For if, while we were
God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much
more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
God is a just God, which basically means that God must make
things right. When a wrong has been committed, God has to make it right…he can’t
leave the offender unpunished. He must hand down the appropriate punishment because
that is what is right…it’s what is deserved, appropriate, and acceptable. We
live in world that follows a similar logic. When someone breaks the law, they
are apprehended, convicted, and then punished appropriately. But the difference
in our world is that the offender takes the punishment. In our world, there is
not an innocent man that steps forward, hand raised before the judge,
requesting that he take the punishment on behalf of the criminal. That would be
completely ridiculous, illogical, and unimaginable. Yet that is what Jesus did…a
completely perfect man that didn’t even so much as hint at the idea of breaking
God’s Laws…raised his hand before the judge, and took the punishment on behalf
of the criminal. And when the punishment was handed out and completed…when
Christ too his final breath and gave up his life on the cross…we each were
reconciled with God. We as the criminals, the repeated law breakers, the egregious
offenders, were seen as completely innocent before the Judge. Before the Lord,
our crimes had been expunged, no trace remained, for the penalty had been
completed as required. The wrong had been made right. For our worldly minds, this
is completely ridiculous, illogical, and unimaginable. Yet, as believers, it is
without question a complete reality. In fact, it’s all we have to stand on. It’s
all we have to give us hope that tomorrow will be better than today. It seems
Jesus could have stopped at dying on that cross and the reconciliation between
us and God could have theoretically been complete. God had handed down the
punishment as required and the price had been paid in full. Yet Jesus didn’t
stop there…no he took it a step further and punched death right in the mouth,
showing us that not even death has dominion over God. Even death has to answer
to God…even death cannot defeat the Lord. What a blessed people that we are
believers in Christ. Not only has the price been paid in full for our crimes,
but we are witnesses to the defeat of death. So that when our lives in this
world come to a close, we know that it’s not the end…the show must go on for that
is when our new life begins with the Lord! I can’t wait to see what’s next! To
God be the glory!
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