Lent – The Pinnacle of Love
It’s quiet now.
We’ve been walking a noisy Lenten road, bustling with activity from lives that are entirely too full. So many things take our time, energy, and thoughts—family responsibilities, job expectations, church gatherings, friendships, chores, the list is endless.
Hopefully you’ve taken time to prepare yourself, but even if you didn’t—Easter is coming. Isn’t that one of the main themes anyway? Whether you’ve done all the things you are “supposed” to or absolutely none of them—Jesus went to the cross anyway. The preparation is for us, not for Him. We can’t become more worthy of the sacrifice, and we can’t become less worthy of the sacrifice.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Throughout the reading of the story of the cross in church yesterday, my mind just kept replaying two thoughts. “I’m sorry” and “Thank you”.
There is deep sorrow for what Jesus went through all because a sacrifice had to be made for what I’ve done. For what you’ve done. He who knew no sin, became sin. He took it all, wrath kept pouring and pouring over Him and He willingly absorbed it.
He didn’t have to. Remember the story where Jesus made the leaders of the synagogue furious and they decided to stone Him but He just got up, went right through the crowds, and walked away? (Luke 4) He is God, He could have just stepped down from the cross.
But He didn’t. And that’s where the “Thank you” comes from. All the pain, the injustice, the beatings, the name-calling, the sorrow of friends turning their back—it was all for us. He knew it was the only way to end the cycle of sin and sacrifice. It is finished. One ultimate sacrifice.
Today we sit quietly in front of the tomb. It’s silent now, but soon there will be a rumbling that will shake our hearts and lives to the very core of who we are. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or if you haven’t “cleaned yourself up yet”—the sacrifice has been made and tomorrow we celebrate the pinnacle of love—whether we deserve it or not.
Written by:
Amy Schaffner
