Jesus

The Cross

Before the cross was an iconic identifier of Jesus-followers, it was an instrument of supreme torture. What Jesus experienced on the cross was excruciating — and absolutely necessary for us.

Day One: Golgotha
The precise location of where Jesus was crucified is a matter of debate. The location is declared to be "Golgotha," the "place of the skull," in Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17. The Gospels give a few other clues as to the location...
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Day Two: INRI
John 19:19 records, "Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." John 19:20 continues, "Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek"...
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Day Three: The Nails
The question of where the nails were placed goes to the question of whether Jesus was crucified on a cross, pole, or stake. Some scientists have suggested that if He was crucified on a cross, as tradition states, the hands would not have been strong enough to hold His weight...
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Day Four: Seven Sayings
The seven statements that Jesus Christ made on the cross were (not in any particular order)...
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Day Five: Time
Jesus was on the cross for about six hours. "The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 'He saved others,' they said, 'but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him'"...
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For more, see: "Was Jesus crucified on a cross, pole, or stake?"

Day Six: Raised to Life
Matthew 27:50-53 records, "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised...
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Day Seven: The Blood of Christ
The phrase "blood of Christ" is used several times in the New Testament and is the expression of the sacrificial death and full atoning work of Jesus on our behalf. References to the Savior's blood include the reality that He literally bled on the cross, but more significantly that He bled and died for sinners...
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For more, see: "Washed Clean"

Image Credit: holguerh; Untitled; Creative Commons