I’m 45 years old. Easter 2016 has been my 46th Easter. I’ve heard the Easter story hundreds of times. I’ve known for many years that “Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins.”
But there’s something about what Jesus did on Calvary that I never realized until this year.
And it’s something I’ve wanted all my life. I just never knew I had it. Until this morning during the sermon.
Before I tell you what I realized, I need to tell you something else: My childhood and growing-up years were very difficult in some ways. By no means was every moment horrible, but suffice it to say that those years were tough. I only mention it here for two reasons: First, it’s necessary to do so in order to explain why what Christ purchased for me with His blood means so very much to me; and second, perhaps some of you have endured similar suffering and long to have what I only recently realized that I had all along (it’s what you had all along, too).
I grew up believing that I was never right unless I conformed to certain standards. That I was never acceptable or accepted unless I acted a certain way. That I must constantly try to please people who would never fully love me unless I could do and be and say exactly what they wanted.
I grew up believing that I was somehow never fully “right.” That any temporary reprieve from the anxiety of having to live up to impossible standards (because I just couldn’t be the “right” person) was just that—temporary.
I’m sure you can see why what I have wanted more than anything else my entire life was to know that I’m “right” enough. That I’m “good” enough. Not that I’m sinless, but just that I’m not constantly wrong.
Today, I got what I’ve always wanted. And in case you’ve always wanted it too, I want to share with you what I learned about Easter that I never realized before, because it’s all connected.
You and I both know that when Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that we deserved because of our sinfulness. We also both know that God the Father considers Jesus’ righteousness now to be ours as well. We can be counted legally sinless before God because Jesus’ perfect record stands in for us. Even though we continue to sin, we are not guilty.
Jesus was judged guilty. Jesus was sentenced. Jesus paid the full penalty.
Do you realize what that means?
It means that you and I are not always wrong. It means—get this—that in terms of our standing before God, we’re always right.
Because Jesus lived a sinless life and then died on Calvary, you and I get to have what we always wanted. We get to be fully acceptable to someone no matter what we do or fail to do. We get to be fully loved completely apart from the level of our performance.
In fact—and this is where it gets truly mind-blowing—our efforts to “get it right” add nothing to our being right. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING! Because we’re already right!
We are right because of Jesus, not because of ourselves (remember how His perfect record stands in for us?). And because Jesus is incapable of anything less than perfection, we are always right.
Again, “right” does not means we’re not factually sinless. We do sin, and God knows it. Being “right” means that we’re always in right standing with God because of Jesus. Despite the fact that we continue to sin, we will never be out of right standing with God. True, He will not like our sinful actions. He will not be pleased with them. But—and this is an incredible thought for anyone who didn’t grow up this way—He won’t count them against us. He won’t distance Himself from us because we’ve suddenly become unacceptable (because He doesn’t consider us unacceptable, no matter what). He won’t stop loving us because we didn’t do or be or say the right thing.
Let me say it as plainly as I can: Jesus not only lifted our punishment from us, He also lifted from us the burden of always being wrong. Of always not measuring up.
And He made us always right, and accepted, and loved.
He did for me what I always wanted, and I never “got it” until today. But today, I got what I’ve always had.
I hope you did, too.
1 Peter 2:24—“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (NIV)