With Easter having been yesterday, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the Gospel and what it means to me. It’s so simple and yet so complicated. It’s heart-wrenching and beautiful. It escapes words. No one can fully describe the sheer beauty and pain and victory and perfection of it. It was God’s plan from the beginning of time. Every. single. little. detail. was carefully crafted and planned and executed so that God could save the world from itself- and me from myself. I'm literally getting goose bumps just thinking and writing about it. It's unbelievable.
God sent His ONLY Son, a perfect, spotless, man, down to earth to live a sinless life.
The fact that He lived a sinless life in and of itself is incredible. He lived a perfect life. He was without fault. Perfect in every. single. way. I don't know about you, but there are some days that I can scarcely go 15 minutes without messing up, much less a whole lifetime. Of course, He was tempted. I'm sure He had Satan at His back 24/7. I mean, He is the One and Only Son of the One True God of the universe. He was tempted in every way possible, I'm sure, but He never acted on that temptation. He stood His ground and relied on the strength of the Father to resist the temptations He faced.
The fact that He lived a sinless life in and of itself is incredible. He lived a perfect life. He was without fault. Perfect in every. single. way. I don't know about you, but there are some days that I can scarcely go 15 minutes without messing up, much less a whole lifetime. Of course, He was tempted. I'm sure He had Satan at His back 24/7. I mean, He is the One and Only Son of the One True God of the universe. He was tempted in every way possible, I'm sure, but He never acted on that temptation. He stood His ground and relied on the strength of the Father to resist the temptations He faced.
Even though that's a great story, that's not the end of this Story.
Jesus lived a sinless life. He touched countless lives during His lifetime. He healed people's sickness, mended their broken hearts and breathed new breath into their lives. He was loved by many.
And, yet, He was also hated by many. Jesus wasn't "normal". He was different in every sense of the word. He spoke differently, He acted differently, He was God With Us. He was radically different. He shook up the religion of the day. He threatened the system. He questioned the government.
Many of the religious teachers, scholars and men were angry that He would dare to mess with God's plan. (They refused to see that Jesus was God's plan.) They were constantly asking Him difficult questions, hoping to snare Him in one of their carefully crafted traps, but each time they interrogated Him, Jesus answered thoughtfully and wisely.
They were done with Jesus' antics. They wanted Him gone. He was causing too much trouble. They plotted against Him in secret, bribing one of Jesus' closest followers to betray Him for money. I'm sure Judas assumed that Jesus knew nothing of his plans, but that night, as Jesus and His 12 closest friends and disciples sat around the table eating Passover, He told them that one of the men at the table would betray Him. Most of them were shocked- except Judas. Jesus called him out and he left the room, embarrassed, terrified and upset, I'm sure.
That night, Jesus and 11 of His disciples went up to the garden to pray. Jesus went off alone to plead with the Father for His life while the disciples stayed back.
A few hours later, in the middle of the night, guards came to seize Him. They were led by Judas.
Jesus was put under many trials. He was asked countless questions. He was mocked. He was accused. Even still, He did not defend Himself. He trusted His Father with everything He had. He was whipped beyond recognition and had a crown of thorns piercing His head. He stumbled through the streets, carrying a cross, like a criminal would have had to, but He hadn't done anything wrong.
Beaten. Bloodied. Bruised. Dying.
He was nailed to a tree. He was literally pierced by enormous metal nails being pounded in to His hands and feet. Placed above His head was a sign that read "Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews". He was stood between two criminals, stripped of any dignity He had. Even as this was happening, He was pleading with God to forgive the men that had done this to Him. "Forgive them, Father! They do not know what they're doing!" He cried on their behalf. He hung there. He could have called on angels to save Him, but He didn't. Love held Him to that cross. He cried out to God, "Father, why have You forsaken me?" His final words were "It is finished". And with that, He died.
And He did it all for me.
