Christianity 101

I remember admitting in a previous post that my thoughts might sometimes seem repetitive. There comes a point at which there is nothing to do but go back to the basics. I can be clever only so long, and then there is one simple truth that I must share again, and again, and again.

Jesus Christ.

It all comes down to one man in history whose teaching was upside-down, whose claims seemed preposterous, and whose death seemed to end all potential for truth. But then, that man did something strange. He awoke, walked out of that grave, and appeared before hundreds of people in a real, physical, living body. . .

And as I have said before, I think sometimes we - as Christians - actually get bored, or desensitized to the reality of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. We forget how desperately we need a Savior, and we forget the painful, excruciating price that our King paid for us. Oh, how easily we forget.

So this morning, let's remember. Remember that Jesus did suffer, not only physically but spiritually as well. The Bible teaches us that he actually became sin (2 Cor. 5:21), which means that in the moments when he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, His Father had to turn away from him. . . Can you even imagine going through the worst possible agony of your live, and looking up to gaze into the comforting, loving eyes of your Father, and meeting instead a Holy God with His back turned?

The cross is a beautiful, tragic, mysterious thing. It seems insane to suggest that the Almighty God would send His Son to suffer and die for us. . . but once you have experienced the depth of His love and grace - it doesn't seem like such an impossible stretch after all. We are sinners - every day we defy God's good and right standards for life. In His holiness there is no way He can simply overlook our offenses. He is God, not Santa.

Once we acknowledge and admit that we are sinners, we can choose to believe that Jesus really did die for us, and in so doing receive forgiveness, new life here on earth, and eternity with God Himself! It is an awesome thing that God has done. . . We should never look at the person and work of Jesus and see the 'same old, same old.'

It isn't very cool to be in love with Jesus. I will give you that. . . But I desperately want to be willing to endure whatever unpopularity loving Jesus might bring. He took the weight of my sin and suffered the death I deserved. . . I don't think there is any response I can have but to offer Him my life.