The Cross & The Cost

The Power of the Crucifixion

I. Introduction: More Than a Symbol

Illustration: Timmy, Sarah, and the Medal That Cost Everything

One day, Timmy and Sarah were helping clean out their grandpa’s attic when they stumbled upon an old wooden box. Inside was a shiny military medal, worn with age but polished with care.

“Wow, Grandpa!” Timmy exclaimed. “This is awesome! Where did you get it?”

Grandpa paused, his eyes misty. “That medal,” he said softly, “was given to my best friend, Jack. He saved my life in the war. But he never made it home. His parents asked me to keep it, so I’d always remember what it cost.”

Timmy and Sarah were quiet. The medal looked cool… but now they understood—it came with a deep price.

Sarah whispered, “It’s beautiful... but it’s also kind of heavy.” “Yes,” Grandpa nodded. “Because it carries sacrifice. Every time I look at it, I remember Jack’s love—and the life I now get to live because of it.”

Connection to the Cross

The cross is like that medal—a symbol of honor and beauty, but also of deep sacrifice.

Jesus didn’t just die to inspire us—He gave His life to save ours.

Like Timmy and Sarah, we must never look at the cross casually.

It’s beautiful… but it’s also heavy, because it reminds us of what our freedom cost.

...The cross is more than jewelry or a church logo

I wear a cross everyday, that’s inscribed with the lords prayer

I use it as a constant reminder of what Jesus did for me 2000 years ago

Every morning when I put it on, I make the mental consideration to represent Him well

but that does not hold true for everyone

Many prebelievers wear it simply a piece of jewlery

a cross of Gold

not knowing the meaning or the cost behind it

even many beleivers don’t consider the meaning, unless its ressurection weekend

But let it be known

it was a place of unimaginable suffering and ultimate love.

Many watched Jesus die a brutal death, but only a few understood what was really happening.

Today, we look at the real cost of the cross and the real power behind it.

II. The Pain of the Cross

Isaiah 53:3–5 NASB95

3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Jesus endured: Physical Suffering

Whipped, mocked, crucified—Jesus suffered intensely.

He bore our pain, sickness, and punishment in His body.

the 39 lashes

the crown of thorns

the nail through his hands and feet

hanging on a tree until dead.

Something none of us will ever fully comprehend.

Crusifiction was a common form of execusion for the Romans who ruled Israel at the time of Jesus

Historical Context of Roman Crucifixion

Crucifixion was one of the most brutal and humiliating forms of execution in the ancient world, used primarily by the Romans for slaves, rebels, and the worst criminals.

It wasn’t just about death—it was about shame, pain, and fear.

🔹 Purpose of Crucifixion

Public deterrence: Victims were crucified in public places to send a message—

"This is what happens when you defy Rome."

It was meant to break the will, not just the body, of the one crucified.

Romans called it “the extreme penalty” (Cicero), and even they hesitated to apply it to their own citizens.

🔹 The Process

Scourging (Flagellation)

Before the crucifixion, the victim was flogged with a whip (often embedded with metal or bone).

This tore skin, muscle, and nerves—many died just from this stage.

Why 39 lashes? Because 40 lashes was considered a death sentence

The Crossbeam (Patibulum)

The condemned carried the horizontal beam of the cross

often 75-125 lbs

through the streets to the execution site.

This was a walk of humiliation and public scorn.

Nailing or Binding

Victims were either tied or nailed to the cross. Jesus was nailed, as evidenced by Roman records and archaeological findings.

Nails (roughly 5–7 inches long) were driven through the hands and feet.

The Cause of Death

Crucifixion victims died slowly—anywhere from hours to days.

Death came by asphyxiation, shock, blood loss, or heart failure.

Every breath became harder as the body sagged; to breathe, they had to push up on nailed feet, causing excruciating pain.

🔹 Jesus' Crucifixion – The Fulfillment of Prophecy

Isaiah 53 vividly foretells the suffering servant: “He was pierced for our transgressions…”

Psalm 22 describes crucifixion centuries before it existed: “They pierce my hands and feet.”

let it be known, Jesus chose the cross—He wasn’t a victim of Rome;

He was the Lamb of God, slain for the sin of the world.

🔹 Why It Matters

The physical pain was immense—but it was not the greatest burden Jesus bore.

He also carried the weight of our sin, separation from the Father, and the full measure of God’s wrath on our behalf.

III. Emotional & Relational Rejection

“He was despised and rejected…” (v.3)

Abandoned by friends, ridiculed by crowds, even forsaken in spirit

He knows what rejection feels like.

Spiritual Burden

“The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (v.6)

He bore not just pain, but the sin of the world.

something we can never comprehend

IV. The Purpose of the Cross

Substitutionary Sacrifice

Romans 3:23 NASB95

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“He was pierced for our transgressions…” (Isaiah 53:5)

Jesus took our place, paying the penalty we deserved.

Because Jesus paid the price we don’t have too

God’s Justice and Love Met Here

The cross shows how seriously God takes sin, and how deeply He loves us.

Grace is free to us, but it cost Jesus everything.

Romans 6:1–2 NASB95

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

🔹 What it means:

Grace is not a license to sin.

Paul is saying: if we truly understand what Jesus did on the cross—the cost, the suffering, the love

we won’t treat sin lightly.

We’ve been set free from sin, not so we can keep sinning, but so we can live for God.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Every detail—His silence, His suffering, His death—fulfilled ancient words.

This was not random—rather it was a divine plan of redemption.

V. The Response to the Cross

Luke 23:39–46 NASB95

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Two Criminals, Two Responses

One mocked; one believed.

The cross demands a response—mockery or surrender.

The Centurion’s Revelation

Luke 23:47–49 NASB95

47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. 49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

“Surely this was a righteous man.” (v.47)

Even a Roman soldier saw something divine in Jesus’ death.

Our Response Today

Will we treat it as a story? Or will we surrender in worship and awe?

VI. Application: The Cost of Our Salvation

Salvation is free, but it is not cheap.

What areas of our lives have we held back, forgetting the price Jesus paid?

Will we live in gratitude, surrender, and bold faith?

VII. Conclusion: Love on Display

The cross was not the end—but it was the moment of eternal victory.

Jesus said, “It is finished”—the debt paid, the curse broken, love poured out.

May we never treat the cross lightly.

May we live in response to His sacrifice.

Closing Prayer:

Thank God for the cross.

Invite those who haven’t yet responded to Jesus to come to the foot of the cross.

Ask for a renewed sense of wonder and surrender.