The basis of Orthodoxy is the doctrine that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ served as the atoning sacrifice made by Him for the liberation of mankind from the power of original sin. Throughout the historical period that has passed since the light of true faith brought Russia out of the darkness of paganism, it is the recognition of the Savior’s sacrifice that is a criterion for the purity of faith, and at the same time, a stumbling block for all who tried to plant heretical teachings.
Human nature damaged by sin
It appears from the Holy Scriptures that Adam and Eve, who became the progenitors of all subsequent generations of people, committed the fall by violating the Commandment of God, trying to evade the fulfillment of His holy will. Having thereby distorted their pristine nature, laid down in them by the Creator, and having lost the eternal life bestowed upon them, they became mortal, perishable, and passionate (suffering). Earlier, created in the image and likeness of God, Adam and Eve did not know any disease, old age, or death itself.
The Holy Church, presenting the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross as an atoning sacrifice, explains that, having become human, that is, not only likened to people by their appearance, but also having absorbed all their physical and mental properties (except sin), he cleansed His flesh from the cross with torment distortions introduced by original sin, and restored it in a god-like form.
The children of God, stepping into immortality
In addition, Jesus founded the Church on earth, in the bosom of which people got the opportunity to become His children and, having left the perishable world, to gain eternal life. Just as ordinary children inherit their main characteristics from their parents, so Christians who are spiritually born in holy baptism from Jesus Christ and become his children receive their immortality.
The uniqueness of Christian dogma
It is characteristic that in almost all other religions the dogma of the Savior's atoning sacrifice is absent, or utterly distorted. For example, in Judaism it is believed that the original sin committed by Adam and Eve does not apply to their descendants, and therefore the crucifixion of Christ is not an act of saving people from eternal death. The same can be said of Islam, where the attainment of heavenly bliss is guaranteed to all who exactly fulfill the requirements of the Qur'an. Buddhism, which is also one of the leading world religions, does not contain the idea of an atoning sacrifice.
As for paganism, which actively opposed the nascent Christianity, even at the highest rise of its ancient philosophy, it did not rise to the understanding that it was the crucifixion of Christ that opened the way for people to eternal life. In one of his epistles, the apostle Paul wrote that the preaching of the crucified God to the Hellenes seemed crazy.
Thus, it was only Christianity that clearly conveyed to people the news that they had been redeemed by the Blood of the Savior. And, becoming His spiritual children, they got the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not for nothing that in the Easter Troparion it is sung that the Lord gave life to all living on the earth, “Death is dead”, and the icon “Crucifixion of Christ” is given the most honorable place in Orthodox churches.
Shameful and painful execution
The description of the scene of the crucifixion of Christ is contained in all four evangelists, due to which it is presented to us in all terrifying details. It is known that this execution, often used in ancient Rome and in the territories under its control, was not only painful, but also the most shameful. As a rule, the most notorious criminals were exposed to her: murderers, robbers, and also runaway slaves. In addition, according to Jewish law, a crucified man was considered damned. Thus, the Jews wanted not only to torture Jesus they hated, but also to dishonor him before their compatriots.
The executions that took place on Mount Golgotha were preceded by lengthy beatings and bullying, which the Savior had to endure from his tormentors. In 2000, the American film company Icon Productions made a film about the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ called The Passion of Christ. In it, director Mel Gibson frankly showed these truly heartbreaking scenes.
Attributed to the villains
The description of the execution says that before the crucifixion of Christ, the soldiers brought Him sour wine, in which bitter substances were added, to alleviate the suffering. Apparently, even these coarse people were not alien to compassion for someone else's pain. However, Jesus rejected their offer, wanting to fully endure the torment voluntarily taken by Him for human sins.
To humiliate Jesus in the eyes of the people, the executioners crucified Him between two robbers sentenced to death for their atrocities. However, in so doing, without realizing it, they clearly demonstrated the fulfillment of the words of the biblical prophet Isaiah, who had foretold seven centuries before that the coming Messiah would be "prone to evildoers."
Execution at Calvary
When Jesus was crucified, and this happened around noon, which, according to the calculation of the time taken at that time, corresponded to six o'clock in the afternoon, He tirelessly prayed before the Heavenly Father for the forgiveness of His executioners, referring what they did to the account of ignorance. At the top of the Cross, a plaque was reinforced above Jesus' head with an inscription made by Pontius Pilate. It in three languages - Aramaic, Greek and Latin (in which the Romans spoke) - said that the executed was Jesus of Nazareth, calling himself King of the Jews.
The soldiers at the foot of the Cross, according to custom, received the clothes of the executed and shared them among themselves, casting lots. This also fulfilled the prophecy that was once given by King David and has come down to us in the text of his 21st Psalm. Evangelicals also testify that when the crucifixion of Christ took place, the Jewish elders, and with them ordinary people, scoffed at Him in every possible way, shouting insults.
Roman pagan warriors did the same. Only the robber, hanging on the right hand of the Savior, stood up for Him, from the height of the cross convicting the executioners that they had given the torture of an innocent man. At the same time, he himself repented of the crimes committed, for which the Lord promised him forgiveness and eternal life.
Death on the Cross
The evangelists testify that among those who attended that day at Calvary there were people who sincerely loved Jesus and experienced a terrible shock at the sight of his suffering. Among them was His Mother Virgin Mary, whose sorrow is beyond description, the closest disciple is the apostle John, Mary Magdalene, as well as several other women from among His followers. On the icons, the plot of which is the Crucifixion of Christ (the photos presented in the article), this scene is conveyed with special drama.
Further, the evangelists narrate that at about eight o'clock, which in our opinion corresponds to about 15 hours, Jesus exclaimed to Heavenly Father, and then, having tasted the vinegar brought to Him on the spear point as an anesthetic, he lost his spirit. Immediately after this, a multitude of heavenly signs followed: the curtain in the temple was torn in two, the stones broke, the earth opened, and the bodies of the dead rose from it.
Conclusion
Everyone who was at Calvary was horrified by what he saw, as it became apparent that the man crucified by them was truly the Son of God. This scene is also unusually vividly and expressively shown in the above-mentioned film about the crucifixion of Christ. As the evening of the Easter meal was approaching, the body of the executed, according to tradition, was to be removed from the Cross, which was exactly fulfilled. Previously, to make sure of His death, one of the soldiers pierced the ribs of Jesus with a spear, and blood mixed with water flowed from the wound.
It is precisely because on the Cross that Jesus Christ committed the act of atonement for human sins and thereby opened the way for God's children to eternal life, this gloomy instrument of execution has been a symbol of sacrifice and boundless love for people for two millennia.