T42D: The Cross — Christ Redeemed Our SinS
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Rodders has written a second piece for Easter:
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On 12 April Christians all over the world remembered that before Easter Sunday Jesus had to endure the betrayal, pain, agony, a spiritual separation from his father and a horrific death on a Roman cross.
We call the day “Good Friday”.
We believe it is called “Good” Friday and not “Bad” Friday because the word ‘good’ may be derived from God’s Friday, in the same way that “good-bye” is derived from “God be with ye”.
So why is the cross so important?
Because it’s central to the Christian gospel.
It’s divided how we view time between BC, before Christ, and AD Anno Domini, ‘in the year of the Lord’.
In the Old Testament the Jews had to sacrifice a spotless animal to atone for their sins. Once a year the high priest sacrificed a lamb and put its blood on a goat, which was then released into the desert to be devoured by a wild animal.
This is where we get the expression “scapegoat” from. Jesus was our “scapegoat”.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. The cross and Jesus’ resurrection show God’s receipt for salvation.
“God proved His love on the Cross, when Christ hung and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you’.” — Billy Graham
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A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.
The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. “I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
“Oh, no sir. I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later.
There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one!” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?”
Another voice shouted angrily, “We didn’t come to see this painting! We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts! Get on with the real bids!”
But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long time gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10! Let’s see the masters!” “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”
A man sitting in the second row shouted, “Now, let’s get on with the collection!”
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, but the auction is over.”
“What about the paintings?”
“I’m sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”
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God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?”
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
So the thought for today is: can you say with a hymn writer
“At the cross at the cross where I first saw the light
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day”.
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Rodders
