The event of Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross is the core of salvation that runs through the entire Bible, and at the same time, the place where humanity’s sin and God’s love intersect most dramatically. In particular, the account of Jesus’ crucifixion in John 19:17–27 is presented more succinctly than in any other Gospel, yet conveys a powerful message. Although the scene of Jesus going up to Golgotha, the Hill of the Skull, and being crucified there is described very briefly, it contains indescribable tragedy as well as God’s profound love for sinners. For every Christian who contemplates this scene, we must remember just how harsh and terrible the “way of the Cross” was for Jesus, and realize that this was, indeed, the path of atonement for us. Pastor David Jang stresses that “all the events and scenes that emerged when Jesus was nailed to the cross are testimonies that simultaneously reveal the infinite humility and devotion of Jesus, the Son of God, and the cruelty of a world steeped in sin.” Based on this teaching, we will delve into the steps Jesus took toward the cross, the people who remained by His side, and even the Roman soldiers who were involved, all under a single overarching theme: “He Was Nailed to the Cross.” We will integrate all these aspects into one discussion and also examine the universal and eternal gospel truth and lessons contained within.
When we look at the process by which Jesus was handed over to the cross, we see that first, in the court of Pilate, Jesus received a sentence of death due to the immense pressure and false accusations from the Jews. Pilate somewhat sensed that Jesus was innocent, but in the end, in order to safeguard his position as Roman governor and to prevent a revolt by the Jewish leaders and the populace, he sentenced Jesus to crucifixion. Nonetheless, there was one aspect of Pilate’s decision that remained unchanged: attaching the placard “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” on the cross. The Jewish chief priests and leaders protested, saying, “Write that he claimed to be the King of the Jews,” but Pilate insisted, “What I have written, I have written,” thereby inadvertently proclaiming that Jesus truly is the King of the Jews. Pastor David Jang calls this scene “the truth revealed amid irony.” Though Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified due to political calculations, he simultaneously ended up proclaiming with his own hands that Jesus is the true King. In the midst of human judgments and sinful intentions interwoven throughout history, God’s providence still shines through.
The path Jesus walked, bearing His cross to Golgotha, is closely tied to the traditional Jewish consciousness of sin. Leviticus 16 in the Old Testament lays out regulations for the Day of Atonement. The high priest prepares two goats: one is offered as a sin offering to the LORD, while the other has the sins of all the people transferred onto it and is then sent into the wilderness. An innocent animal bears the sins of the people, leading it to death or being driven out to die in the wilderness, thereby allowing the Israelite community to receive the grace of sin-forgiveness. This idea of a scapegoat’s death atoning for the sins of the people reached its ultimate and eternal fulfillment in Jesus’ crucifixion. Isaiah 53 likewise prophesies the image of such a “suffering servant.” “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). Like a lamb led to the slaughter, He did not open His mouth but silently walked the path of suffering. And the place where He completed that path was on the hill of Golgotha.
Contemplating Isaiah 53 and John 19 together, Pastor David Jang emphasizes, “When Jesus bore the cross and walked toward Golgotha, that was precisely the moment the prophecy of the suffering servant envisioned by the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled.” At this point, we should pay attention to the fact that the Lord Himself carried the cross that a criminal would normally carry. Crucifixion was the most cruel and degrading form of capital punishment under ancient Roman law. Roman citizens were not subjected to it; it was mainly imposed on subjugated peoples or heinous criminals. The condemned were forced to carry the very cross on which they would die through various parts of the city to the execution site. This was intended to impose the highest form of humiliation on criminals and to serve as a brutal warning to citizens: “If you rebel, this is how you will die.” Furthermore, Jesus’ body was already badly weakened by the beating, flogging, mockery, and abuse He had suffered at the hands of the Jews. Nevertheless, He silently walked that path.
According to Matthew 27 and Mark 15, when Jesus, having collapsed due to extreme weakness while carrying His cross, could no longer continue, the Roman soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry it on His behalf. Simon was from Cyrene in North Africa, which is in modern-day Libya; he had come to Jerusalem for the Passover and happened to witness Jesus’ extreme punishment. An outsider and a Gentile, he had no particular intention, but ended up having the simultaneously “glorious” and painful experience of bearing Jesus’ cross. Mark introduces Simon as “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” and there is a high possibility that the “Rufus” whom Paul greets in Romans 16:13 is Simon’s son. Because of this, church tradition infers that Simon and his household likely became important members of the Christian community after the cross event. Pastor David Jang explains, “Some people are compelled to bear the cross, but even in such involuntary circumstances, if they come to share in the Lord’s suffering, it can become a channel of blessing.” Simon may have planned to stay briefly in Jerusalem and then return home, but the experience of bearing the cross transformed his life and his family.
