What You Believe Matters 5 – Jesus Crucified
After the Apostles Creed talks about the birth of Jesus it goes on to talk about his crucifixion and death. Jesus talked about following His way of life and walking in his footsteps. He began to talk about his death early in his teachings with the disciples. They could not really grasp his words at that time but we will look back at his example and see how it plays out in our own lives.
The creed reads: “Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” Jesus walked and lived those words. They were not just a creed to him but how his life went. We asked us to walk this road with him in our own lives. He is an example for us to follow, not just a savior to be worshipped. Now before you get worried and start to question just how are we supposed to follow Jesus to his suffering, crucifixion, death and being buried? Let’s just walk through the four beliefs about Jesus and his death.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, is a fact of what he went through after his arrest. Pilate was dragged into the story by the Jewish leaders who lied and framed Jesus as someone who was looking to overthrow the Roman government. He suffered, the Bible talks about begin lashed, kicked and beaten. The pre-crucifixion beatings were just the first step of the humiliation that would happen over the course of the next hours or days. He realized that to bring glory to God he had to endure this suffering.
Romans 8:17 says, “If we are God’s children, we will receive blessings from God together with Christ. But we must suffer as Christ suffered so that we will have glory as Christ has glory.” We must “suffer” as Christ suffered on those days. Some Christians who follow God have seen this verse lived out in a literal way. Around the world Christians are attacked, killed and beaten for their faith. In America we sometimes think because someone is rude to us because of our faith that we have suffered. We have no idea what it means for our faith to physically cost us like believers around the world. We need to realize that just because hard times come does not mean we quit on faith and belief in Jesus.
That Jesus was crucified has never been a sense of contention with those who doubt Christianity. Even in all the different Christian faiths this is the one true common ground we stand on together. The cross is the prevailing symbol of our faith. Jesus even spoke of it when he talked about his followers picking up their own cross and following him. So what does it mean to pick up our cross? “I was put to death on the cross with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to save me.” Galatians 2:20 (NCV) Are we willing to let our own desires and wants die to what God has called us to be in our lives. Can we live in such a way that God’s plan takes the place of our plan? Can we die to ourselves so that Christ can live through us?
It all sounds great until you actually have to live it out. Do I really have to turn the other cheek? Give more than I get? Be willing to help the poor? Not look at my own comfort but find a way to comfort others? Not return an insult for an insult? Simply look out for others more than myself? This is what it means to die to yourself and live the way Jesus calls us to live.
When we read Romans 4 it can help us understand what the next phrase in the Apostles Creed may truly mean to us. “And was buried” are the next words in this creed. It is short and seems like an afterthought when we think of death. After he died of course they buried him. What else was buried with him though? “Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried. Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.” Romans 4:7-8 (AMP) Our guilt and sins were buried there with him. On the cross he accepted our sin as his own. It caused his death, and then he buried it in a tomb. Good thing is that Jesus left those sins and our guilt buried.
When we go to the next phrase in the creed it will make more sense about how important it was that he buried our sins but not himself.