In the Common Lectionary, today is dedicated to the Triumph of the Cross. We don't necessarily think of this as a triumph, but Jesus' death on the cross was our salvation. For us, this was a triumph.
This passage from Philippians is an old Christian hymn and seems to be based on an Old Testament hymn showing the belief of the early Christians that Jesus is the promised and long awaited Messiah.
From the beginning of creation and the entrance of sin into the world, the world was waiting for that moment on the cross when Jesus joined his will to the will of the Father in full confidence that his Father would not desert him. His death opened the gates of heaven to all of us.
As Paul says, through one man sin entered the world and through the actions of one man, all are redeemed. Only Jesus, true man and true God could accomplish this.
Crucifixion was a terrible way to die; so terrible that only non-Romans were crucified. This is why Paul was beheaded since he was a Roman citizen.
The actual cause of death was suffocation. The weight of the body hanging on the cross eventually made it almost impossible to breathe and the lungs filled with fluid.
In Jesus' case, the beatings he had sustained earlier had weakened him considerably and he died sooner than was normal. This is why the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves hanging with him, but they didn't break Jesus' legs seeing that he was dead. However, just in case they were wrong, they pierced his chest with a sword.
He was willing to die for us; what are we willing to do to say thank you?
