What Christ Really Did

We know that Jesus led a pure life, free from the selfishness of sin that rules over us everyday. And we know that he died on a cross "for our sins." At least that's what we always hear. We are redeemed, made worthy again, because, in general, we all suck. If you say you don't suck you're a liar (1 John 1:8).

But what Jesus did on the cross goes beyond that. (I have always wondered what "taking on the sins of the world" must have felt like). Ephesians 1:4,5 reads "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."

The word adoption in Roman times had a more significant meaning than it does now. Roman citizenship had a lot of value. In fact that's how Paul escaped getting into some of the trouble that he would have had he been a gentile. His citizenship protected him. When someone was adopted they not only had a home and family for protection, they were also granted Roman citizenship which gave them rights and benefits that they were not born into.

When Paul writes about us being "adopted as his sons through Christ" he means that through Christ's sacrifice we became adopted children of God, worthy of the glory that Jesus himself had, worthy of a glory that we were not born into or deserved. Not only are we forgiven of our natural sin and made whole, we are made new and made right with God. We are made into what God ultimately intended for us to be: brothers and sisters of Christ, designed to reflect and glorify our Father with our lives. And to share in his joy and peace.

But Christ had to make a hideous decision. He had to look at man, in his selfish, fallen state and be willing to be separated from his Father, in order to restore man to his intended state of sonship. And not only that, but he had to make that decision without the assurance that anyone would even give a crap. Would you forsake knowing God so that someone else could? Would you do it knowing that they might never acknowlegde what you did or even give a crap?

And yet he did it. He did it because he knew it would please his Father. He knew his Father's heart and his Father's will. And though in the garden he pleaded that God would "take this cup" from him (Matt 26:39), he did it anyway.

We are called to live that way. We are called to lay down our wills, what we think is right, what we feel is justified, even our lives, in order to please our Father. And we're to do that for each other. Husbands for wives, wives for husbands. Even for a stranger who doesn't give a crap.

Luke 9:23-25 reads "Then he said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?'"

Your very self is a son or daughter of God.