THE SUBSTITUTE

… Jesus … suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9 NIV

Another gem from Kyle Idleman’s “The Easter Experience”* video series: Rembrandt painted the crucifixion. Below the cross, in a crowd of people dressed as those who lived when Jesus walked in Israel, one man stood out: Rembrandt himself, dressed in clothing from his own time period.

“If you were to paint yourself into the crucifixion story,” Kyle then asked, “who would you be?”

There’s no need for imagination. I was there, in the guise of all my failures, all my sin. I was the owner of the third cross. The mockery, the scorn, the curses should have fallen on me. I was the one who should have stumbled alone through the streets of shame under that cross, blood running down my back and pooling under my feet.

But He took my burden from me. He fell beneath the weight of my cross. He was crushed by the weight of my sin.

Then, when we had climbed Golgotha’s hill and I was flung down upon the cross, He held out a hand. 

“Halt.”

As the hammer held to its place in midair, He nudged me gently aside and lay down to receive my nails, my death, in the very hands that had given me life.

The hands that now have given me new life abundant.

Come and see. Come and see what God has done.

Avi, thank You for loving us enough to give us the freedom to choose, and for letting us make enough bad choices to see how much we need You. Thank You for making all things work together for good for those who love You, despite the choices we make. Thank You for making a way back home, and paying the price to save us from our choices. In Your holy name, Amen.

*”The Easter Experience” video series can be accessed at www.rightnow.org.