Crucified Divine Love Won Unlikely Hearts

I have very vivid imagery in my mind when I read verses depicting the crucifixion of Jesus. The church where I grew up had an annual Christmas show and at the time, we did 19 performances between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The first half was carols and dancing and all the joy of the season. The second half was a musical depiction of the life of Christ from birth to Resurrection. My mom was often the one who sang the song that showed Christ’s crucifixion. For a while it was a song called, “Were you There?” A haunting song that makes the listener sit in the gravity of what that scene was like way back then. Other songs would be used in our show from year to year, but the visuals remained the same.

I see the picture of a hurting and broken man walking toward the crucifixion site—each step burdened by the weight of the cross he carried until a person who played Simon of Cyrene took the cross from him. I can see the image of soldiers with whips and clubs descending upon Jesus. Then, the audience’s attention would be drawn to the other side of the stage where my mom would enter and somberly sing about the events that were transpiring. Then, the audience’s attention would be drawn to the top of the stage where there were
three crosses with three people enacting the suffering that happens when someone is crucified. It’s an agonizing way to die. I can see their chests heaving with the effort it took to pull themselves up using their nail pierced hands just to gather a breath. Those are the moments I picture when I read Luke 23 when it describes the sign that hung above Jesus on the cross that mocked him as the “king of the Jews.”

There were a few details that didn’t make it into our show, largely because they would have been hard to engage a live audience because they were small moments and small conversations. They are small, but they have a great impact.

There was a small moment when one criminal next to Jesus mocked him saying, ‘You say you’re the Messiah, but you can’t even save yourself.’ The other criminal interjected on Jesus’ behalf admonishing him and then saying that he believed Jesus was who He said He was. In that small moment Jesus’ honored the faith of that criminal and promised him a place in paradise.

There’s another small moment we read about in Mark, where one lone Roman officer, who watched Jesus die quietly, realized that this man on the cross was truly God’s Son.

These small moments at the scene of the crucifixion were huge in the lives of these people.

I had my own small moment watching back a video of my mom singing through the scene of the crucifixion and Resurrection. I was reminded of her faith and the way she lived her life sharing the love of Jesus with people she encountered. For a moment, I sat with the grim picture of the crucifixion—my heart full, knowing this scene showcases the all-encompassing love of Jesus. Then another moment, where I felt my heart quicken—grateful for the hope that knowing the Resurrection soon follows, brings.

I hope that during this Holy Week you’ll find and carve out small moments to contemplate the events that transpired all those years ago—and remember that small moments initiated huge heart change at the crucifixion. May God meet you in your small moments and may your heart be light knowing that Resurrection is right around the corner.