Daily devotion – Why the Cross?
Gal 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”
Many people struggle with why Jesus had to suffer and die such a cruel death on the Cross of Calvary. This misunderstanding is usually accompanied with a shallow concept of the vileness of sin and how dangerous sin is.
If God were NOT just, there would be no demand for His Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die. And of God were NOT loving, there would be no willingness for His Son to suffer and die.
But God is both just and loving. Therefore His love is willing to meet the demands of His justice! God’s law demanded, Deut 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
But we have all loved other things more. This is what sin is – dishonouring God by preferring other things over Him, and acting on those preferences. This is why the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.
We glorify what we enjoy most – and it isn’t God.
Therefore sin is no small matter, because it is not against a small Sovereign. The seriousness of an insult rises with the dignity of the one insulted.
God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, is infinitely worthy of respect and admiration and loyalty. Therefore, failure to love Him for who He is, is not trivial – it is in fact treason!
For it defames God and destroys human happiness. When only need to look at our world right now to see this.
But since God is just, He does not sweep these sins under the rug of the universe. No, He feels a holy wrath against them. They demand and deserve to be punished, and God has made this very clear in His Word – “ For the wages of sin is death.” – Romans 6:23. “The soul that sins shall die.” – Ezekiel 18:4.
There is this powerful curse hanging over all sin. Not to punish it would be unjust. The demeaning of God would be endorsed. A lie would reign at the core of reality.
It is because of this that God says, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law……and do them!” Galatians 3:10 and Deuteronomy 27:26.
But the love of God does not rest with the curse that hangs over all sinful humanity. But God is NOT intent to show His wrath, no matter how holy it is.
This is why He sent His Son Jesus to absorb His wrath and bear the curse for all who trust in Him. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. – Galatians 3:13.
Our substitute, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, does not just cancel the wrath ; He absorbs it and diverts it from us to Himself. God’s wrath is just, and it was spent, not withdrawn – Jesus crucified on Calvary’s Cross!
Because of this, let us not trifle with God or trivialize His love. We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our own sin and the justice of His wrath against us.
This is why the Apostle John reminds us – 1Jo 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
God’s grace and His love for us is truly amazing!