March 24 - The Cross.

Luke 23:33-34                         
“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
 
We read in Genesis that God created the earth in six days. God created every ocean, every river, every mountain, and every hill.
 
Just outside the gate of Jerusalem there is a hillside. On the side of that hill, even today, there is a visible face of a skull. God created that hill, just like any other hill across the entire earth. Yet God, in His foreknowledge, must have known that that hill, Golgotha, was unlike any other hill He ever created. This was Calvary, the hill that He would see His only begotten Son give His life on. Jesus Christ freely gave His life on the cross of Calvary so that we could receive the free gift of salvation through faith in His blood.
 
The Cross that Jesus was lifted up on stood between two thieves. Of the three men on Calvary that day, only two were guilty. Each of the guilty malefactors went in separate directions after their death on their crosses. The world today is full of guilty sinners that have to make the same choice those two thieves made… whether to believe in Who Jesus was and what Jesus did, or pay the debt themselves.
 
Jesus looked down on those that surrounded His cross, and He did not condemn them… He prayed for them. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Jesus had compassion even on those who took part in His crucifixion. However the acts of the chief priests, Pharisees, and soldiers that were there that day did not place Jesus on the cross. Our sin placed Him there. Our sin was placed upon Him, and because our sin was purged that day through His blood, we can have peace with God if we will only believe.
 
Take a moment today and reflect on Calvary, the Cross, and the Crucified Saviour that took our place. Thank Him for His sacrifice and for making it possible for us to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.


Bible Reading:
Deuteronomy 11-12  |  Mark 11  |  Psalm 53