Thus, Jesus’ procession toward the cross reaches its climax amid the evil institutions and violent power of humanity, as well as the indifferent gaze of the crowd. Stripped of His clothes, mocked with a crown of thorns, beaten with rods and flogged, He endured excruciating pain all the way to Calvary. The name Golgotha (Calvary) comes from the Hebrew word for “skull,” and true to its name as a place of horrific punishment, skulls and bones from executed criminals lay scattered around. The Jewish religious leaders wanted to place Jesus on the same level as atrocious criminals, so they set two thieves on either side of Him to further disgrace Him. Yet ironically, that scene of Jesus hanging between two thieves only magnified His innocence and highlighted God’s plan of salvation. Though the cross was a symbol of shame and mockery to the world, for those who believe in Jesus it is the power of salvation and the very throne of grace. Although the Lord received the same punishment as the thieves, He was innocent and became the true sacrificial offering who died in our place.
From John 19:19 onward, we see the Jewish chief priests raging at the sign Pilate had written, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” They protest to Pilate, “Write that he claimed to be the King of the Jews,” but Pilate replies, “What I have written, I have written.” Within this brief exchange lies the implication that the designation “King of the Jews,” once decided, cannot be retracted. Even though Jesus truly came as the King of the Jews, the Jewish religious leaders rejected Him and tried to have Pilate—of all people—retract that statement. But Pilate, claiming his authority, did not back down on the inscription. As a result, it was declared in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew to all the world, “Jesus is indeed the King.” The Gospel writer John clearly recognizes the symbolic meaning in this event, leading his readers to understand the “kingship of God accomplished on the cross.” Pastor David Jang refers to this as “God uses even human malice and cunning to reveal His plan of salvation.” In other words, humans cannot escape God’s providence regardless of what other path they pursue, and even the unrighteous act of putting Jesus to death ultimately became the vehicle by which God’s sovereignty and purpose were fulfilled.
Continuing in John 19:23 and the following verses, we see the soldiers dividing Jesus’ garments among themselves. At the time, it was customary for those executing a crucifixion to divide the last remaining possessions of the condemned among themselves. So they took Jesus’ clothes, each of the four soldiers taking a piece, and for His seamless undergarment, they cast lots rather than tear it. John connects this moment to Psalm 22:18 (“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing”) to demonstrate the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Yet there is a crucial truth we must not overlook in this scene: Jesus was stripped of everything He had in this world, and even the last garment covering His body was now the object of the soldiers’ gambling. It is the epitome of “complete emptying.” Although He had no place to rest His head during His ministry (Matt. 8:20), in His final moments before death, He was literally left with nothing on the cross. Pastor David Jang calls this “proof that Jesus, who is God, willingly gave up everything and ultimately became the sacrifice for our atonement.” Until the very end, Jesus claimed no possessions; He remained only as the offering to pay for our sins.
In this scene, two contrasting images appear. One is the soldiers beneath the cross, casting lots to claim even Jesus’ last garment. The other is Jesus, possessing nothing at all, having given everything. The world, like these greedy soldiers, seeks to snatch what belongs to others, but Jesus did not assert His rights. Instead, He gave Himself entirely for us. This contrast simultaneously exposes the stark reality of human sinfulness and testifies to the perfection of God’s sacrificial love. Therefore, Christians must not embody the soldiers’ attitude but remember the life of Jesus on the cross, who poured out everything. This poses a powerful challenge to modern-day people obsessed with possessions. Freed from greed, we look to the crucified Jesus and pursue a path of humility, sharing, and self-sacrifice—that is the life of a true Christian. Pastor David Jang warns that “at times the church itself becomes like those soldiers beneath the cross, competing for whatever shares each can get,” and urges, “We must always look up at the Lord who ‘had nothing left’ beneath the cross, and repent of and forsake our greed.”
