Have you ever stopped at a crucifix and wondered what the real story behind it is? Not the stained-glass version, not the Sunday school summary, but the actual meaning behind it?

This question came up a lot for me. During classes in University, in conversations with friends who believe and those who don’t, it always circles back to this moment: Jesus on the cross. Why it happened and what it means.

As someone who studied religion academically, I’ve read all the theories. Substitution. Atonement. Sacrifice. Victory. But theory only gets you so far. At some point, you’re left with a man nailed to a piece of wood, in pain, in public. And you have to ask…why?

The event of Jesus on the Cross stands out because of its profound spiritual significance: Jesus was crucified alongside two criminals, yet His execution was marked by unique words of forgiveness and promise. The event was initially a scandal, as many couldn't reconcile the idea of the Messiah dying in such a humiliating way, but it soon became understood as a divine sacrifice for humanity's sins. The cross, which was meant to shame, ultimately revealed God's love, confronting human brokenness and offering grace.

That’s what we’re exploring here. Not just what Christians believe happened on that hill outside Jerusalem, but why it still matters. Why the cross became the central symbol of a whole faith. And why, maybe, it says something about us, too.

Don’t skip past it. There’s something in this story, something strange and stubborn, that still refuses to be ignored.