Hope you had a wonderful Easter. So why did Jesus have to die for us? Did a cold, angry God demand Jesus' cruel sacrifice? How did Jesus' death and resurrection cancel our Sin? These are age-old questions that have to answered for each generation.
First, I don't think the death and resurrection can be separated, because they are of one cloth. Simply put, Jesus lived, died, and rose again because God's self-sacrificing love for us. Jesus' death made concrete how much God loves us. Like many hymns say, Jesus gave it all. Through a great act of love, God fulfilled our part of the covenant. God also does this in Genesis. See Genesis 15:12-21. Here God takes the part of the less power party in a contract "signing." In Jesus,' God made Himself vulnerable--the least, the last, and the lost.
When Jesus died and the temple curtain tore top to bottom, it means that God, Himself, tore it, undoing the separation between Him and us. That is the whole point, Jesus' death and resurrection, was a continuation of Jesus' life's work: to break down the barriers that we put up that separate us from God. But also to break down unhealthy barriers between us as people. That is the meaning of the word, Sin. It means separation from God. It took God to make our relationship with Him right. That is what the word "righteousness" means--right relationship.
No, God is not a cruel tyrant demanding innocent blood. God's extreme and extravagant love was personified in Jesus. And God can indwell in us as well if we are open to seeing and believing Jesus.
Happy Easter,
Kathy
Yes, we really had a good Easter service at our church. We had good attendance, good music, great prayers and sermon. I felt like I was really worshiping an Awesome God and not just fellowshipping or being entertained for my own personal enjoyment. Perhaps it was the preparation all throughout Lent and Holy Week that helped prepare me for true (sincere) Worship. This service made an impact because it was for Jesus' resurection and his marvelous love for us.
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