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The Real Goal Of Crucifying Jesus
It was about more than just killing him
The origins of Christianity are nothing short of remarkable. The fact that the cross is now a universal symbol of hope, resurrection, and life is a miracle in and of itself. Imagine a new religion walking around with a lobotomist’s spike as its holy symbol or a miniature electric chair. You would think they were insane, masochists, or both.
That is what the cross used to be.
The cross is a symbol of crucifixion, which was one of the worst ways to execute someone in all of human history. You see, there was an ulterior motive for crucifying Jesus. It wasn’t just about killing him. It was about maiming him and then tainting him. The problem was, it didn’t work. Humans have a nasty habit of making plans that cause God to laugh.
Crucifixion was a particularly nasty method of execution. In fact, our word excruciating is derived from the word crucifixion. Excruciating. Crucifixion. Most people died by drowning in their own blood or bodily fluids from the sheer exhaustion of hanging from broken and mangled limbs. Crucifixion was so disgusting and so shameful that Roman citizens were banned from experiencing it. It was saved for slaves, rebels, enemy combatants, and usurpers. Romans were too good to suffer on the cross; they got the quick and easy death via beheading instead.
But what does this have to do with Jesus?
When the Jews cried, “crucify him,” they knew exactly what they were doing. No one wanted to follow a crucified leader. Crucifixion was so shameful and so final that it was usually the end of any uprising or rebellion. It was Rome’s ace in the hole. Anyone who took up the mantle of someone who had suffered crucifixion risked dying the same grisly death themselves. (This makes the words of Jesus to take up your cross and follow him daily all the more shocking and difficult to hear.)
If the Romans (or the Jewish officials) wanted to kill Jesus, it would have been easy to do so. People brawled, got knives stuck in their sides in darkened alleys or were killed on the roads, all the time during this era. Ruffianism and mob killings were common, especially in cities like Rome and Jerusalem. But it wasn’t just about killing Jesus. It was about making…
