|
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
- Isaiah 53:5-
Pierced. Crushed. Punished. Wounded.
Those are the words Isaiah uses to describe the suffering servant. Our Lord suffered greatly, but the spitting, the scourging, the bleeding, the piercing, and the mocking were not the worst part. The worst part was that Jesus took our sins upon himself and suffered the full wrath of God- the wrath you and I fully deserve. It was our sin that Jesus took upon the cross that dark, dark afternoon and the sins of the world weighed heavily upon him.
Incredibly, the saving work of Jesus is just that- taking my sin, your sin, the sin of the world upon himself, and so ‘by his wounds we are healed.’
Jesus, fully man, bled and died. His blood spilled on a hill named “Skull.” The cross reminds us of his great sacrifice. The resurrection reminds us death has no power over Jesus! Because of him, death has no power over us either.
Friday night, we remember the places of the Passion where Jesus suffered, culminating in the cross, where we see our Lord Jesus crucified for sinners like us. Friday night, we will remember the cross.
But Sunday morning, oh yes, Sunday morning, we will celebrate the empty tomb where the angel proclaimed, “Don’t be alarmed… He has risen!”
May this Holy Week remind you of God’s incredible sacrifice and unfailing love. See you Friday night, then again on Sunday morning!
I can’t wait!
Pastor Austin
| 
