The Greatest Crime Ever Committed

If you're not my Facebook Friend ... you might not know that I've been writing some blog posts for a website called Crime In Charlotte .com.  Well, it's true.  Usually we write all about crime stories.  But today I got to write about the Crucifixion!   I hope it stays on the website - but if by chance it has to come down, I thought I'd post it here too!  Happy Easter!

It’s Easter Sunday.  It’s the unofficial start of spring and a day to show off your newest, pastel-colored church clothes.  From singing “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” and finding Easter Eggs to a Sunrise Service followed by a dinner of ham and potato salad with the family, there’s a little something for everyone on Easter.  For me, and millions of other Christians worldwide, it’s the day we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because today is the day of Resurrection, while in church this morning, I couldn’t help but think about the crucifixion.  The act of crucifixion as a form of punishment was probably the most brutal of all methods of executions.  The ancient Romans were masters of the death tactic – and used anyone hanging on a cross as a lesson to anyone watching.  “Act right, or you’ll be next”.

Ever since Cain killed his brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage, there’s been crime and punishment in the world.  God was the judge.  He imparted His sentences fairly and without bias.  And usually as a result of a sentence served the offender learned a great lesson and was considered reformed.  Many an examples of this can be found throughout the pages of the Old Testament.  But eventually it seemed like crime had run amuck and by the time Mary gave birth to a baby boy in a manger – the world appeared to be in need of a savior.

I’m not here to preach to you or write up some kind of Bible study.  I want to talk about crime and punishment – back in the day.  I believe the greatest crime ever committed was the one that landed Jesus in the hands of the Roman executioners.  His punishment for the crime was purposely humiliating.  They shoved a crown made from thorns down on His head and paraded Him through the streets of a hateful crowd.  They spat on Him, laughed at Him and cursed Him.  They beat Him brutally, whipping Him until His flesh ripped open and was hanging from His body.  He was forced to drag His own cross up the hill to His ultimate punishment.  He was sentenced to a slow and agonizing death by nailing Him to a cross.  He hung there by the spikes driven through His hands and feet for 6 long hours, suffocating and bleeding to death before He finally died.

So what was this greatest crime?   What crime did Jesus commit?  None.  Not one.  He was falsely accused by the religious leaders.  He was betrayed by one of His best friends and taken into custody by the guards.  He was brought before a counsel and tried.  He was convicted of blasphemy for saying He was the Son of God.  He was then at the mercy of the Roman Governor for sentencing.  The governor couldn’t see that Jesus had done anything wrong but was swayed by the large and unruly crowd screaming for Jesus’ blood.  And just like that – Jesus’ fate was sealed and He died on a cross for a crime He didn’t commit.  The crime was the rush to judgment, the mockery and torture of an innocent man.  At least, and fortunately for us, the story doesn’t end there!

But let’s say Jesus was just a regular guy, going around minding his own business.  He was a nice guy and stayed out of trouble.  We worked for a living, had a few friends and loved his mom.  But living in that part of the world was hard back then.  Laws were very strict and punishment was severe.  No one was free to worship or live the way they wanted, taxes were high, crime was rampant and the government was a tyrant.  It didn’t take much for an innocent man to die at the hands of a corrupt government or some over-zealous guard.  And it didn’t really matter.  Mercifully, we’ve come a long way.

As this Holy Week is coming to an end, I find myself grateful for many things.  I’m mostly grateful for the hope that comes as a result of that crucifixion 2000 years ago.  But I’m also grateful for the many lessons we’ve learned as a result of the Easter story. 

There’s still crime – lots of crime.  And there’s punishment.  But the punishment fits the crime.  (In this country, at least!)  Since the time of Jesus, many innocent people have been punished – even executed – for crimes they had nothing to do with.  Unfortunately it happens.  But now-a-days it’s the result of mistakes or someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Thankfully we now live in a society that values humanity and recognizes the importance of civility.  We aren’t snatched off the streets, accused, tried, convicted and punished without cause.  We have freedoms of speech and religion and we’re free to pursue happiness. 

And then in case we do happen to commit a crime, we’re handled gently and treated with respect.  We’re given ample opportunity to defend ourselves, tried fairly and given resources to reform.  And even in those cases where the death penalty is imposed, the government and the guards take great care to make the death row criminal as comfortable as possible.

And finally, there’s forgiveness.  We can forgive because we’re forgiven.

My point is this… stay out of trouble!  We don’t to have to write about you here on Crimes in Charlotte .com!  But if you ever do find yourself on the wrong end of the law, no matter your crime you can be thankful I’ll never have to write a story like this about you! 

Whatever your traditions are, I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend.  Happy Easter from all of us at Crime In Charlotte .com!