Next, in John 19:25 we see the names of several women who were standing near the cross: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary’s sister Salome (according to Mark’s Gospel, she was also the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee); Mary the wife of Clopas; and Mary Magdalene. Generally, women in that society had low social status and were not called as official disciples like the male disciples. Yet paradoxically, it was precisely these women who remained at the final moments by the cross. It was a terrifying place of brutal execution. Anyone seen as close to the crucified criminal risked being held accountable by the Roman authorities. Nonetheless, they stayed there to witness Jesus’ final moments. This embodies the saying, “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18). Pastor David Jang states, “When one genuinely loves the Lord, no threats or terror can restrain that devotion.” As Jesus gazed upon these women, He addressed His mother Mary and His beloved disciple John, instructing them to care for each other: “Woman, behold, your son! … Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26–27). This utterance reveals Jesus’ profound devotion to His mother until the end and simultaneously introduces the concept of a “new family” formed through faith within the community of Christ.
In reality, during His earthly ministry Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? … Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matt. 12:48–50). For Jesus, Mary was His biological mother, but she was also among His followers who had to walk the path of the Lord. Therefore, when He addressed her from the cross, saying, “Woman, behold, your son,” He was pointing beyond mere biological kinship. Anyone who believes in and follows Jesus becomes a child of God, forming a family that cares for one another—He was proclaiming the unity of God’s family. Even under the extreme agony of the cross, Jesus affirmed the principles of the kingdom of God and extended His final act of love toward those who remained.
Through the crucifixion, we witness the completion of Jesus’ entire life as one grand narrative. Though He took on human flesh like us through the incarnation, He was without sin. During His public ministry, He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, healed the sick and the poor, and approached sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes with hope of salvation. Ultimately, under the jealousy of the Jewish leaders and misunderstanding of the crowds, He was condemned to death, yet He accepted it all, going to His death on the cross. It was a tragedy in human eyes, but from God’s perspective, it was the ultimate act of love in giving His only begotten Son for a sinful world, a holy and atoning act. Pastor David Jang describes the cross as “the place where God’s love and justice kiss each other,” explaining, “At the cross, God’s extravagant love is manifested, and at the same time the demands of justice—paying the penalty for sin—are fulfilled.”
The context of the Passover further underscores the significance of the crucifixion. In the Old Testament, the Israelites, enslaved in Egypt, were saved when the angel of death passed over homes marked with the blood of a lamb (Exodus 12), and they commemorated that event each year with the Passover feast. Jesus’ death on the cross occurred precisely during that Passover season. This was no mere historical coincidence but the fulfillment of the true “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), the ultimate, once-for-all payment for humanity’s sins. Because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross, sinners can now be freed from eternal death and reconciled to God. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb served as a shield of life in the Exodus, so Jesus’ blood powerfully saves sinners from condemnation.
The path Jesus took in bearing the cross was not merely a march to death but a victorious march accomplishing the mission of humanity’s salvation. Outwardly, it looked like a miserable defeat, filled with ridicule, humiliation, pain, and blood, yet in spiritual reality, He was breaking the power of sin and death and proclaiming the kingdom of God in triumph. This is evident in Jesus’ final words, “It is finished” (John 19:30), indicating that this path was not a defeat but the completion of salvation. Hence, when we look upon the cross, we should not remain only in sorrow and suffering, but look beyond them to see the victory of the resurrection. Through Jesus’ resurrection, the cross became the gateway to eternal life and, for the believer, “the foundation of peace” in being reconciled to God.
When we contemplate the crucifixion as recorded in Scripture, we discern two major points of application. First, when Jesus taught us to “love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44), He was not issuing some abstract ethical command. He Himself experienced firsthand the violence and hatred of those who sought His life—the Roman soldiers, the religious leaders, and the mocking crowds. Even in those circumstances, He prayed for them, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). He did not merely preach love; He personally received all their evil and hatred in His body and yet did not respond with curses or calls for vengeance. He overcame evil with good (Rom. 12:21) and demonstrated on the cross God’s love that extends salvation even to one’s enemies. Pastor David Jang refers to this as “the ultimate evidence that Jesus’ teachings and actual life were in perfect harmony.” If we follow Jesus, we, too, must set aside hatred and rage in our homes, workplaces, society, and relationships, and practice the love of the cross. That is the way of living as disciples of Jesus.
Second, the cross invites us to become “a community that carries each other’s burdens.” In Galatians 6:2, Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Just as Jesus bore our sins, curses, and frailties, we must also bear one another’s grief, pain, lack, and wounds in the community. The cross is thoroughly an act of self-sacrifice and sharing for others. Hence, if we genuinely meditate on and believe in the cross, we will not rest on a mere sense of personal salvation but practice serving the church and our neighbors. Especially within the church community, if there are weaker members, we must see their pain as our own and offer them active help—this is how the spirit of the cross comes alive in the body of Christ. Pastor David Jang notes, “Faith in the cross cannot exist simply as an isolated ‘me-and-God’ relationship. When we stand in solidarity within the church community that Christ purchased with His blood, bearing one another’s burdens, the cross then becomes a present, active power in the church.”
