If You didn’t do what You did, I would not be able to live.

If you didn’t do what You did, I’d be lost as I could be.

I’d be blind, begging, dying.  And all without hope.

Lost, blind, begging and dying in a lost and dying world…

BUT, The Cross.

BUT, our Good Good Father saw fit to make a way so it didn’t have to be that way.

BUT, YOU, my precious Savior.  The perfect, spotless, blemish-less, sinless Lamb Who laid down Your life of Your own accord.

You went.  You suffered inconceivable pain and shame and separation for me.  For them.  For all of us.

Every act foretold in days long, long past.  Every detail fulfilled.

From the senseless hatred that drove men to kill.

To Your brilliant mercy & grace that would tear the veil of separation once and for all.

All of this, SO THAT sinners could be saved.

…like me

…like you

…like the very high priests and religious leaders who offered Him up on false charges that day

…the same crowd members on Sunday, who were pleased to shout Hosanna waving palm branches with one hand while the other launched their cloaks into the dust for Him, by Friday screaming “Crucify Him” with all the other sheep who had gone astray.

…like every single one of us

We were all lost and dying without hope.  Lost and dying and deserving hell.

BUT, Jesus.

BUT, You!  Yeshua, our Hamashiach – You didn’t back down.

You didn’t flee or crack under the pressure.

Quite literally the weight of the entire world for all of eternity was on You.

And you bore our sin.  On purpose.

The enemy really thought he had you.  He thought he won.  But, my oh my, what a surprise  he must have had when You got up!

The victory that I get to claim is the one that Jesus won.  And He gave it to me.

Is that not the greatest and most unfair and excessive gift in all of time?

Life for death.  And a crown of righteousness for my head.

Not only that, but He covered me in a robe of righteousness.  He exchanged and bore my sinful nature so that I can be adorned in jewels; a bride pure and spotless.

He took my tears and gave me joy.  He took my evil and made me holy.

In Him, my regret becomes hope.  My ugly past is redeemed for a beautiful future.

He took my spirit of heaviness and gave me a mantle of praise.

My broken heart was made new.

My broken mind was made pure.

My broken spirit was made whole.

He got wounded and I got healed.

And I think I owe Him my life.

I really do.  I look at all of that, and as I write these words it just makes total sense to me that my life is, in fact, NOT my own.

He sought me and then He bought me with His redeeming blood.

And pouring my life out for Him, holding nothing back from Him, living to obey and follow and listen for His voice every second of every single day is actually what makes sense to me.

If Jesus paid it all, then ALL to Him I owe.

He’s worthy…and He’s worth it!!!

He is risen, we are free and I am rejoicing!  Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!