Hard to Ponder

Contemplating the death of Jesus is a hard thing to do.  Hard, because it removes my ego from its pedestal and smashes it on the ground, showing me how utterly unworthy I am of the mercy of God.  Hard, because it saddens my heart to see the utter depravity of human nature, and that the best, most worthy, righteous person could be subject to the worst, most degrading treatment of all.  Hard, because it angers my inner sense of justice that a completely innocent person could be punished for crimes he did not commit, just to placate the crazed crowd.  Five times in Luke's gospel it is emphasized that Jesus was innocent, guiltless, undeserving of any punishment, yet he bore it anyway (Luke 23:4, 15, 22, 41, 47). Hard, most of all, because when I see his sacrifice, and remember that he could have avoided death completely, but chose to die anyway, I am left in utter awe of the immense love that Christ has for each and every person on this earth, including the ones whom he knows will choose to reject him.  It is hard, because it puts me down, but it is also good because it exalts Jesus.  His death, unjust and depraved as it was, satisfied the justice of God, so that we might be deprived of our depravity and decorated with the worthiness of Christ.