Finally, let us remember again the women and the disciple John who stood near the cross. Most of the male disciples fled in fear, but these seemingly weaker women remained by the Lord’s side until the end. And Jesus, from the cross, offered them incomparable comfort and counsel. “Woman, behold, your son … Behold, your mother” (John 19:26–27) was not only His final filial expression for His earthly mother but also a declaration of the spiritual family formed in faith. Jesus would complete a new history of salvation through the cross, and within that faith, there would be a church united in mutual care. This scene underscores what the church should be like today, and how we must walk alongside the Lord in front of His cross.
Ultimately, in Jesus’ crucifixion—from John 19:17 to 27—the central message emerges in three ways. First, Jesus abandoned everything and endured death for sinners as the sacrificial atonement. Second, it is through this sacrifice that humanity finds salvation. Third, for those who truly receive this sacrifice, the Lord bestows communal familial love and the hope of resurrection. When we gaze upon the cross, we must not remain in grief alone, but perceive the love and power of God that lie beyond the profound suffering. Moreover, so that the crucifixion event may be reenacted in all areas of our lives, we must love our enemies, bear one another’s burdens, and strive to advance God’s kingdom.
Pastor David Jang concludes his reflections on the cross by exhorting us “not to turn away from the cross we ourselves must carry.” Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). The “cross we carry” means relinquishing our selfishness, sinfulness, and worldly desires, and, like Jesus, loving our neighbors and building the kingdom of God through sacrifice. Even if like Simon of Cyrene we are compelled to take up the cross, that forced circumstance can lead to unexpected blessings and spiritual awakening. As believers and followers of Jesus, we must practice in our everyday lives the cruciform path that He walked.
Hence, in John 19:17–27, Jesus’ crucifixion event encapsulates the Old Testament sacrificial system and prophecy of the suffering servant, the New Testament fulfillment of forgiveness of sins and salvation, and the birth of the church community. Though the image of Jesus on Golgotha is gruesome, it is, in God’s plan of salvation, the most glorious and victorious place. In a world overshadowed by darkness and death, Jesus came as light and life, destroyed the power of death on the cross, and proclaimed that the kingdom of God has already come through His resurrection. And all who believe in Him receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and a new standard and hope for life.
Reflecting on these truths should set our hearts aflame. Just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus felt their hearts burning when they conversed with the risen Lord (Luke 24:32), so too, the more deeply we meditate on the crucifixion, the more we should be filled with gratitude and awe in our innermost being. We must recognize more fully that Jesus is not merely a great teacher or philosopher, but the Savior who gave His life for us. Such realization should permeate our daily lives, melting away our selfishness, greed, anger, hatred, fear, and anxiety through the love displayed in His atoning sacrifice. Pastor David Jang insists, “Those who cling to the cross can never return to life as it was before,” and “If you call yourself a Christian, you must be someone captivated by the love of the cross, continually transformed day by day.”
In conclusion, Jesus’ willingness to carry His cross up Golgotha and endure death was God’s decisive act of salvation to give life to all of us doomed by sin. On that day, many people mocked Jesus’ death, sought their own advantage, or simply turned away, but a few women and the beloved disciple John stayed with Him to share in His anguish and sorrow. Even on the cross, Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, entrusted the care of His mother to a disciple, and completed the work of atonement with the proclamation, “It is finished.” The cross was an event in which one person died in the most horrific manner, but at the same time, it was also the beginning of God’s embrace of sinners and the key that opens the door to resurrection. Thus, we must not see the crucifixion recorded in John 19 merely as a tragic moment in history. It bears the holy ordinance of the One who governs the universe, God’s justice, and above all, immeasurable love. This is the essence the church must hold onto. The statement of John 3:16—“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”—was perfectly realized on the cross.
