While I Was Yet a Sinner...
Easter is such a time of joy. I love being reminded that Jesus conquered death and brought new life. But how often do I think on what had to happen before the resurrection? How often do I consider the cross?
I know the story of the cross. Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, brought to trial, and crucified. It was a horrifying death for someone who didn't deserve it. I also know that Jesus was not murdered, but gave His life willingly. But how much do I understand that? Do I realize that my sin was the reason he died? I am just as guilty as those driving the nails into His hands and feet. My sin crucified Him.
Isaiah 53: 3-12: "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; & as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, & afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, & with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; & the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, & he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, & like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression & judgment he was taken away; & as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked & with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, & there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see & be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, & he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, & he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death, & was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, & makes intercession for the transgressors."
This passage absolutely moves & pierces my soul because I know that in order to appreciate the beauty & wondrousness of the cross, I must understand my own sin. For it was my sin that Jesus endured the cross for. How many times have I failed? How many times have I lied, cheated, or stolen? How many times have I been boastful, proud, arrogant, hard-hearted, selfish, or mean? How many times have I outright despised the Father to His face? Jesus suffered for every single one of these sins. Even as I defied Him, he chose to give me the opposite of what I deserved -- forgiveness, mercy, grace, & life. He didn't wait for me to clean up my act. Romans 5 says that he showed His love by dying when I was still a sinner. He loved me in spite of my failures. Christ went to the cross to draw all humankind to Him. but in that, he thought of me. He personally sought after me. He endured everything I deserved. He was numbered with the transgressors, where I should have been, yet He made intercession for me. And all because He loves me. Oh, how He loves us so!
So what do I do when I try to gain my own righteousness? I deny the cross. By saying that I can be "good enough", I proclaim that the cross wasn't necessary for me. But that is so far from the truth. Regardless of what I may tell myself, deep down I know that I will never deserve the love and grace Christ has lavished on me. I can never be good enough. I need the cross. I desperately needed Jesus to step into history and make a way for me. I need to be redeemed & restored. I need his grace every single day. I love the quote by Reverend Dustin Salter that my pastor shared tonight, "You're never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace, but you're never so good that you don't stand in need of God's grace."
So in a few days, I will rejoice in the freedom given to me through Christ's victory over death. But for now, I will focus on the beautiful unfairness of the cross -- Jesus didn't deserve the punishment, but he took it for me. I am unworthy & stained, but His blood makes me clean; His death makes me beautiful.
In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross - Sojourn
In the shadow of the glorious cross
I know the story of the cross. Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, brought to trial, and crucified. It was a horrifying death for someone who didn't deserve it. I also know that Jesus was not murdered, but gave His life willingly. But how much do I understand that? Do I realize that my sin was the reason he died? I am just as guilty as those driving the nails into His hands and feet. My sin crucified Him.
Isaiah 53: 3-12: "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; & as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, & afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, & with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - every one - to his own way; & the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, & he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, & like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression & judgment he was taken away; & as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked & with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, & there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see & be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, & he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, & he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death, & was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many, & makes intercession for the transgressors."
This passage absolutely moves & pierces my soul because I know that in order to appreciate the beauty & wondrousness of the cross, I must understand my own sin. For it was my sin that Jesus endured the cross for. How many times have I failed? How many times have I lied, cheated, or stolen? How many times have I been boastful, proud, arrogant, hard-hearted, selfish, or mean? How many times have I outright despised the Father to His face? Jesus suffered for every single one of these sins. Even as I defied Him, he chose to give me the opposite of what I deserved -- forgiveness, mercy, grace, & life. He didn't wait for me to clean up my act. Romans 5 says that he showed His love by dying when I was still a sinner. He loved me in spite of my failures. Christ went to the cross to draw all humankind to Him. but in that, he thought of me. He personally sought after me. He endured everything I deserved. He was numbered with the transgressors, where I should have been, yet He made intercession for me. And all because He loves me. Oh, how He loves us so!
So what do I do when I try to gain my own righteousness? I deny the cross. By saying that I can be "good enough", I proclaim that the cross wasn't necessary for me. But that is so far from the truth. Regardless of what I may tell myself, deep down I know that I will never deserve the love and grace Christ has lavished on me. I can never be good enough. I need the cross. I desperately needed Jesus to step into history and make a way for me. I need to be redeemed & restored. I need his grace every single day. I love the quote by Reverend Dustin Salter that my pastor shared tonight, "You're never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace, but you're never so good that you don't stand in need of God's grace."
So in a few days, I will rejoice in the freedom given to me through Christ's victory over death. But for now, I will focus on the beautiful unfairness of the cross -- Jesus didn't deserve the punishment, but he took it for me. I am unworthy & stained, but His blood makes me clean; His death makes me beautiful.
In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross - Sojourn
In the shadow of the glorious cross
Compelled by grace to cast my lot
I’ll discard the loss and bear your name
Forsaking all for your own fame
Your hymn of grace sung over me
Abounding forth in glorious streams
My thirst is quenched by you my Lord
Sustained am I, redeemed restored
Sustained am I, redeemed restored
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
When death’s dark shadow’s at my feet
When I am plagued by unbelief
You place my hands into your side
By precious blood identified
By precious blood identified
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
These crowns I’ve clenched with fisted hands
I cast them down before the throne
Of Christ my God the worthy lamb
Christ crucified, the Great I AM
Christ crucified, the Great I AM
Christ crucified, the Great I AM
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!
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