Innocent death

Luke 23:1-26

I find it ironic that Jesus would not accept the title and position of King of the Jews when the crowd intended to make Him king by force, but Jesus confirmed the reality of His kingship only moments before He was sentenced to death.

It is becoming more impressive to me that Jesus was sentenced to death as an innocent man.  Jesus is, indeed, our innocent lamb, killed for our sin.

20-23 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

It seems to me that since God ordained that Jesus was killed by the Gentile method of crucifixion (instead of the Jewish method of stoning), God is communicating that Jesus's death extends to all people (not only Jews).

I think if I thought of my sin as a quadrillion dollar debt that would be impossible for me to pay, and I if I thought of His forgiveness as a quadrillion dollar forgiveness, then I think I would wake up every morning with a sense of relief from the stress of having to work to pay off that debt.  I think I would naturally be quite joyful that my life was redeemed from suffering and punishment to freedom and abundance.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my sin.  Thank you for the death of Christ, which paid the penalty for all of my sin.  May I never take for granted the sacrificial death of Christ.  I love you, and I want to live a devoted life of following you. Please give me boldness to share the Good News of Jesus out of an overflow of joyful gladness from my forgiveness. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.