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Long before it was a movie, it was real life, played out in the life of our
Savior, Jesus. Jesus came as the Final Sacrifice for Sin, as the Lamb of God who
would be slain. Why? For you and for me. You see, it was sin—our sins, yours and
mine, and our lives—yours and mine, for whom our Savior came.
In the Garden of Eden so long ago a man and a woman chose to sin, and from then
on sin was born into every person on earth. That sin nature gives the
propensity, the tendency, the heart to sin—and with great struggle, it seems at
times, we war against it. Each of us are guilty for committing sins, and the
Bible tells us that that sin both separates us from God, and takes our lives.
Death is the result of sin.
Blood must be shed for the remission of
sins—in order for sin to be removed. In the
Old Testament, God allowed the blood of animals to be shed for sinners. But that
animal blood could never wash man clean from the inside out. It was God’s grace
in action. But God had something more perfect, more complete in mind. God saw
you and me, and saw our opportunity to be put back right with Him, in right
relationship by precious blood shed—by the blood shed by God’s own Son, Jesus
Christ. You see, because of the Passion of the Christ, YOUR SIN CAN BE
REMOVED, your heart can be changed, forgiveness can be yours, and precious
relationship with God as your Father is available. Jesus took your sins upon
Himself because He loves you!
The Scripture tells us that Jesus was pre-tortured to such a degree that when He
hung upon that cross He was barely recognizable as a man. No movie has ever
portrayed it quite right, but Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ gets it
closest
yet. What a tragedy, what bloody, horrific violence perpetrated against
Jesus—for
you and for me. But whatever one believes about the movie, the truth is that
Jesus
Christ came to save sinners. He led, He taught, He healed, He fed multitudes, He
raised from the dead, He had friends, and He had enemies. The Bible says He died
for all of us while we were yet enemies. Some were concerned that the movie is
anti-Semitic. I don’t believe that a bit. But the issue is NOT whether or not
the
Jews or the Romans killed Christ, but that OUR SINS killed Jesus Christ.
But the death of Jesus can ONLY be followed up with the truth of HIS
RESURRECTION. Calvary concluded with a STONE over a grave ROLLED AWAY
and a new day dawned for us all. Easter morning came!
Jesus loves you. Receive Him today as your Lord and Savior. Let His love envelop
you in His arms of salvation and grace. Receive His forgiveness. His mercy. His
love. And let The Passion of The Christ be effective FOR YOU.
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