Jesus takes our punishment on the cross as our loving Savior. We should meditate on and be thankful for this. We could not pay the price for our sins, so the Lord, in His mercy, and grace, sent His Son Jesus into the world. Through His death, the Lord made a way for us to be forgiven and have eternal life when we come to Him in faith.
Paul writes about our Lord’s love and sacrifice for sinful people. Romans 3: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. [1] As sinful people, we deserve death and punishment, but because Jesus died for our sins, we have an opportunity to place our faith in Him and be saved. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you have eternal life. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that heaven is so wonderful that we can’t imagine how good it is.
Jesus Suffered by Being Nailed to the Cross
Our Lord Jesus did not sin, yet He took our punishment upon Himself on the cross. Death by crucifixion is a painful way to die, but even more painful were our sins poured out on Jesus. Mark 15: 24 Then the soldiers nailed Him to the cross. [2]As Jesus hung on the cross, the spiritual affected the physical. Mark 15:33 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 34 Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”[3]
The Heavenly Father had to turn away from Jesus as Jesus took our sins upon Himself. This time of separation was the cup Jesus dreaded as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”[4]
We can be Forgiven Because Jesus Took Our Punishment
Jesus gives us the gift of forgiveness because of His amazing love for us. 1 John 1: 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.[5]
If you carry the burden of sin today, the Lord wants you to confess and leave your sins at the cross. Nothing is more freeing than coming to the cross and being free of such a burden that weighs us down. With forgiveness, there is freedom because our sins can trap us and keep us in darkness. As the Lord forgives us, He leads us out of darkness into His marvelous light, for He is the Light of the World.
To hear how Jesus takes our punishment, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-the-one-jesus-didnt-save
[1-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.