This past week especially, I've been reflecting on the incredible gift we received through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. It’s a truth to share and hold onto, especially as we deal with the sometimes-chaotic nature of life. Our foundation rests on this powerful declaration from Jesus himself from the cross.
John 19:30 NIV When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (emphasis mine)
Think about that for a moment. God, in the person of Jesus, came to earth to show us the depth of His love. He knew that our human condition, separated from Him by sin, held no lasting hope. But in His immense love, Jesus willingly laid down His life, taking our place so that we could be reconciled to God and have the promise of eternal life in Heaven.
When we look at the Old Testament, it's amazing to see how God meticulously prepared humanity for the pivotal moment of Christ's sacrifice. Look at Abraham and his willingness to obey God's command to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. This is a shadow of God’s own immense sacrifice. It highlights the depth of God's love and the concept of substitutionary atonement.
Genesis 22:12-14 NIV [12] “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” [13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
This ram served as a temporary substitute, pointing forward to the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Then there’s Moses, leading the Israelites out of slavery in the wilderness towards the Promised Land. This journey symbolizes our own journey from the bondage of sin into the freedom offered by Christ. Just as God promised them a land of prosperity,
Exodus 3:7-8 NIV [7] The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
We are promised an eternal inheritance through Jesus.
1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV [3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (emphasis mine).
And who can forget the powerful prophecies of Isaiah? Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, Isaiah described the Messiah in detail, foretelling His suffering and ultimate purpose.
Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The arrival of Jesus was the culmination of so much hope and expectation. Yet, the way He came and the path He took wasn't what many anticipated. He wasn't a conquering king in the earthly sense, but a humble servant who ultimately died an unjust death on a cross. But as time revealed, this death was the very act that buried our sins
1 Peter 2:24 NIV “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
His glorious resurrection demonstrated His ultimate victory over sin and death, and His supreme authority.
Revelation 1:17-18 NIV [17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV [18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Because of what Jesus did, we now have a light that overcomes all darkness, illuminating our path to an eternal Kingdom defined by God’s righteousness and boundless love.
John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
What incredible mercy He showed us, even while we were still lost in our sin! We can truly know God because Jesus humbled Himself, taking on human form and enduring the agonizing death of a criminal on the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 NIV [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
As we walk through the difficulties of this life, we can always look back to the unwavering love displayed on the cross for guidance and strength. When the present feels confusing or overwhelming, we can find deep peace in knowing that our eternal future is secure in the hands of a merciful God who loves us beyond measure. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until that day, may we live in the light of His finished work, sharing this incredible truth with everyone we encounter.
Philippians 2:9-11 NIV [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John 19:30 NIV When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (emphasis mine)
Think about that for a moment. God, in the person of Jesus, came to earth to show us the depth of His love. He knew that our human condition, separated from Him by sin, held no lasting hope. But in His immense love, Jesus willingly laid down His life, taking our place so that we could be reconciled to God and have the promise of eternal life in Heaven.
When we look at the Old Testament, it's amazing to see how God meticulously prepared humanity for the pivotal moment of Christ's sacrifice. Look at Abraham and his willingness to obey God's command to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. This is a shadow of God’s own immense sacrifice. It highlights the depth of God's love and the concept of substitutionary atonement.
Genesis 22:12-14 NIV [12] “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” [13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. [14] So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
This ram served as a temporary substitute, pointing forward to the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Then there’s Moses, leading the Israelites out of slavery in the wilderness towards the Promised Land. This journey symbolizes our own journey from the bondage of sin into the freedom offered by Christ. Just as God promised them a land of prosperity,
Exodus 3:7-8 NIV [7] The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
We are promised an eternal inheritance through Jesus.
1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV [3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (emphasis mine).
And who can forget the powerful prophecies of Isaiah? Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, Isaiah described the Messiah in detail, foretelling His suffering and ultimate purpose.
Isaiah 53:5 NIV But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
The arrival of Jesus was the culmination of so much hope and expectation. Yet, the way He came and the path He took wasn't what many anticipated. He wasn't a conquering king in the earthly sense, but a humble servant who ultimately died an unjust death on a cross. But as time revealed, this death was the very act that buried our sins
1 Peter 2:24 NIV “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
His glorious resurrection demonstrated His ultimate victory over sin and death, and His supreme authority.
Revelation 1:17-18 NIV [17] When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. [18] I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV [18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Because of what Jesus did, we now have a light that overcomes all darkness, illuminating our path to an eternal Kingdom defined by God’s righteousness and boundless love.
John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
What incredible mercy He showed us, even while we were still lost in our sin! We can truly know God because Jesus humbled Himself, taking on human form and enduring the agonizing death of a criminal on the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 NIV [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
As we walk through the difficulties of this life, we can always look back to the unwavering love displayed on the cross for guidance and strength. When the present feels confusing or overwhelming, we can find deep peace in knowing that our eternal future is secure in the hands of a merciful God who loves us beyond measure. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until that day, may we live in the light of His finished work, sharing this incredible truth with everyone we encounter.
Philippians 2:9-11 NIV [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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