Ilove Easter time, a time when we consider the Cross and the resurrection of Christ. The Cross was a place of great shame. Christ was condemned to death like a common criminal, he was whipped, beaten and spat upon. A crown of thorns was placed on his head. He was mocked by godless people, scorned by religious people, and forsaken by his disciples, his own people.
Isaiah 53:2-4 has this to say about Jesus the time of his Crucifixion, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 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.”
Christ took our sin and shame on the Cross. He experienced tremendous shame and suffering on our behalf. The Cross is a humbling thing to consider. Because of his love for us, Jesus died for us. The Cross is the place where the best of divinity was sacrificed for the worst of humanity, for all of humanity.
And then there is the resurrection. Hebrews 12:2 tells us, “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Jesus disregarded the shame of the Cross, because He knew he would rise from the dead.
He went from a place of shame to a place of great fame. The religious and political leaders of the day thought they could crush Christ, they placed a guard over the tomb to make sure what He had said about himself would not come to pass. Matthew 27:62 says “Sir, they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
The reason the Pharisees sought to destroy Jesus was because he had become so incredibly popular with the people, they didn’t like His claim to be the Son of God. They were determined not only to kill him but also determined to prevent any story about a resurrection being propagated. What they didn’t bank on was that Jesus truly was the Son of God.
That resurrection power shook the tomb of Jesus like a mighty earthquake and He rose from the dead. Nothing was going to stop the resurrection from taking place and nothing was going to stop the Gospel being preached throughout the world. From that moment forward the name and message of Jesus has spread throughout the world, bringing life and hope to all who believe.
This Easter I want to encourage you. Life can be full of difficult moments, moments of shame. We live in a fallen, sin sick world, with so much tragedy all around us. This Easter be reminded that Christ became sin for you, he took your shame, he became a curse for you, He rose from the dead for you. He did all of these things so that no matter what you face in life, you serve a God who understands shame and suffering. You also serve a God who releases resurrection power, enough power to even raise the the dead! Nothing is impossible with God!
8 - 8Shares
