Many scholars agree that Jesus did not carry His entire cross to Calvary but instead carried what would be the horizontal beam of the cross known as the patibulum. I believe the Cross is not just the device used to carry out a death sentence but that Christ chose that form of death as a metaphor and to be presented as Plaintiff’s Exhibit A before the Lord as everyone individually stands before Him either at The Judgment Seat of Christ when the Believers are judged according to their works or at the Great White Throne Judgment when the wicked dead are judged.
If the Cross is a metaphor, then the horizontal beam would be a metaphor of our relationship with our fellow man and the vertical beam a metaphor of our relationship with God.
What is a metaphor? It’s a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them; figurative language.
Jesus used analogies and metaphors when he taught publicly. He explained each analogy privately to his disciples.
One day as I meditated on the Word I began to wonder why Jesus had to die such a horrible death. Why not a more humane death? We know that if He was to pay our debt for violating God’s law He had to fulfill the Mosaic Law which said in Deut. 21:23: Cursed is he who hangs on a tree. Why couldn’t Jesus taken death by hanging to fulfill the law? Why did he need to die such a horrible death?”
In order to understand the need for Christ’s death we must first understand the result of the fall of man. Man is a triparteid being, meaning he consists of body, soul and spirit. These three parts worked harmoniously together before the fall. The result of the fall brought a division between the soul and the spirit which meant that man could no longer hear the voice of God in his own spirit and would be dominated to receive communication through the mind, which is a component of the soul.
In Matthew 13:10 Jesus explains His use of parables:
- And the disciples came and said to Him “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
- He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
- “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance: but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
- “therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
- And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
Hearing you will hear and shall not understand.
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
- For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing.
And their eyes they have closed.
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears;
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.
- But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;
- For assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The message of the Cross is and has always been the same. It is simple yet complex while easy yet difficult to comprehend. Two beams crossing silently speak of conflict, equality and justice. Yet the entirety of the message is everyone needs the Savior to save them from their sin. Everyone; no exceptions.
All of the metaphors hidden in the Cross speak of a trial, a prosecutor, defense counsel, a judge and judgement by God himself.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? We must first know Him as Lord and Savior before we can ever enjoy our relationship with Him as His friend. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you would like to know Him, just say this prayer to Him:
Father in Heaven, I admit I am a sinner and I have not walked with you in my life. I acknowledge your son is Jesus Christ and he is the only mediator between us. Jesus, I am a sinner, I come to you for forgiveness of my sin and ask you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my Life. I will follow you at any and all costs. Help me hear and obey your voice at all times and walk close to you. Help me to stay sensitive to the leading of your precious Holy Spirit. In your name, Lord Jesus I ask. Amen.
Join us next time for The Metaphor of the Cross – Part 2: The Patibulum The Metaphor of the Cross – Part 2: The Patibulum (Cont’d.)
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