Nougat 14

Some 500 years ago, a young priest nailed his 95 objections to the church door and forever changed the course of church history. Approximately 2,000 years ago, another young priest chose nails … and transformed the way to eternity. Here’s today’s Holy Nougat

“There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.” ‭‭John‬ ‭19:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What’s with a nail, you ask; not much I say. Except for who it’s connected to:

Martin Luther, young Catholic theologian, used one to pin what would letter be described as the 95 theses, perhaps making his mentor proud; but definitely upturning Catholic history, establishing Protestantism most firmly throughout Europe. His aim was not so much to form a new denomination as it was to improve Catholicism.

In nailing the theses to the church door, there is a sense in which Luther not only made his argument public; but he made it available to the public; as he is credited with later translating the Bible into the popular language. I suspect that a nail was used for convenience – it effectively held the sheets of paper in place. But isn’t it ironic that the issue that pushed Luther to post his argument was Sin and Repentance?

Luther, a Biblical Scholar was offended by the then practice of paying one’s way out of hell (or for deceased relatives); as this was contrary to the message of the Gospel. And nails feature in the original Sin-payment story.

In the original story, Jesus,Son of God become human and a man in the prime of His youth, stood up to the powers of the day and offered all who would follow him the opportunity for forgiveness of sins in His name. In a context where being thrown in jail was a normal part of debt collection; His offer of debt-cancellation was a threat to ‘good’ social order – it could lead people to revolution.

Presenting an alternative debt-collection system was a threat to the political order. Jesus’ message was also bad for business economically. For, we might recall that the Jewish structure included various offering for spiritual sins, payable with different animals based on one’s socio-economic status. An offer of debt-forgiveness was bad for temple business. Jesus was truly ‘persona non grata”.

This was an even greater threat in the spiritual realm because the offer of debt-forgiveness was reciprocal (forgive our debts AS we too forgive). This had the potential to transform society on the basis of love, and would dismantle systems of vengeance and malice, forces which the enemy of our souls use to obscure God’s grace.

With Religion being integral to Roman rule as the head of state was deified (ie treated as a god or Demi-god), Jesus offer was not good for the earthly empire. And as that Great a threat to power – be it socioeconomic or religious; Jesus had to be eliminated. Their tool of execution: Crucifixion; with Nails to heighten the torturous pain.

Nailing Jesus to the Cross was also about humiliation and absolution. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is cited in Galatians 3:13, as the key to execution of Jesus by crucifixion. Some exegetes contend that since the death penalty of hanging was reserved for the vilest criminals; then being hung was proof of one’s depravity. Thus, one was already cursed. It was hoped, as with all forms of capital punishment, that it would be a warning to others against doing likewise. That doesn’t always work – even when described as a curse.

Additionally, this was a public event, hence the one being hanged (crucified) and also their family lived with that shame – the humiliation. As one Who was a menace to religious, socioeconomic and even demonic order of the day, Jesus – in the eyes of His accusers – earned every bit of His public humiliation. His perceived inability to save Himself only exacerbated it. The verses that follow our nougat indicates that even one of them on Death Row understood that. Maybe His executioners thought those nails made escape harder.

Because Jesus was (purported to be) The Christ.

And He was

That’s why those nails are also about Absolution. Though we glory in the Cross, Jesus act of becoming our Humiliation; we never ever stop just there because Death is NOT how the story ends. Death was Jesus ensuring that we qualified for debt-cancellation. Resurrection was the Act of permanent debt/sin-eradication. That’s Absolution.

Those nails were important

They were each a testimony to the Fact that Jesus was crucified. Full Stop. They were crudely constructed and couldn’t easily be removed. And since they held His body up on that Tree for excess of three hours – Everyone knew that Jesus was crucified. And the enemy of our souls must have praised those nails.

Those nails were witness to the Humiliation and Absolution. They tell a story that underscored Luther’s story; written in God’s eternal story of Jesus‘glory. Sin births a curse, marked by Humiliation; Christ offers restoration; paid for by Absolution.

What’s in a nail, you ask; everything I say; but only because of Who used it.

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May all we seek be found in Christ