By Femi Alufa
Jesus, the first century Jewish carpenter of Nazareth modeled the Law of sacrifice as the Sin bearing Messiah.
One of the greatest Prophets of the Old Testament and indeed Jewish history before Him, Prophet Isaiah said:” Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God and afflicted.
( Isaiah 53:4)
Today, like every Good Friday as a memento of the suffering,brutality and His death on the Cross of Calvary,the master Carpenter had finished the work of our faith.
Jesus modeled the “Exchanged Life” when He took our sin,pain,and failures so that we could have His righteousness, healing and victory.This is the essence of the entire gift of redemption which He offered on the Cross of Calvary.
Today,we are reminiscing the ultimate sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ has made for us all. What was lost at the Garden of Eden was restored at the Cross of Calvary.Jesus sacrificed greatly with Agape Love so that we might enjoy not only His concomitant blessings here on earth but the gift of eternal life after here.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on His Agape love and the forgiveness He offered us.The master Carpenter had finished the job.He completed the work of our salvation.
You don’t have to work to be saved because the master Carpenter had finished the job perfectly.You only need to put your faith in Him , and your sins are forgiven and your place in eternal life is assured.
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto JESUS ,the author and finisher of our faith,who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of GOD”.( Hebrews 12:1-2)
May this day be also a reminder that it is not about ‘Eli, Eli,Lama Sabach thani?’ ( ‘My God,my God,why have you forsaken me?),we are never alone, the true ‘renewed hope’ is always within reach. Our Christian faith’s gold medal victory is on Easter day as the cornerstone of our faith.
We should consider the suffering we are experiencing in our walk with Christ as an opportunity to identify with Him in obedience,to take up His cross and identify with the forgotten ones,the hoi polloi,the wretched of the earth because of His Agape love.
Jesus dies on the cross on the first Good Friday,He defeated our greatest enemy ,death itself.The event of the next three days would proof us right and the work of our redemption was finished.
Jesus choose to endure torture, mocking, brutality and an excruciating death of crucifixion.He decided to gave up His life to gain the world as the King on a rugged cross.
Servant Leaders paid price for the people but the one modeled by the Sin – bearing Messiah is the supreme price paid on behalf of us all . He is supreme above all principalities in the end.This is the Law of Victory.
Happy Good Friday!
- Femi Alufa is the Publisher/ CEO of Ekiti Summit News Media Group.