I Put Jesus on the Cross

Easter - a time of celebration for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. A time for thanksgiving to God that He sacrificed His son's life for our sins. For all sins. For my sins. How many times have I heard that before, that Jesus died for my sins. However, this Easter was different. I heard it a different way. A much different, but very liberating way.

"I put Jesus on the cross. I murdered Jesus." I am not proud to say that. I am not proud to type that. When I wrote that down during the sermon on Sunday, it took me a minute to write it. Even as I type away here, I slowed down to type that "I murdered Jesus." Jesus wasn't put on the cross because the Jews turned him over. He wasn't crucified because the Romans and the people thought he had turned against the Roman empire. I put Jesus on that cross with the my sins. I, born 1,982 years after Jesus' death, am responsible for his crucifixion. God sacrificed His son because I was going to be born and was going to be a sinner. Each time I stop to think that I put Jesus on the cross, that I murdered the son of God, I get shivers in my body.

I get those shivers for two reasons. First, I have done the most horrendous act to a human being. Second, Jesus forgave me as he was hanging on the cross. His last words, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) He's forgiving me, you, everyone, for the sins that we have committed, are committing and will commit. This man was dying on a cross, the worst way to die,and He forgave me!?! How liberating it is to be able to come to the foot of the cross and give Jesus my entire life.

This realization came to me on Sunday from the message given by our lead pastor, Jeff Kinkade. This was the most touching sermon I have ever heard. Listen to it by clicking here, Firewheel Fellowship, and click on the "Direct Link" under the sermon title Father Forgive. Your forty minutes of time is well worth it.

- Will