Death & Resurrection

Today is the day that I fast until about 3 pm, like I've been doing for most of my childhood and adulthood. I do this in remembrance of Christ's suffering and death about two millennia ago, otherwise known as Good Friday.

I'm trying to meditate and ponder on three things this year:

1) Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice but He was not a martyr. His death was not a sad event; it was the supreme triumph. Oswald Chambers once wrote that in life or death, in time or eternity there is nothing more certain than Christ's achievement [my paraphrase]. The Cross gives us back fellowship with God.
2) Jesus came to die. His death and resurrection didn't happen by accident. Rather, His sole purpose was to die for us. His incarnation would have meant nothing had He not overcome suffering and death. Christ's death and resurrection was foretold with such accuracy in Isaiah 53 (circa 700 BC), Psalm 22 (circa 1000 BC), and others, that it would take intentional unbelief to not accept it.
3) It is a Cross of God, not a cross of man. This means I can never fully comprehend it with my human knowledge and human experiences. But I do understand this: it is so easy (too easy!) to receive the gift of salvation because it was tremendously difficult for God. Or how about this: the price of salvation is too cheap (free, in fact) because God paid such a high price. Either way, what a waste it would be to reject and throw away such a precious gift.

--