It's almost Easter and time for us to reflect on the cross. The cross that Jesus died on is the most foundational, irreducible essence of our faith.
Many don’t fully understand the cross. I'll try to explain it this way. God is Holy. He will have absolutely nothing to do with sin. Since holiness and sin are completely opposed to each other, God and sin cannot hang out together.
That also means, since sin is a part of who we are, God cannot hang out with us.
But God desires to be in relationship with us. So God, out of His great love, created a way for you and me—in spite of our sin—to enter His presence. That way is through the cross.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5.
There are more than seven billion people currently populating earth and that number is only comprised of a fraction of the people who have lived since the beginning of time. When Jesus hung on the cross, all of the sins of the world fell upon Him. Now that moment is far worse than you can imagine!
We know it is historically recorded that he was whipped with the cat o’ nine tails. The crown of thorns dug deeply into His skull. The nails pierced His hands and feet. All extremely painful, but nothing can compare with that moment when He looked up to heaven and groaned, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
At that moment, Jesus became sin. Separating Himself from His Father.
As the sin of the whole world shot through His body, God the Father turned His back on His Son. God had no choice but to look away. Jesus endured the rejection that should have been ours. He endured it to provide a way for our salvation. There is only one Name under heaven through whom we must be saved — that is the name of Jesus Christ.
