Underserving Recipient

The kids touching a life size "crown of thorns" like what they put on Jesus as a mockery to His claims that He was the "King"

This week is a very precious week here in our family as we reflect the Death and Resurrection of Christ our precious Saviour. This past Saturday my husband and I wanted to start preparing not only our own hearts but the hearts of our children about the beauty of the meaning of why we celebrate Easter Sunday. So we tried to think of a verse that would be realistic for us all to memorize by Sunday Morning, so we chose Romans 6:5-7, "For if we have been united together with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall certainly be united together with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." I was humbled how often I don't think of the cross when I sin, but of how little I think of the cross.

It was when we were reading these verses in Isaiah that I was reminded again of the sacrifice Jesus made so that I could have peace with God. My sin was enough to send me to hell for eternity! Thankfully for the believer these verses are so freeing and precious. Remember, these verses were written hundreds of years before Jesus entered our world. IS. 50:6 "I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting." Why didn't He cover His face? Why didn't He stop them from all the strikings? Notice he says in the beginning of ISAIAH 50:6, "I gave...". It's not, "poor Jesus", or "poor guy", or "what a bummer for Him". No no no, you see this was what you and I deserved for sinning even just one iota of a sin against a Holy, beautiful God. But God who is Holy and just must punish sin, just as we want to see someone pay for their crime and justice served, we have a crime committed against God-it's called sin. There needs to be justice and it will be punished either by us or by the precious Lamb of God-Jesus. Thankfully, for those who have embraced Christ and trusted in His work on the cross, the Bible tells us in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Praise God for His undeserved Grace and Mercy!!!!!

The last verse we read this evening was IS. 53:5 "But He was pierced through for our transgressions (breaking God's laws), He was crushed for our iniquities (sins); the chastening (punishment) for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed."
I was headed to death row, I loved my sin more than Christ at one time, but my Jesus stepped in and paid the penalty due God for my sins yesterday, today, and tomorrow! I stand justified! Justice has been served and served by Jesus Christ, when God looks at me He sees His son's blood which covers my sins, what a gift that I can never repay, nor can I try to. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is not the result of works, so that no man may boast." My works are only the result of what Jesus has done for me and in me, not the cause of my salvation by any means according to scripture.

When's the last time you thought about going down to the prison and standing in line to take the punishment for just one guy on death row?

Thoughts to ponder, Jesus, A God who would have a love like this is a God that I want to love and serve for all eternity!