I remember going to the movies as a teenager in 1965 to see the “Greatest Story Ever Told.” I remember how emotional I got during that movie when it came to the scenes of betrayal, torture and crucifixion. I knew when “The Passion of the Christ” came out in 2004, I would not be able to watch it … the scenes were so much more graphic. I still haven’t watched it. I can barely read through the accounts of the trials and crucifixion without weeping … even though I know that “Sunday is Coming.”
Jesus spoke from the cross that day. To me the most poignant were, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”
The most promising, “It is … and will forever be … finished.”
But of all the words that pierce my heart today, they are two words that we find throughout the NT.
1 John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”
Romans 5:8: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Ephesians 5:2: “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
For us … I often read those words as … for me.
When I consider what God’s Son did … for me … I can barely breathe. When I read what He suffered … for me … I am overwhelmed by unworthiness of God’s love.
Yet, I know … yes, I know … that the greatest of all tragedies would be to ignore, reject or refuse that love that is offered for me.
So, today I both weep and rejoice. I weep over what my sins cost God’s Son, and I rejoice that despite my unworthiness, He went to the cross and made a way for me, so that I can now say …. “I – Am – A – Child – of – God.