Reason #441
It's Good Friday. But when you think about, what makes it so good? Because a couple thousand years ago Jesus hung on a tree. The Messiah, painfully nailed to a wooden cross. In anguish, bearing our sins, He died.
A few thousand years ago, today, we murdered Him. The One who came to bring light and hope into the world, and we blamed Him for our problems. We got angry at Him because of our failures. Pride caused us to be blind, and sin caused us to be ignorant. And this very one who came with a message of freedom and love, a message of grace and mercy, was unfairly tried, brutally beaten beyond recognition, spat upon, mocked, and unmercifully killed.
A King who humbled himself and stepped down from His throne was rejected. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, unappreciated. The One who breathed life into all of humanity breathed life into His son so that He could give it up for us. For people who had no clue what they were doing. People who were acting solely on emotion and whim, following the crowd. People who wanted to determine their own course, chart out their desired path. People who got mad that He didn't do things their way, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.
So, today, a couple thousand years ago, He stretched out His arms and He let us do it. He willingly let us pound nails into His hands. He willingly bore our sins and shame without even putting up a fight. A few thousand years ago, His life was not spared so that ours would be. Dying to save those who thought they didn't want it. Dying for those who thought they didn't need it. Dying for the very ones who murdered Him. And that's me, that's you, too. We put Him on that cross because we thought we knew better, we thought we had it figured out, we were angry and mad and prideful, but most of all we were lost.
And so this sounds far from good, doesn't it? Far from the fairly tale life of most kings. But for people like me, it is a good thing. For people like you, it is, too. Because a couple thousand years ago today, my debt was paid. A couple thousand years ago today, even as is appeared that all hope was gone, hope was doing new things. Love was being redefined, redemption was being fulfilled, and all things were becoming new. A couple thousand years ago today, Jesus stood in my place so that one day, I could fall at His feet for eternity. And that, is a very good thing.
#441 - Because He stood in my place so that I could fall at His feet for eternity.
"We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all." - Isaiah 53:3-6
A few thousand years ago, today, we murdered Him. The One who came to bring light and hope into the world, and we blamed Him for our problems. We got angry at Him because of our failures. Pride caused us to be blind, and sin caused us to be ignorant. And this very one who came with a message of freedom and love, a message of grace and mercy, was unfairly tried, brutally beaten beyond recognition, spat upon, mocked, and unmercifully killed.
A King who humbled himself and stepped down from His throne was rejected. The Creator of the heavens and the earth, unappreciated. The One who breathed life into all of humanity breathed life into His son so that He could give it up for us. For people who had no clue what they were doing. People who were acting solely on emotion and whim, following the crowd. People who wanted to determine their own course, chart out their desired path. People who got mad that He didn't do things their way, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.
So, today, a couple thousand years ago, He stretched out His arms and He let us do it. He willingly let us pound nails into His hands. He willingly bore our sins and shame without even putting up a fight. A few thousand years ago, His life was not spared so that ours would be. Dying to save those who thought they didn't want it. Dying for those who thought they didn't need it. Dying for the very ones who murdered Him. And that's me, that's you, too. We put Him on that cross because we thought we knew better, we thought we had it figured out, we were angry and mad and prideful, but most of all we were lost.
And so this sounds far from good, doesn't it? Far from the fairly tale life of most kings. But for people like me, it is a good thing. For people like you, it is, too. Because a couple thousand years ago today, my debt was paid. A couple thousand years ago today, even as is appeared that all hope was gone, hope was doing new things. Love was being redefined, redemption was being fulfilled, and all things were becoming new. A couple thousand years ago today, Jesus stood in my place so that one day, I could fall at His feet for eternity. And that, is a very good thing.
#441 - Because He stood in my place so that I could fall at His feet for eternity.
"We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all." - Isaiah 53:3-6