"It is finished."

"Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19: 30

Today, the darkest day in history...the ultimate sacrifice was given. The promise to give us eternal life and be with God...was fulfilled.
I still can't wrap my head around it all. The fact that God, OUR FATHER, loved us so much He sent His one and only son to die for us. (John 3:16) And Jesus wanted us to be with God, to receive His glory, His goodness....He was willing to bear it all. That God's will will be done.

I feel like every year since i could remember, Good Friday and Easter just came and went. I mean, i understood it was the time that God's promise, tracking all the way back to the first sin committed, was fulfilled. Since the first sin, God made a plan. A plan to save us under His wrath. That through His Son, we may ALL be saved. But...how quick are we to just say it. To even proclaim and cry about it! But do we actually let it sink in? Let God reveal to us how deep that is and how significant today is..

I mean come on. If someone took a bullet for me, i'd know its love. I'd totally make a "holiday" for it and give all my respect and love to them. I'd be convinced i am loved.
So how about the cross? Do we really know what that means?

I admit fully and shamefully that until this past lent season, it wasn't anything special. I mean, yeah Jesus died and it was amazing and we're all saved. (yipeee!) But..i don't know. I just never thought of it the way i am now thinking of it. Like....Jesus was also human. He came down in human form. He went through all the temptations, all the actions, all the worldly things we experience on a daily basis. But He glorified GOD. He CHOSE to let God take over and let HIM be glorified- not this world, not anything else.

He even asked God to "take this cup" from him (Luke 22:42) when the hour came near...but..

"An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Luke 22: 43-44

So we see in these verses His earnest prayer to God. Jesus knew God's plan for Him. It was to live the perfect, sinless life...then take on the burden of all sins. To get the whole wrath of God on our behalf. How scared and lonely must that have been......He even asked God to take the cup from Him. But he still goes on to say right after, "yet not my will, but yours be done." So Jesus asked God to take away the burden, but also if He can't, it's all good..because it's ultimately God's will to be done. He is so obedient and faithful. (We should probably be more like Him in our daily lives..)

But going back to what really just strikes me-- He was sinless. He didn't do anything!!!!! It gets me so mad and angry thinking about how people yelled out "Crucify Him!" (Mark 15:13) -- Like..come ON! What did he do?! Even if someone today committed murder, who are we to sentence them to death? God is the ultimate judge. All the sins i've committed and will commit..still doesn't measure up to the gruesome death He faced. Yet His death was made and planned the way it was, to top it all. It was the saddest, tragic, worst, but best death to ever happen. (for US!)

So i don't really know what else to say but...let's just remember today. Not as a day we got off of work and school. But....a day to remember. To honor and respect our God, who gave it all. Who loved us so much to the point of death. How can you even fathom? I can't!!! It's just so surreal and amazing and unimaginable.

He loves us man...so so much. But let's just remember as well that He didn't die for nothing. He died that we may be blameless, pure, and white as snow. That our sins may be forgiven and we may have new and eternal life with the Father- just as He did. Once we comprehend, once we acknowledge and know in our hearts that truth, that amazing amazing truth...we can't stay the same. We have to want to make changes! I mean, trust me, it takes time..and we'll never be perfect. We will always fall short of His grace and all He's done. BUT! That by no means is an excuse to give ourselves false humility and not even try.

As we were justified in Christ, we were sanctified in Him as well. So going towards the Resurrection and the rest of our days on this temporary earth we live in, let's just love. Let's love our God-who loved us before the world was even created. Let's love one another- as Christ showed us through his life on earth- for we are all brothers and sisters unified through Him.

Again, i know it's easier said than done...but we gotta try right? We owe Jesus that much..He paid it all.

"I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, no turning back."

Do Everything in Love, Always~
SK