Beholding Jesus​

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by David G. Rose

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     For most Americans, the horror of the attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, will grieve us for a lifetime. Photos of people staring in terror at the crumbling buildings are still shocking today. 

     This is but a fragment of the horror those who loved Jesus felt on the day that Christ died on the Cross. Can you even imagine the feelings of loss that the disciples experienced as they saw Jesus Crucified? 

     The Gospel of Luke presents this terrible scene in Luke 23:35 KJV, “And the people stood beholding.” The Greek word Luke chose for the word “beholding” was THEOREO which means a spectator who looks at things with great interest and careful observation, not missing any details. 

     As they beheld Jesus, many of them knew that He was an innocent man. His supposed crimes were unjustified, lacking any evidence. The kangaroo court convicted Jesus and sentenced Him to death because they were convicted of their own sins when Jesus preached the pure Gospel. 

     And there must have been many people beholding Him that had been healed by Christ. Possibly the formerly blind now beheld Christ on the Cross. The benevolence and love of Christ was well-known in the area, and yet the Crucifixion was not stopped.

     And there were some that beheld Christ who understood and believed that Jesus was the Son of God. What a challenge the Crucifixion was to their faith! How can this be? They may have wondered what will happen to them if they are murdering Christ in public view?

     Indeed, some grieved over the death of Christ. But there were others that beheld Jesus and mocked Him. We read in Matthew 27:39-40, “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.’” 

     And the leaders echoed the people as they mocked Him for not coming down from the Cross (Mark 15:13-32). The Roman soldiers joined in with the mockers and dared Jesus to come down from the Cross if He were truly the Son of God. 

     It was the most horrible scene in all of Scripture: “The people stood beholding Him.”

     And what about you? As you view the scene through the scriptures, what thoughts come to your mind? The true Believer should be struck by the influence and destruction sin can produce. Sinful man mocks God and tries to kill him. Sinful man ridicules what is good and celebrates unholiness and corruption. Sinful man spits in the face of God and feels satisfied.

     The Believer that beholds the Crucifixion should have an overwhelming gratitude to Christ for all He has done to save us from the decadence and folly of this present world.  As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

     And finally, as we behold Jesus on the Cross, Believers should renew their commitment to Christ and utterly surrender their will to His Will. Beholding Christ and His sacrifice should thoroughly rearrange our lives in complete obedience to Him. 

Next week: Forsaken
 

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