman governor,
Pontius Pilate, may have signed the death warrant, but we were all accomplices to the murder of our Lord and Savior.

But our
involvement in the death of Jesus is much more than being an “accomplice” to
his murder. We were also included in his sentence of death. When Pontius Pilate
gave the order for Jesus to be crucified, he sentenced himself and everyone
else to death as well.

The
apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “We are convinced, that one died for
all, and therefore all died.” Your nosy neighbor, your nearest and dearest,
your enemy in battle, your loved one locked in suffering, the hungry child in
famine, those caught up in the tragedies of earthquakes and tsunamis, your boss
at work, those trapped in false religion, the worst of terrorists, the best of
heroes: they all died in Christ Jesus.

A
couple of verses later, in 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul tells us that on the cross,
God “was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins
against them.” Jesus died for everyone who has ever lived and who shall live.
No one was excluded from the effectiveness of his sacrifice. Everyone was
involved in his death. There were no exceptions.

It
means that our past, no matter how desperate or depraved, was nailed to the
cross. It means that through Jesus’ sacrifice we have all been forgiven whether
we accept it or not. It means that everyone, irrespective of race or
religion, was crucified with Christ.

And
it means even more than that. It means that there is hope for us all because,
as Paul wrote in Romans 6:8, “now, if we all died with Christ, we believe that
we will also live with him.” That’s why Christians are so committed to
spreading the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s a call to believe in
the one who loves and gave himself for us – the one who, as Revelation 1:5,
puts it, “has freed us from our sins by his own blood.”

Jesus
not only died for us, he rose for us as well. Were we there when they crucified
our Lord? Yes we were there.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, speaking of life.

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