The Meaning of the Cross, Day 38

Welcome to Day 38 of our series, “40 days of the cross,” taking just a few minutes each day to look at a word which will help us better understand the meaning of the cross. Today’s word is judgment. 

Judgment is the end result of justice. And we all cry out for justice, don’t we? At least until we are on the receiving end of it. I don’t know many drivers who see the flashing blue lights in their rearview mirrors and shout, “Hooray! Justice!” We want justice until it comes looking for us, and then we plead for mercy. 

If we’re looking at the cross today, how can it be justice? How can the execution of an innocent man, one who has never sinned, be justified? How is the judgment of Jesus anything but an act of INJUSTICE? You’re right. The death of Jesus on the cross was an act of injustice by the Romans and religious authorities in Jerusalem. The justice of this judgment doesn’t come from the acts of these men, but from the act of God on the cross.
 

You see, justice is essential to God’s nature. He is holy, and can abide no sin. God is just, and so sin MUST be punished. It is unrighteous to allow sin to flourish forever, and God cannot be unrighteous. There must be judgment on sin. That is what is right and just. All of us have sinned. And deep down all of us know that it is right that there should be judgment pronounced on our sinfulness. 

The good news is that the Father poured out His judgment for sin on His Son Jesus, as He hung on the cross. On the cross, Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. The cross WAS a place of judgment. But it wasn’t Jesus who was judged. It was our sin. That doesn’t seem fair, for Jesus to take our punishment, but it was justice. Sin was punished. Judgement was carried out. 

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It is JUST for Him to forgive us because the judgment on sin has already been carried out. It was carried out on the cross - and that’s a good thing. We’ll talk more about “good” tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading today. After we pray today, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about how God’s judgment on our sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross. 

Oh Father, Your holiness and justice are pure and everlasting. I thank you that your mercy is as well. Thank you for Jesus and the cross. Thank you that the judgment of our sin has been paid in full. In the name of Jesus, I say amen. 

Continued