20090410

You can't get to Sunday without going through Friday

The quiet little manger scene with Mary and Joseph all huddled around the manger. The animals are all asleep, the stars silently watching from above. Even the shepherds and wise men from the East are all at a respectful distance in silent meditation. The baby become boy growing up and filling his parents with wonder, staying behind in the temple to discuss the things of God. Boy become man who begins to draw others around him and speak amazing things of God. Slowly a movement starts and those in authority begin to feel threatened. That is until they manage to get him arrested and executed. Then those who were supposed to guard the tomb report back that their "guardian" has managed to slip through their fingers and is who knows where. As Christians we observe today as "Black Friday". The main focus of the world in regards to the things of Christ are on Easter (or Resurrection) Sunday. The day Christ rose from the grave, defeating sin and conquering death - the penalty for sin. While Christmas is the celebration of God become man, and Easter is the celebration of the resurrection and the conquering of death, today is the day that is the linchpin that ties it all together. Why did God come to Earth? Why was Christ born? What is the significance of Christ's resurrection? Why are these things important? Because once sin entered into the world the law of thermodynamics was put in motion. The world as we know it began to decay and die. The resurrection is the evidence of death, the penalty of sin, being defeated. The birth of Christ is the evidence and beginning of God entering time to ultimate end with the resurrection, but today is the day of the why. Without death one cannot have a resurrection. Today is the day my sins were hung on another. The penalty of my actions, the penalty of my rejections, the penalty of my own pride were placed upon the very Being i worship and identify myself with... the resurrection means nothing if there was never a death in the first place. Thank you Father God for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ into the world, to live the sinless life and offer Himself in my stead - to pay the price that was mine to pay. Thank You God that His sacrifice was the perfect substitution for what was deservedly mine. Lord God on Sunday i will also rejoice with my fellow Christians in the celebration of Jesus's resurrection and defeat of death - because that reveals that His death leads to my life through Him.

1 comment:

Alise said...

Thank God for the cross!