Our family sawThe Passion this past weekend and, like everybody who has seen it, were deeply moved by the graphic portrayal of the sacrifice made by Christ at the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ is the crux of time and eternity.
While the whole movie was stirring, one line touched me deeply. The scene was where Jesus was carrying his cross down the Via Dolorosa while the taunting soldiers and jeering crowd surrounded Him. Mary, His mother, watched from a distance as Jesus fell under the heavy load of the cross.
As she watched Him fall, Mary’s thoughts returned to a time when Jesus was a little boy and had fallen, scrapping His knee. She had run to Him, and picked Him up, saying, “I”m here.” Now, as He fell on the way to the cross, her maternal love and instinct took over as she ran to his side. “I’m here,” Mary said, with tears streaming down her cheeks. Jesus lifted His head, looked at His mother and said, “Mother, I make all things new.”
“I make all things new.” What a great description of the essence of the meaning of the cross. The cross of Jesus is the source of so many new things between man and God. These new things are all a part of the New Covenant (Testament) that was inaugurated by the shedding of His blood.
Consider a few of the things that Jesus made new by his death:
~ A New Identity – Now we aren’t sinners who are trying to gain God’s favor by behaving in the right way. We are saints who are, at every moment, in good standing with God because of the cross. We may still sin at times, but God never condemns us. (Romans 8:1) He loves us unconditionally because of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. As a Christian, you are God’s child and nothing will ever change that fact.
~ A New Way To Live – The cross has delivered us from the demands of religion. It is interesting to note that the main reason why the religious leaders wanted to crucify Him was because He wasn’t religious enough to satisfy them. Religion demands that we do particular things in order to satisfy God. The grace of God expressed by the cross declares that God doesn’t require us to live a life of religion, but rather live in relationship with Him. God isn’t interested in you becoming more religious. He’s just interested in you.
~ A New Hope – The hope offered by the cross is that Easter will follow . . . and it did. The death of Jesus is half the story. His resurrection is the final scene of this eternal drama. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead gives us a new hope. It offers the hope of life, both for now and eternity. The very reason for Jesus Christ coming to this earth was to give us life (see John 10:10). An abundant life is the birthright of every person who trusts in Him. Do you have life?
The Passion of Christ is a biblical love story. Jesus loved you so much that He determined He would rather die than live without you – so He did. Receive His life. Live out of that life each day. As you do, you will increasingly learn that He really did make all things new.
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