Death By Love

So today it really struck me hard what Jesus did for us on the cross so I wanted to share my thoughts.  So we have the God of the world, the Alpha and the Omega, the One who created the universe, created us.  We the people He created turned on Him, we sin against Him everyday.  We sin against the other people He created whom He loves dearly.  But despite all this, He came to the earth, He gave up His glory and came in the form of a lowly human.  He lived the sinless life that none of us could.  But that was not enough to save us, we have sinned against a holy God, time and time again, only a perfect sacrifice could save us from death.  So Jesus went to the cross for us, first he was put on false trial, mocked and beaten beyond recognition.  Now the cross is was a place of great shame, saved for only the worst kind of criminal.  It was the most agonizing, painful death anyone could possibly die.  After the beatings Jesus had, he was nailed to the cross with giant spikes driven through nerve centers in his wrists and through both feet.  He had a crown of giant thorns plunged into his head and was raised into the air to die a slow, agonizing painful death by suffocation.  While on the cross Jesus says some of the most amazing things, first about those who are killing him he proclaims "forgive them Father for they know not what they do".  To say that about those putting you to death in the most cruel, painful way imagined is just amazing.  Then what happens next is called by Jonathan Edwards the dark exchange.  Jesus took on all of our sins, in that moment he became a murderer, rapist, child abuser, drunk, homosexual, liar, gossip, pervert and every other sin imaginable, he became those things on the cross, taking the punishment and curse for our sin, experiencing a degree of separation from God the father and the Holy Spirit that caused Jesus to cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  Jesus went from being our glorious God to every type of sinner and evil person in an instant, for our sakes, despite the fact that we killed Him and continue to sin against Him to this day.  Then in one of the most amazing moments of scripture and in the history of the world, Jesus cries out, "It is finished!"  He announces that the dark exchange is complete, He has taken the sin of the world on His shoulders so that we might be forgiven and live together with God.  After that moment, after He finished the task He set out to finish, He gives His soul back up to God, announcing "To your hands I commend my spirit".  And with those words, He died.  The most incredible individual died the most painful death, taking on our sin to save us.  I don't understand why I am worth saving, why any of us are worth saving, but Jesus gave his life for us and because of that I will serve Him everyday, trying to further His kingdom.  I think we all need to reflect often on just what it was He went through on the cross to save us.  His actions should give us a greater desire to love and obey Him.  I know it gives me that desire!  I love you Lord, with all my heart!

Tim