What held Jesus to the cross?

"And it was the third hour, and they crucified him."

Mark 15:25 (KJV)

Almost all of us are very much familiar with the story of the crucifixion of Christ. It is arguably Christianity's most dreadful moment (regarding the Lord's suffering in the hands of men), yet at the same time, paved way for the most glorious victory over sin (regarding Christ as the final perfect offering for the sins of all mankind).

During Christ's torture, a vast majority of people went out to support the persecution. The guards and roman soldiers mocked Him. The people were spitting on His face. His disciples abandoned Him, except for John the Beloved. All those confessing to be His followers were nowhere to be found. The religious leaders had the tenacity to mock Jesus because they thought that they were so sure that He was nothing but a blasphemous, superficial, pretend Saviour of all humanity. But on the other hand, Jesus, being God in flesh, was capable of omnipotence and almighty power, yet He chose to continue on with all the sufferings and persecutions. Why? Considering the situation and the atmosphere during Christ's horrible sufferings, a question arises: "What held Jesus to the cross?" And mind you, it was not the spike nails that held Jesus to the cross. Our Saviour is tougher than nails.

I believe, in the light of the Scriptures, there are two things that held our Saviour to that cruel cross.

1. His Sovereign Love - John 3:16

John 3:16 perfectly declares God's display of unconditional love towards men. While Christ was on that cross, He could have considered another alternative. An option was that He could have just simply come down. Had He willed, He could have just violated the natural laws, and exercise His divine power; those nails could have been pulled out effortlessly; the cross could easily be bent; His wounds could miraculously heal; and everything would have been as if nothing had happened. But Christ knew that if he had chosen that path, Salvation and the redemption of sins would not be possible. He put our interests above His own. He did not come down. When He was dangling on that cross, He chose to hold on and die. He chose His sovereign love towards us. (And by the way, in three days, He proved that He is also tougher than the cross - such a glorious way to appreciate victory.) 

2. Our Sinful Lapse - Romans 3:23-24

The reason behind Christ's death on the cross was that for sinners to finally have redemption from sin's prison, and to have an eternal restoration of his broken relationship with God. He gave a way for us to escape eternal judgment and torment. Because of Christ's sacrifice and victory over sin and death, we now have access to the fulness of God's glory through His grace. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, do we really deserve God's love? Do we really deserve His mercy, compassion, and grace? As limited, sinful human beings, we do not. And yet, God freely gives.

To conclude this article, God's sovereign love and our sinful lapse should ultimately teach us humility and thanksgiving. Obviously, we cannot, through our own human efforts, do anything that could "pay" Him back for what He did for us. But God never required for us to pay Him back. He just wants us to love Him back with our best.

God bless.