The Bible says there were three things nailed to the cross at Jesus’ crucifixion…bTwo of them are obvious, but the third may surprise you.
Those who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth in 31 AD would have been able to look up and easily see 2 of 3 things nailed to the cross, or stake.
The third item —which was invisible to the naked eye—was incredibly important for those living at the time, and for us today.
So, what were the 3 things nailed to the cross?
In this video we will answer that question from the pages of the Bible.
Let’s answer that question from the pages of the Bible.
The first item a witness of the crucifixion would have seen nailed to the cross was: Jesus, the Christ.
Jesus was nailed through His hands and feet. This horrific form of execution was common practice in the Roman Empire at the time.
When He hung from the cross, He had already been beaten, bloodied and scourged. (Matthew 26:67; 27:26, 27-30) (Mark 14:65, 15:15-20)
His beating was prophesied centuries in advance through the prophet Isaiah, which says:
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)
During His physical beating, He also endured psychological attacks and mocking.
As Matthew 26:67-68 explain:
“Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Even after all of this suffering, Jesus never lost sight of why He subjected Himself to crucifixion
Witnesses there that day would have had the opportunity to hear Jesus’ merciful response to this unwarranted torture.
As recorded in Luke 23:34, He said:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
The first thing nailed to the cross, or stake, was Jesus the Christ–the Son of God.
The second item nailed to the cross that a witness of the crucifixion would have seen was a sign over Jesus’s head.
Put just above Him was a sign describing the accusation against Him.
Each of the 4 gospel accounts provide details which give a full understanding of what was written.
Mark’s report provides the simplest description, saying:
“Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: ‘THE KING OF THE JEWS’” (Mark 15:25–26).
The gospel of Matthew also explains,
“And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: ‘THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS’” (Matthew 27:37)
The gospel of Luke gives more detail, saying:
“And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: ‘THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS’” (Luke 23:38).
The gospel of John adds:
“Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: ‘JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.’ Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore, the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews,” but, “He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’”’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written’” (John 19:19–22).
Added together, the gospel accounts make clear that the sign above Jesus told all who saw it: “THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
This was the second item nailed to the cross.
Now, The third item nailed to that cross would NOT have been visible to anyone present that day. Placed upon the Man nailed to that cross were the sins of ALL mankind.
Christ’s sacrifice was foreshadowed and symbolized by the Passover lamb referenced in the Old Testament. (Exodus 12)
The Bible explains that Christ is the Lamb of God and our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7 and John 1:29).
He was offered, by God the Father, as a “propitiation” for sin (Romans 3:25)
Jesus’s life was more valuable than all of mankind put together because He is the Creator of all things (John 1:1-3).
And being perfect, without sin, He was the only one qualified to pay the penalty for ALL sin.
So, it is through His sacrifice and shed blood that we can be forgiven of our sins (Colossians 1:14). He paid the death penalty for all of us.
For God says, “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col.2:14-15)
Just as God prophesied centuries earlier by the prophet Isaiah,
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
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