The Best Sacrifice Ever
In the movie “The Last Emperor” the young child anointed as the last emperor of China lives a magical life of luxury with a thousand eunuch servants at his beck and call. “What happens when you do wrong?" asks his brother?
"When I do wrong, someone else is punished," the boy emperor replies. To demonstrate he breaks a jar, and one of the servants is beaten.
How different this is from the Emperor King (Jesus) who came to earth for us. His was not a luxury life with servants at his beck and call. So difficult was that life that at one point he pointed out that even foxes and birds have holes and nests, but he had nowhere to call his home.
He reversed the pattern of royalty, because when the servant erred, it was the King who was punished on our behalf. I Thessalonians 5:9 tells us
"Far God did appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together for him.”
As we enter the world, we are hopelessly lost to sin. Though some people may appear "better" than others, all fall short of the glory of God. The penalty for "falling short" is death. Because of our sins against God, we deserve to be punished.
But here’s the good news. God is a merciful God. He loves us and cares for us as his very own children! That's why he sent his only son to die as a substitute for us. Jesus died as punishment for our sins , so that we can have the eternal life we don't deserve!
However, this life is not just after death. We have access to that abundant life right now! And we plug into it by accepting Jesus’ death on the cross as being in our place. Once I recognize the price he paid, and what he did for me; once I accept his substitutionary death as ‘my death’, for me, and commit to therefore live life for him . . . then I experience an inner transformation because Jesus becomes alive in me. The Bible says the Holy Spirit of God comes to live inside me, and empowers me to live the Christian life from the inside out. It’s such a life changing experience that Jesus likened it to being “born again”, a fresh start, a clean slate.
But . . . it all begins by my voluntary act of accepting Jesus death on the cross as being in my place. Without that decision it would be like sitting in a car with no engine, longing to go to Mombasa. The decision is the key, the Holy Spirit is the engine that gets me there.
You can make this happen today if you will accept Jesus as your Savior – the King who was punished in your place. |
