The middle of a sunny afternoon, and the sky suddenly darkened to a thick, menacing black. Day turned to night in a moment's time.
Then came a low rumble, deep in the heart of the earth's foundations. It grew and built until the world seemed to be shaking itself out of orbit.
Great cracks ripped across the ground like a garment being torn apart at the seams. The sky itself roared with a cacophony of thunderous sound. The planet cried out---its Maker had just laid down His life.
The Creator. His breath had spoken the universe into existence. And His breath had just left His body.
The Lamb. Slain from the foundation of the world, yes. And now that prophecy had been fulfilled.
Jesus. His hands held the fate of mankind. And they were nailed to a wooden cross. His heart was so perfectly compassionate, so eternally and deeply loving. And it had just stopped beating.
Is it any wonder that the creation itself was moved? The day His life ended, every prophecy concerning the coming Messiah was completed. The atonement for man's sin was fulfilled. God's law was satisfied, his wrath appeased. When He cried, "It is finished!", it was. Nothing was left to do for the salvation of man. Nothing.
The day Christ faced death was the day He made sure we wouldn't have to.
If the creation trembled on this day, imagine how it must have rejoiced three days later. For on the first day of the week, Jesus took up his life again. He has the power and authority to lay it down, and to take it up again. The day that borrowed tomb opened was the day he proved once and for all that He was the perfect Son of God, the One who holds the keys of death and hell!
The day Christ rose to life eternal was the day He granted it freely to you and me!
Will you take it?
Okay, so perhaps it's partly because you kept me up late last night ;P, or because the dog I'm taking care of just threw up :(, but I felt like crying when I read this post. It's just so heartbreakingly beautiful! May we never forget what He did for us.
ReplyDeleteMy family was actually listening to a sermon recently about the crucifixion, and the pastor brought up a verse in Matthew 27 that I'd never noticed before. The passage said "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;"
"And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,"
"And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
I have heard a lot about the temple veil ripping in twain, and the amazing significance of that. And I knew about the earthquake, that's pretty big. The rocks rending themselves is interesting, but for the first time in my life I heard someone point out verse 56. The graves WERE OPENED, and MANY OF THE SAINTS WHICH SLEPT AROSE. Believers were resurrected from the dead after Christ arose?? They went into the city and appeared unto many? HOW DID I MISS THIS VERSE?!?!
Anyway..I am calming down now. That just really surprised me when I realized what it meant, and your post reminded me of it. :D I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!