It happened at three o-clock one day. A lonely figure was in the throes of death, amidst a daytime darkness so thick it could almost be felt. This was no ordinary man, and this was no ordinary death.
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." (Matthew 27.50)
The sinless, guiltless Son of God died like any ordinary mortal, but it was so much more than a martyr's death.
"And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised ... Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, 'Truly this was the Son of God!' ” (Matthew 27.51-52, 54)
This death, like no other, was prelude to a dramatic miracle that reverberates down to us today. But, it was a very real, agonizing death; acquainting God's Son with the entire realm of human emotion and suffering. He really was, and is, one of us. Not the self-existing One, wrapped in human flesh who could not truly be touched by death, but His only precious Son who knew the frailty of life as we do.
Through agonizing death comes victory and hope. While it might appear that dreams and hopes died on a Roman cross that day, tragedy would give way to triumph. And, it is because of that cross that our greatest defeats can become overwhelming victories.
Everything changed one day at three o-clock in the afternoon, and for that we are eternally thankful.
©Steve Taylor, 2015 --Used by permission
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