An Awfully Good Friday

1 Peter 2:21-25, 3:18
"Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls...For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God."

Martin Luther once said that the death of Christ was so real to him; it was as if He died only yesterday.

The above words are powerful, and I am trying hard to do more than read them, instead marvel at them; more than just believe them, but feel them; more than just speak them as truth but to worship because they are true. Such things for me are taking a great amount of effort tonight.

Join me in thinking of Luther's words (with Peter's words in the backdrop). Christ died for my (your) sins yesterday. Because I have deceit on my tongue; because when I am reviled, I revile back; because when I suffer, I threaten and seek to protect myself (just in case God really isn't all that great of a judge); because of my sin Jesus had to die and be separated from God. Because of my lack of righteousness, He had to come and be righteous for me.

In a sense, I crucified Christ because if I wasn't so sinful, He wouldn't have had to suffer and die in order to ransom me.

Because of my selfish decisions, the Son of God had to leave paradise and enter a ghetto, trade His throne for a manger, exchange his glorious appearance for the likeness of sinful rebels, leave the melodies of angels in order to listen to the lies of his newfound "friends," be accused for things he never did, be spit upon, be flogged, beaten and nailed to a cross, and ultimately be forsaken by the very Father who had done nothing but love him from eternity past.

Jesus had to do all of that so that I could take pride in the fact that I stick up for myself when my boss points out one of my mistakes. He had to do all of that so that I could enjoy that lustful look. He had to do all of that so that I could complain about that one guy at my church.

If Jesus had died for me only yesterday, could I dare sin again today?