Freedom Story Part 4 - The Price

It was over. Jesus had said “It is finished” and died. The plan was still in progress. Not even death could stop it, though, this was no ordinary death. This death was needed to bring life and change the relationship between God and his people. To move from moments and encounters to a personal indwelling relationship. A redemption relationship, one that had to be bought back, recovered, an exchange, a saving and a freeing from the captivity brought about by the events in the Garden of Eden in Genesis.

As we said, it was a complex plan, the most extraordinary, astounding, extreme plan of all time. The price was high, the sacrifice extreme - the exchange of a life for our lives, a death for our freedom, God taking on humanity as Jesus to restore His Kingdom relationship with the people He created. With all of us that were, that are now and not yet born. All of us uniquely created with our own God given plans and purposes. The separation was repaired by the sacrifice of Jesus, restored by YHWH for His glory. Simply put, Jesus willingly died, literally, in the place of every single person to restore us back to a personal relationship with God. What does that say about God…..

Joseph of Aramathea, a wealthy influential leader, and Nicodemus, a member of the High Council, had taken Jesus body to a nearby new tomb and provided a huge amount of perfumed ointment and linen to wrap his body in, in accordance with the Jewish burial customs. A burial fit for a King, a Royal burial. The tomb was sealed with a large stone over the entrance, too heavy to be moved easily. The men left. Then it was the sabbath and Passover.

The priests and the Pharesees went to Pilate and requested that the tomb be sealed for three days. They remembered Jesus saying that after three days we would rise from the dead and did not want anyone stealing the body and claiming that he had risen. A rope was strung across the stone at the entrance, sealed with clay at either end, and Guards were posted at the tombs entrance.

The plan was progressing, out of sight of human eyes.