Jesus dying
Jesus lived an amazing life, and I can imagine if there had been cameras in those days, Mary would have had pictures of him up on her wall, remembering his birth and his baptism and his teaching and his healing.
But there was a day that I don't know if she would have put the picture up on the wall. That was the day that Jesus died.
Some people die peaceful deaths, pass away gently and with a slight smile on their face even. Not Jesus. Jesus died the most brutal death that you can think of. And reading the Bible we so often can miss this. We read it and we know the story and we see him on the cross and we go on past to the next chapter. And perhaps we forget just how tortured he was as they led him to his death.
Jesus' Sacrificial Love
And yet friends this is such an important picture of him. Such an important picture to remember - Christ on the cross. In fact in all Catholic churches we see Jesus on the cross still. And I think this is because his death was so significant that we want to remember what he went through and not take it for granted.
I want to read you some words of Jesus about his death in John 10. He said this, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again” and we're going to talk about that tomorrow. But then he said “no one takes it from me but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”
Do you hear these words, friends? No one takes Jesus' life from him. He had the power to just put it all to an end. But Christ allowed them to do it because he needed to die in order to affect the salvation that you and I enjoy.
Friends do you know that Jesus died for you? Yes, for you. Do you know that he gave himself up because you are a precious child of God and he doesn't want you to end up on the wrong side? Do you know that he died so that you and I can be reconciled to God?
Living for Christ
Listen to what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5. He said “Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all, therefore all died.” In verse 15, “and he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
Why did Christ die? Well, to save us, to forgive us. He died in our place so that you and I could be reconciled to God on behalf of him. Those who put their faith in Christ know that they don't have to try and earn their salvation. They accept Christ's sacrifice on their behalf. But then as verse 15 says, they don't live for themselves any longer but they live for him who died for them.
Friends, look at Christ on the cross today. Know that he loves you. Know that he went that far in order that you and I don't have to be punished for sins but can be freely gifted with grace.
Then, in light of this, let's not live for ourselves anymore but let's live for him who went all that way so that we could go free.
Praise him today and keep that picture of him on the cross in your mind and that is what it's all about.
