There are times that we (including “I”) don’t comprehend the magnitude of the injustice of the crucifixion… when the language of the cross becomes routine, merely words on a page… when the beatings, the mocking, the torture, do not grip our hearts.

Make no mistake, Jesus was murdered though innocent. Were an innocent person brutally tortured and murdered this day, we may experience a sense of outrage, a desire to advocate, etc.

This sort of outrage was expressed by Stephen in Acts 7:51-52, “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One– the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.”

However, we (I) often find ourselves numb to this reality when we should, in fact, be awestruck that Christ willingly endured such suffering and injustice as an innocent out of love for us, that we might be forgiven of our sins. (Isaiah 53:7-8; Acts 8:32-35; Hebrews 12:1-3)

Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

The injustice of the cross leads us to a place of brokenness where we see the joy of the Messiah in enduring the cross and bow before Him in worship, awestruck much as the centurion and his companions were…

Matthew 27:54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”