An Easter Post

"Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten then
Nailed to a cross of wood."
--"The Power of the Cross" Stuart Townend, Keith Getty

I still remember hearing this song for the first time at Northland.  We were probably in our first or second week of classes, and I was learning a bunch of stuff, but one thing I looked forward to was the new songs we were learning in chapel.  As soon as I heard this song, I knew I wanted to learn it and remember it.  The song painted such a vivid picture of the day of Christ's crucifixion.  I could almost see Christ, struggling under the weight of a cross, needing the help of another.  He, the perfect man who had done no wrong, was accused of wrong by sinners and convicted for doing nothing wrong.  He was beaten beyond recognition and condemned to die the worst death imaginable.

"This the power of the cross,
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath,
We stand forgiven at the cross."

Wow...a perfect God took on my sin.  I know I'm classified as a "good kid" most of the time, but, honestly, I'm not.  I'm very selfish and prideful; I shoot off my mouth when I shouldn't; I argue when people don't have my exact views; I get frustrated and throw stuff.  Christ took all of that on Him, and He took my full punishment of death.  God hates sin, and He should by all rights kill me, but He doesn't because He sees Christ in my place.  Christ's perfect sacrifice and forgives me.

"Oh to see the pain written on your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning your blood-stained brow."

Do we really understand how terrible crucifixion was?  I'm sure not even the most graphic movie can do it justice because we all know it's just a movie--the blood's fake, and the actor is in no danger of actually dying.  But Christ was hanging on that cross, separated from God.  God is a Trinity--three people in one.  He, the God who can be anywhere and do anything, choose to live in one location on earth and die.  He could have rescued Himself from that cross, but he chose not to because He had the most important task in the universe--to give people a chance to live their lives in close fellowship with Him.  But in order to do this, He, the perfect God who cannot sin, had to feel the guilt and pain of human sin.  He was beaten and bloodied already--weak, and now he carried the weight of the world on his worn out body.

"Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows his head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life,
'Finished' the victory cry!"

 As Christ hung there on the cross, sin staining the sinless, God couldn't stand to look at Him.  And so God turned His back on Himself.  God the Father cast darkness in the sky in order to blot out the sin staining His Son.  Sinless God--stained with the sin He wanted to save the world from.  Creation trembled under the horror of this paradox.  But, this was all because God was making a new way to allow humans to unite with Him.  No longer would people have to sacrifice lambs and bulls and shed blood.  Perfect blood had been shed.  The Old Covenant was over; a New Covenant was coming into effect; and to symbolize this, God tore the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from everyone else.  No longer did people need a priest to go between them and God.  Now, we can approach Him and talk to Him ourselves through prayer.  That was what was finished!  Man could now fellowship with God!

"Oh to see my name written in the wounds,
For through your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live
Won through your selfless love!"

Because I, at age seven, confessed my sin to God and told Him I wanted to live in my life, I now know I have a guaranteed home in heaven.  Before I was born as a slave to sin.  Now I have chosen to be a slave to God, but this is not a slavery of oppression.  No, instead, I am free.  I serve God by choice because I love Him.  In ancient Israel, a slave could choose to belong to his master forever rather than be freed, and that is what I have chosen.  Unless the Rapture comes first, I will die one day.  However, my death really will bring me eternal life.  Because of my acceptance of God's gift of salvation, I will experience eternal life in heaven after I die.  On that day nearly two thousand years ago, God won the ultimate victory over Satan.  Yes, Satan still controls the multitudes of people who are unsaved, but those of us who accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross--the sacrifice He made because He loves every single person on this planet so much--should have different goals for our lives because we serve a new Master.

"This the power of the cross,
Son of God, slain for us,
What a love, what a cost,
We stand forgiven at the cross!"

God--the undying, forever living God--was killed that day.  But He rose again!  He paid the ultimate price of His life so He could rise again so I could live forever.  And all I needed to do to accept this gift was say I was sorry for offending Him with my sin and telling Him I wanted Him to control my life.  And He did forgive me!  And it is wonderful!  I am constantly in awe over what Christ did that day.  I don't deserve this, but I have it anyway.  Christ died, and then He rose again!  He ascended into heaven, and there He lives, constantly interceding for me to God.  He is the only High Priest I need to go to God--and He is God!  He did not stay dead!  He is alive!  That is why we have Easter.  I do not serve a dead God; I serve a living one!  He arose; the tomb is empty!  And that is what Easter is about!