Nougat 7

How do you respond under pressure? The kind that comes with responsibility for the welfare of others? Do you grumble (er guilty sometimes); do you head for the hills, a cave, somewhere no one can find you, (not often); or do you stand strong (on occasion – it depends)? What if that responsibility was life or death for others? Consider today’s Holy Nougat

“For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

Romans 5:19 NRSV

I never thought about it that way – that Jesus’ obedience was a life and death responsibility. That in choosing to become our Savior He was consciously opting to be a target. That in one sense Death firmly etched on His mind all the time; even as He offered Life. For although He Knew that in Him is Life abundant, that in Him is the antidote to Death; it first came with death in the most shameful of ways. That’s an awe-full responsibility!

I don’t know whether we can fully fathom it; but that’s the cost of righteousness – from Adam’s time to now and beyond. Our righteousness, our securing the status of sins and daughters, comes with Jesus undertaking the responsibility for ALL OUR sins.

When Adam and Eve sinned; blood was shed to cover up their mess. But, though sacrificial, it could not do permanent recompense – hence the annual sacrifice to secure Forgiveness. Grace required an equal substitute for the verdict (e.g. eye for eye; tooth for tooth Leviticus 24:19-21). We earned that hands down. Adam knew the consequences – Death (Genesis 2:15-17). It was a matter of Fact. And it seemed all was lost.

But, Jesus intervened.

Hence, our Righteousness is His responsibility – a gift; which, though free, is most precious and costly (Romans 3:23-25). And despite ALL our sins; Jesus took that responsibility all the way to the unmarked grave and Resurrection morning. For Death could Not is Not and will Not be the final answer. Everyone dies. Even those miraculously raised from the dead. It is in His Resurrection however, that Life is secured; and that was part of Jesus’ remit. That’s what makes the difference.

So let’s reconsider responsibility. Let’s look at it as the Ability TO Respond to a problem AND Choosing to Respond. What was the Human Problem – Death, the consequence of Sin (Romans 6:23a). Jesus, as God’s own self in Heaven had the Ability to Respond to our Problem with a permanent plan AND Chose to fix it by becoming sin for us (Romans 6:4,23b; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

And whenever we celebrate; that’s what Christmas reminds us – of Christ‘s Choice to make us righteous by first becoming human; living the example in Death and Resurrection. The only question remaining is – now that we know; HOW shall we Respond?

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May all we seek be found in Christ