Good Friday. The Death of our King.

Read Luke 23:32-46 (with 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 3:18)

Familiarity breeds contempt.

You’ve heard that before.  Maybe you’ve said it. It’s referring to someone becoming so familiar with something or someone that they lose respect for that person or that thing.

We tend to take a lot of things for granted. Like that we have nutritious food available to us every day. Like we get to choose the clothing we wear every day. Healthcare. Job. Income. A lot of things could actually make the “for granted” list

It happens in marriages.  It can happen in friendships. And it can happen in faith.

Being part of a strong evangelical Christian church serious about proclaiming the gospel, we hear and talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus a lot… I mean A LOT! Not just every weekend. But we probably talk about it or read about it regularly. For some of us, maybe even every day of the week… or nearly, at least.

It just rolls off the tongue… effortlessly. That doesn’t mean it’s lost it’s meaning. But it could.  It’s at least familiar. Very familiar.

So, let’s take a moment to make sure it’s just familiar, and that it doesn’t breed… well, you know.

It might be good to read Paul’s and Peter’s words again. Slowly. Every word. What Paul and Peter are describing, so clearly and descriptively, is the substitutionary significance of the death of Jesus – the indispensable doctrine that Jesus died in my place because of my sin, and that He endured the wrath of God and the punishment I deserved because of my sin.

When I share the gospel with someone I like to depict that momentous, historical, life-altering occasion like this. It depicts that a transaction has taken place.

Label the top arrow “sin” and the bottom arrow “righteousness.” Jesus took my sin, and I received His righteous.  He removed the obstacle (my sin) between me and God and I received the requirement for heaven, righteousness.  A righteousness I could not earn and I do not deserve.

Your Turn

On the arrow extending from you to Jesus, put your most grievous, shameful, humiliating sin. The one that, if it were ever made public, it would reduce you to a puddle of tears. Put it on the arrow. What other sin belongs there? Things you have already done, thought, or said today? Put those on the arrow as well. See where they go? They go to the Savior. And see what you get? What you don’t deserve: righteousness. O what a Savior!

Take time right now to praise Him, celebrate Him, honor Him… worship Him.

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