Do you know that you have a date scheduled at the highest court to face the most superior judge? We all do. One day we will each come face-to-face with the Almighty God to hear the verdict on our life.
Are you prepared? How do you even get prepared? I suppose you could show up with a list of all the “good” you’ve done, but considering the fact that the mark has been set at complete holiness, our “good deeds” won’t cut it. There is no such thing as “good enough”.
We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. (Isaiah 64:6 NLT)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23 NLT)
So how do we prepare? How will we convince God not to convict us of crimes we’re clearly guilty of and sentence us to eternal death? God’s holiness insists that the penalty for sin be paid – but his mercy offers a way for this debt to be paid by someone else. God offers us a Savior.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8 NLT)
Imagine a murderer standing before a judge with evidence clearly convicting him of his crime. The judge sees the crime photos and the details are abhorrent to him. This man must pay! Then imagine the judge’s own son stepping in front of the guilty man and offering to take the punishment for him. Imagine his son stepping in front of every guilty person that steps into that court room and offering the same thing. That is exactly what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He took every sin committed by every person throughout all time upon himself and died once and for all so that we could live.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 NIV)
Now imagine that you are that man in the court room, clearly guilty and ready to be sentenced. When the judge’s son steps forward, do you say – “No thanks. I’ve got this.” Do you try to offer some other deal to avoid the final consequence for your deed? Or do you throw your arms around the son, thankfully accepting his sacrifice?
The Bible is clear … Jesus is the only way. And the only way you can be prepared to face the Father is if the Son is standing with you at your court date.
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts of the Apostles 4:12 NLT)
We should all reflect during this Holy Week on the amazing sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and what we’ve personally done with it. He lovingly took our punishment and now he sits at the right hand of the Father as our mediator. And whether we accept that amazing gift and turn away from the ways of the world is of eternal significance.
“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot. (Job 9:32-35 NIV)
For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6 NLT)