Several years ago, I was coming home from work on a Friday afternoon. I came to a 4-way stop, stopped, and then proceeded forward. As I did, I heard a loud sound behind me. It wasn’t a honk; it was more like a bullhorn. As I looked in the rear-view mirror, there was a police car. My heart skipped a beat, but I ended up with just a warning. I’m from Rockford, Illinois, and we invented the "Rockford Roll." I was caught and, fortunately, let off the hook.
That same weekend, on Sunday night, I brought my daughter and two friends home from youth group. After dropping off one friend, the rest of us turned into our neighborhood when police lights lit up my rearview mirror. Argh! The officer approached my window and informed me that I had rolled another stop sign. To make matters worse, I had two teenagers in my car who had their driver's permits. I threw myself at the officer's mercy and used whatever persuasion I could muster. He let me off. I knew I was guilty of the "Rockford Roll" twice that weekend – and probably more!
The truth is we're all guilty.
It’s Easter—the time of year when we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But before the resurrection, there was the cross. Without the cross, there would have been no resurrection. We acknowledge the cross on Good Friday, but it is quickly replaced by Resurrection Sunday. No one goes out and buys a Good Friday outfit! Yet, as Christians, it is significant that Jesus went to the cross on our behalf.
He went to the cross because of our guilt, not just for some 'Rockford Rolls,' but our lifetime of accumulated sins.
Hebrews 12:2 says, “. . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame . . .”
Joy. Whoa! What? How are the words joy and cross used in the same sentence? I don’t need to go into all the gruesome details of a crucifixion. You can find those online or even on the screen if you watch Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. (For many, once was enough.)
What is the joy the author of Hebrews is talking about when he writes about Jesus, joy, and the cross? Thomas Goodwin writes, “Christ’s own joy, comfort, happiness, and glory are increased and enlarged by his showing grace and mercy, in pardoning, relieving, and comforting his members here on earth.”
We all need the cross daily.
We may or may not realize how desperately we need the cross, but even if we are long-time Christians, we need the cross daily, if not moment by moment. Christ knows the depths of our sinfulness more deeply than we do. Compared to him, we know just the tip of the iceberg. When we get even a whiff of the stink of our sinfulness, we realize how much we need the cross of Christ.
Jesus chose the cross. Yes, he asked the Father if there was another way, but the no-answer made it clear the cross was needed.
It was indeed a sacrifice for the Son of God to take the sin of the world upon himself.
Dane Ortlund wrote in his book Gentle & Lowly that “Christ gets more joy and comfort than we do when we come to him for help and mercy . . . when he sees our sins being placed under his own blood.”
There’s that word again – joy.
Did Jesus find joy in the cross?
No, he finds joy in seeing his people forgiven!
When we ignore our sins. When we think our sins aren’t that bad. When we compare them to the sins of others that we believe are worse (consciously or subconsciously), we show disdain for the cross and what Jesus did for us. Honestly, this is a battle. Martin Lloyd Jones says, “You will never make yourself feel that you are a sinner, because there is a mechanism in you as a result of sin that will always be defending you against every accusation.” He says that "there is only one way to know that we are sinners, and that is to have some dim, glimmering conception of God.”
We must pause to reflect on the fullness of God.
Our lives are so busy. Do we ever pause to consider the fullness of God?
His glory?
His majesty?
His splendor?
His immensity?
His magnificence?
Ortlund wrote, “The most counterintuitive aspect of Christianity is that we are declared right with God not once we begin to get our act together, but once we collapse into honest acknowledgement that we never will.” He said, “We don’t feel the weight of our sin because of our sin. Jesus felt the weight of our sin because he was sinless” (emphasis mine).
Stop and think about those last two sentences.
Seriously.
Stop.
Think.
Just try to get your head around that. This is the opposite of any other faith or religion. God does for us. We don't do for him.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Knowing this truth, how does it affect our everyday lives? Consider Nehemiah's instruction (maybe encouragement is a better word) to God’s people. In chapter 8 of Nehemiah, he and other leaders explained the Word of the Lord. They encouraged the people to rejoice because the Lord is gracious, forgiving, and compassionate. They said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (verse 10). Because of these truths, we don’t "do" for God. We live our lives in him, for him, and with his strength. That gives us great joy!
This Easter, don't forget the cross.
Remember my "Rockford Rolls"? I was guilty. But I was also forgiven. And just like those police officers forgave me when I messed up (not just once but twice in the same weekend!), Jesus continuously grants each one of us forgiveness too.
The next time you see a police car, let it be a reminder that if you have acknowledged your sins before God and believe that Jesus paid for them on the cross, you can be filled with his joy. You can know that joy even if squad car lights are in your rear-view mirror!
As you make plans to celebrate Easter, don't forget to reflect on the cross. Remember your sin, but don't stop there. Remember that Jesus paid it all, so you don't have to. Jesus won the battle, so you don't have to fight it. Jesus' victory over sin and death gives you victory too.
Tetelestai. (It is paid in full. - John 19:30)
Be joyful!
Join us to reflect on the cross:
You're invited to our Good Friday Service at Berean!
Friday, April 7 | 6:30 PM | Worship Center
This will be a night of worship and meditation centered on the crucifixion of Jesus.
We'd also love for you to join us for all our Easter Week services. Click HERE for details!
