It’s Holy Week 2012, and we are commemorating the death of
Jesus this whole week. But have you asked yourself what does His death means
for you? What is the sense of commemorating this event? Can it have an impact
on our way of living now? Or you are just doing this because it is a part of
your religion’s tradition?
In case you don’t know, Jesus’ death, His sacrifice on the
cross is the best thing that happened and will ever happen to you! It is an
event that shouldn’t be remembered only once a year, but in each day of your
life! Now let’s see why this event is very important for us.
Number 1: Jesus
cancelled all the traditions that are done in the Old Testament
Did you know that in the Old
Testament, the Israelites are required to give sin offerings so that their sins
would be forgiven? Can you imagine if this tradition is still being done now?
First, you need to offer a goat or
a lamb. Then second, you need to give this to the priest for them to slaughter
and burn. In their time, men had no direct access to God. They have to go to
the mediator, which is the priest. Only the priest can make atonement for their
sins.
But can you see? Asking forgiveness
for your sin is supposed to be this hard. But with Jesus’ sacrifice, you don’t
have to this every time you commit sin! Jesus had become the sacrifice and at
the same time the mediator between men and God!
Jesus’ death is an event that is
very much worth remembering. We don’t have to those things that are done in the
Old Testament, Jesus has already done all of them for us!
Number 2: Gentiles
were given the chance to have fellowship with God
In case you didn’t know, in the Old
Testament, only the Israelites are considered God’s people. If you are not from
the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then that means you’re a Gentile. It
means that many of us were really not originally God’s people!
But thanks be to God, after Jesus’
ascension, He didn’t forget about us. We must be very thankful that He has commissioned
Saul, or now known as Paul to preach the Gospel for us Gentiles. This event
changed the entire course of all the beliefs, especially of the Jewish. We are
taken as God’s children because of Jesus’ sacrifice!
Number 3: Eternal
life is granted to everyone
Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of
sin is death”, which states what our reward should be with our sinful nature. We
deserve to be punished! We deserve to die. We deserve to be eternally separated
with our Creator! But you know what? God love us so much that He doesn’t want
us to taste this punishment!
In case you don’t know, in the Old
Testament, God has punished all those who did evil in His eyes. An example of
this was in the time of Noah. In this time, God has flooded the earth and
spared only Noah’s family and the animals that are inside the ark. God showed
His wrath against all those who didn’t walk in His ways and preserved only
those who loved Him, where in this case, Noah.
God doesn’t want to do this anymore
and He wants to preserve all of us. That is why in the continuation of Romans
6:23, apostle Paul said “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
God loves us so much, that is why
He gave up His only son for our sake. It should have been us that was hanging
on that cross, but not. It is stated in John 3:16 that because God loved us so
much that He gave up His only Son! God, being a father should have been really
hurt when He gave up His son! But that is how he loved us.
Thanks to the sacrifice that Jesus
has done, now all of us can live a life without fear of death. Now, we know
that in Jesus Christ, we have an eternal life waiting after our life here on
our earthly tent.
So guys, I want you to reflect on these things this whole
week, or if you could, for the rest of your lives. Be very thankful on what
Jesus has done for you. And if you want to know more about what He has done for
you, pick up your Bible and start reading it. God bless everyone! Shalom!
Original link for the photo: http://kayequintero.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/cross.jpg
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