Friday, February 16: 2 Corinthians 5:20—6:10
…be reconciled to God. He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:20b-21
2 Corinthians seems to describe the season of Lent as most Christians see that time: a time of sacrifice, doing without, and doing good works. We give up meat, or chocolate, or whatever we deem an acceptable thing to give up, and we begin the season of Lent much as we do the new year after making well-meaning resolutions. We’ve made these sacrifices with the expectation of making us better people, and hopefully we succeed. Such good intentions. Aren’t those the things that the roads in Heaven are paved with?
Paul is also saying that Christ became a sin sacrifice for us, for our sins. Just to think He knew we would not have a dove or a young lamb to use as a sin offering, so he gave himself. I’ve always thought of the crucifixion of Christ as the greatest love story ever, and when I think of His crucifixion as a sacrifice for us, then I know I have the right idea.