During one of our morning devotions, I
was telling Mya about Jesus dying on the cross for us. She looked serious as
the picture of Jesus was kinda sad, but it was clear from the look in her eyes
that she did not understand what dying meant.
Why would she? How could she? And a part
of me wishes she never has to understand or grasp what death is.
“Mya, Jesus died on the cross for us. You
see He is pain-pain.”
“Pain-pain!” She frowned and looked concerned, she is
getting it, a little.
“Yes, He endured pain-pain for us so that
we do not have to be pain-pain. He died for sinners like us and took the
punishment for us.”
Punishment – another big word that drew a partial blank.
“Yes, He was punished for us and had a
time-out from His Father. Not because He was naughty, but because we were. It’s
like you were naughty and was gonna get a time-out, but Jesus say He’ll do
time-out for you so you do not have to do time-out!”
She nodded. She understood time-out.
And a time-out He got. “Aloi, Aloi, why
have you forsaken me?”
The pain and the time-out, so that I the sinner
do not have to bear the Father’s wrath for me and be separated from Him.
The cross and the death, so that
I can be justified and washed clean by His blood. So that I do not have to die the death that should have been mine.
The resurrection, oh the resurrection! He
defeated death and it has lost its sting – and we will never need experience
the full deadness of death, ever. Hooray!
***
This is one of my favorite reflections on
the cross. Extracted from Max Lucado’s “He chose the nails”.
History only has one
main event. Mankind’s timeline is dotted with important moments, the spark of
the first flint, the rolling of the first wheel.. who dares to minimize these
events, but who dares compare them with the cross? History only has one main
event.
Scripture only has one
main event. Others matter- but only one is essential. Moses will give you directions
for the wilderness, but no solution for your sin. David’s defeat of Goliath may
reduce your timidity, but only the cross prepares you for eternity. Scripture
only has one main event.
And even in the life of Jesus,
there is only ONE main event. For if there is no cross of Christ, then there is
no truth to Christ.
And when it comes to
your life, the same is true. To remove the cross, is to remove the hinge-pin
from the door of hope, the door of your hope. For if there is no cross, there
is no sacrifice for sin. And if there is no sacrifice for sin, how will you
face a sinless God? Can you cleanse your own sin?
And if there is no cross
of Christ, there is no resurrection of Christ. And if there is no resurrection
of Christ, how will you live again? Will you push back your own grave?
Forgiveness of sins,
deliverance from death, these are the claims of the cross. Let there be no
mistake. The cross is not an event in history, it is THE Event of History.
Thank you God for the cross. So I’ll
cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down. I will
cherish the old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown. Hallelujah!
***
