Then What's the Big Deal?

For several Easters, I sat though sermon after sermon on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And somehow, in my young, confused mind, I got the idea that Jesus paid for our sins by solely dying on the cross. And then, somewhere in the back of my wondering mind, a little thought hovered, asking me, "Then what's the big deal?" Lots of people died on crosses. What made Jesus any different? Why did Jesus weep agonizingly in the Garden of Gethsemane and ask the Father to remove this cup from Him? Was He just being a wuss? And then came the Easter where I made a startling discovery - Jesus didn't pay for our sins by dying on the cross. He paid for our sins by taking on the full wrath of God which we deserved, suffering spiritually in a way that was much more significant than the physical suffering He endured upon the cross.

So yes, the cross was horrible and agonizing, and yes, Jesus suffered terribly on it, but the true sacrifice He paid, the true pain He endured came by bearing the full and total wrath of God against sinners. He, the sinless, bore our sin. He, the guiltless, bore our guilt. He, the shameless, bore our shame. He, the perfect, bore our punishment. We deserved the wrath of God poured out upon us, but as we remember tomorrow, on Good Friday, Jesus stepped in and took our place. He willingly became our substitute, stepping in to pay for our unpardonable crimes.

So if all Jesus did to pay for our sins was just die on the cross, then what's the big deal? But since Jesus instead bore the full wrath of God while dying and suffered spiritually like you or I will never suffer, then that's a pretty big deal. In fact, that's the biggest deal that can ever happen.