Re: Think 04-12-09
Written on April 15, 2009 by Matt
This is our Sunday Re: Think, an opportunity for us to continue to think on the events of last Sunday.
Celebrating Easter, we began a new three week series entitled “Who do you Say I am?: Uncovering the Real Jesus.” Over the course of the next couple weeks we will learn a bit more about who Jesus is, what He came to accomplish, and what that means for us. Last Sunday, we began our look with Jesus: Conqueror of Sin and Death. Drawing primarily from Mark 15-16, we saw Jesus not only Paid for our Sin, but also is our hope in this life and the next.
Words often fall short in describing the terribly gruesome event that was the crucifixion. From the scouring with the cat-o-ninetales, to being made to carry the crossbeam of His Cross, to the crucifixion event itself, we can’t imagine, save Mel Gibson’s attempt with The Passion, to understand the horrific physical magnitude of the event. Yet, the question remains as to why Jesus had to suffer in this way, and what it had to do with us?
This all goes back to the character and nature of God. While God is all loving, all powerful, ever merciful and kind, He is also all Holy, pure, righteous and just. In short order, God’s Holiness demands that sin be paid for. Going back to our first parents, Adam and Eve, when we sin we spit in the face of a Righteous and Holy God. This Sin separates us from Him and requires payment. Unfortunately, since we are sinful, fallen, devoid of any good thing and are by nature children under wrath, nothing we could do, or ever hope to do, would be enough to pay the penalty for our sin. Even if we were to be sent to Hell for eternity it would not be enough to pay for sin, because our sacrifice would be impure.
What was needed was one who could suffer on our behalf, yet be a perfect sacrifice. This is where Jesus is the hero of the story. Being the God man, the One who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He was able to do what we could not do. So in one divine, cataclysmic moment, the God of the Universe, turned His back on Jesus and poured all of His wrath for our sin on His broken body, that we might be brought back into right relationship with Him. Again, words cannot describe the enormity of this. Jesus stood in our place, becoming our substitutionary sacrifice, He took our sin away, becoming our expiation, and His blood also cleanses us from all unrighteousness, covering not only our own sin, but also the guilt of sins inflicted on us by others. Incredible
Additionally, not only did Jesus pay for our sin, by defeating death by being resurrected, He gave us hope, not only in the next life, but in this as well. The resurrection is what guarantees hope beyond hope, allows this world to make sense, and gives our lives in the here and now, value, meaning and purpose. Regardless of if we are penniless, jobless, addicted and despised, because of what Christ accomplished, by not only paying the penatly for our sin, but by defeating death on our behalf, we have obtained the greater victory!
Join us this coming Sunday as we look at Jesus our Righteous King.
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