Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The death that saved my life

Mark’s description of the death of Christ is straightforward and to the point. Yet, through his words we can still gain a deeper understanding of the events that led to and the events that occurred after the death of Jesus Christ.

Before the physical death of Christ, He had to die spiritually and emotionally. This was done through Him walking into a garden, falling on the ground and feeling all the pains, sickness, sorrow, betrayal, and guilt that we have and ever could feel. It might be hard for one to understand this. It seems impossible. Yet, I know it happened. Mark describes the emotions of Jesus being “very heavy” or “sorrowful unto death.” I would like us to imagine a time in our lives when we have felt sorrow. Not sadness for scraping a knee, but real inner sorrow. Take that feeling and multiply it by 1 million and maybe we’d start to understand a little of what Christ felt. He cried to His Father asking if there was another way, yet, in the realization that there was not, He kept going. I am grateful that He persevered. What if my sins and my sorrow was the last of all He suffered? If He would have stopped than I would not be saved. But, He didn’t.

After this act of selflessness, Jesus was betrayed by His own close disciple kissing His cheek. He willingly submitted Himself to the soldiers. No fight. No Struggle. Christ had just undergone emotional and spiritual death, now He was undergoing a type of social death. His closest friends all left Him. Peter denied knowing Him three times. He was left alone. When brought in front of Pilate He used the dignity of silence to pled for His cause. Soldiers mocked and scourged Him. They even dressed Him in a purple robe and crown of thorns while beating Him. Everything that Jesus was and is was being beaten down.

When on the cross innocent Jesus Christ was hung alongside “transgressors.” The mocking continued as they taunted Him with his prophesy destroying the temple and then building it in 3 days. As well as the cringing idea that if He was not able to save Himself, how could He save others? Yet, perhaps the world felt the sorrow of this event, because for 3 of the daylight hours there was pure darkness. During this time Jesus perhaps hit the lowest of the low. All had rejected Him. He felt alone. He could not even feel the love of God. This is portrayed through his wrenching words, ““My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” Yet, even then Jesus did not stop. He loved me and you too much to stop. He continued. When His work was finished Jesus cried with a loud voice and “gave up the ghost.” After Jesus died a centurion stated “ truly this man was the Son of God.”

He was and is the Son of God. He died for us. Yet, it is not His death that saved us, it is His resurrection. After His body died, He was put into a sepulcher of a dear friend Joseph. 3 days after His death. He arose. His body and spirit came back together in a perfect form. He conquered the unconquerable. He conquered death. A women named Mary saw Him. She told others and they did not believe. Yet, Christ himself came and appeared unto them. I know Christ lives. This is why we can have happiness in our lives. No matter what problem you have, Christ overcame it. Trust in Him.

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