Romans 6:1-14 The next few days we will be examining Holy Week through Romans 6
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:3-5)
You can’t get Easter Sunday without going through Good Friday. In the backwards way of Christ, we must be put to death so that we gain true life. It is in the death of Christ that we become alive. The believer is one who has an intimacy with His crucifixion and death. Before we can face resurrection, we must come to terms with both the death of our Lord on our behalf, and the death of ourself which God calls us to daily. We must look to the nails that pierced for our transgressions and say “that is mine, this is the death I earned.” Without Jesus, death is victorious but with Him, death becomes an engine to true life and passion.
It is in the shade of the cross where we find our lives. Yet, we must never lose the death in which we were baptized into. The cross gives context. The cross gives faith. The cross brings life. Today we are called to be united in sober remembrance of the sin that made death an inevitability. This is the greatest injustice and scandal of life – that He steps in for we.
Embrace the death but remember, Sunday is coming.
Thank you Lord for the crucifixion. Thank you for bearing the cost of one great death so that we may be given an abundant life. Teach us to take courage in the shadow of your cross knowing the freedom it purchased for us.
Matt simon blog 