Perfect sacrifice

Christians the world over will commemorate Good Friday on April 15 ,2022, the day when Jesus Christ, was crucified at the Cross at Calvary. The crucifixion of Christ is the greatest event for Christians along with Resurrection as they form the very foundation of the faith. Around 2.40 billion people of the world’s 7.3 billion people, or around 31% are Christians. Christianity centres around Jesus Christ as the saviour sent by God to be the ultimate sacrifice for the appropriation of the sins of mankind. The message of forgiveness is achieved at the cross at Calvary over two thousand years ago when Christ was crucified by the Romans. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place around 33 AD. It is not a fable nor a myth but a well documented fact of history testified by one undeniable secular source, the Roman historian, Tacitus(55-120 AD).Tacitus, wrote that the “founder of this sect(Christians)was executed during the reign of (emperor)Tiberius by the Governor Pontius Pilate(Tacitus, annals XV).The latest investigation, reported in the journal International Geology Review, focused on earthquake activity at the Dead Sea, located 13 miles from Jerusalem. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 27, mentions that an earthquake coincided with the crucifixion. Jesus’ crucifixion was prophesied in the Old Testament hundreds of years before He was crucified. It was mentioned in Zechariah 13:7 while Psalm 22:16 states, “My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.” This scripture was written by King David in approximately 900 B.C.; crucifixion had not yet even been invented. Jesus was beaten with a lead-tipped whip that ripped His flesh from His back. Christ was nailed to the cross at around 9 a.m. and endured pain, shame and humiliation for hours in total obedience so that God’s will is fulfilled. The crucifixion of Christ at Calvary happened even when He was found innocent of all charges but condemned because He proclaimed Himself as the son of God. Through Christ, God showed His mercy as we do not get what we deserved and by His grace, showed us favour by not giving us what we deserved. The core message of the day is that when Jesus died on the cross, He atoned for the sins of mankind. What is significant about the crucifixion, is that no one can win God’s favour by sacrificing animals or doing good deeds since that makes God secondary. Blood from blemish-less and healthy animals, such as lambs were offered as propitiation of sins when Jews lived under the Mosaic law in the Old Testament. The cross tells us that salvation is not a reward for righteous people; it is a gift for repentant people. Righteous people believe in their own conduct which 1 John 1:8 reminds us that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” No amount of sacrifice is enough to gain God’s favour and believers are reminded that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22-23). The intents and purposes of the heart, which God looks, is simple and basic- the decision to obey. Not doing so brings turmoil and spiritual ailment ; perhaps the manifestations of which are evident in our society.