By Friday morning after his entry to Jerusalem, the enemies of Jesus had completed their scheme. Following an illegal trial based on bribery and dishonesty, Jesus had been beaten, mocked, scourged, nailed to an ugly structure used for criminals, and left to die. However, their extreme cruelty wasn’t the full measure of “the cup”; it came next.

For three excruciating hours (in total darkness during the middle of the day), Jesus was separated from the Father to endure God’s full fist of wrath on sin…their sin, our sin, the world’s sin. Isaiah 53 says He was crushed, bruised, scorned and despised in our stead. It was a painful transaction because sin costs. When it was over, He drew a final breath and proclaimed:

“It is finished!”

May we never take sin lightly. May we never forget His grace. May we never fail to thank Him for it. And may we never cease to share it.

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 HCSB