That's what gets me. This ridiculously perfect man chose to die because of His love for me. He loved me so deeply that He wanted to save me from the treason I commit against Him on a daily basis so that I could be with Him forever. He took the punishment that was rightfully mine and said "It is finished. I've taken her punishment. She doesn't have to die to redeem herself, I've already made her spotless by my blood."
What?! I can barely grasp that kind of radical grace. It blows my mind and makes me want to fall at the feet of the Man that saved me.
But the story doesn't end there.
That evening He was buried in a tomb. A giant boulder was rolled over the opening and 2 guards were posted at the door, guarding His body against robbers.
Three days later, 2 of Jesus' followers showed up at the tomb. The tomb was empty. The giant stone was rolled away, the guards were gone. Jesus' grave clothes lay empty where He had been lifeless just days ago. The prophecy has come true: Jesus was ALIVE!
He beat death. He conquered the grave. One of the most certain things in life couldn't keep Him defeat Him.
This is Amazing Grace. The Son of God was born into our sinful world, lived a sinless life, was beaten, tortured, mocked and murdered and three days later. he defeated all evil, sin and death to buy me back from a life of sin and pain and shame. He bought me back even when He saw that I would wander far away from Him. He knew that I would leave Him and disappoint Him, but He. still. died. for. me.
He did the exact same thing for you. Despite your mistakes, He loves you so deeply that He sacrificed Himself and died for you.
He rose on Sunday.
It's Monday.
Guess what, guys?
The tomb is still empty.
He is alive.
That night, Jesus and 11 of His disciples went up to the garden to pray. Jesus went off alone to plead with the Father for His life while the disciples stayed back.
A few hours later, in the middle of the night, guards came to seize Him. They were led by Judas.
Jesus was put under many trials. He was asked countless questions. He was mocked. He was accused. Even still, He did not defend Himself. He trusted His Father with everything He had. He was whipped beyond recognition and had a crown of thorns piercing His head. He stumbled through the streets, carrying a cross, like a criminal would have had to, but He hadn't done anything wrong.
Beaten. Bloodied. Bruised. Dying.
He was nailed to a tree. He was literally pierced by enormous metal nails being pounded in to His hands and feet. Placed above His head was a sign that read "Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews". He was stood between two criminals, stripped of any dignity He had. Even as this was happening, He was pleading with God to forgive the men that had done this to Him. "Forgive them, Father! They do not know what they're doing!" He cried on their behalf. He hung there. He could have called on angels to save Him, but He didn't. Love held Him to that cross. He cried out to God, "Father, why have You forsaken me?" His final words were "It is finished". And with that, He died.
And He did it all for me.
That's what gets me. This ridiculously perfect man chose to die because of His love for me. He loved me so deeply that He wanted to save me from the treason I commit against Him on a daily basis so that I could be with Him forever. He took the punishment that was rightfully mine and said "It is finished. I've taken her punishment. She doesn't have to die to redeem herself, I've already made her spotless by my blood."
What?! I can barely grasp that kind of radical grace. It blows my mind and makes me want to fall at the feet of the Man that saved me.
But the story doesn't end there.
That evening He was buried in a tomb. A giant boulder was rolled over the opening and 2 guards were posted at the door, guarding His body against robbers.
Three days later, 2 of Jesus' followers showed up at the tomb. The tomb was empty. The giant stone was rolled away, the guards were gone. Jesus' grave clothes lay empty where He had been lifeless just days ago. The prophecy has come true: Jesus was ALIVE!
He beat death. He conquered the grave. One of the most certain things in life couldn't keep Him defeat Him.
This is Amazing Grace. The Son of God was born into our sinful world, lived a sinless life, was beaten, tortured, mocked and murdered and three days later. he defeated all evil, sin and death to buy me back from a life of sin and pain and shame. He bought me back even when He saw that I would wander far away from Him. He knew that I would leave Him and disappoint Him, but He. still. died. for. me.
He did the exact same thing for you. Despite your mistakes, He loves you so deeply that He sacrificed Himself and died for you.
He rose on Sunday.
It's Monday.
Guess what, guys?
The tomb is still empty.
He is alive.
Death has lost and Love has won.
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