കുരിശും ക്രൂശിതരൂപവും കല്‍പനകളും

 

യേശു മൂന്നു സുവിശേഷങ്ങളിലായി കുരിശെന്ന വാക്ക് നാല് തവണയേ ഉപയോഗിച്ചിട്ടോള്ളൂ , തന്‍റെ പീഡാനുഭവത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള ഒന്നാം പ്രവചനത്തിലെ ഭാഗമാണിത്. ഇതില്‍ നാലില്‍ മൂന്നും ഒരു സംഭവം തന്നെയാണ്. പിന്നെ ശിഷ്യത്തിന്‍റെ ത്യാഗത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് പറയുന്ന ഭാഗത്താണ് രണ്ടാമതായി പറയുന്നത്. അങ്ങനെ നോക്കിയാല്‍ യേശു രണ്ടു തവണയേ കുരിശെന്ന വാക്ക് ഉപയോഗിച്ചിട്ടോള്ളൂ.

ഇവിടെയും നമ്മുടെ സങ്കല്‍പ്പത്തിലുള്ള കുരിശിനെക്കുറിച്ചെയല്ല യേശു പറയുന്നതാണ് ഏറെ വിചിത്രം. മറിച്ചു കഷ്ട്ടത, സഹനം ,പീഡാനുഭവം,വേതന,രോഗം,അപമാനം,കല്ലേറ്,ആരോപണങ്ങള്‍ ...... തുടങ്ങിയവയാണ്. കുറച്ചു കാശുകൊടുത്ത് ആരെങ്കിലും ഉണ്ടാക്കിയ ഒരു T ആകൃതി വാങ്ങി പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനാ സ്ഥലത്ത് വച്ചാല്‍ , യേശു പറഞ്ഞ കുരിശു വഹിക്കേണ്ടി വരില്ലല്ലോ! ഈ ലോകത്തിന്‍റെ മക്കളുടെ അപാര ബുദ്ധി.

ക്രൂശിതരൂപമെന്ന വാക്ക് എഴുപത്തിമൂന്നു പുസ്തകങ്ങളില്‍ ഒന്നില്‍ പോലും ഇല്ലായെന്നും മനസിലാക്കണം. യേശുവിന്റെ മരണശേഷം ഏകദേശം അറുപതു വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ടാണ് പുതിയനിയമം എഴുതിതീര്‍ത്തത്. ആദിമ ക്രൈസ്തവ സഭയിലെ ആദ്യ അറുപതുവര്‍ഷത്തെ ചരിത്രമായ ,സുവിശേഷങ്ങളിലോ , നടപടിപുസ്തകത്തിലോ , ലേഖനങ്ങളിലോ , വെളിപാടിലോ ഇല്ലാത്ത ക്രൂശിതരൂപത്തി ന്‍റെയും കുരിശിന്‍റെയും പേരില്‍ തലതല്ലിക്കീറാതെ, ഏകദേശം 700 റോളം തവണ നമ്മളോട് ചെയ്യാനവശ്യപ്പെട്ട , പ്രമാണങ്ങളും ,കല്പനകളും, ചട്ടങ്ങളും അനുസരിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിക്കാം.

താഴ്ഭാഗം വായിച്ചുനോക്കുക.

Mathew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

പിന്നെ യേശു ശിഷ്യന്മാരോടു പറഞ്ഞതു: “ഒരുത്തൻ എന്റെ പിന്നാലെ വരുവാൻ ഇച്ഛിച്ചാൽ തന്നെത്താൻ ത്യജിച്ചു, തന്റെ ക്രൂശു എടുത്തു എന്നെ അനുഗമിക്കട്ടെ.

Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

പിന്നെ അവൻ പുരുഷാരത്തെയും തന്റെ ശീഷ്യന്മാരെയും അരികെ വിളിച്ചു അവരോടു പറഞ്ഞതു: “ഒരുവൻ എന്നെ അനുഗമിപ്പാൻ ഇച്ഛിച്ചാൽ അവൻ തന്നെത്താൻ ത്യജിച്ചു തന്റെ ക്രൂശ് എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടു എന്നെ അനുഗമിക്കട്ടെ.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

പിന്നെ അവൻ എല്ലാവരോടും പറഞ്ഞതു: “എന്നെ അനുഗമിപ്പാൻ ഒരുത്തൻ ഇച്ഛിച്ചാൽ അവൻ തന്നെത്താൻ നിഷേധിച്ചു നാൾതോറും തന്റെ ക്രൂശ് എടുത്തുംകൊണ്ടു എന്നെ അനുഗമിക്കട്ടെ.

