In Romans 4:25 Paul summarizes what we will celebrate from today (Maundy Thursday) through Sunday (Easter): “He [Jesus] was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” Here is a parable to give clarity to what Jesus has done for us and how we should respond to it.
Imagine that you are one hundred thousand dollars in debt through your own irresponsible decisions. Creditors are now coming after you so much that you are convinced you will not survive it.
Then out of the blue the investor, business tycoon, philanthropist, and the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, calls you up to say, “Hey, I have heard about your tough situation and I would like to give you a gift of one hundred million dollars. That will not only wipe out your debt, it also will assure that you have sufficient resources for all you need the rest of your life. Will you accept this gift? I will transfer the funds to your bank account.”
Let’s say that you have learned that Buffett is a man of his word and he can afford such a gift. Two questions arise. First, will you turn from trying to make your predicament right yourself and turn to Warren Buffett, trusting him to wipe out your debt and to supply you with wealth for the rest of your life? In other words, will you accept the gift? Most likely, the answer would be, “Yes.” Second, with what kind of attitude would you respond to this offer? For many the answer is with great gratitude but also a heightened sense of grief over your irresponsible decisions that made his actions necessary and with a resolve to be faithful into the future with such a gift.
No parable is perfect, but this one does help illustrate what Jesus Christ has done for sinners like you and me and so it gives us a picture of what we remember during Holy Week.
We all are in debt to God as those who have rebelled against him, lived as if he is not there, and this debt is beyond what we can pay. What we owe God is to face the eternal punishment for our transgressions against an eternal God. Jesus took the penalty for sinners upon himself and paid it in full through his death upon the cross.
At the same time, we not only face that debt, we face the need for a perfectly righteous and holy life so that we can be in God’s presence and his heaven forever. Jesus also met this requirement for sinners by living a perfect life, always doing the will of the Father.
And what is more, when Jesus was raised from the dead he not only proved his death was a saving death and not just that of a criminal, he conquered sin and death and this results in the spiritual resurrection of sinners now to a new way of living. His resurrection also results in the future physical resurrection of those same persons to an eternal life with no pain, suffering, illness or death, i.e. to ever-increasing joy in his presence.
The main question that is posed to us as a result of the work Jesus accomplished that first Holy week is this: Will you turn from trying to save yourself and with grief over your sin and a desire to follow Jesus in love and gratitude, will you trust him alone so you can be forgiven of your sins by God with the result that you will want to follow Jesus? In other words, will you, by faith, receive this free gift of salvation? When someone does this, God credits them with the perfect righteousness (his life and death) of Jesus Christ.
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him [Jesus] whom he [God the Father] sent.” “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he commanded us.” (John 6:29; 1 John 3:23)
Joyfully Trusting In The Savior,
Tom
