He Paid it All

He Paid it All

Bringing Our Hurts to the Cross

Isaiah 53

The biggest responsibility sinful humanity faces is to prepare to meet a holy God (Acts 4:12). The earliest indication of God’s plan for human redemption in the Bible is found in Genesis 3:15.  The whole bible is about God’s plan to restore humanity to its original purpose through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The cross was a symbol of shame and uttermost humiliation reserved for the vilest sinners but Christ disregarded its shame (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 2:5-11).

We proclaim the Cross as:

1. A symbol of God’s love (Isa 53:4,6 – ‘stricken by God’)

God loved the world so much that he paid the highest price (Romans 8:32). God’s response to man’s fallen state satisfied both his justice and his love. The gospel is free but not cheap. Christ suffered and died in our place. It is like he died for us one by one. As if he died as many times as there are people who are alive,  have lived and will live. He died in each individual’s place. This act of grace revealed to us the high value God puts on Humanity (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16).  “a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering”  “Surely, he has borne our grief and carried our   sorrow” (Is 53:3-4).

“Life Himself was identified with death; The Light of the world was enveloped in darkness.  The Water of Life was thirsty.  The Bread of Life was hungry.”  “The divine Lawgiver was Himself unjustly outlawed.  The Holy One was identified with the unholy. 

The Lion of Judah was crucified as a lamb.  The hands that made the world were fixed by nails until they were rigid in death”--Frank Lake

‘Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. ‘ – Hymn quote. Following Christ means sacrificing own interests for Christ’s sake. If you can not forsake all you cannot be His disciple (Mathew 10:37-38; Luke 14:27-33; Mathew 28:19-20).

2. A symbol of God’s Justice (Isaiah 53:5).  The cross is a symbol of our death to sin and life in Christ. He paid the death penalty for our sin and gave us freedom from sin and Satan’s power. (Gal 6:14; 2:20; Ephesians 2:16; Rom 6:3-4; Col 2:12-14). He paid it all. Whatever you go through, place it in God’s hands for he has already gone through it for you. You can choose to accept the provision for sin made on the cross or pay for sin personally in eternal separation from God.

3. A symbol of God’s Power (Isaiah 53:11).  The empty cross and empty tomb (Mathew 28:6) tell of our victory over the powers of evil. He would have just left Jesus alone if he knew. The process meant to destroy Christ became the demise of the devil. Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). The resurrection proclaims the power of the cross  to resurrect hope in any situation (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:2). The same power that raised Christ is able to transform a sinner to a saint, death to newness of life, punishment to reward, curse to blessing, weakness to strength, and debt to surplus loneliness to new/healed relationships,. It can bring resurrection to any situation. We can not help but only rejoice and lift Him up. Jesus will lift you up as high as you lift Him. He is alive and dwells in the praises of his people.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa