Yesterday at church we read all of Matthew 26-27. It’s a longer than usual reading. But certainly a great use of 20 minutes of your life!
We may hear some of the incidents in isolation, or in smaller readings. Yet there’s something powerful about the cumulative effect and power of hearing al the events of Jesus’ final day – from death plot to burial plot.
Some sentences that came to mind for me thinking about what Jesus did on the cross:
# Jesus was unloved by all, for in judgement he was cut off from love itself
# No one spoke up on behalf of Jesus, because the judgement of God was pronounced against Jesus on behalf of us
# Jesus did not deserve the penalty, yet Jesus did not share the penalty
# Jesus is not ruler and saviour despite the cross, he is saviour and ruler – and revealed as saviour and ruler – by means of the cross
No doubt you could think of many more. Without cliché, the Easter events form the truly powerful and moving story.