All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Isaiah 53:6 (New American Standard Bible)
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Back in the days of corporal punishment there’s a beautiful story told of a teacher who had been trying to teach the concept of justice to his class. One of his students was a boy who was unruly and defiant. The teacher had warned the boy repeatedly there would be consequences for his rebellion. One day when the teacher had had enough of the boy’s defiance he called the principal to his class and handed him the discipline paddle. “John,” he said to the student, “you deserve this punishment but today I’m going to take it for you.” To the gasps the students the teacher bent over his desk and let the principal administer John’s punishment to his backside. The boy finally jumped up with tears in his eyes and said “No, I deserved this punishment” and he begged the principal to stop the punishment. When the class had calmed down the teacher crossed his arms and said, “Students that is justice and grace.”
It is an eloquent word picture of what Christ did for us on the cross and the simplicity of it puts a lot of people off. It’s too easy. There ought to be more punishment involved for us to come to Christ. Jesus not only took our beating He paid the full price by also dying as our substitute. Justice was served at the cross resolving the problem of sin. Paul says ‘the free gift of God is eternal life’ (Romans 6:23). The only cost for any human is to believe in what God did at Calvary. When we see it served with deep and personal mercies we can only fall to our knees.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
Back in the days of corporal punishment there’s a beautiful story told of a teacher who had been trying to teach the concept of justice to his class. One of his students was a boy who was unruly and defiant. The teacher had warned the boy repeatedly there would be consequences for his rebellion. One day when the teacher had had enough of the boy’s defiance he called the principal to his class and handed him the discipline paddle. “John,” he said to the student, “you deserve this punishment but today I’m going to take it for you.” To the gasps the students the teacher bent over his desk and let the principal administer John’s punishment to his backside. The boy finally jumped up with tears in his eyes and said “No, I deserved this punishment” and he begged the principal to stop the punishment. When the class had calmed down the teacher crossed his arms and said, “Students that is justice and grace.”
It is an eloquent word picture of what Christ did for us on the cross and the simplicity of it puts a lot of people off. It’s too easy. There ought to be more punishment involved for us to come to Christ. Jesus not only took our beating He paid the full price by also dying as our substitute. Justice was served at the cross resolving the problem of sin. Paul says ‘the free gift of God is eternal life’ (Romans 6:23). The only cost for any human is to believe in what God did at Calvary. When we see it served with deep and personal mercies we can only fall to our knees.
Ken
www.devotionstoday.blogspot.com
