Paid In Full

For Christians, we are just a few days from the most important holiday of our faith. More than a story on a page, more than a visual image, and more than an everyday event. This day, above all others, represents the essence of our faith, the foundation of our hope, and the anchor of our eternity.

When you think about Easter which part of the story do you find yourself focusing on? What about the scene in the garden or Jesus mock trial? Maybe it's his beating or his near death scourging. For others it's the image of Jesus carrying the cross up the long, uneven trail all the way to the top of Golgotha. And the most common image is that of the broken & beaten Jesus on the cross. All those images have a significant meaning to me, but that's not what comes to my mind first. It's in the image of the cross that I see something that shakes me to my core. There on either side of the cross; two others occupied by common thieves. Two men, familiar with sin, prone to wrong. They deserved their position on the cross, although they probably didn't deserve such a prominent death alongside the Messiah.

Why is that the image that stands out to me? Honestly, I find I have the most in common with them. At my worst, I'm as common a thief as they were. I often rob God by dishonoring his Word and his commands. I steal God's time and try to make it my own. I too find that too often I am familiar with sin and prone to wrong. Maybe you have found that to be true about yourself as well. I realized that if not for Jesus on that cross, my fate would have been the same as those two thieves. On that cross Jesus stamped my debt "Paid In Full." I didn't deserve it, but still he made it possible. The greatest day of my life was the day I accepted that payment for my sin.

My prayer is that we learn to remember such an important day more than just once per year. One way to do that is to share our experience with those we love. Enjoy the holiday and share it with others.