“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6; NKJV)
When I come to see Christ on the cross because of my sins…
My pride will be broken. Pride has to do with having a high or over bearing opinion of one’s worth or importance. No one is worth more or more important than Him. How can I have a high opinion of my importance as I stand at the foot of His cross with the realization that He is dying for my sins?
My guilt will be expunged. The broken and contrite find forgiveness at the Cross. The sins of the poor in spirit are erased, removed, and remembered no more at the Cross. I am free from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus relieves my guilt at Golgotha.
Love will be kindled. Love is the response of the good and honest heart that gazes at the love expressed at Calvary. Love for Him because He is expressing love for me. Seeing Him bleed and suffer and die for my sins moves me to love Him, to worship Him, to serve Him.
Hope will be restored. Sin destroys. It robs me of hope. The Cross communicates the most profound truth of all – Jesus loves me. I have confident expectation now and forever because He died for my sins.
My character will be transformed. Jesus died for me so that I might live for Him. To gaze upon His glory is to become like Him. The more I go outside the camp and see Him suffer for me, the more conformed to His image I become.
“…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to rightesouness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24; NASBU).
Jason
