A Crucial Cross

 

A long time ago, very long ago in fact, a man was about to be put to death. His crime? Saying that he was the Son of God. He would be crucified on a cross to satisfy the demands of an angry mob.

Some people believe that three days later, he rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven.

His name? Jesus.

If you are a Christian, you probably know what you celebrate on Easter: the day that God's Son rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, lifting the punishment for sinners so that all who believe could have eternal life in heaven.

But why was this necessary and what does it mean for us?

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
So why couldn't God just let our sin go and take us to heaven anyway?

To put it simply, for God to be a God who can let sinfulness go, he also has to let righteousness go. In other words, no punishment, no reward. God would be indifferent to the whole thing. Is that the kind of God you want? Probably not.

God has to punish sinfulness. But this created a problem for us when sin came into the world: all of us are sinful. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

No one is exempt from this; in order to go to heaven you would have to live a perfect life and follow all of God's commandments perfectly. Unfortunately, none of us are capable of doing that. So Jesus came. He lived his life perfectly, following all of God's commandments, and then died a sinner's death that he did not deserve.

What Does This Mean for Us?
Jesus was our substitute; all of our sins are forgiven and we can now go to live in heaven with God.

This doesn't, however, mean that you don't try to live a life pleasing to God; on the contrary, if you love God you want to please Him. Just because we aren't capable of perfection doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get closer.

Accepting Jesus changes your life. If you are not a Christian, I encourage you to talk to someone you know who is and ask them to help you understand these things better.

If you are a Christian, rejoice in the knowledge that Christ died to save you and that one day you will live in heaven with God! Recommit your life to serving Him and growing to become more like Christ.

Happy Easter! He is risen!