Our Response to the Cross & Easter
Now what? We dare not forget what we learned or set it on the shelf of our mind until lent of 2026. What should our response be? Our response should be one of praise, thanksgiving, and worship for each of the exchanges and the resurrection.
Cursed to Blessing
Jesus was punished that we may be forgiven.
Jesus was wounded that we may be healed.
Jesus was made sin that we may be righteous.
Jesus died that we might be made alive.
Jesus was made poor that we may be rich. (prosper)
Jesus was shamed that we might receive glory.
Glory, Not Shame
Shame: “The painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, ridiculous etc., done by oneself or another.”
Poverty for Abundance
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance. If Jesus endured our poverty; if Jesus had lost everything hanging from the cross we could say that poverty is not a blessed condition, it’s not a good thing. Poverty is the opposite of abundance.
To Be Righteous
Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Forgiveness & Healing
I began last week with our topic for Lent: The Divine Exchange. That is, what all took place when Jesus was nailed to a tree – cross? More than most of us are aware. The bible explains that humanity has a universal problem called sin. We have rebelled against God. The cross of Christ is the only all-sufficient and eternal answer for our problem.
The Answer
As we begin the Lenten season I will be focusing on the result of Christmas: God became a man and lived among us, but why? Why would God, a spirit come to his creation as a created being, that is in human flesh and live as people did during the harsh Roman Empire?
Flawless
2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
The Lord Examines Our Paths
Proverbs 5:21–22 A man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.
The Will & the Work
Philippians 2:13 It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.