punishment – Amy Linnea

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6

Words utterly fail.

It isn’t possible to find adequate words, expressing how grateful we are for your sacrifice, Jesus.

You came to us for this time. Good Friday and Easter.

Your entire life was lived for this purpose.

To suffer and die in our place.

To take our punishment onto your holy and sinless self.

Each drop of spit falling off your face was meant for us.

Each thorn thrust into your head was meant for us.

Each whip lash was meant to tear our flesh, not yours.

Each insulting word was meant to insult us, not you.

Each nail driven into your hands and feet was meant to pierce our flesh.

Not yours.

Not your holy feet who willingly walked this earth, sharing the love of the Father.

Not your holy hands who willingly healed the hurting people clamoring to you.

When you hung on the cross with the weight of our sin, God turned away.

He left you utterly alone.

That should have been us as we are the sinful ones, not you.

We are deserving of death, not you.

Yet you chose to die for us.

You willingly took our pain and suffering away, bearing it all on your own.

But that’s why your death won the victory. Why the devil has been defeated once and for all.

You were and are the spotless lamb.

The Prince of Peace.

The sinless sacrifice for us, Your children.

It’s why we are now set free forever and ever from sin, death, and the grave when we choose You.

When we choose You over ourselves.

When we acknowledge Your sacrifice, cleansing us from our sin.

Reflecting this Easter, it seems impossible.

You, a perfect sacrifice, choosing us over you.

Yet, You did just that. You cancelled our debt for all of eternity.

We are forever grateful.

We are forever yours.

We are forever and ever yours.

Fill us afresh with a new awe of Good Friday. Of your sacrifice.

May we live every day in the shadow of the cross.

And may we live with the hope of Easter, knowing You have indeed conquered it all.

Photos by Alex Noriega, Jon Tyson, Dylan McLeod, & Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:24-25

Adam and Eve only had each other.

That was it.

Literally.

They had to rely on each other for all conversation, companionship, and love.

They didn’t have a mother or father to leave as they were all there was.

Moses, the author of Genesis, included verses 24-25 as, unlike Adam and Eve, we must choose to leave our parents.

When we marry, we become a new family, needing to rely only on each other instead of others.

That’s the design of marriage.

Becoming the other half.

Selfishness can enter, causing the balance to upend, but knowing we are to live for the other, common decency is expected. Demanded even.

Notice how comfortable they were simply existing with each other alone?

The absence of sin caused their minds to belong only to God and their surroundings, which included each other.

They weren’t distracted by things such as clothing or even work.

Sure, they had to find their food, cutting down the fruit, harvesting the veggies, or whatever they ate, but remember actual work was part of the punishment of sin.

Sin causes us to be distracted.

Not satisfied with what we have.

Always wanting more.

Let’s refocus again on God and what He has for us.

Boil it back down to the basics: God, His purpose for you, and your alignment with Him.

Because it will be good. Very good.