Perspectives

You and I can’t forget the Easter season. We can’t forget how Jesus challenged His people when He approached Jerusalem. He knew that He was about to be crucified, but the love He had for us, and the lost citizens of the whole world, He could not hide. The depths of Christ’s love so wanted to draw together all of humankind to the cross; but most say, “No! We don’t want you.” Somehow you and I can feel the pain in Christ’s heart. The extreme anxiety, the rejection, the hurt; but also, the patience of God is there; after all, people in His day and today, still reject Christ and all the messengers that God has sent. But we can also see the love of God and the patience of God. He didn’t give up; He didn’t throw them off like a dirty piece of cloth. His love is immeasurable, unlimited as He puts up with our sins, and our rejection of His invitation.

Did you know that Jesus can’t force us to accept His message of salvation? That decision rests with us; we must make that choice. Sometimes I feel that it is an awful responsibility, we can either accept or reject Christ’s invitation. Christ will not force His way into our heart; His only weapon, if you want to call it that, is His outstretched arms as He pleads with us to come to the Cross. One more thought that just popped into my mind; is the development, the work in progress that is behind sin. We look on Jesus in all His passion, in all His splendour; and then we go ahead and refuse His invitation. Yes! The sad part is that our heart has no handle on the outside; we must open it from the inside. That means sin is a deliberate rejection of Christ’s invitation if we refuse to open the door to our heart.

Matthew 27:45-46 . . . 45) From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46) About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” How about if we pause for just a moment and ask ourselves these questions . . . Can we penetrate Jesus’ thoughts here and gain access to His inner being? Can we feel the anguish of His heart, His passion as His soul is laid bare for us? Can we for but a moment enter Jesus’ heart and mind as He hung on the cross, as he became the sacrifice for the sins of the entire world; hanging between heaven and earth? He became the stair-well coming down from God in heaven to our heart so that we might be saved. But as Christ was hanging there God forsook Him for a brief moment; why would God do that?

The reason was; as Jesus was hanging on the cross, during those awful three hours, and as the darkness became impenetrable . . . He took all our sins; Jesus gave His own soul as an offering for all our sins; and God the Father was pleased with that sacrifice. Christ was suffering! He cried like a wounded helpless person, maybe it didn’t even sound like a human cry, but like nothing you or I could imagine as our sins were pushed down upon Him. Then that awful mob and spectators increase His suffering, by laughing, shouting, and shaking of heads . . . “He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver Him, now let God deliver Him if He is the Christ,” they shouted. Then the Pharisees sat down and watched the Lord Jesus Christ die. One must really be spiritually dead to do that! I don’t think a person can get any lower that that! But what did Jesus do . . . Luke 23:34: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Christ asked forgiveness for their sin. And a centurion who was in charge of the execution was saved.

A final thought . . . Is it possible that we can’t totally understand all that happened between God and Jesus that day? I know that is true in my case. But my heart still overflows with praise when I think of the amazing grace that Jesus should end His life on the Cross with a prayer that God should forgive “US” because we didn’t know what we were doing—that is amazing grace. We were lost and spiritually blind; but He taught our hearts to hear His still small voice; and He encouraged us that we would heed that voice so He could enter our hearts and lead us through all our trials and struggles. Amazing! Truly amazing! Me a sinner; that he would forgive a sinner such as me! No wonder our hearts cry out . . . To God Be the Glory Great Things He has done! Just imagine when this body of ours, this mortal life shall come to an end, we will be with Christ enjoying a life of peace and joy beyond anything you or I can imagine . . . and all because of what Christ did for us on the Cross.

Would you pray this prayer with me . . . “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I don’t have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen