Food for Friday
October 31 – I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
No record exists of anyone surviving being crucified by the Romans. This horribly painful and prolonged means of execution was carried out tens of thousands of times as the Roman empire disposed of dangerous criminals, captured enemies, and any others who they deemed to be deserving of death. Crucifixion drained its victims of all of their strength, all of their blood, and all of their will to live, making it impossible for anyone to survive the ordeal. And Roman soldiers guarded the execution sites until death occurred, to make sure nobody pulled the victims off the crosses before they died. The penalty for interfering with a crucifixion was crucifixion. In most cases, the soldiers didn’t even take the bodies down, but left them hanging there to rot. In the one crucifixion that we are all familiar with, at Golgotha, all three of the victims died. And the Roman soldiers certified their deaths. But, according to the evidence of hundreds of credible witnesses, One of those crucified that day is alive. And, according to our text, so are all of those who have been crucified with Him, including Paul.
Did Paul hang on a cross beside the Lord Jesus at Calvary? Of course not! How then was he crucified with Him? The Lord Jesus died on the cross to atone for sin. Because of His victory, death was unable to hold Him. He is alive. Paul describes himself as crucified with Christ, because he reckoned Himself dead to his sins. But he declares himself alive because of Christ living in him. And that life is by faith.
The life that being crucified with Christ brings touches all three aspects of our salvation: the salvation of our souls at conversion, the salvation of our spirits in our daily walk, and the salvation of our bodies in eternity. Each of these is precious and filled with glorious truth and promise. But our text is focusing primarily on our daily salvation, as Paul refers to ‘the life which I now live in the flesh’. When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, He did so in the same body in which He lived for 33 years. The disciples and the others recognized His face. They saw and touched the wounds that they had seen the Jewish and Roman persecutors inflict on Him. They knew it was the Lord. But that body was different. Jesus could appear and reappear at will. He could arrive in a locked room without use of a door. And He could rise into the air out of their sight. In that same body, Jesus had conquered death. And death could and will forever have no claim on that body. We have entered into the victory that the Lord Jesus accomplished. The lives that you and I live as the servants and followers of Jesus Christ are victorious as we by faith lay hold on the victory that He accomplished. And we live in the sure and certain knowledge that these our bodies, if they do not depart for Heaven by way of the Rapture, will die but for a short time before they will be raise incorruptible to be forever with the Lord.
Let us by faith live in Christ today. Let us appreciate His victory as our own. -Jim MacIntosh