Jesus was not afraid of the cross, He resolutely accepted it.
It was the cup that gave Him pause.
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
— Matthew 26:39
The cup of wrath—the just penalty for all sin, incomprehensibly terrifying cosmic destruction—is poured out on a single point: the Lamb.
It is an event so massive, it reconstitutes time.
We observed the spectacle of the cross over two thousand years ago.
But, the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.
And, it covers sin that will be committed any number of years from now, before His return.
The penalty is necessary because the Kingdom of God is perfect.
All sin must be negated. All corruption must be purged.
The equation is balanced. The problem is solved. His accounting is perfect.
Therefore, for our debts to be forgiven, someone has to pay them.
There is but one payment for sin: death. And, it is Jesus who pays it.
Who can withstand God’s wrath? Who else could die countless deaths in an instant and still survive?
God can.
It’s why a Jesus who’s just another man who had some good things to say, won’t do.
It has to be Jesus, the only begotten Son of God (begotten meaning having the same nature as whatever begot), who pays the debt. He has to be God, because God is the only one who can.
Which brings me to my ultimate point: my sin, even though it is forgiven, is not without cost.
Every sin I commit hurts Jesus. Every sin I will commit will hurt Jesus.
He dies for my sin. Every. Single. One.
No one who truly loves Him would wantonly add to His suffering.
On this point, I begin to realize the gravity of my sin.
I love Him. The last thing I want to do is hurt Him.
Help me, O God!
#gospel
