Christ Died and Brought Us Life

The very first verse that God spoke about Jesus Christ was about His cross (Refer Genesis 3:15). It’s that Christ would crush the devil’s head and the devil would bruise Christ’s heel, which was symbolic of the cross, the kind of death He is going to suffer all because of Man’s sin. That was the first promise after man’s fall. What a peculiar way to introduce Christ to mankind in words.

Eve ate the forbidden fruit and blamed the serpent. Adam was clever to blame both Eve and God at the same time (Refer Genesis 3:12,13). Both went into a denial mode after found guilty and stood condemned.

On a similar note, Jesus’ disciples with whom He conversed usually in the Garden of Gethsemane fled from Him when He was arrested by the temple soldiers.

Peter went into a state of denial when a servant girl and a man confronted him. And soon after Peter out of remorse wept bitterly (Refer Matthew 26:75). Peter alone did not fail but all the disciples; everyone in their own way.

Not even a week before Jesus’ Crucifixion, when He entered Jerusalem there were all jubilations and songs and praises. But when the actual moment of truth came just a few days later, neither His disciples nor the people stayed with Him. All deserted and forsook Him. But all these took place that the prophecies of the Scriptures might be fulfilled (Refer Matthew 26:56).

Jesus had to undergo this loneliness and cruelty as the chastisement for our peace was put on Him (Refer Isaiah 53:5). Jesus was rejected by His own family when He started out with His ministry and also by the people of His hometown Nazareth. Isaiah quotes that, “He was despised and rejected by men” (Refer Isaiah 53:3). He came to His own and His own people did not receive Him (Refer John 1:11).

Caiaphas the high priest that year remarkably advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people (Refer John 18:14). He knew it is immoral and Jesus is not guilty but that seemed more practical and easy.

Jesus knew all would desert Him and quoted this – “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. (Refer John 16:32).

But Jesus also knew that the cross is a different place where God will judge all the sins of the world on Him. For He had to address His Beloved Father as “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Refer Matthew 27:46). This He cried so we don’t have to.

Jesus hanging on the cross was very symbolic in a way which showed that the earth has rejected Him and Heaven could not accept Him for all the sins of the world that was laid on Him. Jesus was rejected and chastised in our place, so we don’t have to be.

For at this hour, it is only fitting to continue to meditate on what and why Jesus had to undergo. We know that sin is so costly that God had to pay with His Beloved Son. Adam tried to live and brought death, whereas Christ died and brought us life.

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