Station 5: Jesus Nailed, with Our Sins, to a Cross

The sacrifice that Jesus has given up to this point has been immense. He allowed Himself to be condemned, beaten, forced to carry a cross that He didn’t earn, and ridiculed by people who had recently praised His name. But His sacrifice was not complete until now. Jesus, who was, is, and always will be God, humbled himself to become one of us to the point of death on a cross. Jesus was nailed to a cross for us, because of our sin, and out of His Love for every one of us. Jesus sacrificed, willfully, for us. He sacrificed His life, He took on our sin, He became the sacrifice that we could never be to make a way for us to be reunited with His Father. 

Read: Luke 23:38-46 and Isaiah 53

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”  When he had said this, he breathed his last.

1 Who has believed our message 
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, 
    and like a root out of dry ground. 
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, 
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, 
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. 
Like one from whom people hide their faces 
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 

4 Surely he took up our pain 
    and bore our suffering, 
yet we considered him punished by God, 
    stricken by him, and afflicted. 
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, 
    he was crushed for our iniquities; 
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 
    and by his wounds we are healed. 
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, 
    each of us has turned to our own way; 
and the Lord has laid on him 
    the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, 
    yet he did not open his mouth; 
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, 
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, 
    so he did not open his mouth. 
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. 
    Yet who of his generation protested? 
For he was cut off from the land of the living; 
    for the transgression of my people he was punished. 
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, 
    and with the rich in his death, 
though he had done no violence, 
    nor was any deceit in his mouth. 

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, 
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, 
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, 
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 
11 After he has suffered, 
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied; 
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, 
    and he will bear their iniquities. 
12 Therefore 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.