Because of the nature of today and what it means to me as a Christian and follower of Jesus, I simply want to share one of my favorite texts with you, written by Chris Anderson. It speaks of my Jesus and the sacrifice we remember today:

 

“His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ‘neath God’s rage.
Draped in His righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place He died.

His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting Law Christ mastered in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
Saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life.

His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.
Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried “Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid; propitiation won.

His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though His foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!

I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own:
My praise – my all – shall be for Christ alone.”

 

The part that really speaks to me is towards the end:

“He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though He, embraced and welcomed home!”

It brings to mind the passage in Isaiah 53:4-6

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

 

Today, I do not celebrate.

But I remember.

I choose to think on my sin that crushed my Savior. I choose to think on the pain I brought Him.

The fact that I, not a lost sheep, but a stubborn one, turned from my Shepherd Who bore the sins of all.

And I worship Him because of it.

“Bought by such love, my life is not my own:
My praise – my all – shall be for Christ alone.”