Remebering the Lamb: A Pure Death
An Innocent Man Dies
God's story has a lot of twist and turns. It begins in the garden where everything is good. The fall in Genesis 3 then caused a chain reaction of rebellion and sin against God as His people choose not to follow His commands.
This rebellion continues from generation to generation. Everyone falls to the same temptation to live their own life and go their own way. People without God are like sheep without a shepherd, wandering and lost.
In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) we read the climax of God's story. God's actions to bring His people back into a right relationship with Him. The innocent Son of God is crucified. He is led to the hill outside the city and it is there he has nails driven into his hands and feet, pinning him to the cross. He is raised to be seen by all who pass by and as he hangs there people mock him, soldiers taunt him, and he is reviled by the thieves who hang next to him. His story and sacrifice is riddled humiliation and pain.
The Justice of God
Romans 6:23 tells us: "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Our sin and rebellion has earned us death in the eyes of God. We are totally deserving of not only death, but eternal punishment for our rebellion against our Holy and eternal God. God's wrath and anger burns towards sin and those who continue in it.
The fall in Genesis 3 was an offence against the holiness of God, and God's pure justice required the offenders to pay for their offence.
A Pure Death
Our God is merciful and not willing that any should perish, but since His perfect justice has been offended, he cannot simply forgive sin and maintain perfection in justice. His justice must be satisfied and His wrath must be appeased.
1 Peter 3:18: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God."
Jesus, the righteous one, died to make all things "good" again. To rescue a people for His own possession and to redeem all of creation. His pure death allows the goodness and mercy of God to flow unhindered to His undeserving, yet loved people.
