THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF GRACE TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN. Dereliction. Darkened sky. Now abandoned. Anguished cry. Godforsaken. "My God, why?" For our sake, Jesus experienced the “suffering of death” (Heb. 2:9; 13:12). Death by crucifixion was intentionally and notoriously painful. One who looks closely at the English adjective "excruciating” quickly finds at its root the Latin word for “cross.” When the metal spikes impaled his wrists, Jesus already had survived a bloody scourging, savage pummeling, and a crown of thorns pressed into his scalp. Yet worse … [Read more...]