What was meant for destruction became the symbol of ultimate victory.
Satan’s plan looked genius. Don’t just kill the Son of God. Kill Him in the most brutal, agonizing, publicly humiliating way possible, branded as a criminal. Make a public spectacle of Him so that all who follow Him will be shamed and run for cover.
As far as the devil was concerned, there could be no better weapon than a Roman cross.
Except…
The devil knows the Word of God and knows it well. He’s been twisting it since the beginning as he’s tried to lead astray everyone he possibly can—including Jesus. (That attempt failed gloriously.)
But knowing the Word isn’t the same as understanding it. He missed a world of clues. Let’s take a look.
The Bronze Serpent — Lifted Up
The Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake
and attach it to a pole.
All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!
Numbers 21:8 (NLT)
Jesus directly connects this to Himself:
And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake
on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man
must be lifted up, so that everyone who
believes in him will have eternal life.
John 3:14–15 (NLT)
This imagery? Being lifted up on a pole—that’s crucifixion. And Jesus told everyone it was going to happen.
Cursed Is Everyone Hung on a Tree
Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.
Deuteronomy 21:22–23
Paul makes the connection explicit:
But Christ has rescued us from the curse
pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross,
he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.
For it is written in the Scriptures,
“Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Galatians 3:13 (NLT)
Jesus going to the Cross for us was all about taking the curse. He had to be hung on a tree in order to take our place.
Pierced Hands and Feet
…They have pierced my hands and feet.
Psalm 22:16 (NLT)
David wrote this psalm long before crucifixion like this was practiced. Beheading was more common in his day, and that doesn’t involve pierced hands and feet.
Public Exposure and Mocking
Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
“Is this the one who relies on the LORD?
Then let the LORD save him!
If the LORD loves him so much,
let the LORD rescue him!”
Psalm 22:7–8 (NLT)
Public ridicule was part of the plan, and the cross fit it perfectly.
Bones Not Broken
For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
Psalm 34:20 (NLT)
This was fulfilled in:
When they came to Jesus,
they saw that he was already dead,
so they didn’t break his legs.
John 19:33 (NLT)
In Roman crucifixions, the criminals’ legs were often broken to speed death. But they did not break Jesus’ bones, and this connects to the Passover Lamb from Exodus 12:46 (NLT) where they were commanded, “…and do not break any of its bones.”
Jesus IS the Passover Lamb, the Final Sacrifice. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Dividing Garments / Casting Lots
They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing.
Psalm 22:18 (NLT)
This is an oddly specific crucifixion detail that was fulfilled in John 19:23–24.
“Lifted Up” = The Means of Drawing All People
“And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself.“
He said this to indicate how He was going to die.
John 12:32–33 (NLT)
He made it clear how he was going to die.
Yes, the Roman cross seemed to be the perfect weapon. But the devil was, as Shakespeare so elegantly put it, “Hoist with his own petard.” Satan’s plan blew up in his face—and Jesus was left holding all the keys.
And now the Cross is a beautiful thing, which brings me to the picture you see above. It’s an image that has lived as a concept in my head for a very long time, one in which our triumphant Savior uses what was meant to destroy Him as a place of rest—and a reminder of His ultimate victory.
It wasn’t just that Jesus had to die.
He had to be lifted up.
As my Resurrection Sunday gift to you, here are two versions of this image:
Download The Perfect Weapon Web Header
Download The Perfect Weapon Wallpaper
They are AI creations (Thank you ChatGPT), so I claim no copyright, but I would appreciate it if you would keep my watermark should you choose to use or share them.
Sunday is on the way!
And remember, Jesus is too. If you haven’t already, now is the time to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. He died so that you could truly live, and at some point in the (I believe) very near future He will return to catch us away to be with Him forever.
The other option—choosing Hell over Him—is unthinkable. Don’t go there.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C
