When Jesus was on the cross, where were you?
As the retail sign implies, if we think of Jesus as going to the cross by Himself, we’ve bought Easter at a discount. And that’s no bargain.
While enduring the awful human torment of carrying a shameful cross through the streets of Jerusalem and out to Calvary on the edge of the city, Jesus—God Himself—knew what was before Him, and through the pain He was overjoyed.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 Italics mine.)
Seemingly all alone in His tortured trek through town and the many people lining the streets, Jesus held a fantastic secret: He was taking them with Him. They thought they were onlookers to a tragedy; He knew they were participants, not just in the cause, but in the act.
An incredible, miraculous, retroactive and future fact of Easter is that Jesus’ faithfulness to the cross was the initial act of bringing to an end one creation—darkened, stumbling, sin frustrated mankind—and of making another—a glory-sharing, innocent and holy new race. That was His joy, and now it’s ours!
On the cross and knowing what was coming in three days, Jesus reached for you in the crowd—the crowd in the past, the crowd right in front of Him, and the crowd in the future—and accomplished God’s timeless desire, union with His people. He didn’t simply hold you close, He brought you in. Jesus removed what hindered us and brought us into Himself, where there can be no distance, no transgression and no fault, making us safe and secure with Him, who loves us perfectly.
When Jesus rose and fairly strutted out of the tomb, as I picture it, He was full and full of joy! We were in Him, and He was joyously satisfied, just as He planned.
(See Romans 6:1-7; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:6-7)
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IN Him on that cross!
ReplyDeleteWow! Now that's some pretty great news!
ReplyDeleteWhere was I? Co-crucified with Him... Romans 6:3.
ReplyDeleteRevelation 21:5
ReplyDeleteAnd He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."
I wasn't born yet.
ReplyDeleteNot in the way we commonly think, but not in the way God thinks. Have a look at the verses I mentioned for help on what I'm getting at.
ReplyDelete"On a hill long ago, where the blood runs below, died a King, two thieves and you." ~ Petra
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, my friends! Don't you love what the Truth does to you?! It's so invigorating. It's as if He, who is the Truth, stands up in me and shouts, "That's what I did! That's what I'm talking about!"
ReplyDeleteWow...Ralph my spirit leaps for joy when i hear the Goodnews...
ReplyDeleteLove this....and love that you used "Brent's photo". :D
ReplyDeleteYay! Now that's the Gospel! That's definately Good News!
ReplyDeleteNot bad, Ralph. :-)
ReplyDeleteFairly decent of you to say so, Murray. :) (Ha!)
ReplyDeleteWELL I WAS RIGHT THERE WITH HIM WOOO HOOO
ReplyDeleteAwesome good news, Ralph. Wonderfully said and composed. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt is an injustice to Calvary that the true pain of the Cross is often overlooked by a more romantic, but less powerful theme. It is often thought and even preached that the Father looked down from heaven and witnessed the suffering that was heaped upon His Son by the hands of men, and that He counted such affliction as payment for our sins. This is heresy of the worst kind. Christ satisfied divine justice not merely by enduring the affliction of men, but by enduring and dying under the wrath of God. It takes more than crosses, nails, crowns of thorns, and lances, to pay for sin. The believer is saved, not merely because of what men did to Christ on the Cross, but because of what God did to Him - He crushed Him under the full force of His wrath against us. Rarely is this truth made clear enough in the abundance of all our Gospel preaching!
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