Mercy Seat ... No Mercy

Today is the day the world calls "Good Friday".

Good ? really?

Bittersweet ....  

The day my Savior suffered and died for me.

When we were in Israel we visited a place

called Nazareth Village

It is a very interesting and educational village created to be like the village of Nazareth

when the LORD Jesus was a boy living there.

One of the displays is this cross.

I noticed how short the cross was and asked why.

The guide told us that the crosses that were

uncovered in archaeological digs from the dates of the 

crucifixion  of the LORD Jesus were of this size.

The Romans, in their cruelty, wanted people to

be able to look right in the eyes of the 'criminals'.

You will also notice the middle 'cross bar'.  The guide called this

the 'mercy seat'.  He explained it was a mockery invented by the Romans. It

was meant to prolong the life of the one being crucified. It would give them just

a little bit of a 'chair' to rest themselves on when they lifted up their body

from the foot cross bar in order to get some air into their lungs.

  Instead of being a 'mercy' thing it actually prolonged

the life of the one being crucified, thus being a very cruel thing.

This is not recorded in the Bible, but the guide said the crosses that

were unearthed from this time period had this "mercy seat".  

Did the cross the the LORD Jesus have this?  I don't know.

But I do know that He suffered on that cross for me.

As I have been thinking about this, I thought of the words of

a favorite song of mine ..... The Power of the Cross.

You can listen to a beautiful rendering of it here .  

 Kristyn Getty singing with some video

added in for special effects.  

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

--by Stewart Townend and Keith Getty, 
Thankyou Music, published by Kingsway.

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men,

Torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow. 

Now the daylight flees;

Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry. 

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost! 
We stand forgiven at the cross