In our present time, if we truly meditate on Jesus’ cross, our life direction cannot remain the same. It is not easy to offer ourselves willingly in service of others and to walk the path of truth in a world full of greed, materialism, apathy, and anger. Yet when we remember the road Jesus walked and, by the Holy Spirit’s help, follow Him, we can experience a peace, joy, and genuine freedom that the world can never provide. Pastor David Jang often quotes Paul’s confession in Galatians 6:14: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” stressing that “the cross is the foundation of the church and the wellspring of all life.” Indeed, the true power and glory of the church and believers do not lie in external grandeur or worldly wealth, but in continually remembering Christ’s suffering and death on the cross and practicing that love in our own lives.
Ultimately, faith that looks upon the crucified Jesus is the core of Christianity. Through Christ’s atonement, we sinners have been declared righteous; because of His love, we repent, return to God, and enjoy new life under grace. Without this, the Christian faith becomes an empty shell. Where the cross is, there is life, and only there does the glory of the resurrection appear. Therefore, we must look to the cross every day, follow its way, and share Christ’s love with others. The story of the cross that begins in John 19:17–27 continues on to resurrection morning, opening a new chapter in history. And even today, countless believers around the world live in the light of this gospel, proclaiming the love and truth of the cross.
In summary, the profound event titled “He Was Nailed to the Cross” is both God’s most extreme and definitive expression of love for sinful humanity and the symbol of His eternal victory over sin and death. Pastor David Jang calls this scene “the greatest paradox in human history,” because although it seemed a site of death, defeat, humiliation, and mockery, in reality it was where God’s glory, power, and perfect salvation unfolded. At the foot of the cross, human pride, greed, injustice, and brutality are fully exposed, but at the same time, God’s infinite love, grace, and the hope of resurrection burst forth. Consequently, we must cling to this place of atonement—the cross—and participate in Christ’s redemptive work for ourselves, our church communities, and the world. This is how the cross event becomes a “living gospel” for us today.
When we engrave on our hearts the truth that forgiveness of sins and salvation come through the cross of Jesus, our worship, prayer, love for our neighbors, service, and witness will all inevitably change. We are no longer people belonging to darkness, nor are we intended to live in greed and selfishness. By reproducing in our lives the “self-emptying love” that Jesus demonstrated, by holding onto the meaning of the blood He shed on Golgotha, we will see each of our lives, as well as our church, overflowing with real power and joy. This is the identity and calling of those who believe in the “Crucified Jesus Christ,” and it is what Pastor David Jang has consistently taught: “At the threshold of our faith, the cross must lead; it must dominate every aspect of our lives. Without the cross, nothing else can be made complete.” Understanding this deeply, we must humbly bow before the cross, repent, and worship the Lord with gratitude and awe, sharing the grace of the cross in our daily lives as our highest privilege and joy. Then we will receive a peace, comfort, and power that the world cannot provide.
Indeed, “John 19:17–27” is a brief passage, yet it allows us to behold more profoundly the path Jesus walked to the cross. That path is not confined to a historical event in first-century Jerusalem; it is a “present, ongoing grace” that revives in every believing heart and community. Pastor David Jang teaches that this grace continues to awaken the church and its members, carrying the good news of salvation into every corner of the world. Only by going through the cross can we reach the glory of the resurrection, and only by dying there can we truly find new life. If we are convinced that the Lord, now risen and alive, conquered sin and death, we cannot help but confess, “Lord, I will take up my cross and follow You.” For this confession to go beyond mere words and become a reality in our lives, we need daily reliance on the cross and consistent spiritual training to become more like Jesus in heart. Through such training, greed and pride melt away, apathy turns into love, and conflict transforms into reconciliation.
Therefore, the story of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion recorded in John 19:17–27 is simultaneously the most wretched tragedy and the most radiant hope in history. Every time we reflect upon it, as Pastor David Jang emphasized, “the cross is our way, our truth, and our life.” As Christians, we must decide anew: we will not be like the mocking crowds or the soldiers who tried to seize Jesus’ final garment, but rather, like Simon of Cyrene, we will help carry the cross; like the women and John, we will remain close to the Lord until the end. Let us respond to that love with gratitude and voluntary dedication, receiving forgiveness at the foot of the cross and, through that grace, loving even our enemies, bearing each other’s burdens, and working passionately to establish God’s kingdom in this world. As we look at the crucified Jesus, may we have faith that the blood flowing from His wounds cleanses our sins and heals our hurts, bringing restoration not only to our churches and communities but also to our society and all nations.