പിന്നെ ശിഷ്യത്തിന്‍റെ ത്യാഗത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് പറയുന്ന ഭാഗത്താണ് രണ്ടാമതായി പറയുന്നത്

Luke 14 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

തന്റെ ക്രൂശു എടുത്തു കൊണ്ടു എന്റെ പിന്നാലെ വരാത്തവന്നു എന്റെ ശിഷ്യനായിരിപ്പാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

The Greek word for cross is σταυρός "stauros":

"literally cross, an instrument of capital punishment, an upright pointed stake, often with a crossbeam above it, or intersected by a crossbeam (MT 27.32); (2) by metonymy, as the means of atonement punishment of the cross, crucifixion (PH 2.8); as a religious technical term representing the significance of the atoning death of Jesus in the Christian religion cross (1C 1.18); metaphorically, the dedication of life and the self-denial that a believer must be prepared to take on himself in following Christ (LU 14.27)" 1

The word (σταυρός, stauros) "cross" occurs 27 times in the New Testament in 27 verses: Matthew 10:38; 16:24; 27:32; 27:40; 27:42; Mark 8:34; 15:21; 15:30; Mark 15:32; Luke 9:23; 14:27; 23:26; John 19:17; 19:19; 19:25; 19:31; 1 Cor. 1:17; 1:18; Gal. 5:11; 6:12; 6:14; Eph. 2:16; Phil. 2:8; 3:18; Col. 1:20; 2:14; Heb. 12:2.

Now, let's focus on one of them, Matt 27:40 which says, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

This is a definitive verse that deals with exactly what Jesus was crucified on, and the Greek word in the verse is "stauros." Therefore, Jesus was crucified on a pole. It may have hands.

Tree

Tree, as in a growing plant with branches, is the greek word δένδρα "dendra" and it occurs 25 times in 18 verses in the New Testament: Matthew 3:10; 7:17; 7:18; 7:19; 12:33; 13:32; 21:8; Mark 8:24; Luke 3:9; 6:43; 6:44; 13:19; 21:29; Jude 12; Revelation 7:1; 7:3; 8:7; 9:4.

There is no use of the word "tree" (δένδρα "dendra") in reference to the cross. If that is so, then why do some Bibles translate it into the word "tree" when referencing Jesus' crucifixion? For that, let's look at a third word.

Wood

Sometimes the Greek word for wood is used of the cross. The word ξύλον "wood" occurs a total of 20 times in the New Testament. Those that refer to the cross of Christ are:

• Acts 10:39, "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross (ξύλον, wood)."
• Acts 5:30, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross(ξύλον, wood)."
• Acts 13:29, "When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross (ξύλον, wood) and laid Him in a tomb."
• Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (ξύλον, wood)."
• 1 Peter 2:24, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (ξύλον, wood), so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

So we see that the Bible uses the terms interchangeably. But this doesn't mean that Jesus was crucified on a literal tree. Remember, above in Matt 27:40 we see exactly which word is used to describe what Jesus was crucified on, a cross. It can be a pole also.

“You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the( stauros)or pole or cross," (Matt. 27:40).

THE WORD CROSS IN BIBLE AND FIND WHO USE IT FOR WHAT.

Matthew 10:38	"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Matthew 16:24	Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 27:40	and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Matthew 27:42	"He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
Mark 8:34	And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Mark 15:21	They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
Mark 15:30	save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"
Mark 15:32	"Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!" Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
Luke 9:23	And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Luke 14:27	"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 23:26	When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
John 19:17	They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.
John 19:19	Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
John 19:25	Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:31	Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
Acts 2:23	this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
Acts 5:30	"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Acts 10:39	"We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Acts 13:29	"When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
1 Cor 1:17	For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
1 Cor 1:18	For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Galatians 5:11	But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.
Galatians 6:12	Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Galatians 6:14	But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Ephesians 2:16	and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Philipp 2:8	Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philipp 3:18	For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
Coloss 1:20	and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Coloss 2:14	having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Hebrews 12:2	fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 2:24	and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.