Out of obligation to my fellow Kingdom Bloggers who have done such a wonderful job this week, I post today as I also personally reflect with tremendous sorrow on my heart and heavy shame on my conscience. Why? Because I killed Jesus.
Our Father created a perfect world and placed perfect people in that world. Out of His love for that creation, He extended the gift of choice to mankind...whom He created in His own image. Honestly, I've not been a very good steward of that gift of choice.
But God knew that would be the case a long, long time ago. He didn't make excuses for me because there just are none. What He did give me was another chance...another choice.
Love Me as I have loved you. Come back to Me child.
Jesus is perfect...Holy. He has spent eternity in Holiness with the Father. Pure. Heaven.
Because I'm incapable of loving God back the way He loves me, my sin required another gift from my Father. I took choice for granted, so God from His love extended to me the gift of Grace. But this gift didn't come without a price...it couldn't.
Because of the disobedient choices I've made in my life, Jesus had to leave His place of purity and come walk among the filth and disgust of sin. When I put aside my selfish tendencies and reflect on just that fact alone...I am overwhelmed with shame. He didn't deserve that...not on my behalf. Especially on my behalf.
I don't ever want to make light of the physical torment my Savior endured on this Good Friday so long ago. But those temporary physical pains could not possibly compare to the moment my sins were placed upon Him to be taken away. Jesus had never known sin...through all of eternity...until that very moment when His Father was forced to look away...because of me.
If this had been the end of the greatest story ever known, my life would be completely worthless to me. The moment of enlightened understand that I was guilty of killing Jesus just so I could be with God again, I don't think I would want to continue living with that guilt hanging over me. Like Judas, I'd probably go find my own tree of reconciliation.
Thank God that isn't the end of the story! As I spend today in reflection on the ultimate loving sacrifice, I look so forward to Sunday when I will joyfully celebrate an empty tomb and a risen, living Savior. Salvation, above all else, should be something we all celebrate together.
I thank you Father for saving my soul and praise Your Holy name on high!
6 comments:
Celebrating with you , Tony. What w wonderful gift.
I don't think it could be said better. I am going to share it with my readers, and of course give credit where credit is due, and link backs.
Blessings Bro. I couldn't have lived with the guilt either.
Thank you for this post Tony. I'm crying as I read it; because I am oh so aware that He died for me too; and my sins are so plentiful....like you, I look forward to thinking on the resurrection, to celebrating our risen Lord.
It goes beyond human comprehension what happened on the cross. Why the perfect God would bother with humanity is mind-blowing.
But I am so thankful for his love.
" For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." I Corinthians 1:18
Thank you for another opportunity to reflect on the cross. The sufficiency of the cross amazes me when compared to my insufficiency. Amazing Love, How Can It Be?
I'm with Tracy on this one and shed more than a tear or two as I read your post and made it my own.
Very powerful. Very real.
God bless you.
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