The Crux of the Matter – Mr. Abdu Murray, J.D.
Transcript: The Crux of the Matter
You know I find it absolutely fascinating. I’m a big fan of the way language actually works. And the word crucifixion has as its root word, the Latin word crux. And we get this phrase we use all the time in English: the crux of the matter, the crux of the lever, whatever it is. It’s the place where things come together; where they converge. That’s the crux.
And the crucifixion of Jesus as a historical fact, is where everything converges. You see, it was on that cross that the innocent One, the One with the perfect relationship with God the Father, experiences the sorrow of what it means to be forsaken by God.
So the sorrow we feel in conflict, Jesus is the one who feels the ultimate sorrow of what it feels like to be forsaken by God in that moment, paying that price that you and I deserve. He feels the sorrow.
And why does He feel that sorrow? Why is He on that cross to satisfy the demands of justice? Because sin cannot simply be overlooked, it has to be dealt with. It has to be dealt with. And so He deals with it on the cross and Him, He becomes our substitute and takes on the punishment that we so deserve.
And then, why does He do it? Why does He do it and not you, and not me? Why is He there in our place? Because of God’s immense love for us.
And so in conflict, we see sorrow, justice and love, all three of which emerge. And in the cross we see sorrow, justice and love, resolved.
Mr. Abdu Murray, J. D.
Abdu Murray is a speaker, author and attorney who specializes in addressing issues where religious faith and emerging cultural trends intersect and collide. Since founding Embrace the Truth in 2004, Abdu has spent decades analyzing how the major religious and non-religious thought traditions have attempted to address emerging cultural issues, he has authored several books including Saving Truth, Grand Central Question, Apocalypse Later and his latest, More than a White Man’s Religion: Why the Gospel is Not Merely White, Male-Centered, nor Just a Religion. His articles have been featured in Fox News, Christianity Today, Christian Post and Western Journal.
For most of his life, Mr. Murray was a Muslim until a nine-year historical, philosophical, theological and scientific investigation pointed him to the Christian faith. He has engaged with diverse international audiences in debates and dialogues across the globe and hosts the podcast and YouTube shows, All Rise, Deliberations LIVE and CouldaShouldaWoulda.
Mr. Murray holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and was named to Best Lawyers in America and to Michigan Super Lawyers three times.
He lives in the Detroit, Michigan area with his wife and their three children. Read his full bio here.
The opinions expressed by the speakers and commentators at our events and posted on our website are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Christian Embassy.