Lord's Supper Meditations
Jesus Died That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Pet 2:24)
Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, but not for any sins of his own. He had nails driven through his hands and feet for my sins. For your sins. The Son of God himself bore our sins in his body nearly 2,000 years ago.
Marvel at that fact, but do more than marvel. The death of Jesus is not simply a moment in history to be remembered and appreciated like the storming of the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Jesus wore a crown of thorns that I might die to sin. Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth for six hours that you might die to sin. When we "die to" something, we leave it behind. We separate ourselves from it. We begin a new life oriented around something (or someone) else.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Rom 6:1-2)
Jesus Christ died so that you might have that opportunity. He bowed his head and gave up his spirit so that we could live to righteousness. When we "live to" something, we orient everything else around it. We set it as our primary focus and goal. We build on it as our foundation.
In the very last book of the Bible, the apostle John was shown an incredible vision of heaven which included a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain (Rev 5:6). The slain Lamb is Jesus. He allowed himself to be slain so that you and I would have the opportunity to die to what would otherwise prevent us from living with him for eternity. Jesus died that we might be healed.
