[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.” We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]
History’s Hinge by Mark Robinson
Read: John 19:1-27
Certain events are so important you can mark time by them. For instance:
- 9/11/01 is a date that changed modern American history (like Pearl Harbor before it).
- Many can mark time by family status (pre-married, post-married, pre-kid, post kid, etc.)
Because of the impact of certain events varies from person to person, in a sense, we are all living on different calendars. While Kimberly and I measure time pre and post transplant, you probably don’t. Further, even though some events impact all of us in some ways, the same event does not impact all of us equally. 9/11 has an even greater weight in the life of a family who lost a loved one on United Airlines Flight #93 than it does on me.
However, there is a single event in history that equally impacts all mankind. Truly our calendars count years up to and away from this significant event. It is the events of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These events are the most critical in history, dividing the world into “B.C.” and “A.D.” epochs.
The New Testament books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John detail and recount for us the earthly life of Christ in general, but are laser focused on the end of Jesus life even more than His beginning. Don’t believe me? Check the evidence:
- 25% of Matthew deals with the last week of the life of Christ.
- 33% of Mark focus on the period of time between Palm and Resurrection Sundays.
- 62% of Luke is spent with Jesus “setting His face to go to Jerusalem” where He would die on the cross (see Luke 9:51-ff.)
- 43% of John zeroes in on Holy week events
- Every major sermon in the book of Acts expounds upon the crucifixion/resurrection.
- Paul says in 1 Cor. 15 that our “faith is in vain” if Christ is not raised from the dead.
- In the book of Revelation, Jesus appears as the Lamb that was slain . . .
The crucifixion/resurrection of Christ is THE KEY event in history, and it impacts all humanity. At first glance, it may seem that it impacts only Christian people. Certainly the Easter events mean so much to me . . . I trusted Christ as Savior on Easter Sunday 1990. However, a deeper gaze at the cross helps us see that the events of holy week impact all in an intense way.
On the cross, the innocent/perfect Son of God died. As He died, God poured out His wrath concerning sin on Jesus, making His death even more horrific spiritually than physically (if that is possible.) Any who place their faith in Jesus Christ will see their sins forgiven and paid for by Jesus’ atoning work, while any who reject Him must face the same spiritual punishment Jesus endured after their death. In this way, all humanity hinges on the cross . . . not just for this temporal calendar but for eternity. What you do in response to this critical event is the single most important thing about you.
Question:
- In what way is the death/resurrection of Jesus the central event of YOUR life?
Prayer:
- Thank God for the forgiveness He offers us through the death of Jesus Christ.