IT WAS NOT THE NAILS THAT HELD JESUS TO THE CROSS
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: “Dit was nie spykers wat Jesus aan die kruis vasgehou het nie.”
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone sent me an e-mail and the following sentence at the bottom of the email immediately caught my attention and left a big impression on me:
"It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross, but Love. "
Immediately there where several thoughts running through my mind, that I would like to share with you.
Indeed, it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross.
Even His enemies would not have been able to force Him to walk to the cross if He didn’t want to go.
It reminds me of an occasion when they wanted to kill Him:
LUKE 4:28-30
28 “When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.”
29 “Jumping up, they mobbed Him and forced Him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push Him over the cliff,”
30 “but He passed right through the crowd and went on His way.”
I believe, that He only went with them in order to show them how anger can make you really look ridiculous – as He then passed right through them and walked away.
There they stood, helpless, with hatred in their hearts and anger in their eyes as Jesus passed right through them to continue His journey to Golgotha, to tie Himself with love to a cross for them as well.
If they weren’t so blinded by satan, they would have realized that you cannot just push God off a cliff.
As it stands with most of us today, these people could not see who they were really dealing with here. There was another occasion where satan made them act ridiculous, and even then they did not learn by their mistakes because of the hatred in their hearts they did not actually realize who they were dealing with:
JOHN 18: 4-9
4 “Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” He asked.”
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.)”
6 “As Jesus said “I am He,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!”:
7 “Once more He asked them, “Who are you looking for? And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
8 “I told you that I am He,” Jesus said. “And since I am the One you want, let these others go.”
9 “He did this to fulfil His own statement” “I did not lose a single one of those you have given Me.”
How truly blinded they were by satan.
Before them stood God Almighty and He even told them so. He even started talking with them so He could tell them who He really is.
He did not need to ask who they are looking for. He, because He is also God, already knew what they wanted:
JOH 18:4 “Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him,”
When they told Him who they are looking for, He told them exactly who He is.
JOH 18:5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I am He,”
Who is this Jesus that is such a massive stumbling block for them?
He also told them on a previous occasion who He was and then they also wanted to kill Him:
JOHN 8:56-59
56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to My coming. He saw it and was glad.”
57 “The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can You say You have seen Abraham?”
58 “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!”
59 “At that point they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.”
Before them stood God, the great I AM, who spoke to Moses from the burning bush but their hate and insolence blinded them so that they could not see.
EXO 3:13 “But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” they will ask me, “What is His name?” Then what should I tell them?”
EXO 3:14 “God replied to Moses, "I AM Who I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”
Now look at this pronounced irony.
Who is in charge?
Who calls the shots?
JOHN 18:6 “As Jesus said “I am He,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!”
They came as a crowd to catch Him and then they all fell down to the ground as if dead.
The irony, however, does not end there:
JOHN 18:7 “Once more He asked them, “Who are you looking for? And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
JOHN 18:8 “I told you that I am He,” Jesus said. “And since I am the One you want, let these others go.”
They came to catch Him but He gives the orders.
He commands what should and what should not be done – and walked with them the last part of His journey to Golgotha, to bind Himself to the cross with His love for them and us.
He made the tree grow of which His cross was carved.
He created the iron that nailed Him to the cross.
Who was this Jesus who hung on the cross for you and me?
JOHN 1:1-5
1 “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
2 “He existed in the beginning with God.”
3 “God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.”
4 “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.”
5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”JOH 1:14 “So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
HE created everything-
The tree from which the cross was made.
The nails that nailed Him to the cross.
And also, the people who treated Him in this manner.
Only so that we could be forever with Him someday. Is this not wonderful to know?
No! Oh no! A nail can never hold God to a piece of wood!
It was love, as only the Creator of the universe can love.
JOHN 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
This is Jesus speaking:
JOHN 15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Greetings,
Sakkie