Q. WHO nailed Jesus to the cross? What happened to the person who did this? Were they FORGIVEN or PUNISHED? A. Other than being Roman soldiers, there is no record of the people who actually nailed Christ to the cross (stake). As far as what happened to these people, there is also no historical record. Yes, Jesus did forgive His murderers: "And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:33-34, RSV) You can find the account of His sufferings and death in the gospels of the New Testament. Lucifer, whose name meant "light bringer" or "morning star" (Strong's Concordance #H1966), failed to be loyal to God. Lucifer became Satan, which means "the accuser" in the New Testament (Strong's Concordance #G4567). Likewise, Adam and Eve were also not loyal to God, choosing to believe and obey Satan instead. So it was left to Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, who had lived forever as THE WORD, to empty Himself of His divine power and become sin for the sins of mankind through His suffering and death. Since His death was worth more than the lives of all human beings combined, it was more than sufficient to pay for the sins of the world. He is now the mediator between God and man, who can now sympathize with man, because He has lived and suffered in the flesh. |
