Being that today is the traditional time for remembering Christ’s death, I decided to read Matthew’s account. When I came to 26:57-67 and 27:11-26, I noticed something worthy of note. Before the Sanhedrin, the high priest became frustrated because Jesus never answered any of the false accusations. It wasn’t until Jesus acknowledged that he was the Son of God that they had anything to accuse him of. When standing before Pontius Pilate, the same thing happened. No accusations would stick because he had done nothing wrong.

The point is that Jesus wasn’t crucified because he did something wrong. He didn’t die to pay for his own sins. He had lived a perfect life and could have walked away from the accusations without being found guilty. But instead, he willing gave himself to be crucified. Why would he do this? When Jesus bled and died on the cross, he was dying not for his own sins but for our own. “For He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

I’m glad that Jesus was able and willing to do this for us. He didn’t have to. But now because of his death on the cross, my sins are paid for. And through faith in his death for me, I am forgiven by God, adopted into God’s family, and made a new person. And it’s all because Jesus took the punishment for my sin. Thank you, Lord.