Thank You JESUS!

Hundreds of years before the brutal beating and murder of Jesus Christ, the Prophet Isaiah spoke these words: "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…" (Isaiah 52:14) The Hebrew word 'Samen' translated in English as 'appalled' describes a group of people who are 'stunned by the horror of it all.'

There are many things in my life where I have been 'stunned by the horror of it all' but nothing more 'appalling' then what Jesus Christ endured on the cross. He was beaten, battered, bruised, mocked, spat upon, humiliated and died in the most excruciating manner possible. Jesus, God in flesh came to us in order to bring us to God and we killed Him! But as I consider the 'horror of it all', its not Jesus on the Cross that is the 'horror of it all', rather its the knowledge that it was my sin that put Him on that cross. Jesus took my place. It should have been me, but He went to do for me what I could not do for myself.



As I am one day away from celebrating the reality that Jesus conquered sin, Satan and death, I am humbled by the truth that unless Jesus died the death He did, I would be without hope of ever having peace with God. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (2 Peter 3:18) He died for sin, my sin. Without sin there would be no need for Jesus on a cross, but my rebellion against God caused God to put into motion His plan of redeeming me and a fallen humanity back to Himself. That plan was personal. God entered into His created order so that He could redeem, reconcile and restore the created back to a perfect relationship with the Creator. There was only one man, a God-man who could make that a reality.




As I consider the weight of Saturday, the day before I will celebrate that Jesus is alive, I am reminded of God's plea to a sinful people spoken through the Prophet Isaiah - "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18) God is saying to you and I - 'Do the reasonable thing. Sin has stained your entire existence, yet God is offering you/I the opportunity to be clean in the most purest sense of the word.'

What does one say to a God who has done it all? What does one say to a God who has made possible eternal life with Him despite my rebellion against Him? What does one say to a God who driven by love laid down His life so that I might find life? What does one say to a God who endured the 'horror of it all' so that I could enter into the glory of it all?

Thank Your Jesus!