Matthew 27:38-44

It was terribly difficult for Jesus to bear these insults, for they were a great temptation to him. He could have come down from the cross and showed those stubborn unbelievers that he was exactly as he claimed—the Son of God. It wasn't the nails that held him on the cross, but his will and determination to undergo all the suffering that was necessary to free all people from sin's eternal condemnation. What a loss it would have been for us if Jesus had yielded to the temptation and came down from the cross! Jesus would have been disqualified as our Savior and we would be hopelessly lost in sin's guilt. It's not a Savior who comes down from the cross that we need, but a Savior who ascends the cross; not one who would save himself, but who desires to save us sinners.

Among the various designs of crucifixes is one that depicts a coiled serpent under the feet of the crucified Savior. It illustrates the fulfillment of the first promise of the Savior, spoken by God in the Garden of Eden, that the Savior would crush the serpent's head, but in so doing it would cost him his life. Satan was "striking Jesus" when he moved the leaders of the people to have Jesus put to death. But on the cross Jesus gained the victory over the devil. As hard as it was for Jesus to die on the cross, in love he did it to free us from the power of Satan. On the cross Jesus died to save us from hell!

Think about your Savior who suffered and died on the cross. He didn't have to be there; he was there for us. He didn't have to suffer; he suffered for us. He didn't have to die; he died for us. He sacrificed himself to bless us with forgiveness of our sins, to restore us to holy fellowship with him, and to give us eternal life.