The cross did not kill Jesus!

Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus.
It is amazing what a fresh set of glasses will do for familiar hymns, songs and scriptures.
This morning I found myself bawling through some familiar songs in corporate worship.

The Love of God!
Did you know it wasn't the Romans or the Jews or even the Cross that killed Jesus? They were just the facilitators. Jesus was perfect....without sin. They could have stripped ever bit of flesh off His body and it wouldn't have killed Him. Mel did a good job with this picture in the Passion. He was perfect and scripture says that only the man that sins will die. No it wasn't the Cross that killed Him. It was my sin!

When I walked away from God (in the garden and beyond) and chose to trust myself, sin entered in to my heart and as a result I became it's prisoner. Shame, guilt, condemnation and fear entered, bringing with it it's own havoc and destruction, sending me into hiding in self indulgence and religion... and ultimately separating me from a loving God.
But my sin did not take Him by surprise. He knew that my free choice would ultimately cost Him the most.
And LOL He came looking for me. He had it all planned out before the world was made and despite my failures I was still in His plan.

Again it wasn't the cross that killed Jesus. It was my sin that killed Him. My sin cost Him his perfect sinless life.
His Choice! On the cross "He who knew no sin became my sin so that I could become the righteousness of God in Him." The father so wanted relationship with me that He chose to become my sin. How amazing is that!!!!
"God was in Christ reconciling me (and the world) to Himself"

He breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free,
His blood can make the vilest clean , His blood availed for me.

This is love, not that I loved Him but that He loved me.

The cross wasn't so He could love me. He already did.
God, becoming my sin on the the cross was so I could love Him back.
Without intimidation!
Without any condemnation!
Without any guilt or shame!
Without fear!

Oh what manner of Love the Father has bestowed on me so that I could become a child of God.