The death of Christ on the cross is both horrifying and glorious. The crucifixion of Jesus is equal parts despair and hope. Without the cross, there would be no covering for our sins. Without the cross, there would be no resurrection and way to eternal life in Jesus. The cross is central to all we believe. For all its importance, it is impossible to relate to Jesus as He hung there.
Few in all of history can relate to His immense suffering. None can relate to shouldering the weight of every sin, past, present, and future. We marvel at the sacrifice and love of Jesus, but we cannot feel what He felt that day. There were two others, though, to whom we can relate. We are not so different from the two criminals who hung beside Jesus on that most terrible and wonderful day.
