Nailed to His Cross

"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:13-15).

Go back in time with me to Calvary just for a few minutes. Soldiers push Jesus to the ground and stretch out His arms upon the rough timber. Another soldier presses a knee against His forearm and a cold spike against His hand. Before the mallet strikes the spike, think of this hand. It looks like the hand of a man, the calloused hand of a carpenter. His outstretched hand calmed an angry sea, healed a blinded eye, and cleansed a temple. But it is also the hand of God. This hand established the ocean's boundaries, carved majestic peaks, flung the stars into space, and put a song in the sparrow's throat. It delivered the nation of Israel from Egypt and opened the Red Sea. This hand sent a raven to feed Elijah, a fish to interrupt Jonah's getaway, and fingered a message of judgment on the wall of Nebuchadnezzer's palace.

The sound of a mallet striking the spike rings through the countryside, fastening the Savior's hand to the beam. But between His hand and the beam is a list, a list of laws and ordinances, a list of do's and don't's which we have miserably failed to keep. And as His blood begins to rush from His pierced hand, it flows down the list, covering each broken law and each broken commandment.

Paul penned, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit". (Romans 8:1). You see, if you are in Christ, there is no need to feel guilty, or to feel condemned. As the Phillips translations reads Colossians 2:13-14, "He has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross."

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