Five Poppens & a PhD: Nailed to the Cross

The soldiers led three condemned men to their place of execution. While the prisoners stumbled under the weight of heavy wooden crosses, the soldiers likely carried signs that listed each prisoner's crimes, warning those traveling outside the city walls of the terrible price paid by those who break the law. These signs were then nailed to the cross hanging over the head of the criminal.

Yet, there was one sign unlike any other.
"Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
Rather than a crime, the sign for this innocent man listed his true identity - King.
A King rejected by his own people and mocked by the Romans under allegiance to another king.

Above this sign another sign was nailed to the cross - one not put there by human hands or seen by the human eye.

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Colossians 2:13-14

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross."

1 Peter 2:24

The unseen sign listed the sins of all humanity in all of history, nailed to the cross over a blameless God-man who had done no wrong, deserved no punishment.
My sin. Your sin. Nailed to the cross. Counted against him.

Punished for our peace.

Wounded for our healing.

Uncovered in shame so we can be covered in righteousness.

Paid the price so we can walk in freedom.

Separated from God His Father so we can approach the Throne of Grace.

Died a horrible death so that we can find abundant life.

Oh, what a beautiful Savior! Jesus, this heart is overwhelmed in humble gratitude for your finished work on the cross. A work of great suffering and great cost. A work done with such steadfast faithfulness and quiet majesty. A work done with immense love and compassion. Thank you for your sacrifice that has given me the gift of life.

We did a family activity tonight in which we wrote down a few of the sins we had committed against God and against one another. One by one, we nailed them to the cross, saying thank you to Jesus for taking on our sin and washing us with forgiveness. It was a precious time of confession of both our sin and our gratitude.

We dwell in the darkness of Good Friday to share in the suffering of our Savior and respond with grateful hearts.

But we know that the darkness of this night only makes the the light of Easter morning all the more brilliant. The story is not over. Christ's work on the cross may be finished, but God's work of redemption has only just begun.

Family Update: What a month it has been! We enjoyed spending Spring Break with Didi and had many adventures. We are enjoying a beautiful spring (except the allergies part) and Zoë's school activities have been keeping us busy!