Even Death On a Cross

Before you read the following post about the cross, I would like you to practice a gasp that you might give when you hear highly unsettling news. When you get to the end of the Scripture below and see the phrase, “Even death on a cross” I want you to gasp.

Our Text:

Philippians 2:5-8

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Sometimes what is missing two thousand years later is the gasp over the cross. There are other moments, though, when something is read online or from a newspaper that is so incredibly horrible it invokes gasps and tears from those who hear it. It makes you not want to believe what you just read.

For a first century audience that was learning about Jesus for the first time, they knew the horror of cross. After the initial stunned silence, someone in the room might have said, “Not crucifixion!”

If you have never studied the horror of crucifixion, you should. Find out why The Roman orator Cicero described it as “the most cruel and hideous punishment.” This form of punishment was so degrading that it was against Roman law at that time for a Roman citizen to die that way.

We need to find and keep our gasp. We need to remember that grace was never cheap.

In the passage above, we see something called the Kenosis, which means to empty or to pour out. This is the downward trajectory of Jesus from existing in the form of God, to stepping down to humanity (“emptied himself… born in the likeness of men”) to stepping down into servitude (“taking the form of a servant”) to stepping down into death (“obedient to the point of death”) to the lowest point possible which is crucifixion (“even death on a cross”).

Jesus had nothing left to give at the end. Our sin emptied Him out. His blood was poured out so that we could be pardoned from our sin debt and punishment.

All Scripture is in ESV format unless otherwise specified.

#WalkintheTruth Philippians #Kenosis #HumilityOfChrist #GraceWasNeverCheap