Jesus' Death And Resurrection For Us

It's good Friday. I've been meditating on the death of Jesus, our Lord. Isaiah (Isaiah 53) more than 700 years before it all occurred tells us the suffering servant of God would be "wounded for our sins, be bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement (punishment)of our peace would be upon Him. With His stripes we would be healed."

Isaiah goes on to say, "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." He was "smitten by God and afflicted." All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every man to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." This is the essence of the Gospel (Good News) (I Corinthians 15:3-5). Paul, the apostle, informs us that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ( the Old Testament). He was buried and was raised on the third day. His death was a ransom for us. Jesus on the cross paid the price that the Law Of God (His holiness)demanded. When on the cross Jesus said, "It is finished", He was saying that all that was necessary for our salvation had been accomplished.

Now as we allow Him to enter our hearts by faith we experience a new life in Christ. The risen Lord Jesus enters our lives through the Holy Spirit coming into us spiritually. That is how we are born again (that is ,"born from above"). Have you experienced this new birth by praying and asking Jesus to enter your life and take over as Lord and Saviour? Then you will be a "born again Christian".


The apostle Paul of the new life we have in Jesus. In Colossians chapter
3: 1-17, he writes "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God v.1)." As Christ died and rose again, so the Christian (believer) has risen out of the deadness of sins to a new life with Jesus. We are to set our minds on things above not on things that are on earth. We are to put off the old sinful nature and put on the new life in Christ. Put away:
anger,wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, sexual immorality, impurity,passion, evil desire and covetousness which is idolatry." Do not lie to one another and do not be prejudiced.

We are to put on the new nature in Christ. It consists of: "compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, putting up with one another". As Christ has forgiven us, we are to forgive others. "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony". This is the resurrected life in Jesus.
It is our responsibility to say no to sin and yes to Jesus' way. Then our risen Lord
will give the strength we need to live such a life. After all, through His death He destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14). "He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised" (II Corinthians 5:15).

Have you been changed into a new creation in Jesus? II Corinthians 5:17 puts it this way: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."