Ultimately, the theme “He Was Nailed to the Cross” is the distilled essence of our faith and the starting point and goal of our spiritual journey. Without Jesus’ cross, there is no church, no salvation, no discipleship, and no resurrection or eternal life. As Pastor David Jang has repeatedly emphasized in many sermons, we must keep this cross ever before us. No matter how the currents of the world change and how turbulent history becomes, the love and salvation revealed on the cross can never be shaken. Hence, we bow low at the cross in humility and repentance, worship the Lord with gratitude and awe, and find our highest joy and privilege in sharing even a fraction of the cross’s grace in our daily lives. By remembering this grace each day, we attain peace, comfort, and a power the world cannot give.
May this brief passage—John 19:17–27—lead us to contemplate more deeply the path Jesus took to the cross. That journey was not just a historical event in first-century Jerusalem, but a “continuing grace” that lives on in the hearts of believers and within Christian communities. Pastor David Jang teaches that this grace continually awakens the church, fueling the spread of salvation to the farthest reaches of society and the world. Only through the cross do we arrive at the glory of the resurrection; only by dying to ourselves there do we gain new life. If we trust that the Lord has conquered sin and death and is still alive, we must confess, “Lord, I will carry my cross and follow You.” May this commitment not remain mere words but become our lived reality through daily dependence on the cross and through sustained spiritual practice to take on the heart of Jesus. In that process, greed and pride are dissolved, apathy turns to love, and conflict is transformed into reconciliation.
Hence, the crucifixion scene in John 19:17–27 is at once the darkest tragedy in human history and the brightest moment of hope. Each time we meditate upon it, let us not forget, as Pastor David Jang has pointed out, that “the cross is our way, our truth, and our life.” Since we are called to be Christians, we must renew our resolution. Instead of becoming like those who mocked Jesus or the soldiers who gambled for His clothing, we should be like Simon of Cyrene who took up the cross, and like the women and John who stood faithfully by the Lord to the end, thanking Him for His love and responding with heartfelt service. Having received forgiveness under the cross, we should likewise extend its grace to others—loving our enemies, sharing one another’s burdens, and zealously laboring to establish God’s kingdom in our midst. When we look at the crucified Jesus, we believe that the blood flowing from His wounds cleanses our sins and heals our hurts, bringing the power of restoration to our churches, communities, nations, and ultimately to the whole world.
In the end, the theme “He Was Nailed to the Cross” is the crystallization of the essence of our faith and both the origin and destiny of our spiritual pilgrimage. Apart from the cross of Christ, the church does not exist, nor does salvation, discipleship, or resurrection to eternal life. As Pastor David Jang has tirelessly reminded us, the cross must always lie at the heart of our lives. No matter how the world’s trends shift, no matter how ferociously history flows, the love and redemption revealed at the cross cannot be shaken. Therefore, in humility, let us bow before the cross in repentance, worship the Lord with awe and gratitude, and pour ourselves out in sharing its grace. If we hold onto this grace daily, we will receive the peace, comfort, and power unknown to this world.
May John 19:17–27 bring each of us a more profound realization of the path of the cross that Jesus walked. That path does not remain a historical event but emerges anew in the hearts and communities of believers as “grace in the here and now.” Pastor David Jang maintains that this grace continues to awaken churches and believers, spreading the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Only by traversing the cross do we reach resurrection’s glory, and only in dying there do we truly receive new life. Believing in the risen, living Lord who overcame sin and death, we cannot but pledge, “Lord, I will carry my cross and follow You.” For this pledge to go beyond a lip-service confession and become real, we need to cling to the cross daily and steadily cultivate the heart of Jesus. In this discipline, greed and arrogance melt away; apathy transforms into love; conflicts turn into reconciliation.
Accordingly, John 19:17–27 reminds us that Jesus Christ’s crucifixion was at once the most horrifying tragedy and the most brilliant hope in all of history. Each time we pause to remember it, as Pastor David Jang has emphasized, we must recognize that “the cross is our road, our truth, and our life.” Since we are called to be Christians, let us renew our commitment not to stand among the mocking throng or the soldiers looking for personal gain at the cross, but to follow in the footsteps of Simon of Cyrene, bearing the cross; or like the women and John, remain faithfully by Jesus’ side to the end, overflowing with gratitude and willingly dedicating ourselves in return for His love. Having experienced the forgiveness given at the cross, we should likewise forgive our enemies, carry each other’s loads, and invest our passion in building God’s kingdom on earth. While gazing upon the crucified Christ, let us believe that the blood from His wounds purifies our sins and heals our brokenness, thereby empowering restoration not just in our personal lives but also in our churches, communities, nations, and indeed across the world.