It is time to celebrate Easter.
To understand this we'll start with a small history lesson. God can not handle sin. Being a just and perfect God he has to deal with sin. Adam and Eve, the first two people, sinned and because of it where kicked out of the garden of Eden, separating us from God.
God still wanted us to spent eternity with him so he had to find a way for our sins to get paid for. Justice has to be served. He gave Moses the law he wanted people to live by, but all it was able to do was point out our faults.
It was not able to pay for our sins. Since he loved us and wanted the best for us, here is what he did:
RO 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
What does this mean? It tells us that we can all be justified through Jesus. We all have sinned, but can be justified through the redemption of Jesus. What did he do to be able to redeem us?
RO 3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Jesus according to the Bible is the son of God and if you read the above verse you will see that God presented him as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. Do you think this was easy? Please read the next three verses and contemplate on them to get an idea of what Jesus had to go through to do this.
ISA 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
ISA 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-
JN 12:27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"
We can't imagine what it would have meant to go through what Jesus had to go through. As you read in the last verse, even Jesus in his humanity struggled with what he was going to have to go through.
The verses from Isaiah tell us a little bit as to what he went through, but that's just leading up to the end result: His death on the cross. Can you imagine giving up your son to go through something like that. Or think of what your son would have to deal with? I can't even imagine it. So why would God do this? He has everything.
He did this because he loves us and wants us to be with him forever. He used his son to pay for our sin, that we don't have to. That is totally awesome.
Jesus asked us to do the following in memory of what he did:
1CO 11:23 …..The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Lets proclaim that we believe he died for us and rose again three days later. I think it is the least we can do.
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