The Cross - Easter
The cross is the center of the Christian faith. Here God's holiness and love meet. Jesus bore the world's sin and died in our place. What seemed like defeat was the greatest victory—over sin, death, and the devil.
Predicted in the OT
The prophets described the Messiah's suffering hundreds of years before it happened.
4Yet it was our griefs he bore, our sorrows he carried; but we considered him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃
5But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was laid upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ׃
6All of us have strayed like sheep; each one has turned to his own way. And the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן תָּעִ֔ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ פָּנִ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָה֙ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ בּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת עֲוֺ֥ן כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃
7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth.
נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו׃
10Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. When he makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
וַיהוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶֽחֱלִ֔י אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח׃
11Out of the anguish of his soul he will see and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃
12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־ל֣וֹ בָרַבִּ֗ים וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ׃ ס
2My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
17Dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and my feet.
כִּ֥י סְבָב֗וּנִי כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים עֲדַ֣ת מְ֭רֵעִים הִקִּיפ֑וּנִי כָּ֝אֲרִ֗י יָדַ֥י וְרַגְלָֽי׃
19They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
יְחַלְּק֣וּ בְגָדַ֣י לָהֶ֑ם וְעַל־לְ֝בוּשִׁ֗י יַפִּ֥ילוּ גוֹרָֽל׃
Gethsemane
Jesus struggled in prayer before his suffering—and surrendered to the Father's will.
36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
Τότε ἔρχεται μετʼ αὐτῶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς χωρίον λεγόμενον Γεθσημανί, καὶ λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Καθίσατε αὐτοῦ ἕως οὗ ἀπελθὼν ⸂ἐκεῖ προσεύξωμαι⸃.
38Then he said to them, "My soul is crushed with sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
τότε λέγει ⸀αὐτοῖς· Περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου· μείνατε ὧδε καὶ γρηγορεῖτε μετʼ ἐμοῦ.
39Going a little farther, he fell on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
καὶ ⸀προελθὼν μικρὸν ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ προσευχόμενος καὶ λέγων· Πάτερ μου, εἰ δυνατόν ἐστιν, παρελθάτω ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο· πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλʼ ὡς σύ.
42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours be done."
λέγων· Πάτερ, εἰ βούλει ⸀παρένεγκε ⸂τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον⸃ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ· πλὴν μὴ τὸ θέλημά μου ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν ⸀γινέσθω.
44And in his anguish he prayed still more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
καὶ γενόμενος ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ ἐκτενέστερον προσηύχετο· ⸄καὶ ἐγένετο⸅ ὁ ἱδρὼς αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ θρόμβοι αἵματος καταβαίνοντες ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.⸃
The Crucifixion
Jesus was crucified between two thieves at Golgotha.
35When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots,
σταυρώσαντες δὲ αὐτὸν διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βάλλοντες κλῆρον,
37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένην· Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.
46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"—that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
περὶ δὲ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν ⸀ἀνεβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων· ⸂Ἠλὶ ἠλὶ⸃ λεμὰ σαβαχθάνι; τοῦτʼ ἔστιν· Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες;
17and carrying his own cross he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
καὶ βαστάζων ⸂αὑτῷ τὸν σταυρὸν⸃ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς ⸀τὸν λεγόμενον Κρανίου Τόπον, ⸀ὃ λέγεται Ἑβραϊστὶ Γολγοθα,
18There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
ὅπου αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἄλλους δύο ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, μέσον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
30When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
ὅτε οὖν ἔλαβεν τὸ ὄξος ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Τετέλεσται, καὶ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλὴν παρέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα.
33When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him there along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left.
καὶ ὅτε ⸀ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τὸν καλούμενον Κρανίον, ἐκεῖ ἐσταύρωσαν αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς κακούργους, ὃν μὲν ἐκ δεξιῶν ὃν δὲ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν.
34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[fn: Several early manuscripts do not contain this sentence.] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
⸂ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἔλεγεν· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν.⸃ διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον ⸀κλήρους.
43And Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
καὶ εἶπεν ⸀αὐτῷ· Ἀμήν ⸂σοι λέγω⸃ σήμερον μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ.
The Meaning of the Cross
On the cross, Jesus atoned for the world's sin and reconciled us with God.
6For while we were still helpless, at just the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
⸂Ἔτι γὰρ⸃ Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ⸀ἔτι κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν.
8But God proves his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν.
10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες κατηλλάγημεν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καταλλαγέντες σωθησόμεθα ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ·
18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ καταλλάξαντος ἡμᾶς ἑαυτῷ ⸀διὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ δόντος ἡμῖν τὴν διακονίαν τῆς καταλλαγῆς,
19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation.
ὡς ὅτι θεὸς ἦν ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσων ἑαυτῷ, μὴ λογιζόμενος αὐτοῖς τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, καὶ θέμενος ἐν ἡμῖν τὸν λόγον τῆς καταλλαγῆς.
21God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
⸀τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.
24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, ἵνα ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀπογενόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζήσωμεν· οὗ τῷ ⸀μώλωπι ἰάθητε.
The Victory of the Cross
The cross was not defeat, but triumph over evil.
14canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He set it aside, nailing it to the cross.
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθʼ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ·
15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ, θριαμβεύσας αὐτοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ.
14Since, then, the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared fully in the same, so that through death he might break the power of the one who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν ⸂αἵματος καὶ σαρκός⸃, καὶ αὐτὸς παραπλησίως μετέσχεν τῶν αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸν διάβολον,
15and set free all those who through fear of death were held in slavery all their lives.
καὶ ἀπαλλάξῃ τούτους, ὅσοι φόβῳ θανάτου διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας.
31Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω·
32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
κἀγὼ ⸀ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.