| GOD and US |
| The Crucifixion: End of What? Beginning of What? |
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| So what was finished -- what ended
-- at the Crucifixion? One likely answer to that question is His life. But when we think about that more carefully we see that only one facet of that statement is true and then for just a brief three day period. Jesus was both fully human and fully God. Jesus, Son of man, did temporarily die. Jesus, Son of God, did not, for God cannot die. Jesus, Himself, gives us insight about this with His words in John 10:17-18 "...I lay down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again...." NKJV. That which was Jesus and fully God was alive and conscious while that which was fully human of Jesus was in the grave for three days. Jesus life as a human came to a brief end but quickly resumed at the resurrection. Another likely answer is that it was the end of the horrible suffering he endured -- a terrible suffering so graphically depicted in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. The very Almighty Creator God of everything and of everyone -- including those who cursed, spat upon, insulted, beat, scourged and crucified Him -- suffered intense physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. His suffering was finished -- it did end -- as Jesus breathed His last. What else ended? Mark 15:37-38 tells us that "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." That brief statement is filled with meaning and helps answer our question of what ended at the crucifixion. The veil or curtain that was torn in two from the top to the bottom was a very large, thick, heavy curtain that separated the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. Some historians say it was 60-90 feet long, 30 feet high and as thick as a man's palm is wide. The point is, we're not talking about some small bit of sheer -- it was no small event and not coincidence, that at the time Jesus died this curtain was torn in two. There is tremendous symbolism in the tearing of this curtain. Prior to Jesus' death the Levitical priesthood mediated a limited relationship with God and the people of Israel. The Most Holy Place in the temple pattern contained the Ark of the Covenant. In it were the stone tablets of the covenant on which were engraved the Ten Commandments. It also contained the Mercy Seat (Hebrews 9:4-5). The Most Holy Place was entered only one day every year on the Day of Atonement by the High Priest to make atonement for the sins of Israel. That High Priest as Hebrews chapters 7 and 8 point out was totally replaced by Jesus Christ, so the Levitical priesthood is one of the things that came to an end at Jesus' death. The implication of this is that now we have direct contact with God. Whatever efficacy the sacrificial system of the old covenant had also ended as Hebrews 9:11-14 and 10:4 explain. In fact -- and this is one of the most significant things -- the old covenant itself came to an end at Jesus' death. With the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant came an end to guilt for sin -- an end of punishment for sin -- for those who accept Jesus' sacrifice as sufficient to forgive their sins. The old covenant law itself ended because its very purpose was to lead us to Christ (the meaining of which is that we now have a direct relationship with Him because through faith we accept His righteousness and His sacrifice for our sins, instead of trying to establish our own righteousness by law keeping). Galatians 3:24-25 tells us that "...the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." So what began at the Crucifixion? Jesus Christ became our Savior at the crucifixion. New life of "being saved" began at the Crucifixion. Those who accept Jesus' sacrifice for salvation are given a new life -- they're born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-7). Jesus, who Himself is both God and man, even while seated at the right hand of the Father God in heaven, is our mediator with the Father -- He is the bridge from sinful humans to sinless God. 1 Timothy 2:5 says it this way, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Jesus came to earth to be the Emmanuel or "God with us." Now He is at the Father's right hand as "man with God!" The Father actually raises those who accept Christ's mediation up with Jesus to heaven. Ephesians 2:4-5 talks about this, "...because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,..." This word picture shows an incredibly close relationship with God -- a relationship, fellowship, participation with -- living in the spirit in communion with God. This was something new beginning with Christ's crucifixion. Of one part with the new life in the Spirit, the New Covenant and its era of grace began. The Old Covenant of law based on the Ten Commandments has been replaced by the New Covenant of grace -- of mercy and forgiveness -- of our sins not being counted against us. Our righteousness -- better said, our miserable attempts at righteousness where we've ticked off a list of those things we have successfully avoided doing and ticked off another list of things we have done while ignoring others that we didn't avoid or haven't made the grade on -- is totally eclipsed by Christ's love and acceptance of us -- of His perfect righteousness becoming ours because His righteousness is imputed to those who accept Him. Eternal life began with Jesus crucifixion and subsequent resurrection and is granted to all those who put their faith in Jesus -- for those who trust in Him as The One who can save them (the name "Jesus" means "savior" after all). The words of John 3:16-17 are helpful here: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." A peace that passes understanding -- a rest in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3 & 4) and the certainty of what He has done for us -- began with Jesus' crucifixion. We know our righteousness is fatally flawed. We know we can't save ourselves. There is incredible rest in placing our trust in the Son of God -- the perfect, sinless One, who died for our sins so we don't have to. There is incredible rest in putting our trust in Him Who is trustworthy! In summary, life in the Spirit began after Jesus' crucifixion just as he told the Samaritan woman at the well that it would in John 4:23-24, "...a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." |
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