Apostles Creed, #12

Continuing in the Apostles Creed... I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,

"Was crucified,"

I trust in the Jesus who was crucified.

Jesus was not stoned to death. He received a Roman penalty given only to the worst criminals who had committed the most serious offenses. It was a death involving not only pain, but also public exposure.

On this cross, the Son of God took the curse of the covenant upon Himself.

This death was described in Psalm 22 long before Jesus was born, long before the Roman Empire existed, and long before they used crucifixion to kill criminals. Jesus quoted the first verse of this psalm from the cross itself.

When the Son of God came to save His Israel, He took the lowest possible place, and there He won the greatest of all victories. On that cross He made a vow to the Father in accord with the whole of Psalm 22. He was heard. He will surely pay what He has vowed. He will bring the praise of the nations to the Father. All the families of the nations shall worship before the God of Israel.

Genesis 3:15 ... he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Genesis 15:17 ... behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Exodus 12:26 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb."

So much more...

But especially:

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
...

7 All who see me mock me;

they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

...

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;

...

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!

You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

And finally, at the very center of the book of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.