Thursday, April 01, 2010

Holy Week - Thursday

Reading: Matthew 27:27-44

Why did Jesus die? This is one of the most pivotal questions in history. I believe that something amazingly mysterious happened. Jesus took on the sin of the world, he became sin, so that we might experience salvation and enter into a real loving relationship with him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
But as I read the text today I wondered did he have to experience the mocking and the slander? I mean everyone slanders him - the soldiers, the priests, the by-standers, those killed with him. Why did he have to go through all of that? Couldn't God organized his death in a way that would allow him to die in peace?
I don't have nearly all the answers to these questions. But I did have a thought.
What if the cross did more than just purchase us salvation? What if through the cross God was exposing the wickedness and depravity of humans?
After all I am fully convinced that God can do more than one thing at a time.
The cross truly does expose the wickedness of humans. Jesus has been beaten, mocked, spit upon, is now dying and people still mock him. It seemed that it was not enough to kill Jesus there was a desire to publicly humiliate him. Even the ones dying with him joined in the mocking.
The cross shows us that humans have a great potential for evil - we don't want to just kill our enemies we want to humiliate them.
Save me Lord Jesus from the evil in my heart.

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