Day 72: Deuteronomy 20-22; Mark 13:32-52

'Stauros' is the Greek word for 'stake' and is the word used for the instrument of Jesus' death. In fact, anyone bearing a 'stauros' had their sentence passed, and was carrying the instrument of their death to the appointed place of their judgment...a dead person walking. It was the cruelest form of capital punishment in the Roman world, so much so, that Roman citizens sentenced to death could not die by the cross. What made matters worse in the Jewish world was that the 'stauros' came with a curse worse than death. You see, a giant wooden stake was a part of the whole...it represented what it was made from, a tree. And, as we read today: "...anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse" (Deuteronomy 21:23). This curse is eternal death. It is no wonder that it was with fervent hatred the religious leaders called for Jesus' crucifixion, and with delight they witnessed Him hanging on the cross...they were certain they had won and Jesus could never be Messiah if He hung on a tree. How can the Messiah bear God's curse? How wrong they were!

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'" (Galatians 3:13, Berean). Thank God that Jesus bore our sin in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live as His righteous children (1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The curse is reversed and the instrument of death has become the symbol of life! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!