Acts 4: 10, 11
Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’[a]
Reflection: Sermon Thoughts: A Personal Gospel, Part 2
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
I often hear people apply say that the Gospel is personal… and by that they mean that Christ loves them. I have said that kind of thing often. It is good news that God loves me, not because God loves the world and I am part of the world. God loves me as an individual. For Christ, his death was personal and meaningful in that he intended to save me! That is a wondrous and glorious truth for which we all ought to be grateful.
But there is another way in which the Gospel is personal. It is the fact that we (you and I) crucified him on the cross. Now, that is a difficult pill to swallow, I will grant you. And in the book of Acts, Peter made it extremely personal to the priests: “you crucified him.” Yikes! And they did. They could have released Barabbas (the murderer) but condemned Christ to die instead. But we are equally guilty of placing him on the cross. Our sin was why he came to die, and it was our sin that he bore on the cross. It does not get more personal than that. And until we recognize that brutally difficult fact, we will not be grateful, truly grateful, for his sacrifice. The more we see our sin as the problem the more the “Good News” will strike us with awe, reverence, and gratitude.
Prayer
Lord, we are so grateful that you came to die for us! Our sin placed you on the cross and you bore that sin for us. Today help us to live in gratitude for your sacrifice.