DID YOU KNOW?
On the day of His death, Jesus was arrested, beaten, bound, scourged, abused, mocked, humiliated, degraded, stripped naked, nailed to a cross, publicly displayed as a criminal and blasphemer, cursed, judged guilty, and condemned to die.
All of this took place on Friday, the sixth day.
It was also on the sixth day of creation that God made man in His own image.
On the sixth day of creation, God formed man to bear the image of God, an image of glory, dignity, purity, and perfection.
But on the sixth day of the crucifixion, everything happened in reverse.
On the sixth day of creation, God made man in His image.
On the sixth day of redemption, man made God in his image.
When you look at the cross, you are beholding God bearing the image of fallen humanity.
Man judged God as guilty, because man himself stood guilty.
God was condemned as a blasphemer, because blasphemy was the sin of man.
God was treated as cursed, because man lived under the curse.
God was cast out, because man was separated from God.
As God once caused Adam to bear the image of divine glory, humanity now caused God to bear the image of human guilt, shame, rejection, and death.
The cross is God wearing our image.
Why would God allow Himself to be so abused and degraded?
Because God allowed Himself to bear the image of fallen man, so that man could once again bear the image of God.
God took on the image of death so we could take on the image of life.
God bore the image of the fallen so we could bear the image of the risen.
This is the great exchange.
God bore your image in His death so that you could bear His image in your life.
Therefore, make it your aim that:
- your life reflects His life
- your nature reflects His nature
- your actions reflect His actions
- your heart reflects His heart
Allow Him to shape you, restore you, and remake you into His likeness.
TODAY:
Jesus the Messiah took upon Himself your image in His death. Now choose to take upon yourself His image in your life. Live today in the image, the character, and the nature of God.
